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User-written IELTS example

Writing Academic Task 1 Band 9.0 Example

Original task prompt, user essay, band score, and related examples in the same report workspace.

203 words AcademicTask 1Bar Chart
Task 1

Illustrative target band for this original model answer.

Plan your answer

Try your own response before reading the samples.

Ideas to explore

  • Compare each country group with the parity benchmark of 100, noting that developed countries reached or exceeded it only in tertiary education.
  • Identify the largest increase: developing countries’ secondary ratio rose by 10 points, from 72 to 82.
  • Highlight the widest gap: tertiary education in 1998 had figures of 75 in developing countries and 112 in developed countries.

Suggested structure

  1. Paraphrase what the chart measures and state the years and education levels.
  2. Give an overview of the overall group difference and identify the most notable level.
  3. Describe the three developing-country ratios, including their changes over time and position relative to 100.
  4. Compare the developed-country figures and finish with the largest gap.
Useful vocabulary & examples
gender parity
Equal representation of females and males, shown here by a ratio of 100 girls per 100 boys.

The developed-country primary ratio was close to gender parity in both years.

edge up
Increase by a small amount.

The developed-country primary ratio edged up from 95 to 96.

remain below the target
Stay under a stated benchmark or goal.

All three developing-country ratios remained below the target of 100 in 1998.

the gap between the groups
The difference between the figures for two categories.

The gap between the groups was largest in tertiary education in 1998.

Task Prompt

The chart below shows the number of girls per 100 boys enrolled in different levels of school education.
IELTS Writing Task 1 visual

User Essay Analysis

Review the public answer with report-style highlights.

Band 9.0

The bar chart provides a comparative analysis of the enrollment rates of girls per 100 boys across various educational levels in both developing and developed countries for the years 1990 and 1998. Notably, developed countries consistently outperformed their developing counterparts across all educational stages, achieving and surpassing enrollment targets particularly in tertiary education. In developing countries, the proportions remained below the target of 100 girls per 100 boys at every level, although each figure rose over the period. In primary education, the ratio increased from 83 to 87 in developing countries, while the corresponding figures in developed countries were 95 and 96. The gap between the two groups was wider at secondary level: developing countries rose from 72 to 82, compared with 98 to 99 in developed countries. The greatest contrast was in tertiary education. The developing-country figure climbed from 66 in 1990 to 75 in 1998, whereas developed countries recorded 105 and 112, respectively. Thus, only the developed-country tertiary figures exceeded the target, and the largest increase over time was the 10-point rise in developing countries at secondary level. Overall, enrollment ratios increased in both country groups at all levels, but progress did not eliminate the substantial differences, especially in tertiary education.

Targeted Improvement Tips

1
Make the overview explicit about the target: developed-country ratios exceeded 100 only in tertiary education; all developing-country ratios remained below it.
2
Use “ratio” consistently for the chart measure, and include the unit idea “girls per 100 boys” when first introducing it.
3
Compare each level with the same pattern: developing-country change first, then developed-country figures, followed by the main gap or target comparison.

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