IELTS Writing Task 1: two mistakes

Two of the sentences below contain a small mistake. Can you find the two mistakes?

1. In 2008, British parents spent an average of around £20 per month on their children’s sporting activities.
2. Parents’ spending on children’s sports was increased gradually over the following six years, and by 2014 the average monthly amount had risen to just over £30.
3. The number of British children who played football remained relatively stable over the six-year period, at around 8 to 9 million.
4. Swimming rose from approximately 2 million children in 2008 to around 4 million in 2014.
5. There was a slight fall in participation in athletics between 2012 and 2014.

Comments

[Queen]

I think they are number 2 and number 4.

2. "....and by 2014 the average monthly amount had risen to just over £30." --> and by 2014 the average monthly amount rose to just over £30.

4. The number of children who knew to swim rose from approximately 2 million in 2008 to around 4 million in 2014.

[Raju]

1. In 2008, British parents spent an average (AROUND should be eliminated) of £20 per month on their children’s sporting activities.

4. The number of children who used to swim rose ( Instead of SWIMMING ) from approximately 2 million in 2008 to around 4 million in 2014.

[gioletta]

Queen:
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=By+*+the+population+had%2CBy+1900+the+*+had&year_start=1800&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t2%3B%2CBy%20%2A%20the%20population%20had%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3BBy%201900%20the%20population%20had%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBy%201880%20the%20population%20had%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBy%201850%20the%20population%20had%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBy%201881%20the%20population%20had%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBy%201800%20the%20population%20had%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBy%201860%20the%20population%20had%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBy%201890%20the%20population%20had%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBy%201830%20the%20population%20had%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBy%201840%20the%20population%20had%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBy%201910%20the%20population%20had%3B%2Cc0%3B.t2%3B%2CBy%201900%20the%20%2A%20had%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3BBy%201900%20the%20population%20had%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBy%201900%20the%20number%20had%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBy%201900%20the%20figure%20had%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBy%201900%20the%20South%20had%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBy%201900%20the%20situation%20had%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBy%201900%20the%20proportion%20had%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBy%201900%20the%20company%20had%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBy%201900%20the%20city%20had%3B%2Cc0

[Liwei Liu]

I think sentences 2 and 4 are using the wrong tenses. They both should use present perfect tense instead of simple past tense.

[Liwei Liu]

Sorry I mean sentences 2 and 3, not 4.

[Hang Truong]

2. Increased ( not was increased)
And rose ( not had risen)
4. Had risen( not rose, because this is about a period of time" between 2008 and 2014).

[Iqra]

2. Parent’s spending is wrong
It should be like spending by parents on children’s sports

4. Swimming rose is wrong
It should be like the participation in swimming

[Ranil Bond]

Can you find the two mistakes?

2. was increased

4. Swimming

[Sabrina]

2. gradually increased ( not was increased)
4. Children who swim rose from...to... or the figure for swimming

[Pachu]

2 Parents’ spending on children’s sports increased gradually over the following six years , and by 2014 the average monthly amount had risen to just over £30.
4 The number of Children who liked swimming rose from approximately 2 million in 2008 to around 4 million in 2014.

[RT]

2, was increased & had risen
4, swimming

[Angel Kim]

2. .... and by 2014 the average monthly amount rose to just over £30.

4. The number of children who knew to swim rose from approximately 2 million in 2008 to around 4 million in 2014.

[Huong Nguyen]

My answer:
2. we don't use increase in passive form, so just increased
4. It should be : "The number of children swimming rose from approximately 2 million in 2008 to 4 million in 2014"

[gioletta]

Huong

https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&ei=fQOEXJK-DMH1rQGSroZw&q=%22was+increased+by%22&oq=%22was+increased+by%22&gs_l=psy-ab.3...11269.15627.0.16684.2.2.0.0.0.0.157.311.0j2.2.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.0.0....0.iQmRQMmPMn0

[Ngoc Thu]

Number 2: was increased --> increased

Number 4: rose --> rises

[arch1001face]

Hi,
I think the sentence 1,4 and 5 are fine.

2/ Parents’ spending on children’s sports was increased gradually over the following six years, and by 2014 the average monthly amount had risen to just over £30.
- Not use passive in this sentence. Just simple ' increased' in this sentence.
3/ The number of British children who played football remained relatively stable over the six-year period, at around 8 to 9 million.
- Because of ' remained stable', so not ' at around 8 to 9 million'.
Just ' around 8 million' or ' around 9 million' in this case.
Thanks.

[Raju]

Sir, we like to know answer for this questions. Please can you post it?

[Pachu]

Mr. Simon, sir please answers thanks you

[Seyda]

1) around is redundant
4) does not make sense at all.

[Andrew]

Corrections:
Parents’ spending on children’s sports increased gradually over the following six years, and by 2014 the average monthly amount had risen to just over £30.

There was a slight fall in participation of athletics between 2012 and 2014.

[Ali AAlaei]

i think 1 and 2;
1- it is not comparing and just describes one part.
2-we are not allowed to use present perfect or past perfect. we should use simple present, past or future.

[Simon]

CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:

Mistakes in sentences 2 and 4.

2. "was increased" is wrong. It should be just "increased"

4. "Swimming rose" is wrong. Swimming didn't rise - the number of children (who went swimming) rose.