IELTS Writing Task 1 – Topic 4

🎯 Question

The table below shows the percentage of journeys made by different modes of transport in City X in 2000, 2010, and 2020.

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📝 Model Answer (Band 8–9, ~190 words)

The table illustrates the proportion of trips made by five types of transport in City X in 2000, 2010, and 2020.

Overall, private car use increased significantly over the period and became the most common mode of travel. By contrast, bus and bicycle use declined steadily. Walking and train travel showed more stable figures, with only slight changes.

In 2000, buses were the most popular, accounting for 38% of journeys, followed by cars at 30%. However, bus usage declined to 25% in 2010 and fell further to just 18% in 2020. Similarly, bicycles dropped from 20% to 10% over the same period.

Car use, on the other hand, rose steadily, reaching 35% in 2010 and 45% by 2020. This made cars the dominant means of travel by the end of the period. Walking accounted for 10% in 2000 and remained fairly stable, fluctuating slightly to 9% in 2020. Train travel also remained relatively low but increased gradually from 2% to 5%.

In summary, City X witnessed a shift away from public and non-motorised transport towards private car usage between 2000 and 2020.

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🔑 Useful Vocabulary

• Dominant mode / accounted for / represented

• Declined steadily / fell gradually / dropped sharply

• Rose steadily / increased significantly / fluctuated slightly

• By contrast / in comparison / became the most common

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🔗 Linking Words

• Trend changes: over the period, by 2020, during the decade

• Comparisons: whereas, by contrast, compared with

• Overview phrases: overall, it is clear that, in summary

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✍️ Guidelines for Writing This Essay

1. Plan (2–3 minutes)

   • Identify largest (cars by 2020).

   • Identify smallest (train throughout).

   • Identify decline (bus, bicycle).

   • Identify stability (walking).

2. Structure

   • Intro: paraphrase question.

   • Overview: key trends (car ↑, bus/bike ↓).

   • Body 1: buses, bicycles, cars.

   • Body 2: walking, trains.

   • Conclusion: summarise.

3. Topic Sentences

   • “Car use rose steadily and overtook buses to become the most popular mode.”

   • “By contrast, buses and bicycles declined steadily over the period.”

   • “Walking remained stable, while train usage grew only slightly.”

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💡 Language Focus

• Verb vs. Noun phrases:

  • Bus usage declined steadily / There was a steady decline in bus usage.

  • Car travel rose sharply / There was a sharp rise in car travel.

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🔟 Practice Exercises

A. Fill-in

1. Car use ______ from 30% to 45%.

2. Bus travel ______ from 38% to 18%.

B. Rewrite with noun phrases

1. “Bicycle use fell gradually.” → …

2. “Car usage rose steadily.” → …

C. Choose overview
a) Cars, buses, bicycles, walking, and trains all changed between 2000 and 2020.
b) Car use rose sharply to become dominant, while buses and bicycles fell steadily.

D. Comparisons

1. By 2020, cars were ______ as popular as trains.

2. Bicycle journeys in 2000 were ______ times higher than in 2020.

E. Spot the error
“The percentage of bus use decreased steady from 2000 to 2020.”

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✅ Suggested Answers

A: 1. increased / rose 2. fell / dropped
B: 1. There was a gradual fall in bicycle use. 2. There was a steady rise in car usage.
C: b)
D: 1. nine times 2. two
E: Wrong word form → should be “steadily”.

 

📖 Chapter 6: Pig and Pepper

Alice walked through the wood, carrying the mushroom pieces carefully. Soon she came to a small house. Smoke rose from the chimney, and loud sneezes echoed inside. Curious, Alice went up to the door and knocked.

A fish-shaped footman in a livery (servant’s uniform) opened the door. He was giving a letter to a frog-shaped footman. “For the Duchess,” said the Fish. “From the Queen.”

The Frog bowed and carried the letter inside. Alice followed and found herself in a hot, smoky kitchen. Pepper filled the air so thickly that she sneezed at once.

In the middle of the kitchen sat the Duchess, holding a screaming baby. A cook was at the stove, throwing pepper everywhere and banging pots and pans.

Alice tried to be polite. “What a beautiful child!” she said, though the baby was wrinkled and red-faced.

The Duchess snapped, “Nonsense! If people only minded their own business, the world would go round a deal faster.”

“It would not,” said Alice boldly. “It would go slower.”

The Duchess glared, but then laughed. “You’re quite right, my dear. Have some more pepper!”

The baby screamed louder, sneezing and snorting. At last the Duchess thrust it into Alice’s arms. “Here, you may nurse it if you like. I must go to play croquet with the Queen.”

Alice rocked the baby and carried it outside. But as soon as she looked closely, she realized it was no ordinary child. Its nose turned into a snout, its body stretched, and it began grunting like a pig!

“Oh dear!” cried Alice. “If it grows up, it will surely be a nasty pig.” She set the strange creature down, and it ran happily into the forest, squealing.

Feeling relieved, Alice turned back and saw a grin appear in the air. Slowly, the rest of a Cheshire Cat appeared—first the head, then the body, then the long tail.

The Cat smiled broadly. “How do you do?”

Alice was startled. “I don’t much like animals that appear and disappear suddenly,” she said.

The Cat purred, “Everyone here is mad. I’m mad. You’re mad.”

“How do you know I’m mad?” asked Alice.

