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This sample answer is based on a real IELTS Writing Task 1 question from Feb 2018. But there is so much more in this post than just a sample answer. Aren’t you guys lucky? I’ve also included:
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A quick analysis of the question – check here for more detailed analysis.
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Line by line analysis of the sample answer.
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Links to vocabulary games and exercises based on the sample answer.
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Cool topic-related links about all things bike-tastic!.
As well as our Task 1 sample answers, check out our Task 2 sample essays here: IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answers.
You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel for some IELTS Speaking Sample Answers: HowtodoIELTS YouTube.
Dave
Question Analysis
Looking at the table above, you can see the question focuses on the percentages of males and females that cycled in one town in 2012, organised into five different ages.
If you need more help with analysing this table, check out my recent post on how to identify the main trends and key points.
I suggest making notes on the most important patterns, so in the exam, your question paper should end up looking something like this:
Sample Answer
The table illustrates the proportions of people across different age categories who rode bicycles in one particular town in 2012. Overall, the table clearly shows that a higher proportion of females cycled in the given period compared to males across all ages, although only marginally for the youngest group. This group (0-9 yrs.) also had the largest proportion of cyclists, and age was a clear predictor for decreased cycling activity for both males and females, with the exception of the oldest age group (60+), which bucked this trend.
Turning to the figures, just over half of all young girls and boys aged 0-9 years rode bikes in the town, with 52.5% and 51.2% respectively, amounting to the smallest gender gap of any age group. In contrast, 43.6% of 10-19 year old girls chose to ride bikes, while only 25.1% of boys did the same. This pattern continued with the 20-39 age group, with 18.2% of young women cycling compared to 10.8% of young men. The gender differences were less significant in middle aged cyclists (40-59), with 13.7% (female) and 9.3% (male). Finally, the over 60s reversed this trend with more cyclists than the previous two age groups, with 19.8% and 14.6% respectively for females and males.
Analysis
Firstly, it’s important to note that this answer has clear paragraphing. The first paragraph contains an introductory sentence and the overview. The second paragraph presents the detailed figures.
Although in IELTS Writing Task 1, paragraphing isn’t mentioned in the band descriptors below band 8, it is still a good idea to use paragraphs to organise your writing as it makes it more logical, which helps the examiner to read your answer, and that is always a good thing!
Paragraph 1: Introduction and Overview
The table illustrates the proportions of people across different age categories who rode bicycles in one particular town in 2012. Overall, the table clearly shows that a higher proportion of females cycled in the given period compared to males across all ages, although only marginally for the youngest group. This group (0-9 yrs.) also had the largest proportion of cyclists, and age was a clear predictor for decreased cycling activity for both males and females, with the exception of the oldest age group (60+), which bucked this trend.
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The first sentence introduces the chart, by paraphrasing (not copying) the question.
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The second sentence begins the overview of the table by describing the the most important overall trend (more female than male cyclists for every age).
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The third sentence completes the overview by describing another important trend (younger people cycle more, except for the over 60s).
Paragraph 2: Detailed Figures
Turning to the figures, just over half of all young girls and boys aged 0-9 years rode bikes in the town, with 52.5% and 51.2% respectively, amounting to the smallest gender gap of any age group. In contrast, 43.6% of 10-19 year old girls chose to ride bikes, while only 25.1% of boys did the same. This pattern continued with the 20-39 age group, with 18.2% of young women cycling compared to 10.8% of young men. The gender differences were less significant in middle aged cyclists (40-59), with 13.7% (female) and 9.3% (male). Finally, the over 60s reversed this trend with more cyclists than the previous two age groups, with 19.8% and 14.6% respectively for females and males.
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The first sentence begins the description of the detail by talking about the youngest age group (girls cycled slightly more than boys), commenting on the smallest gender difference.
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The second sentence gives details of the 10-19 age group, comparing figures for older boys and girls, and noting the contrasting large gender difference.
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The third sentence presents the figures for the next age group (20-39), again with figures for each gender, noting the trend in gender difference is the same as the previous group.
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The fourth sentence continues with the next group, again with figures for women and men, noting a smaller difference.
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The fifth and final sentence gives the figures for the over 60s, noting that these figures are higher than the previous two groups. No conclusion is required for Task 1 writing.
Useful Vocabulary (See Quizet link below for free practice activities)
the largest proportion (n) – the biggest share of the total
different categories (n) – different groups
a particular thing (n) – the specific thing
marginally (adv) – slightly
a clear predictor (n) – a clear reason for a trend
an exception (n) – something not following the trend
to buck a trend (v-n) – to go against the trend
respectively (adv) – relating to each one in order
amounting to (phrasal verb) – is the same as
gender gap (n) – the difference between male and female
less significant (adj) – not as important
a pattern (n) – a repeated series of events
FREE Online Vocabulary Practice
I’ve prepared some vocabulary games and exercises on Quizlet for these words taken from the sample answer. Quizlet is a really fun and convenient way to learn and practice vocab and it’s free!
Try it out, and use it whenever you have a spare few minutes.
If you need more help using Quizlet, check out this video lesson (starts from 34m36s).
Check out Quizlet for great online vocabulary activities for free!
Learn more about everything Bike-tastic! – Related Articles and Videos
Check out these links for fun and interesting videos and articles about bikes!
Check out the article about cool and unusual bikes!
The table represents the number of people who rode bicycles in one town of different ages in the form of percentage in 2012.
