The graph below shows the three kinds of greenhouse gas emission sources (oil/coal/gas) in the UK.

Three kinds of greenhouse gas emission sources in UK - 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 7 · 195 words.

The bar chart illustrates the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by three fossil fuels, namely oil, gas and coal, in the UK between 1990 and 2010.

Overall, gas emissions were the highest in terms of the amount emitted, and their figure increased steadily over the period. By contrast, coal emissions decreased gradually, while oil emissions fluctuated.

In 1990, approximately 320 million tons of emissions were produced by coal, compared with roughly 270 million tons from oil. The figure for gas emissions were considerably lower, at around 220 million tons. By 1995, coal remained the leading source, but its figure fell to roughly 280 million tons, while gas emissions rose to around 270 million tons. In contrast, oil emissions decreased to about 240 million tons.

By 2000, gas had overtaken both oil and coal, reaching 300 million tons, whereas coal and oil emissions declined to approximately 260 and 250 million tons, respectively. In 2005, gas emissons increased to around 320 million tons compared with 240 and 230 mllion tons from oil and coal, respectively. By the end of the period, the ranking remained unchanged, with gas being the largest source, followed by oil and coal.

Examiner feedback

The response is a well-structured and accurate description of the provided chart, successfully outlining the main trends and providing precise data points. It features a clear overview and logical paragraphing, though minor spelling errors and a subject-verb agreement slip prevent it from reaching a higher band.

Task Achievement - 7

- The response covers all the main requirements of the task, presenting an accurate overview of the three greenhouse gas emission sources. - Key features are appropriately selected and supported with specific data figures from the chart. - The overview clearly highlights the main trends and the final ranking without getting bogged down in minor details.

Coherence & Cohesion - 7

- Information is logically organized with a clear overall progression and standard four-paragraph structure. - Cohesive devices such as 'By contrast', 'In contrast', and 'respectively' are used effectively. - Paragraphing is appropriate, separating the overview and body details clearly.

Lexical Resource - 6

- Vocabulary is generally adequate and appropriate for describing statistical data and trends ('fluctuated', 'overtaken', 'leading source'). - There are a few spelling slips ('emissons', 'mllion'). - Collocations are mostly natural, though some variation in reporting verbs could enhance the response.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 7

- A good mix of simple and complex sentence forms is used throughout the response. - There is a minor grammatical slip ('The figure for gas emissions were...'), but overall control is strong. - Punctuation and sentence boundaries are well managed with proper use of commas.

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