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 · 215 words.

The bar chart compares the levels of carbon emissions produced by three fossil fuels - gas, oil, and coal - in the UK between 1990 and 2010.

Overall, emissions from gas increased steadily throughout the period, eventually becoming the largest source of carbon emissions. By contrast, coal emissions declined gradually, while oil emissions fluctuated before following a downward trend.

Regarding gas and coal, the two energy sources followed contrasting trends over the period. In 1990, coal was the largest contributor to carbon emissions, at approximately 310 million tonnes, compared with just 220 million tonnes from gas. However, while coal emissions declined steadily to around 185 million tonnes by 2010, those from gas rose consistently, reaching approximately 320 million tonnes. Consequently, gas overtook coal between 1995 and 2000 and remained the leading source of emissions for the rest of the period.

As for oil, its emissions followed a more fluctuating pattern, although the overall trend was downward. Starting at approximately 270 million tonnes in 1990, the figure fell to around 240 million tonnes in 1995, before recovering slightly to 260 million tonnes in 2000. This was followed by a further decline over the next decade, with emissions dropping to approximately 240 million tonnes in 2005 and reaching a low of just 205 million tonnes by 2010.

Examiner feedback

This is a well-organised response with a clear overview and accurate selection of key trends, supported by specific figures. The main weaknesses are the limited illustration of the oil data and repetitive hedging with "approximately" and "around", which slightly restrict precision and range.

Task Achievement - 7

- Clear overview identifies the key trends: gas rising to become the largest source, coal declining, and oil fluctuating with a downward trend. - Each body paragraph groups related sources (gas and coal; oil), with specific figures such as 310 and 220 million tonnes in 1990 and the gas-coal crossover between 1995 and 2000. - The oil paragraph is less fully illustrated than the gas-coal paragraph, and the response does not comment on the overall scale of change. Figures are not verified here against the chart image, so accuracy is assessed on internal consistency.

Coherence & Cohesion - 7

- Paragraphing is logical: introduction, overview, then one body paragraph per grouping of sources. - Contrastive and sequencing devices ("By contrast", "However", "Consequently", "As for") are used appropriately to link ideas. - Progression is clear across the response, with some repetitive reference to "the figure" and "emissions" that slightly limits variety.

Lexical Resource - 7

- Vocabulary is varied and suited to trend description ("contrasting trends", "fluctuating pattern", "overtook", "recovering slightly"). - "Approximately" and "around" are overused, appearing repeatedly in the data sentences, which reduces precision and variety. - The response uses "carbon emissions" where the task refers to greenhouse gas emission sources, a minor mismatch in terminology. No spelling or word-formation errors were found.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 7

- A good range of structures is used, including participle clauses, concessive and temporal clauses, and complex sentences with "while" and "before". - Tense use is consistent and accurate for past data, and no clear grammatical errors were identified. - Punctuation is well controlled, with correct comma use in complex sentences.

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