The table below gives information about population in Australia and Malaysia in 1980 and 2002.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 1 question on IELTSX. The table below gives information about population in Australia and Malaysia in 1980 and 2002.

Population Australia Malaysia 1980 2002 Table - 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.

IELTS Writing Task 1 chart for Population Australia Malaysia 1980 2002 Table
Chart supplied with the IELTS Writing Task 1 question: Population Australia Malaysia 1980 2002 Table

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 6 ยท 184 words.

The table provides information about population in Australia and Malaysia in the years: 1980 and 2002 .

Overall, total population increased in both countries . Malaysia was the most popular option for birth rate , while the majority of population of Australia was people aged over 65.

In 1980, population in Australia was 14.7 millions and increased to 19.6 millions by 2002. The growth of avarage population every year rose slightly from 1.2% to 1.3% . In contrast , whereas the number of residents in Malaysia was lower than Australia in initial year , it grew from 13.7 millions to 24.3 millions and surpassed Australia over the following 22 years . However , a rise of population in Malaysia experienced minimal decline from 2.4% to 2.1%.

The rate of birth decreased in both Malaysia (from 3.2% to 2.2%) and Australia (from 1.5% to 1.3%). The proportion of the old in Australia and Malaysia was 9.6% and 3.7% in 1980 and rose to 12.4% and 4.3% in 2002. The percentage of inhabitants in different genders stayed almost steady in both countries over the years given.

Examiner feedback

The response successfully covers the key features of the table comparing Australia and Malaysia in 1980 and 2002, presenting a clear overview and supporting data. However, lexical and grammatical inaccuracies, such as unnatural phrasing, spacing issues, and minor spelling mistakes, limit the score to a Band 6.

Task Achievement - 6

- Task achievement: The response covers the main requirements of the task and provides an appropriate format. - Idea development: Key features are selected and supported with data, though some interpretations are awkward. - Task coverage: Both countries and all categories are addressed.

Coherence & Cohesion - 6

- Paragraph organization: Information is grouped logically into an introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. - Cohesive devices: Transition words like 'In contrast' and 'However' are used to connect ideas. - Progression: There is a clear overall progression despite minor mechanical links.

Lexical Resource - 6

- Vocabulary range: The resource is adequate for the task, though word choices are sometimes imprecise or unnatural (e.g., 'most popular option'). - Accuracy: Minor spelling and form errors occur, such as 'avarage' and 'millions'. - Collocations: Some expressions feel non-standard.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 6

- Sentence structure: A mix of simple and complex sentences is attempted. - Accuracy: Grammatical errors include missing articles and incorrect pluralization with specific numbers. - Punctuation: Extra spaces before punctuation marks are visible throughout the text.

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