Electricity Generation by Source: Nation A vs Nation B (2010 & 2022)
A complete IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 question with a model answer of 226 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 pie charts below show the proportion of electricity generated from different sources in Nation A in 2010 and 2022. The accompanying table shows equivalent figures for Nation B. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words. [Pie Charts — Nation A: share of total electricity generation %] Source | 2010 | 2022 Coal | 48% | 22% Natural Gas| 18% | 28% Nuclear | 14% | 12% Hydro | 12% | 10% Wind/Solar | 6% | 26% Other | 2% | 2% [Table — Nation B: share of total electricity generation %] Source | 2010 | 2022 Coal | 65% | 50% Natural Gas| 12% | 18% Nuclear | 4% | 6% Hydro | 15% | 14% Wind/Solar | 2% | 10% Other | 2% | 2%
How to approach it
- 01Treat the two visuals as one combined task — make comparisons across both countries
- 02Include a strong overview noting the overall direction of change for both nations
- 03Highlight crossover or rank changes — for example, which source overtook which
- 04Use a range of trend vocabulary: 'fell sharply', 'leapt', 'held steady', 'quintupled'
- 05Group by trend (coal declined in both, renewables grew in both) rather than describing each source in isolation
- 06Cite specific percentages sparingly, only to support the main features
Model answer
226 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 pie charts and table illustrate the percentage of electricity generated from six different sources in Nation A and Nation B in 2010 and 2022.
Overall, both countries reduced their reliance on coal and expanded their share of renewable electricity over the twelve-year period, but the shift was far more dramatic in Nation A. By 2022, Nation A had diversified its energy mix considerably, while Nation B remained heavily dependent on coal.
In Nation A, coal fell sharply from 48 percent in 2010 to just 22 percent in 2022, dropping from the dominant source to the second largest. Wind and solar showed the most striking expansion, leaping from a marginal 6 percent to 26 percent, making them collectively the second-largest contributor alongside natural gas, which itself rose from 18 to 28 percent. Nuclear and hydro declined modestly to 12 and 10 percent respectively.
Nation B experienced more modest changes. Coal remained the dominant source, falling from 65 percent to 50 percent but still accounting for half of total generation in 2022. Natural gas grew slightly from 12 to 18 percent, while wind and solar quintupled from a tiny 2 percent to 10 percent. Hydro held steady at around 14 to 15 percent.
The data suggests that Nation A pursued a more aggressive transition toward renewables, whereas Nation B's energy mix evolved at a noticeably slower pace.
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.
18.5 more than the median answer for this task type
6 words at the shortest, 34 at the longest
1 fewer than the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 20.5 words and vary by 8.3 words either side of that, running from 6 words to 34. 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
4 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.
whereas, while
overall
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 72 per cent of the content words in this answer are distinct, and 58 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 5 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
Integrate information from the pie charts and table, include an overview, and make meaningful comparisons across both countries and time periods.
Coherence & Cohesion
Organise by trend or source grouping rather than describing each visual in isolation, with clear paragraphs and linking devices.
Lexical Resource
Use varied vocabulary for proportions, change, and comparison without repetition.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Use accurate past tenses, comparatives, and complex sentence structures to express relationships.
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