The chart below shows the percentage of river water in UK rivers that is classified as having good chemical quality between 1990 and 2002.

Percentage River Water UK Classified Good Chemical Quality 1990 2002 - IELTS Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

A student's answer to this task, and the feedback on it

Written by an IELTSX user under exam conditions and published unedited and anonymously. Band 8 · 173 words.

The line graph compares the proportion of river water with good chemical quality across four UK regions (Wales, Northern Ireland, England, and Scotland) from 1990 to 2002.

[Overall], the chemical quality of rivers in Scotland and Northern Ireland improved significantly over the period, while Wales experienced a decline. England's river quality [fluctuated] but ended the period at a similar level to where it began.

In 1990, Wales had the highest proportion of high-quality river water at approximately 95%. This remained stable until 1994 before [declining steadily] to approximately 80% by 2002. In contrast, Northern Ireland started at just over 80%, remained constant for several years, and then [surpassed Wales] to reach a peak of nearly 100% in 2002.

Scotland's rivers began with the lowest chemical quality at roughly 20%. However, this figure [rose consistently] throughout the decade, overtaking England in 2001 to finish at 60%. England, which started at roughly 45%, saw its river quality [dip significantly] to just under 30% in the mid-1990s before recovering to end the period at approximately 50%.

Examiner feedback

This is an exceptionally strong response that demonstrates a high level of control over both language and data analysis. The organization is logical, and the vocabulary used to describe trends is varied and precise, making it easy for the reader to follow the changes across the four regions.

Task Achievement - 8

- The response covers all requirements of the task, highlighting key features and providing an accurate overview of the trends. - All four regions are clearly compared and contrasted using specific data points from the chart. - While the data is well-selected, minor nuances in the exact peak years could be slightly more precise to reach a Band 9.

Coherence & Cohesion - 8

- Information is logically organized with a clear progression from the overview to specific regional comparisons. - Cohesive devices like "In contrast," "However," and "In 1990" are used effectively to guide the reader through the data. - Paragraphing is appropriate, grouping regions with similar trends or logical pairings (high vs. low starting points).

Lexical Resource - 8

- Vocabulary is sophisticated and precise, using terms like "fluctuated," "declining steadily," "surpassed," and "dip significantly." - Collocations related to data description are natural and varied throughout the response. - There is strong flexibility in how the proportions and changes are described.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 8

- A wide range of structures is used with high accuracy, including complex sentences and varied verb tenses. - The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is consistently well-managed. - Use of time expressions and relative clauses (e.g., "England, which started at...") adds to the grammatical variety.

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