Overall, the number of female bicycle riders was more than male bicycle riders. In the 0-9 age category has the highest population both in two gender, however, 40-59 age category has the lowest.
When looked in detail, women bicycle rider population is %52.5 on 0-9 age group. 10-19 has %43.6 population, however, while age groups are increasing, the population of women bicycle riders sharply decrease till 60+ age group. The third age group(20-39) has %18,2 population and 40-59 age group has %13.7 population. Finally, there is a slight rise on 60+ age group which has %19.8 population.
In the population of male bicycle riders, 0-9 age group has the highest point with %51.2. There is progressively decrease after this age till 60+ age category. 10-19 age category has %25,1, 20-39 age category has %10.8 population. And 40-59 age category has the lowest population with %9.3. Finally, there is a slow rise on 60+ age group with %14.6.
Well written Ipek!
A couple of corrections:
The table represents the number of people who rode bicycles in one town of different ages in the form of percentages in 2012.
Overall, the number of female bicycle riders was more than male bicyclists. The 0-9 age category had the highest proportions for both genders, however, 40-59 age category had the lowest. (Your overview needs to touch on all the different ages)
When looked in detail, women bicyclists occupied %52.5 of the 0-9 age group.
Based on the above corrections, can you correct the rest of your writing?
10-19 has %43.6 population, however, while age groups are increasing, the population of women bicycle riders sharply decrease till 60+ age group. The third age group(20-39) has %18,2 population and 40-59 age group has %13.7 population. Finally, there is a slight rise on 60+ age group which has %19.8 population.
In the population of male bicycle riders, 0-9 age group has the highest point with %51.2. There is progressively decrease after this age till 60+ age category. 10-19 age category has %25,1, 20-39 age category has %10.8 population. And 40-59 age category has the lowest population with %9.3. Finally, there is a slow rise on 60+ age group with %14.6.
Hi Dave, I just wanna know your feedback for this. Do you see any positive progress of my essays ?
The table compares the ratio of females and males, as a percentage to the whole population in a particular town, who rode bicycles in2012, under different five age groups.
Overall, it is readily apparent that, percentile amount is higher in 0-9 ages, both men and women in comparison with other age groups and the difference between is not that significant. All other age categories illustrate a considerable gap in between the percentage amounts of men and women, where, women lead in bicycle usage in spite of men. Moreover, the people belong to the age cluster 40-59, show the least values among these five.
Looking first, individuals in ages 0-9 rode bicycles most in contrast to other ages. Albeit they remain top in the usage both men and women manifest approximately similar statistics as 52.5% and 51.2% respectively. The second highest group is 10-19 where female percentage (43.6%) is remarkably larger than males (25.1%) with a noteworthy gap of 18.5%. This difference has been reduced to an approximate percentage of 9% when it comes to the age class 20-39, where males are lagging behind to females (18.2 % and 10.8% respectively).
Women in the age group of 40-59 exhibit a figure of 13.7% while men in the same group express a percentage of 9.3% which still indicates a less dramatic dissimilarity (4.4%) in opposed to other groups except 0-9. In addition, the most striking feature is, this group represents the minimal status in bicycle consumption in the town.
Finally, the elderly group (over 60) still elucidates a comprehensive usage of bicycles, where females and males maintained a diminutive gap of 5.2% (female 19.8% and males 14.6%) which also identified as the third largest group make use of bicycles.
@Dave , could you please just comment on this Dave ? Tomorrow is my exam :'(
Hi Div, I think you are making progress with some good, complex structures and vocabulary.
But there is still a lot of mis-use of vocabulary and grammar that makes your writing very difficult to read and understand.
I would recommend on your exam tomorrow, keeping it very simple with subject + verb + object structures and making your writing comprehensible.
Otherwise your writing score will be lower than you need.
Hope that helps!
Thank you Dave..
You’re welcome!
Here is mine. It seems I write a lot in my writings! I feel I am so much talkative :)!
any idea to help me?
“The table above represent what fraction of population of different ages who ride bicycle in a town for both genders. Overall, one can observe that number of female who rode bicycle is higher than that of opposite gender across all ages. Further, it can be observed that the youngest group (0-9 years) had the largest population of cyclists, and as age increases from 0 to 59 the percentage of the population who used bicycle in the town decreases and the biggest fall in the percentage is spotted at age 40-59 where both genders have the lowest figures of cyclist, and then trend get reversed.
Turning to the figures, over fifty percent of young female and males used bicycle where men with 51.1% standing a bit lower than that of female with 52.5%. At the age range of 10-19 the overall number for both gender decreased; however, the percentage of men felt much more sharply than female with 25.1, almost half of their number at 0-9. By turning to next age group the figures even fall more and there is still big difference between the numbers of user of bicycle in female and male groups. Female with figure of 18.2 percent experienced a sharp decrease from 43.6 percent for 10-19. At this ages, figures of men again felt sharply by half and with the percentage of 10.8 they are much less interested in using bicycle than that of women. Turning to next age group which is 40-59, female with 13.7 and men with 9.3 again experienced falling trend at this age category in comparison to their figures of age 20-39. However, this category seems to be the pin point of table as it is observed that the falling trend is reversed here and start to increase for both genders at next age group which is sixty and plus. At this ages, again there is relatively big difference between the number of men and women who are interested in cycling.”
Great work, Behi!
It is a bit long but you describe all the data. Be careful with writing too informally and try to learn more academic collocations!