The table below gives information about the salaries of secondary/high school teachers in five countries in 2009.

Table gives information salaries secondary high school teachers five countries 2009 - 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 8.5 · 184 words.

The table compares starting, average, and maximum annual salaries (in US dollars) for secondary school teachers in five countries in 2009, along with the number of years needed to reach the top pay scale.

Overall, Luxembourg offered by far the highest salaries at every stage, while Japan and Australia had the lowest starting pay. There is also a clear link between salary progression and the time taken to reach maximum pay, with countries offering smaller increases generally requiring longer service.

Luxembourg teachers earned the highest starting salary, at $80,000, rising to a maximum of $139,000 after 30 years. Denmark had the second-highest starting salary ($47,000), but its maximum figure of $54,000 was reached in just 8 years, the shortest period of all five countries, since starting and maximum salaries were identical in Denmark and Australia.

By contrast, teachers in Korea and Japan started on the lowest salaries ($30,500 and $28,000 respectively) but experienced substantial increases over time, eventually earning more than Australian teachers. However, this required considerably longer service, at 37 and 34 years respectively, making theirs the slowest progressions among the five countries.

Examiner feedback

This is an excellent response that demonstrates a high level of English proficiency. The writing is natural, the vocabulary is sophisticated, and the grammatical control is near-perfect. The only minor flaw is a slight inaccuracy in data interpretation regarding the comparison between Australia and Denmark's starting salaries, which prevents a perfect score in Task Achievement.

Task Achievement - 8

- Provides a clear and effective overview identifying the main trends and the relationship between salary and time. - Covers all key features of the table, though there is a minor data inaccuracy regarding the 'identical' starting salaries for Denmark and Australia. - Data is used effectively to support the description of trends.

Coherence & Cohesion - 9

- Paragraphing is logically organized, separating the overview, high-salary countries, and high-growth countries. - Cohesive devices like 'By contrast', 'However', and 'respectively' are used with high flexibility. - The progression of ideas is very natural, though one logical link regarding Denmark and Australia is slightly confusing.

Lexical Resource - 9

- Vocabulary is sophisticated and precise (e.g., 'annual salaries', 'salary progression', 'substantial increases'). - Excellent use of collocations such as 'reach the top pay scale' and 'required longer service'. - Word formation and spelling are perfectly accurate.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 9

- Displays a wide range of complex structures used with full flexibility and accuracy. - Use of participial phrases (e.g., 'rising to...', 'making theirs...') adds sophistication. - Punctuation and grammar are error-free throughout the response.

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