The chart below shows the percentage of the population in the UK who consumed the recommended daily amount of fruit and vegetables in 2002, 2006 and 2010.

UK Population Recommended Fruit Vegetables 2002 2006 2010 Bar Chart - 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 6 · 228 words.

The bar graph demonstrated a breakdown of the citizens of the UK who followed daily recommendations about the consumption of fruits and vegetables in 2002, 2006, and 2008. Overall, all categories exhibited an upward trajectory, albeit to varying degrees. Notable, too, is the fact that the figure of women was dominated with a pronounced percentage, followed closely by men with a moderate share and distantly by children with a rather low number during the years in question.

Focusing first on the initial year, around 25% of women strictly ate the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, while the ratio of men accounted for approximately 22%. In 2002, only 11% of children followed the recommendation, which illustrated a two-fold low share rather than men.

In 2006, eating fruits and vegetables was more prioritized by all groups. Women were the indisputable leaders, with a vicinity of 32%, while about 28% of men complied with consuming fruits and vegetables as a norm for every day. In this period, the number of children eating daily fruits and vegetables was equal to half of women, 14%.

Shifting the focus to the end of the period, a downward trajectory was seen among all sectors. The number of women who followed recommended fruit and vegetable consumption for each year made up approximately 27%, followed by men with 24% and distantly by children with around 13%.

Examiner feedback

The response effectively communicates the main trends and provides accurate data points for all categories. However, the overview lacks precision regarding the fluctuations in the data, and some 'high-level' vocabulary is used in unnatural contexts, which slightly obscures meaning.

Task Achievement - 6

- The response covers all key features of the bar chart, including the three groups (men, women, children) and the three time periods. - The overview is present but slightly inaccurate; it claims an 'upward trajectory' overall, whereas the data actually peaks in 2006 and falls in 2010 (though 2010 remains higher than 2002). - Data is generally accurate and supports the descriptions provided, though the date '2008' in the introduction is a factual error compared to the prompt (2010).

Coherence & Cohesion - 7

- Information is logically organized chronologically, making the progression easy to follow. - Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the overview and the specific time periods. - Cohesive devices such as 'Focusing first on', 'In this period', and 'Shifting the focus to' provide clear transitions between ideas.

Lexical Resource - 6

- The vocabulary range is adequate, with attempts to use varied terms like 'trajectory', 'prioritized', and 'comply'. - There are several instances of unnatural word choice or collocation: 'figure of women was dominated', 'vicinity of 32%', and 'two-fold low share'. - Spelling is accurate throughout the response.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 6

- A mix of simple and complex sentence forms is used, but the accuracy of complex structures is inconsistent. - Comparative structures are a weakness, specifically 'illustrated a two-fold low share rather than men', which is grammatically awkward. - Punctuation is generally well-managed, contributing to the clarity of the message.

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