Adult Literacy Rates by Country (1990 vs 2020)
A complete IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 question with a model answer of 207 words, plus a breakdown of the sentence structures, cohesive devices and vocabulary that answer uses. Write your own version first, then compare.
Written by Manish Sharma · CELTA and DELTA qualified · 8 years teaching IELTS
Score my answer to this questionThe question
You have 20 minutes. Write at least 150 words.
The table below shows adult literacy rates (percentage of population aged 15 and over) in ten countries in 1990 and 2020. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words. [Table Data] Country | 1990 (%) | 2020 (%) Finland | 99 | 100 Japan | 99 | 99 South Korea | 96 | 99 Brazil | 82 | 93 China | 78 | 97 Indonesia | 79 | 96 Egypt | 47 | 71 India | 48 | 74 Nigeria | 49 | 62 Mali | 27 | 35
How to approach it
- 01Group countries by region or income level rather than listing them one by one
- 02Highlight both the country with the largest gain and the lowest absolute figure
- 03Use percentage-change language: 'climbed from X to Y', 'rose by roughly Z points'
- 04Avoid listing every single number — pick representative figures
- 05Mention the overall pattern (universal progress, but uneven) in your overview
Model answer
207 words in 5 paragraphs. Read it after you have written your own, not before: the point of a model answer is to show you what you missed, and you cannot miss anything you have not attempted.
The table compares adult literacy rates in ten countries at two points in time: 1990 and 2020, expressed as a percentage of those aged 15 and over.
Overall, every country recorded an improvement in literacy over the three-decade period, though the magnitude of progress varied considerably. While developed nations were already near universal literacy in 1990 and showed only marginal change, developing countries achieved the most substantial gains.
Among the high-income economies, Finland and Japan maintained near-perfect literacy throughout, moving from 99 percent to 100 and 99 percent respectively. South Korea climbed slightly from 96 to 99 percent, effectively reaching universal literacy.
The most dramatic improvements occurred in middle-income Asian and Latin American nations. China surged from 78 to 97 percent, while Indonesia rose from 79 to 96 percent. Brazil also made solid progress, advancing from 82 to 93 percent.
In contrast, the lowest literacy rates remained concentrated in parts of Africa and South Asia. Egypt and India both started below 50 percent in 1990 and climbed to 71 and 74 percent respectively by 2020. Nigeria moved more modestly from 49 to 62 percent, while Mali, despite making gains, remained the lowest at just 35 percent — illustrating that a persistent literacy gap still divides the world's regions.
What this answer actually does
Measured from the text above, and compared against the other 38 answers of the same type in this library. These are counts, not band scores: they describe what the writing does, which is the part you can copy.
0.5 fewer than the median answer for this task type
11 words at the shortest, 32 at the longest
2 more than the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 18.8 words and vary by 6.2 words either side of that, running from 11 words to 32. Variation is the point. Grammatical Range and Accuracy rewards a mix of simple and complex sentences, and an answer where every sentence is the same length reads as flat no matter how correct it is. 4 of the 11 sentences here carry a subordinate or relative clause.
The cohesive devices it uses
7 in total, spread across 2 different functions. Range matters more than count: an answer that opens every paragraph with a sequencer signals its structure but never signals a relationship between ideas, and Coherence and Cohesion is marked on both.
in contrast, despite, though, while
overall
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 77 per cent of the content words in this answer are distinct, and 64 per cent appear exactly once. Lexical Resource is where repetition costs the most marks, and the usual cause is not a small vocabulary but reaching for the same noun every time the topic is named.
The longest run of words copied straight from the question is 4 words. Examiners discount wording lifted from the question, so a short run here is the right outcome: the answer restates the topic in its own words rather than borrowing the question's.
What you are marked on
All four criteria carry equal weight, and your Writing band is their average rounded to the nearest half band.
Task Achievement
Cover key features, compare 1990 with 2020 across countries
Coherence & Cohesion
Group data logically and use clear linking
Lexical Resource
Use varied vocabulary for percentages and change
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Accurate past simple, comparatives, and prepositions
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