Model Tasks, model essays and examiner’s comments

Model 1

Model 1 Writing Task

You should spend about 20 minutes on this Task.
The first graph below shows the weight (in tonnes) of fruit produced by a farm during each month in
2013, and also the amount (in tonnes) of fertiliser used. The second graph shows the volume of
rainfall in each month (in millimetres.)
Write a report summarising the information. Select and describe the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Model 1 Essay
The charts give information regarding the tonnage of fruit produced in a farm per month in
2013, the fertiliser used and the monthly rainfall in that year.
We can see that fruit production rose steadily from just over 2 tonnes in January to a peak of
roughly 4.2 tonnes by August. Output then fell rapidly, declining to around the initial 2 tonne mark in
December. However, looking at fertiliser use, we see that this seasonal pattern is largely reversed:
the most fertiliser (just under 1 tonne) was utilised in April, followed by a marked decline to zero in
June and July. Fertiliser consumption then increased slightly in the autumn, rising to a total of around
0.7 tonnes before dipping to just below 0.5 tonnes at year end.
Regarding rainfall, this appears to reflect the use of fertiliser, with an early high of 16mm in
February, falling consistently to 4mm in July, August and September. Rainfall then increased steadily
to reach 14mm in December.
In summary, this farm generally employed the most fertiliser at seasons of high rainfall, and by
contrast it produced the most fruit when both rainfall and fertiliser use were around their lowest.
(196 words)
Model 1 Examiner’s Comments
This essay would receive Band 9 in IELTS. The candidate gives a brief paraphrase of the
Task introduction, and then deals with each chart in turn. He correctly identifies the trend in chart 1
(fruit increases as fertiliser decreases) and uses a small selection of figures to describe this, making it
clear that he sees the trend (“this seasonal pattern is largely reversed. . .”) He makes it clear that he
understands this is a ‘movement’ type Task by using the past simple to describe the changes, but he
does not simply ‘list’ the sequence of figures in order.
He identifies the second trend (fertiliser use follows rainfall levels) and selects key figures to
demonstrate this. The summary reinforces the trend among the 3 elements (fruit, fertiliser and
rainfall.) He correctly makes no attempt to explain or give reasons for the trends.
Paragraphs are organised to follow the charts. The language used is clear and neutral, with no
emotion or personal tone. The simple past is rightly used, because the year is shown (2013.) He
makes it clear which charts he is discussing (“We can see . . . looking at . . . regarding”) and uses a
Model 2
Model 2 Writing Task
You should spend about 20 minutes on this Task.
The charts below compare five different countries, showing the electricity used (measured in
megawatts or mw) in a typical hospital during one week, and also the number of emergency medical
calls made by local residents during the same week. The last chart shows the average time (in
minutes) spent on assessing emergency cases by hospital medical staff before the patients are treated.

Write a report summarising the information. Select and describe the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Chart 1 (below): Electricity used (megawatts or mw) in a typical hospital

Chart 2 (below): Number of emergency medical calls made by local residents

 Model 2 Essay

The charts show electricity use, local emergency calls and time spent on patients for a group
of typical hospitals.
Regarding electricity, we see that consumption in the French and Japanese hospitals is roughly
stable during the week, fluctuating around 32 and 18 mw respectively. In Canada and Russia,
electricity use climbs dramatically towards the end of the week, going from 26 to 38 mw and from 12
to 24 mw. In Argentina, however, the use actually declines by almost half.
There is a similar pattern in the number of emergency calls made, which fluctuate in France
(around 90 calls) and Canada (around 110.) In Canada these calls rise by roughly half, from around
105 on Monday to over 160 on Sunday, with the figure in Russia showing a similar growth to 110 by
the weekend. Argentina is again the exception, with a decline of about half.
By contrast, time spent on patient assessment is generally stable during the week in all the
countries except Russia, where there is a marked rise from Monday’s 12 minutes (which is the typical
daily rate of each country except Japan) to 28 minutes on Sunday.
In summary, it seems that electricity use may reflect an increase in emergency calls made, but
only in Russia does assessment time increase by the same pattern.
(211 words)
Model 2 Examiner’s Comments
This candidate would achieve band 9 for this essay. The Task is complex, but the candidate
correctly groups the data in a logical way. She introduces the paragraph about electricity clearly and
groups France/Japan together (fluctuating trend), then Canada/Russia together (rising trend) and
finally she points out that Argentina is an exception (declining.)
In the emergency calls paragraph, the candidate shows that she sees a similar trend, with the
same 4 countries grouped together and Argentina being different.
In the patient assessment paragraph, she makes it clear that the trend is not continued (all
countries are stable, there is no grouping) and that Russia is now the exception (rising.)
The charts contain a large amount of data, but the candidate selects some key figures to
illustrate the trends. The detail is precise but carefully chosen. There is a variety of structures to
present the figures, including the phrase ‘respectively’ and the correct use of brackets in the third
paragraph. The candidate uses roughly half/about half to show that she understands the proportions,
without adding too much detail.
The summary is very effective, because it sums up the key trends described (the relationship
between electricity/emergency calls) and it also highlights the exception of Russia in the assessment
time chart.
Model 3
Model 3 Writing Task
You should spend about 20 minutes on this Task.
The chart below shows the number of passengers arriving at a train station per hour across a day, and
also the average price (in US Dollars) of their tickets.
Write a report summarising the information. Select and describe the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

Model 3 Essay
The table gives data about passenger volumes reaching a station every 2 hours in a day, and
also the average ticket cost at those times.
Passenger numbers peak 3 times during the day. For example, the number at 6am is 480, rising
to 690 by 8am before falling again. There is then a peak of 700 at midday, followed by an afternoon
decline to a low of 230 at 4pm. A third spike is at 6pm, reaching 670 before tailing off.
The ticket prices partially follow this pattern. The 8am passenger surge is matched by a high
price of $29, followed by a peak of $31 at midday and a decrease to $17 by 4pm. However, the 6pm
spike in passenger numbers is accompanied by a low of $11 in prices, with a subsequent rise to $22
at 8pm and a final levelling off.
In summary, ticket prices increase broadly in line with passenger traffic, except during the
evening rush hour when they actually fall.
(164 words)
Model 3 Examiner’s Comments
This is a fairly simple Task, so we would expect a high standard of reporting. This essay
achieves Band 9 due to its clarity and description of the key trends.
The introduction sentence is well paraphrased. The candidate groups the data into passenger
numbers firstly, and states the trend (3 peaks) in the first main body paragraph. She gives a series of
selected figures to show the peaks. She then introduces the ticket prices group, and explains the trend
(‘partially follow this pattern’), giving selected figures to illustrate. She introduces the exception
with ‘However’ and then explains the exception (the 6pm figure), giving selected figures to describe it
and show how it is different.
 The summary has a concise description of the trends and the exception, with no unnecessary
detail.
The candidate uses a variety of language (eg ‘peak/spike, tailing off/levelling off, rise/surge,
decline/decrease’) and uses the ‘before + -ing’ structure very effectively (eg ‘rising to X before
falling to Y’ etc). The overall impression is of a well-organised candidate writing in a clear way.