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Population Trends in Southern Pacific Countries

The graphs below illustrate trends in population in Southern Pacific Ocean countries from 1950, with projections up to 2040.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

1 sample answer, estimated Band 7.5. Your turn?

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Sample answer (1) Key features (4) Vocabulary (3)

From essays on this question

Key features: Population Trends in Southern Pacific Countries

WhyThis is aLine graph — it asks you to report the main trends and changes over time.

SoWe split the points intoOverview(the main trends over the period)andKey features(figures and comparisons worth reporting).

Overview

1 point

Key features

3 points

Same question · Different responses

Sample responses and feedback

Response 01

Must fixSuggested

Answer · 208 words · 4 paragraphs · 9 comments

Score details

Response 01
Estimated band7.5/ 9

Overall assessment

The response is well organised with a clear overview, fluent progression, and flexible, accurate language throughout. Its main limitation is several inaccurate data points, including swapped figures for the under-15 and 15–65 groups in 1950 and a substantially overstated 15–65 value for 2040.

TA

Task Achievement

The response covers both graphs, gives a clear overview, and makes relevant comparisons, but it repeatedly swaps the under-15 and 15–65 groups. The lower graph assigns approximately 7 million in 1950 and 28 million in 2040 to children under 15, whereas the 15–65 series rises from about 4 million to 7 million. The reported crossover also identifies the wrong younger group.

6.0
CC

Coherence and Cohesion

Ideas are organised logically across paragraphs with a clear overview and effective use of cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'By contrast', and 'Regarding age groups', giving smooth and natural progression.

7.0
LR

Lexical Resource

Vocabulary is flexible and precise for describing trends and projections, with natural collocations like 'rise markedly', 'grow substantially', and 'overtaking', and only minimal imprecision.

8.0
GRA

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

A wide range of structures is used with strong control, including subordinate clauses, a with-construction in “with the urban figure reaching approximately 33 million”, and a participial clause in “overtaking the under-15 group at around 2030”. Grammatical errors are rare; the factual problems in these examples concern chart interpretation rather than sentence formation.

8.0

What to work on next

Match every age-group label to its line colour and marker before checking the figures. In particular, distinguish the blue under-15 series from the orange 15–65 series, and check which group the over-65 line overtakes.

From essays on this question

Useful vocabulary: Population Trends in Southern Pacific Countries

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Part 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Write at least 150 words.

Words: 020:00 starts on first word