“You must be,” said the Cat, “or you wouldn’t be here.”

Alice couldn’t argue with that. “Will you tell me, please, which way I should go?”

“That depends on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.

“I don’t care much where,” said Alice.

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

Alice sighed. “But I’d like to meet some people.”

The Cat’s grin grew wider. “You will. In that direction lives the Mad Hatter. In the other lives the March Hare. Visit either you like—both are mad.”

Before Alice could ask more, the Cat slowly faded away until only its grin remained.

Alice shook her head. “Well! I’ve never seen a cat without a body before. But it makes me curious to meet these mad people.”

And with that, she set off toward the March Hare’s house.

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📘 Glossary

• Footman – a servant in old-fashioned clothes

• Livery – a uniform worn by servants

• Sneezes – sudden bursts of air from the nose

• Nonsense – silly or foolish talk

• Glared – looked angrily

• Thrust – pushed roughly or suddenly

• Snout – the long nose of a pig

• Grunting – making short, deep pig-like sounds

• Purred – the soft vibrating sound cats make when happy

• Faded – slowly disappeared

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❓ Comprehension Questions

1. Who delivered a letter to the Duchess’s house?

2. What filled the kitchen and made Alice sneeze?

3. How did the Duchess treat her baby?

4. Why did Alice set the baby down?

5. What did the baby turn into?

6. Who appeared in the forest after the baby left?

7. What strange ability did the Cheshire Cat have?

8. What did the Cat say about everyone in Wonderland?

9. Who did the Cat tell Alice she could visit?

10. What remained after the Cat disappeared?

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✅ Answers

1. A Fish-Footman.

2. Pepper.

3. She handed it roughly to Alice and went to play croquet.

4. Because it was turning into a pig.

5. A pig.

6. The Cheshire Cat.

7. He could appear and disappear at will.

8. That everyone there was mad.

9. The Mad Hatter and the March Hare.

10. Only the Cat’s grin.

 

📊 IELTS Writing Task 1 – Topic 3

🎯 Question

The line graph below shows the population growth in three regions (Asia, Europe, and Africa) between 1960 and 2020.

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📝 Model Answer (Band 8–9, ~190 words)

The line graph compares population growth in Asia, Europe, and Africa between 1960 and 2020.

Overall, Asia experienced the most dramatic increase, while Europe’s population grew slowly before stabilising. Africa also saw rapid growth, particularly after 1990.

In 1960, Asia had the highest population, at about 1.5 billion, compared with 600 million in Europe and around 300 million in Africa. Over the following decades, Asia’s figure rose sharply, more than doubling to over 3.5 billion by 2020.

Africa’s growth was also notable. From a relatively low base of 300 million, its population increased steadily, accelerating after 1990 to reach approximately 1.3 billion in 2020 — more than four times its 1960 level.

By contrast, Europe showed the least growth. Its population climbed slowly from 600 million in 1960 to just over 700 million in 1990, before levelling off and remaining almost unchanged thereafter.

In summary, Asia and Africa saw substantial rises in population over the period, whereas Europe experienced only modest growth followed by stability.

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🔑 Useful Vocabulary

• Rose sharply / grew steadily / levelled off / remained stable

• Dramatic increase / gradual growth / modest rise / stabilised

• More than doubled / quadrupled / more than four times as high

• From a low base / by contrast / the most significant growth

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🔗 Linking Words

• Contrast: whereas, by contrast, while

• Time phrases: over the following decades, after 1990, thereafter

• Cause/Effect: as a result, consequently, therefore

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✍️ Guidelines for Writing This Essay

1. Plan (2–3 minutes)

   • Identify highest (Asia).

   • Identify lowest (Africa in 1960, but rapid growth later).

   • Identify slowest growth (Europe).

2. Structure

   • Introduction: paraphrase question.

   • Overview: main trends (Asia + Africa rapid growth, Europe stable).

   • Body 1: Asia + Africa.

   • Body 2: Europe.

   • Conclusion: summarise.

3. Topic Sentences

   • “Asia experienced the greatest population growth, more than doubling over the period.”

   • “Africa also grew rapidly, particularly after 1990.”

   • “In contrast, Europe’s growth was slow and eventually stabilised.”

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💡 Language Focus

• Verb vs. Noun forms:

  • The population rose sharply / There was a sharp rise in the population.

  • Europe’s numbers levelled off / Europe saw a period of stability.

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🔟 Practice Exercises

A. Fill-in

1. Asia’s population ______ from 1.5 to 3.5 billion.

2. Europe’s population ______ at around 700 million after 1990.

B. Rewrite with noun phrases

1. “Africa’s population grew steadily.” → …

2. “Europe’s population levelled off.” → …

C. Choose overview
a) Asia 1.5 → 3.5bn, Europe 600→700m, Africa 300→1.3bn.
b) Asia and Africa grew rapidly, while Europe remained relatively stable.

D. Comparisons

1. Asia’s population in 2020 was ______ Africa’s in 1960.

2. Africa’s population more than ______ between 1960 and 2020.

E. Spot the error
“Europe population was stable from 1990.”

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✅ Suggested Answers

A: 1. rose sharply 2. remained stable
B: 1. There was steady growth in Africa’s population. 2. There was a levelling off in Europe’s population.
C: b)
D: 1. more than ten times 2. quadrupled
E: Missing article → “Europe’s population…”