Participation in four sports: IELTS Task 1 answer #3, band 7.5
A student’s answer to this repeated IELTS question, shared without their name and marked by Axiom on the four criteria. Select a highlighted passage to see how it could be revised, and why.
193 words. Marked by Axiom on 4 August 2025. Estimated by AI. It isn’t an official IELTS score.
The line graph this answer describes
Show the data
| Basketball | Tennis | Badminton | Rugby | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 80 | 150 | 55 | 240 |
| 1990 | 78 | 175 | 45 | 210 |
| 1995 | 82 | 200 | 50 | 200 |
| 2000 | 83 | 210 | 50 | 150 |
| 2005 | 80 | 220 | 50 | 50 |
Academic Task 1193 words
The graph below shows the number of people taking part in four different kinds of sports in a particular region between 1985 and 2005.
The line chart details variations in the number of people who participated in four different types of sports in one region from 1985 to 2005.
Coherence & cohesion
RevisedOverall, tennis became the most popular sport over time, overtaking rugby, which saw a decrease in participant numbers.
The revision removes redundancy and clarifies the sentence.
Lexical resource
RevisedInterestingly, basketball and badminton experienced minimal change, remaining the least popular sports throughout the period.
The revision uses synonyms to enhance lexical variety.
It was at this point that tennis, previously the second-most popular sport, took the lead, with the number of people engaged in it growing from 150 to 200.
Coherence & cohesion
RevisedIn the first decade, rugby attracted the most participants.
The revision provides a clearer and more concise expression.
Grammar & accuracy
RevisedIn 1985, rugby had as many as 240 participants, but this number began to decline, falling to 200.
The revision clarifies the subject and verb agreement.
Coherence & cohesion
RevisedThese contrasting trends continued into 2005: rugby numbers plummeted to 50, five times lower than its starting level, while tennis numbers increased to 230.
The revision simplifies the sentence structure for better clarity.
Lexical resource
RevisedBasketball and badminton, at the lower end of the scale, maintained stable participant numbers at approximately 70 and 50, respectively.
The revision improves word choice and sentence structure.
Select a highlighted passage to see its suggested revision.
What Axiom wrote for each criterion: why the answer earned its band, and what to work on next.
Coherence & cohesion
Band 7.0/ 9
The essay is generally well-organized with a clear progression of ideas. However, some transitions between ideas could be smoother.
Suggestions
- Use more varied linking words to connect ideas.
- Ensure each paragraph has a clear central idea.
- Avoid repetition of phrases.
Sentence revisions 3
RevisedOverall, tennis became the most popular sport over time, overtaking rugby, which saw a decrease in participant numbers.
The revision removes redundancy and clarifies the sentence.
RevisedIn the first decade, rugby attracted the most participants.
The revision provides a clearer and more concise expression.
RevisedThese contrasting trends continued into 2005: rugby numbers plummeted to 50, five times lower than its starting level, while tennis numbers increased to 230.
The revision simplifies the sentence structure for better clarity.
Grammar & accuracy
Band 8.0/ 9
The essay demonstrates a good range of grammatical structures with a high level of accuracy. Minor errors do not impede communication.
Sentence revisions 2
RevisedOverall, tennis became the most popular sport over time, overtaking rugby, which saw a decrease in participant numbers.
The revision corrects the use of commas for better sentence clarity.
RevisedIn 1985, rugby had as many as 240 participants, but this number began to decline, falling to 200.
The revision clarifies the subject and verb agreement.
Lexical resource
Band 7.0/ 9
The essay uses a range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision. Some phrases are slightly repetitive.
Sentence revisions 4
RevisedOverall, tennis emerged as the most popular sport over time, surpassing rugby, which experienced a decline in participant numbers.
The revision uses more varied vocabulary to avoid repetition.
RevisedInterestingly, basketball and badminton experienced minimal change, remaining the least popular sports throughout the period.
The revision uses synonyms to enhance lexical variety.
RevisedBasketball and badminton, at the lower end of the scale, maintained stable participant numbers at approximately 70 and 50, respectively.
The revision improves word choice and sentence structure.
RevisedIn the first decade, rugby attracted the most participants.
The revision uses more precise vocabulary.
Task achievement
Band 8.0/ 9
The essay effectively addresses the task, providing a clear overview and supporting details. It accurately describes the trends shown in the graph.
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