Average Daily Screen Time by Age Group: 2010 vs 2020
A complete IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 question with a model answer of 230 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 and line graph below show the average daily screen time (in hours) across four age groups in a developed country in 2010 and 2020. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words. [Table — Average daily screen time in hours, 2010 vs 2020] Age group | 2010 | 2020 8–12 years | 2.1 | 5.4 13–18 years | 3.6 | 7.8 19–34 years | 4.2 | 8.1 35–60 years | 2.8 | 5.6 [Line Graph — Average daily screen time (hours) by age group, 2010–2020] The graph plots one line per age group across each year from 2010 to 2020. - 8–12 years: rises gradually from 2.1 in 2010 to 3.0 in 2015, then sharply to 5.4 by 2020. - 13–18 years: rises from 3.6 in 2010 to 5.2 in 2015, then steeply to 7.8 by 2020. - 19–34 years: rises consistently from 4.2 in 2010 to 6.0 in 2015 and to 8.1 by 2020 — the highest of all groups throughout. - 35–60 years: rises from 2.8 in 2010 to 3.7 in 2015, then more steeply to 5.6 by 2020. A clear acceleration is visible across all groups after 2015.
How to approach it
- 01Integrate both data sources — refer to the table for snapshots and the line graph for trends
- 02Use a strong overview paragraph that captures the headline pattern across all groups
- 03Use a range of trend language: 'rose gradually', 'climbed sharply', 'accelerated', 'roughly doubled'
- 04Quote specific figures with units to support claims, but don't list every value
- 05Mention proportional change ('nearly doubled', 'a rise of 160 per cent') for high-impact comparison
- 06Group age brackets by behaviour (highest user, fastest grower) rather than describing each separately
Model answer
230 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 and accompanying line graph illustrate the average number of hours each of four age groups spent in front of screens daily in a developed country in 2010 and 2020, with annual data points in between.
Overall, screen time approximately doubled for every age group across the decade, with the steepest rises occurring after 2015. The 19–34 age bracket consistently recorded the highest usage, while children aged 8–12 saw the most dramatic proportional increase.
According to the table, young adults aged 19–34 spent 4.2 hours per day on screens in 2010, rising to 8.1 hours by 2020 — almost double. Teenagers aged 13–18 showed a similar pattern, climbing from 3.6 to 7.8 hours. The 35–60 group remained the lightest adult users, doubling from 2.8 to 5.6 hours.
The line graph reveals the dynamics behind these figures. Between 2010 and 2015, growth was relatively gradual across all groups. From 2015 onwards, however, the curves steepen markedly, particularly for children. The 8–12 group, which had averaged just 2.1 hours in 2010 and 3.0 in 2015, climbed sharply to 5.4 hours by 2020 — a rise of nearly 160 per cent over the decade, the largest proportional increase of any age band.
Across both data sources, the picture is one of rapid and accelerating screen consumption affecting every generation, with younger users catching up rapidly on their elders.
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.
22.5 more than the median answer for this task type
9 words at the shortest, 41 at the longest
2 fewer than the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 20.9 words and vary by 10.2 words either side of that, running from 9 words to 41. 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. 2 of the 11 sentences here carry a subordinate or relative clause.
The cohesive devices it uses
3 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.
however, while
overall
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 74 per cent of the content words in this answer are distinct, and 57 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 8 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 both visuals, key trends and comparisons across age groups
Coherence & Cohesion
Integrate the two data sources logically with clear paragraphing
Lexical Resource
Precise vocabulary for trends, magnitude and comparison
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Range of past and comparative structures with accuracy
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Paste your own attempt at this question and get a band for each criterion, with the exact sentences costing you marks.
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