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Smartphone ownership by age group

Written by Amina Shah (IELTS)

IELTS Writing task 1 (Academic). Write at least 150 words in about 20 minutes.

The task

The table below shows the percentage of people in four age groups who owned a smartphone in 2012 and 2022. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Your answer

0 words (minimum 150) · 20:00

How to plan it

  1. Paragraph 1: say what the table shows (one sentence).
  2. Paragraph 2: overview, the general rise and the group with the biggest change.
  3. Paragraph 3: the figures for 2012, from the highest to the lowest.
  4. Paragraph 4: the figures for 2022 and the comparison with 2012.
Show a model answer (180 words)

The table compares the percentage of people in four age groups who owned a smartphone in 2012 and in 2022.

Overall, smartphone ownership rose in every age group, and the largest increase was among the oldest group. The youngest group had the highest figures in both years.

In 2012, 62 per cent of 18 to 24 year olds owned a smartphone, followed by 55 per cent of 25 to 34 year olds. Ownership was lower among the older groups, at 38 per cent for those aged 35 to 54 and only 12 per cent for people aged 55 and over.

By 2022 the figures had risen sharply. Ownership reached 95 per cent among 18 to 24 year olds and 92 per cent among 25 to 34 year olds, so the two younger groups were close to full ownership. Among 35 to 54 year olds, the figure more than doubled to 85 per cent. The biggest rise, however, was for the oldest group, whose figure increased from 12 to 52 per cent, which was more than four times the earlier level.

Why it works

  • The overview names the biggest change without using numbers.
  • Each comparison can be checked: 38 to 85 is more than double, and 12 to 52 is more than four times.
  • The groups are described in order, and the youngest and oldest groups are compared.

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