IELTS Writing Task 1: table about waste

A student sent me the following question from a recent IELTS test:

The table below shows the amount of waste production (in millions of tonnes) in six different countries in three different years over a twenty-year period.

A few things to consider before you write your essay:

1. Can you think of a few alternative ways to write "waste production"?
2. What is the most noticeable feature of the table?
3. Is there a general trend over the period of time shown?
4. How can you separate the information into 2 groups (in order to write 2 paragraphs about specific details)?

I'll share my answers to these questions next week.

Comments

[Giao Nguyen]

Hi Simon,

Here is my quick plan:

1.
2. The most noticeable feature: US overtook others in term of waste production.
3. General trend: the figure for all countries saw a gradual rise, except from Korea.
4. Grouping:
+ European countries: underwent an steep increase, constituting a small amount of producing waste.

+ Asian an US: US dominated over a period. in Asia the figure for Japan and Korean made a reversal.

[ahmed]

Waste Production
Garbage Output
Rubbish Generation

[Sabrina]

Hi Simon

Just a couple questions to ask

I always write "it is apparent from the information supplied that" instead of " it is clear that"

Is that appropriate to use in writing?

Also, I used to write "in stark contrast, however" instead of just "however",

Is that correct too?

THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!

[murali]

1) we may use byproduct instead of waste
2)Portugal has lowest waste producer, while The USA is highest waste producer Over the given Years.

3) Except Korea, remaining all countries waste production is on rising trend over a given period.

4) we can divide the countries into 2 groups based on their production high waste producers and low waste producers

USA, JAPAN, Korea in one group, remaining all in another group.

[[email protected]]

Hi Simon,

The IELTS score is just released.
Thanks for all free material that you offer online. And the e-book is really helpful!
Many thanks for your guidance!! You are such a nice teacher!

Listening: 6.5
Reading: 7.0
Writing: 7.5
Speaking: 7.5
Overall: 7.0

Thank you,
Karen

[ayesha]

hi simon,
i have found ur site really helpfull.i have studied most of the material in your site.what i have not understood is that you have said in your reading lessons that v should do the easy question first,like t/f /ng.if v will do according to the type of questions(easy or difficult)v will be finding information haphazardly .should v read the passage quickly in sequence first,because sometimes the group of questions are in sequence but from different part of the passage.
thanks. please do answer .bless you

[raja]

Hi Simon,

1.we can write garbage/ refuse producing, as alternative to waste production.
2. Noticeable feature, US produced refuse more then rubbish of all other five nations in all the three years.
3. Overall,garbage output increased in all the countries in year 2000 compared to 1980, except korea, where it was declined in 2000.
4. compare the US figures with Japan and korea---one paragraph, portugal, polland and ireland , 2nd paragraph.

[Simon]

Hi Sabrina,

Yes, that's fine too.

...

Congratulations Karen. Great scores!

...

Hi Ayesha,

What I mean is: just miss any questions that you find really difficult, and return to them at the end. Also, it's usually easier to do 'paragraph' questions last. Apart from that, I agree that it's best to do all the questions in order.

[semenchu]

1)disposal material.

2)US has highest proportion of waste production compared to others five countries in three separate years.

3)all countries shows gradually increase except for Korea where it was decline in 2000.

4)separate the details information for proportion of each country (1st para) and increasing/decreasing trend with proportion difference between 1980 and 2000 (2nd para).

[roro]

The table outlines garbage output by six different countries between the years of 1980 and 2000. It is noticeable that US remained the biggest contributor of waste when compared to other smaller countries; however, each and every country, except for Korea, shows a steady increase in the amount of rubbish produced within the twenty-year period.
It is clear that US is the biggest waste producer, with 131million tones of waste produced by the year of 1980 and a significant increase in the garbage amount reaching 192 million tones by the year of 2000. According to the table, Japan is the second biggest producer of waste with 28 and 53 million tones of waste in the years 1980 and 2000 respectively.
Other smaller countries such as Poland and Portugal created much smaller amounts of rubbish; by the year of 2000 Poland ended up with 6.6 million tones of waste while Portugal contributed to the environmental pollution with 5 million tones of garbage. Only Korea reduced its waste production by going down from 31 to 19 million tones of waste between the years of 1990 and 2000.

[roro]

Hi Simon
I found about your website just recently and I must admit it is very helpful.Thanks for all your advice and time you devote to all of us.
With regards
roro

[MAIMONA]

HI SIMON>>
i'm in love!! this website is so complete...thnx

[jijeesh m v]

hi Simon, i got my ielts results, last time i got L-7.5, R-8, W-6.5, s-6.5. after your help i got 7.5 7 7 7 . thank you so much for your knowledge sharing website. after analysing your model anser i got an insight in IELTS writing. i improved a lot in cohesion and coherence. thank you sooooooooooooo muuuuuuuuuuuuuch.

[murali]

Hi Simon,

I am some what confused in using on/for

spending on/for
expenditure on/for

please clarify

Thanks

[Simon]

Thanks roro and Maimona. I'm glad you like the site!

...

Great scores Jijeesh! Congratulations and best of luck for the future.

...

Hi Murali,

We normally use 'on', but you can use 'for' in an essay when you are writing about spending/expenditure for a particular category of items.

[sacha]

Hi Simon
I just want to ask you, which is better in this case, to compare according to the years or according to the countries. Because, mixing the comparing will lead to not cover the question properly.

thanks alot

[Simon]

Hi Sacha,

I think the main thing is to compare the countries. I'll continue with this question in tomorrow's lesson.

[gangchil]

1.garbage production.
2.though japan US poland portugal and ireland is in upward trends to produce waste,however role of US AND JAPAN in producing waste noticeble
3.except korea all the countries are increasing waste production over the period.
4.two groups:coutries highly responsible producing waste and country producing less waste.may be compared with population and industrial development of these two group.

[blackhorse07]

The table gives information about the number of tones of waste output in six different countries in three particular years from 1980 to 2000.
Overall, although there were changes in the amount of waste materials in six countries, US experienced the most amount of waste materials over the recorded year.
In 1980, US showed the most level of waste among other countries and over the next 20 years, this number increased gradually and had 192 in 2000. At a slight lower amount is Japan which stood at 28 in 1980 and then keeping sustained growth with the number was 53.
At a much lower than Japan, Us were Ireland, Portugal and Poland. Both Poland and Portugal increased gradually and nearly ended at the same number, respectively 6.6 and 5. while the amount of waste material in Ireland climbed and finished at 5. in contrast, the number of waste output in Korea declined significantly about a half which the number was 19 at the end of the recorded period.

[blackhorse07]

HI Simon,

I have just completed this table within 25 minutes. So how can i improve about my language and structures in order to get 6.5 in task 1.

Thanks^^

[MAKSumon]

Hi Simon,

Please evaluate my writing:

The table given illustrates the number of waste production in millions of tones in six countries in 3 different years over a period of 20 years.

It is evidently stated that the US, Japan and Korea produced most waste than of Ireland, Poland and Portugal in this 20-year period.

In contrast of any other countries the US produced the maximum number of waste in these 3 years. The US produced 131 millions of waste in 1980 and it reached to 192 millions in 2000. Japan created 28 millions, 32 millions and 53 millions respectively in 1980, 1990 and 2000. Korea produced unknown number of waste in 1980 and in 1990 the number were 31 millions and it got a dramatic decreased in 2000 by 19 millions.

Ireland produced the lowest number of waste in over the 20-year period. Ireland created 0.6 millions of waste in 1980, in 1990 the amount was unknown and in 2000 it got an increased to g millions. Poland and Portugal produced waste in almost of the same ratio.