Band 8 model answer
A model answer written to illustrate a Band 8 response to this question, with the rubric breakdown and what carries it. Written by us as a teaching example, not a verified exam script.
“The bar chart shows foreign direct investment inflows as a share of GDP in five economies in 2010 and 2020.”8
Overall
8
Task response
8
Coherence & cohesion
8
Lexical resource
8
Grammar
The bar chart illustrates foreign direct investment inflows as a share of GDP in five economies in 2010 and 2020.
Overall, Singapore and Ireland dominated the chart in both years, recording figures far above the other three economies. However, Ireland experienced a dramatic decline over the decade, whereas Singapore remained comparatively stable.
In 2010, Singapore led with 23.07% of GDP, followed by Ireland at 17.02%. The remaining three economies, the UK, China, and the USA, recorded much smaller inflows of 2.67%, 3.94%, and 1.75% respectively. By 2020, Singapore's share had barely changed at 22.72%, while Ireland's fell sharply to just 8.09%, almost halving over the decade.
Among the lower-ranked economies, the UK more than doubled its share from 2.67% to 5.77%, whereas China and the USA both declined, from 3.94% to 1.69% and from 1.75% to 0.65% respectively. By 2020 the UK had therefore moved into third place, overtaking both China and the USA. The most striking feature overall is the contrast between Singapore's relative stability at the top and the substantial falls recorded by Ireland, China, and the USA.
- •Overview correctly identifies the dominant pair and the key directional contrast without using figures.
- •Accurately notes that Ireland nearly halved and that the UK overtook China and the USA by 2020.
- •Varied comparison language: 'more than doubled', 'barely changed', 'fell sharply', 'respectively'.
- •Logical paragraph flow from the top two economies to the lower group.
- •The conclusion sentence slightly repeats the overview; a fresh comparative observation would add more value.
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