Official Definition
In ‘IELTS Writing Key Assessment Criteria’, there are five key criteria that examiners consider when assessing Task Achievement:
- selecting key features of the information.
- providing sufficient detail to illustrate these features.
- reporting the information, figures and trends accurately.
- comparing or contrasting the information by adequately highlighting the identifiable trends, principal, changes or differences in the data and other inputs (rather than mechanical description reporting detail).
- presenting the response in an appropriate format.
Understanding Criteria Through An Example
The above definitions are quite abstract and subjective, so let’s take a look at an example to understand the meaning of each criterion in more detail.
Task
This task comes from academic IELTS 8 test 1 task 1, and the answer is written by an examiner.
The pie chart below shows the main reasons why agricultural land becomes less productive. The table shows how these causes affected three regions of the world during the 1990s.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Examiner’s Answer
The pie chart shows that there are four main causes of farmland becoming degraded in the world today. Globally, 65% of degradation is caused by too much animal grazing and tree clearance, constituting 35% and 30% respectively. A further 28% of global degradation is due to over-cultivation of crops. Other causes account for only 7% collectively.
These causes affected different regions differently in the 1990s, with Europe having as much as 9.8% of degradation due to deforestation, while the impact of this on Oceania and North America was minimal, with only 1.7% and 0.2% of land affected respectively. Europe, with the highest overall percentage of land degraded (23%), also suffered from over-cultivation (7.7%) and over-grazing (5.5%). In contrast, Oceania had 13% of degraded farmland and this was mainly due to over-grazing (11.3%). North America had a lower proportion of degraded land at only 5%, and the main causes of this were over-cultivation (3.3%) and, to a lesser extent, over-grazing (1.5%).
Overall, it is clear that Europe suffered more from farmland degradation than the other regions, and the main causes there were deforestation and over-cultivation.
Criteria Analysis
- Selecting key features of the information
This involves focusing on the most important aspects of the visual data, such as major trends or key differences.
In the examiner’s model answer, the key features are identified clearly, including the significant causes of global farmland degradation like over-grazing, deforestation, and over-cultivation. The response highlights these major trends rather than detailing every minor fluctuation in the data.
- Providing sufficient detail to illustrate these features
Once you’ve selected the key features, you need to provide enough specific details to explain them.
For example, the model answer provides precise figures, such as “65% of degradation is caused by too much animal grazing and tree clearance,” and details the specific impacts on different regions, like “Europe had 23% of degraded land, Oceania 13%, and North America 5%.” This level of detail helps to clearly convey the significant points of the data.
- Reporting the information, figures, and trends accurately
It’s crucial to report the data accurately to reflect what’s shown in the visual. In the model answer, the data is reported correctly, such as the correct increase in degradation due to over-grazing and deforestation.
For instance, it accurately states, “Over-grazing was the largest cause of degradation globally,” and correctly represents the figures for each region.
- Comparing or contrasting the information by adequately highlighting the identifiable trends, principal changes, or differences in the data (rather than mechanical description)
Instead of merely describing the data, make meaningful comparisons or contrasts. The model answer effectively compares the levels of degradation between regions.
For instance, it contrasts Europe’s high levels of deforestation and over-cultivation with Oceania’s higher levels of over-grazing, showing clear differences in how each region is affected.
- Presenting the response in an appropriate format
Organize your writing clearly with an introduction, overview, and well-structured paragraphs.
The model answer begins with a summary of the main causes of global degradation and then explains regional differences in detail. It ends with a concise conclusion, maintaining a clear and formal structure throughout.
Key Takeways
To do well in the IELTS Writing Task, focus on these key points:
- Choose the most important information from the data.
- Provide enough detail to explain these key points.
- Report data and trends accurately.
- Compare and contrast different parts of the data clearly.
- Organize your writing with a clear structure and formal tone.
By following these steps, you’ll present a clear and effective response, which will help you score better.
