背景知識
今日は 折れ線グラフ（Line Graph）の描写 です。棒グラフと並んでIELTS Writing Task 1 で頻出する形式で、時系列の変化を記述する 能力が問われます。
1. 時間の流れに沿って 変化を記述する — "from 1990 to 2020"
2. ピーク・底値・転換点・横ばい を見つけて明示する
3. 複数の線がある場合は比較が必須 — 差の拡大・縮小・追い越しに注目
4. Overview では数値を使わない — 大きな傾向のみを2文でまとめる
評価の4軸
Coherence & Cohesion (CC): 段落構成の明確さ・時系列の接続詞の適切な使用
Lexical Resource (LR): 変化の動詞・副詞・名詞形の多様な表現
Grammatical Range (GRA): 過去形・完了形・比較構文の正確な使用
採点基準 — Writing Task 1 Band Descriptor
| Band | Task Achievement | Lexical Resource | Grammatical Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 9.0 | 全特徴を正確にカバー。転換点・比較・概観が完璧 | 変化の動詞・副詞を高度に使い分け | 複雑な文構造（分詞構文・with構文）を誤りなく使用 |
| Band 8.0 | 主要特徴をカバー。Overview が明確・比較が自然 | 幅広い時系列語彙。ごく稀に不正確 | 多様な文構造。ごく稀に誤りあり |
| Band 7.0 | 主要特徴をほぼカバー。比較が明確 | 時系列語彙を正確に使用 | 過去形・比較級を正確に使用 |
| Band 6.0 ★目標 | 主要特徴はカバー。転換点の記述が不十分な場合も | 基本的な増減語彙。繰り返しがある | 基本的な文法はおおむね正確 |
| Band 5.0 | 特徴の選択が不十分。Overview なし・比較なし | "increased / decreased" のみに限定 | 基本的な文法にも誤りが多い |
今日の目標: 150語以上 / 20分以内で、Overview + 全4カ国の変化 + 転換点・比較を含める
問題
The line graph below shows the proportion of urban population (as a percentage of total population) in four Asian countries from 1990 to 2020.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
| 年 / Year | Japan | South Korea | China | India |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 77% | 74% | 26% | 26% |
| 1995 | 78% | 80% | 31% | 27% |
| 2000 | 79% | 82% | 36% | 28% |
| 2005 | 80% | 82% | 43% | 29% |
| 2010 | 90% | 82% | 50% | 31% |
| 2015 | 92% | 82% | 56% | 33% |
| 2020 | 92% | 82% | 61% | 35% |
* Japan の 2010年の急上昇は都市圏再定義による統計上の変化を含む
書くべき主要ポイント
- 全体傾向: 4カ国すべてで都市化率が増加（Overview の核心）
- 起点の対比: 1990年に日本・韓国が高水準（77% / 74%）、中国・インドが同率低水準（26%）
- 韓国の横ばい: 2000年頃から82%近辺でプラトー化、日本が後に追い越す
- 中国の急増: 26% → 61%（35ポイント増）— 最も大きな変化量
- インドの緩慢な成長: 26% → 35%、全期間を通じて最低水準を維持
構成ガイド
推奨段落構成
| 段落 | 内容 | 語数目安 |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | グラフの内容を言い換えて紹介（問題文をそのままコピーしない） | 25〜35語 |
| Overview | 全体傾向を2文で（"Overall, ..."）。数値は使わない | 30〜40語 |
| Detail 1 | 日本・韓国の推移・比較（高水準グループ） | 40〜55語 |
| Detail 2 | 中国・インドの推移・対比（低スタート→急増 vs 緩増） | 40〜55語 |
"shows" → illustrates / tracks / depicts / presents
"proportion of urban population" → the share of people living in urban areas / urbanisation rates
"four Asian countries" → four Asian nations / four selected countries in Asia
"from 1990 to 2020" → over a thirty-year period / between 1990 and 2020
"from 1990 to 2020" / "over the thirty-year period" / "between 2000 and 2010"
"remained relatively stable" / "levelled off at around 82%"
"rose steadily" / "climbed sharply" / "experienced a steep increase"
"by 2020" / "throughout the period" / "in the early years"
解答欄
ヒントやモデル解答を見る前に、ここに自分の解答を書いてみましょう。
有用語彙・表現
| 表現 | 意味・使い方 | 例文 |
|---|---|---|
| rose steadily / climbed gradually | 緩やかに上昇した | China's urbanisation rate rose steadily throughout the period. |
| remained relatively stable / levelled off | 横ばいになった | South Korea's rate levelled off at approximately 82% from 2000 onwards. |
| experienced a steep increase | 急増を経験した | Japan experienced a steep increase between 2005 and 2010. |
| the gap narrowed / widened | 差が縮まった / 広がった | The gap between Japan and China narrowed considerably by 2020. |
| overtook / surpassed / briefly exceeded | 上回った / 追い越した | South Korea overtook Japan in 1995, reaching 80%. |
| plateauing at / reached a plateau | 横ばいになった（動名詞・名詞） | South Korea's rate plateaued at around 82% from 2000 onwards. |
| by X percentage points | Xパーセントポイント（差の量） | China grew by 35 percentage points, from 26% to 61%. |
| throughout the period / over the thirty-year span | 期間を通じて | India remained the least urbanised throughout the period. |
| markedly / substantially / considerably | 著しく（変化の大きさを修飾） | China's urban share grew markedly, climbing to 61% by 2020. |
| from ... onwards | 〜以降は（継続を示す） | From 2000 onwards, South Korea's rate remained largely unchanged. |
ヒント
Overviewには 2つの大きな傾向 だけを書きます。数値は不要。
- すべての国で都市化率が増加した
- 日本・韓国は高水準を維持、一方で中国が最も劇的な成長を遂げた
この2点を "Overall, ..." で始まる段落にまとめましょう。インドも触れると加点につながります（"while India, in contrast, remained the least urbanised"）。
Detail 1（日本・韓国 — 高スタートグループ）:
- 日本: 77% → 92%（特に2005〜2010の急上昇が目立つ）
- 韓国: 74% → 82%（1995年に日本を一時追い越し、その後2000年から横ばい）
- 2020年: 日本（92%） > 韓国（82%）で再び日本がリード
Detail 2（中国・インド — 低スタートグループ）:
- 中国: 26% → 61%（35ポイント増 / 最大の変化量）
- インド: 26% → 35%（緩やかな増加、全期間最低水準）
- 1990年は同じ26%でスタートしたが2020年には26ポイントの差
Intro The line graph illustrates the urbanisation rate (the proportion of people living in urban areas) in four Asian countries between 1990 and 2020.
