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User-written IELTS example

Writing Academic Task 1 Band 8.0 Example

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

185 words AcademicTask 1Pie 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 the largest category in each direction: aircraft parts are $72 million from the US to Vietnam, while coffee is $23 million from Vietnam to the US.
  • Highlight the gap between the leading and smaller categories: US exports include other goods at $35 million and machinery at $30.5 million, while Vietnam’s garments and other exports are both $2 million.
  • Point out close values where they help summarise the data: Vietnam’s seafood ($4.4 million) and rice ($4.3 million) are almost equal.

Suggested structure

  1. Paraphrase what the charts compare and state that values are in millions of dollars.
  2. Give an overview naming the leading category in each direction and any notable tie or overall contrast.
  3. Describe US-to-Vietnam exports from the largest value to the smallest.
  4. Describe Vietnam-to-US exports in descending order, grouping the close seafood and rice figures and the tied lowest figures.
Useful vocabulary & examples
account for
to make up or represent a stated amount or share

Aircraft parts account for $72 million of exports to Vietnam.

be valued at
to have a stated monetary value

Machinery is valued at $30.5 million.

be tied at
to have the same value as another category

Garments and other exports are tied at $2 million.

followed by
used to introduce the next item in a ranking

Coffee leads at $23 million, followed by fruit and vegetables at $16 million.

Task Prompt

The pie charts below shows exports between the US and Vietnam
IELTS Writing Task 1 visual

User Essay Analysis

Review the public answer with report-style highlights.

Band 8.0

The two pie charts illustrate the export values between Vietnam and the United States, measured in millions of dollars. Overall, Vietnam’s primary export to the US is coffee, whereas the US’s most significant export to Vietnam is aircraft parts, with a substantial difference in value between these top exports. Vietnam’s exports to the US are led by coffee, valued at $23 million. Fruit and vegetables are the second-largest category, at $16 million. Seafood and rice contribute $4.4 million and $4.3 million respectively, while garments and other exports are the smallest categories, at $2 million each. By contrast, US exports to Vietnam are led by aircraft parts, worth $72 million. The next largest category is Other, at $35 million, followed closely by machinery at $30.5 million. Fertiliser brings in $16.5 million, and cotton $12 million, while cars make up the smallest category, at $6 million. The leading US export is worth more than three times Vietnam’s leading export, a difference of $49 million. Both charts show one clearly dominant category, although the US’s next-largest export is worth considerably more than Vietnam’s second-largest.

Targeted Improvement Tips

1
In the introduction, identify the two flows explicitly: Vietnam-to-US exports and US-to-Vietnam exports.
2
Keep the overview focused on the leading categories and the clearest contrast; use the body paragraphs for the supporting figures.
3
Check that comparative claims are tied to exact figures, as with the $49 million difference between the $72 million and $23 million leaders.

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