Writing Academic Task 1 Band 9.0 Example

The charts compare the primary factors that influenced students’ decisions to attend a specific university in the UK in 1987 and 2007. Overall, the most notable changes are the increased importance of suitable degree courses and quality of teaching over the 20-year period, while the priority given to quality of resources and good sports/social activities declined considerably. In 1987, suitable degree courses were the most common reason, at 35%. Quality of resources accounted for 21%, followed by good sports and social activities at 19% and quality of teaching at 15%. Living close to home was the least important factor, at 10%. By 2007, suitable courses remained the leading reason, rising slightly to 37%. The share choosing a university because it was close to their parental home more than doubled, reaching 22%, while quality of teaching increased to 18%. In contrast, quality of resources fell to 17%, and sports and social activities dropped sharply to just 6%. Overall, proximity to home showed the largest increase, while sports and social activities recorded the steepest decline. The other reasons changed by only a few percentage points, indicating that course suitability remained consistently important across the period.