Overview Overall, all four nations experienced growth in urbanisation over the thirty-year period. While Japan and South Korea maintained consistently high levels, China demonstrated the most dramatic increase, significantly closing the gap with its more urbanised neighbours.
Detail 1 In 1990, Japan and South Korea already had high urban rates of 77% and 74% respectively. South Korea rose quickly, reaching 80% by 1995 and briefly overtaking Japan, before levelling off at around 82% from 2000 onwards. Japan, meanwhile, climbed more gradually before a sharp rise between 2005 and 2010, eventually reaching 92% by 2020.
Detail 2 By contrast, China and India both started at 26% in 1990. China's rate grew markedly to 61% by 2020, an increase of 35 percentage points. India, however, saw only modest growth, rising to 35%, making it the least urbanised of the four countries throughout the period.
モデル解答（Band 7.5〜8.0相当）
Intro The line graph illustrates the proportion of the population living in urban areas across four Asian nations — Japan, South Korea, China, and India — over a thirty-year span from 1990 to 2020.
Overview Overall, urbanisation rates increased in all four countries during this period. Japan and South Korea maintained consistently high levels, while China witnessed the most dramatic growth, substantially closing the gap with its more urbanised neighbours. India, in contrast, remained the least urbanised throughout.
Detail 1 In 1990, Japan and South Korea already recorded high urban proportions of 77% and 74% respectively. South Korea rose more quickly initially, reaching 80% by 1995 and briefly surpassing Japan, before plateauing at around 82% from 2000 onwards. Japan's rate climbed more steadily, with a particularly sharp rise between 2005 and 2010, eventually reaching 92% by 2020.
Detail 2 Meanwhile, both China and India started at approximately 26% in 1990. China's urbanisation grew markedly, climbing to 61% by 2020 — a rise of 35 percentage points over the period. India, by contrast, experienced only modest growth, increasing from 26% to 35%, making it the least urbanised country in the dataset throughout all years examined.
語数: 約190語
モデル解答の解説
Introductionでグラフ内容を正確にパラフレーズ（"illustrates" / "over a thirty-year span"）。Overview で2大傾向を明示し、インドへの言及で4カ国すべてをカバー。数値を具体的に引用しながら転換点（韓国の横ばい・日本の急上昇）も記述。
"Overall" でOverviewを開始、"Meanwhile" でDetail 2への転換を自然に演出。"while / in contrast / by contrast / however" で対比を繰り返し明示。段落ごとに「高水準グループ vs 低スタートグループ」の役割が明確。
変化・状態表現の多様な使い分け:
- maintained consistently high levels / witnessed the most dramatic growth / only modest growth
- plateauing at around 82% — 動名詞で横ばいを表現
- 35 percentage points — 差をポイントで正確に表現
- briefly surpassing — 分詞構文で瞬間的な追い越しを表現
文法テクニックの活用:
- "with a particularly sharp rise between 2005 and 2010" — 付帯状況の with 構文
- "briefly surpassing Japan, before plateauing..." — 分詞構文の連鎖で時系列を簡潔に
- "making it the least urbanised country" — 結果の分詞構文
- "throughout all years examined" — 関係代名詞の省略で自然な流れ
よくある日本人のミス
| ミスの例 | 原因 | 正しい書き方 |
|---|---|---|
| China increased from 26%. | 「国」が増加するのではなく「割合」が増加する | China's urbanisation rate increased from 26%. |
| stable between 2000 to 2020 | between は "...and..." とセット | stable between 2000 and 2020 |
| increased 35 percentage point | percentage points は複数形、"by" が必要 | increased by 35 percentage points |
| South Korea's rate was plateau | plateau は動詞として使う場合は "plateaued at" | South Korea's rate plateaued at 82%. |
| Overview に全数値を羅列する | Overviewは大きな傾向のみ — 数値は Detail で | Overall, all four countries increased. China showed the most dramatic growth. |