The three given pie charts compare the popularity of five different kinds of books according to the sales of a bookseller during the period from 1972 to 2012.

Popularity of five different kinds of books based on bookseller sales 1972 2012 - 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 · 187 words.

The three pie charts compare the popularity of five distinct book genres based on bookseller sales between 1972 and 2012.

Overall, adult fiction underwent the most dramatic growth, transforming from a minor category into the overwhelmingly dominant genre by the end of the period. Conversely, all other categories experienced a decline in market share over the 40-year timeframe, except for children's fiction which saw a slight net increase.

In 1972, the market was relatively evenly split, with adult fiction, children's fiction, and biography each accounting for exactly 20% of sales. Travel books held a 15% share, while the remaining 25% belonged to other genres. By 1992, adult fiction had grown to 25%, while children's fiction rose to 22%. Meanwhile, biography and travel dipped slightly to 15% and 18% respectively.

By 2012, adult fiction had surged significantly, capturing nearly half of the entire market at 45%. This expansion came at the expense of other genres; the share for biography dropped sharply to just 8%, travel fell to 10%, and the "Others" category plummeted to 12%. Children's fiction was the only other genre to maintain stability, finishing at 25%.

Examiner feedback

The response is exceptionally well-written, fulfilling all Task 1 requirements with precision and clarity. It presents a clear overview and effectively selects, highlights, and illustrates key data features using advanced vocabulary and grammar.

Task Achievement - 8

- All requirements of the task are fully addressed with precise data referencing. - The overview clearly captures the main overall trends without mechanical listing. - Key features of all three time periods are accurately highlighted and supported by figures.

Coherence & Cohesion - 8

- Information and ideas are logically sequenced with a clear overall progression. - Cohesive devices such as 'Conversely' and 'Meanwhile' are used naturally and effectively. - Paragraphing is well-managed, separating the overview and chronological body paragraphs.

Lexical Resource - 8

- A wide range of vocabulary is used naturally and accurately to describe data changes. - Excellent lexical choices like 'underwent the most dramatic growth', 'plummeted', and 'market share'. - Spelling and word formation are flawless.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 8

- A wide range of complex sentence structures is used with full flexibility and accuracy. - Punctuation and sentence boundaries are expertly controlled. - The majority of sentences are completely error-free.

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