Renewable Energy Share in Electricity Generation (2010 vs 2023)
A complete IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 question with a model answer of 197 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 bar chart below shows the share of renewable energy in total electricity generation in five countries — Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, and India — in 2010 and 2023, expressed as a percentage. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words. [Chart Data] Country | 2010 (%) | 2023 (%) Germany | 17 | 52 United Kingdom | 7 | 46 United States | 10 | 23 China | 18 | 31 India | 16 | 22
How to approach it
- 01Paraphrase the question prompt rather than copying it word for word
- 02Group countries by trend — fastest movers versus slow movers — instead of describing each in isolation
- 03Mention the highest and lowest values for each year in your overview
- 04Use proportional language: 'more than triple', 'almost seven times', 'six percentage points'
- 05Distinguish carefully between 'percent' and 'percentage points' to avoid grammatical slips
- 06Support your trends with selective figures — do not list every number
Model answer
197 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 bar chart compares the proportion of electricity generated from renewable sources in five countries — Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, and India — in 2010 and 2023.
Overall, every country expanded its renewable share over the thirteen-year period, but the pace of change differed dramatically. The two European nations recorded the most striking transformations, while the increases in the United States, China, and India were comparatively modest.
Germany led the field in 2023 with 52 percent of its electricity coming from renewable sources, more than triple its 17 percent figure in 2010. The United Kingdom showed an even more dramatic proportional shift, rising from a low base of just 7 percent to 46 percent — an expansion of almost seven times.
In contrast, the three larger economies progressed more slowly. China, which had the highest initial share at 18 percent, advanced to 31 percent, while the United States rose from 10 percent to 23 percent. India saw the smallest absolute change, climbing only six percentage points from 16 percent to 22 percent.
The data suggests that policy-driven European transitions have outpaced those of the world's largest energy consumers, despite the latter starting from broadly similar levels.
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.
10.5 fewer than the median answer for this task type
9 words at the shortest, 29 at the longest
the same as the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 21.9 words and vary by 5.9 words either side of that, running from 9 words to 29. 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. 3 of the 9 sentences here carry a subordinate or relative clause.
The cohesive devices it uses
5 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, while
overall
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 77 per cent of the content words in this answer are distinct, and 65 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 17 words. That is long enough to notice. Copied wording is discounted from your word count, so a run this size is doing less work than it looks like it is doing.
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
Identify the key changes and comparisons between 2010 and 2023, include an overview, and report data accurately.
Coherence & Cohesion
Organise the response by trend grouping with clear paragraphing and effective linking devices.
Lexical Resource
Use a range of vocabulary for describing change, proportions, and comparisons without repetition.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Demonstrate accurate use of past tenses, comparatives, and complex sentence structures.
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