Academic Task 1
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Electricity sources (table)
Question type: Academic Task 1: table
The question
The table below shows the sources of electricity in one country in 2000 and 2025, as percentages of total production.
| Source | 2000 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 48% | 18% |
| Natural gas | 25% | 30% |
| Hydro | 15% | 14% |
| Solar and wind | 1% | 31% |
| Nuclear | 11% | 7% |
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Write your own answer first. Then get an estimated band and corrections from our AI marker.
Answer this questionHow to approach it
- Identify the biggest changes: coal fell and solar and wind rose dramatically.
- In the overview, say what the main source was in each year.
- Group the rising sources in one paragraph and the falling or stable sources in another.
Model answer
171 words (minimum 150). Written to show the features of a Band 8-level answer.
The table compares the sources used to produce electricity in one country in 2000 and 2025, shown as percentages of total production.
Overall, the country moved away from coal and towards renewable energy. Coal, which was by far the largest source in 2000, was overtaken by both solar and wind power and natural gas by 2025.
The most striking change was in solar and wind power. These sources generated just 1% of the country's electricity in 2000, but by 2025 their share had risen to 31%, making them the largest single source. Natural gas also grew in importance, increasing from 25% to 30%.
In contrast, the share of coal fell dramatically, from almost half of total production, at 48%, to only 18%. Nuclear power also declined, dropping from 11% to 7%. Hydroelectric power remained relatively stable, supplying 15% of electricity in 2000 and a very similar 14% in 2025. Consequently, by the end of the period, the three largest sources were solar and wind, natural gas and coal, in that order.
Useful language from this answer
- the most striking change
- introducing the biggest change
- was overtaken by
- another figure became higher
- its share had risen to
- describing the part of a total
- fell dramatically
- a very large decrease
- remained relatively stable
- changed very little
Common mistakes with this question
- Missing the overview. A report without a clear summary of the main trends cannot score above Band 5 for Task Achievement.
- Giving your opinion or explaining why the changes happened. Task 1 Academic only asks you to describe the data.
- Listing every number in order instead of selecting the key figures and making comparisons.
Now write your own answer
Reading a model helps, but writing is what improves your band. Answer this question and get an estimated band for all four criteria, with corrections taken from your own sentences.
This model answer was written by TestWise Prep to show the features of a high-scoring answer. It is not official IELTS material. Use it for ideas and language, not to memorise.