APIEIELTS Writing: Ageing Society Data Trends
Ageing society and healthcare
Answers and an explanation for each question appear once you add this activity to your own library.
Describing Trends & Figures
Master core reporting collocations, morphological shifts, and precise paraphrasing before tackling complex charts.
How to Use This Lesson
For the Teacher
1. Spend 10 minutes on this warm-up to activate reporting verbs and collocations before introducing the main task.
2. Have learners complete the auto-graded checks independently to diagnose word-form accuracy and prepositions.
For the Learner
1. Complete these 4 focused exercises on magazine sales figures to sharpen your data description vocabulary.
2. Check your answers instantly and note down the exact prepositions and sentence patterns for your writing.
Warm-up: Practising describing data with a different topic before we look at the main task.
Practice useful reporting words through magazine sales figures before writing your report. (Figures are fictional.)
Word Forms: Parts of Speech
Choose the correct grammatical form (noun, verb, or adverb) to complete each sentence describing magazine circulation.
1. Print edition sales experienced a sharp ______ between 2015 and 2020.
2. Weekly newsstand circulation reached its ______ in July before dropping steadily.
3. Digital subscribers made up a significant ______ of overall readership in 2022.
4. Revenue from annual subscriptions grew ______ over the five-year period.
5. The lifestyle quarterly recorded rapid ______ following its nationwide relaunch.
Collocations for Describing Data
Select the natural academic verb collocation commonly used in Task 1 reports to describe statistics.
6. Monthly circulation ______ an all-time high of 120,000 copies in December.
7. At the beginning of the surveyed period, subscription revenue ______ at $45,000 per month.
8. The business weekly ______ a marked drop in newsstand sales during the winter quarter.
9. Following several quarters of erratic changes, international sales finally ______ off at 25,000 units.
10. For most of the financial year, foreign readership numbers ______ around the 15,000 mark.
Common Phrases for Describing Figures
Fill in each gap using the most suitable fixed prepositional phrase from the word bank below.
Word Bank
11. ______ total copies sold, the technology monthly outperformed all competitors in the category.
Type the exact phrase from the word bank (case-insensitive):
____12. Third-quarter sales were 15% higher ______ figures recorded during the same period last year.
Type the exact phrase from the word bank:
____13. Digital magazine downloads ______ nearly 35% of total publishing revenues by year-end.
Type the exact phrase from the word bank:
____14. Overall subscription volume increased gradually from 50,000 to 80,000 copies ______ between 2018 and 2023.
Type the exact phrase from the word bank:
____15. Physical print sales dropped by 20%; ______, app-based readerships surged by 45%.
Type the exact phrase from the word bank:
____Paraphrasing: Sentence Variety
Choose the sentence that accurately preserves the original meaning using alternative grammatical structures.
Original Statement:
"Magazine sales peaked at 95,000 copies in 2018."
Which sentence has the same meaning?
Original Statement:
"There was a steady decrease in newsstand purchases over the decade."
Which sentence has the same meaning?
Original Statement:
"Digital subscriptions accounted for 40% of total revenue in 2021."
Which sentence has the same meaning?
Writing Task: Population by age group
Read the prompt, study the figures, check the requirements, and write your report in the box.
Academic Task 1 Prompt
The table shows the percentage of the population in three age groups in one country in 1990 and in 2020, with a forecast for 2050. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Population Distribution by Age Bracket (%)
| Age group | 1990 | 2020 | 2050 (forecast) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-14 | 28% | 20% | 16% |
| 15-64 | 64% | 66% | 60% |
| 65 and over | 8% | 14% | 24% |
(Figures are fictional.)
Task 1 Requirements Checklist
Before writing, verify that your response will address all 5 fundamental elements:
A clear overview sentence
Summarise overall trends without individual data.
Key features highlighted
Report highest, lowest, and most dynamic groups.
Logical comparisons
Contrast age brackets across the 3 time points.
Accurate figures
Double-check percentages and ratios.
At least 150 words
Aim for a concise, fully developed 160–180 words.
Your Report Submission
Compose your Task 1 summary in the text box below. When finished, submit your essay to receive detailed rubric feedback.
____ (Write your Task 1 report here (at least 150 words)... The table illustrates the proportion of citizens across three age categories in a single nation in 1990 and 2020, alongside projected figures for 2050...)Model Answer: See how to structure the report and use precise language.
Read this full response (181 words) and notice how the bold phrases make the comparisons clear and natural.
The provided table shows the demographic breakdown of a single country across three separate age brackets in 1990 and 2020, together with a forecast for 2050.
Overall, the senior population exhibits an upward trajectory, whereas the youngest demographic experiences a steady contraction. Meanwhile, the working-age population is expected to fluctuate moderately while remaining the largest single category across the entire timeframe.
In 1990, individuals aged 15 to 64 constituted 64% of the total population. This figure rose marginally to 66% in 2020, but it is projected to decrease to 60% by 2050. Despite this final downturn, this segment remained the dominant group throughout the surveyed years.
The remaining two groups showed opposing tendencies. Citizens aged 65 and over represented just 8% of the populace in 1990, yet their share grew to 14% in 2020 and will hit 24% by 2050. Altogether, this cohort tripled from 8% to 24% over the sixty-year timeframe. Conversely, the 0-to-14 group started at 28% in 1990, dropped to 20% by 2020, and will decline further to 16% in 2050.
Why This Works: Analysis of Key Phrases
"shows the demographic breakdown"
Why this works:
Clear way to introduce population groups without repeating words.
"an upward trajectory"
Why this works:
A natural phrase to describe continuous growth.
"a steady contraction"
Why this works:
Describes a shrinking group smoothly.
"is projected to"
Why this works:
The standard, correct way to report future forecasts.
"remained the dominant group throughout"
Why this works:
Points out the largest category clearly across all years.
"tripled from 8% to 24%"
Why this works:
Accurate math: exactly three times higher, no extra words needed.
"over the sixty-year timeframe"
Why this works:
Combines past and future years into one clear span.
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