The bar chart below illustrates the total number of medals won by the top eight nations at a recent SEA Games. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Total Medals Won by the Top Eight Nations at a Recent SEA Games
Total Medals Won by the Top Eight Nations at a Recent SEA Games (medals)

Data note: gold-medal totals are modelled on Vietnam's real overall win at SEA Games 32 (2023); silver and bronze breakdowns are illustrative for this exercise.

Band 6.5

This 6.5 answer only tracks two head-to-head comparisons (Vietnam vs. Thailand, Malaysia's bronze skew) with short sentences and safe linking words like "but", leaving out the Indonesia/Philippines gold-bronze contrast that the higher bands work in.

The bar chart shows the total medals won by the top eight countries in the region at a recent SEA Games, divided into gold, silver and bronze.

Overall, Vietnam won by far the most medals, followed by Thailand. The other six nations won much fewer medals, but most of them had similar numbers of gold, silver and bronze.

Vietnam won 355 medals in total, made up of 136 gold, 105 silver and 114 bronze. This was more than Thailand's 312 medals, which included 108 gold. Indonesia came third with 276 medals, and the Philippines was fourth with 222 medals. Interestingly, the Philippines won more bronze (98) than gold (58).

Among the last four nations, Singapore won 158 medals and Malaysia won 148. Malaysia's bronze total (69) was almost double its gold total (34). Cambodia and Myanmar finished last, with 141 and 114 medals respectively, but Cambodia won more than double the bronze medals (78) compared to gold (33).

Collocations

by far the mostin totalmade up ofalmost doublemore than double

Examiner Notes

  • TR“Overall, Vietnam won by far the most medals, followed by Thailand.” — A simple overview sentence names the top two countries, but it does not capture the more nuanced spread across all eight nations that the 7.5 answer covers.
  • LR“almost double its gold total” — A correct and clear comparison, but a more basic expression than the statistically precise "skew towards" used in the 7.5 answer.
  • GRA“This was more than Thailand's 312 medals, which included 108 gold.” — A simple relative clause correctly adds extra information, but it is a far less complex structure than the concessive participial phrase used in the 7.5 answer.
  • CC“Among the last four nations, Singapore won 158 medals and Malaysia won 148.” — The phrase "Among the last four nations" signals the shift to the lower-ranked group, functioning like the 7.5 answer's transition but with plainer wording.
Band 7.0

This 7.0 answer picks up the Indonesia/Philippines gold-bronze contrast and Cambodia's host-nation anomaly, and adds a despite-clause for extra complexity, but its vocabulary and transitions are still slightly plainer than the 7.5 answer's.

The bar chart illustrates the total number of medals achieved by the top eight nations at a recent SEA Games, broken down into gold, silver and bronze categories.

Overall, Vietnam clearly dominated the medal table, winning considerably more medals than any other nation in the region. Most countries had a fairly even spread across the three medal types, although a few showed a noticeable bias towards bronze.

Vietnam topped the medal table with 355 in total, comprising 136 gold, 105 silver and 114 bronze — well ahead of Thailand's 312, which included 108 gold. Indonesia and the Philippines followed, with 276 and 222 medals respectively. Although Indonesia's gold count (87) was close to its bronze count (109), the Philippines actually won more bronze (98) than gold (58) despite a lower overall total.

Among the lower-ranked nations, Singapore and Malaysia recorded fairly similar totals of 158 and 148 medals. Singapore's medals were spread quite evenly, whereas Malaysia won considerably more bronze (69) than gold (34). Cambodia and Myanmar finished last, with 141 and 114 medals respectively, and as the host nation, Cambodia's bronze total (78) was more than double its gold total (33).

Collocations

clearly dominated the medal tablefairly even spreadnoticeable bias towardswell ahead offairly similar totalsmore than double

Examiner Notes

  • TR“Overall, Vietnam clearly dominated the medal table, winning considerably more medals than any other nation in the region.” — A confident overview sentence naming the standout feature, matching the 7.5 answer's opening strategy closely, though the vocabulary here is slightly less varied.
  • LR“a few showed a noticeable bias towards bronze” — "noticeable bias towards" is a solid, accurate collocation, but less precise as statistical terminology than the 7.5 answer's "skew towards".
  • GRA“Although Indonesia's gold count (87) was close to its bronze count (109), the Philippines actually won more bronze (98) than gold (58) despite a lower overall total.” — A subordinate "although" clause plus a "despite" phrase build genuine complexity, but the sentence is less tightly fused than the 7.5 answer's single participial interruption.
  • CC“Among the lower-ranked nations, Singapore and Malaysia recorded fairly similar totals of 158 and 148 medals.” — This transition cohesively signals the shift to the bottom group, close to the 7.5 answer's phrasing but slightly more literal ("lower-ranked" vs. "remaining").
Band 7.5

The 7.5 answer distinguishes itself through the precise statistical collocation "skew towards", a concessive participial phrase that fuses two comparisons into one sentence, and a cohesive marker ("Among the remaining nations") that clearly signals the shift to the lower-ranked group.

The bar chart illustrates the total number of medals secured by the top eight Southeast Asian nations at a recent SEA Games, broken down into gold, silver, and bronze.

Overall, Vietnam stands out as the dominant nation, having won considerably more medals than any other country in the region. While most nations display a relatively balanced spread across the three medal types, some show a clear skew towards bronze.

Vietnam's total medal haul is 355, comprising 136 gold, 105 silver, and 114 bronze. This is notably higher than Thailand's tally of 312, which includes 108 gold medals. Indonesia and the Philippines follow, with 276 and 222 medals respectively. Indonesia's gold count of 87 is only slightly below its bronze count of 109, whereas the Philippines, despite having fewer medals overall, won more bronze (98) than gold (58).

Among the remaining nations, Singapore and Malaysia have comparable overall totals, at 158 and 148 medals respectively. Singapore's medals are fairly evenly spread across the three types, whereas Malaysia's bronze count (69) considerably exceeds its gold tally (34). Cambodia and Myanmar occupy the bottom two positions, with 141 and 114 medals correspondingly, though as host nation Cambodia's bronze medals (78) are more than double its gold total (33).

Collocations

cumulative number of medalsdominant nationbalanced spreadclear skew towardstotal medal haulcomparable overall totalsconsiderably exceedsoccupy the bottom two positions

Examiner Notes

  • TR“Overall, Vietnam stands out as the dominant nation, having won considerably more medals than any other country in the region.” — Identifies the single most significant feature of the data — Vietnam's dominance — before any breakdown is given.
  • LR“some show a clear skew towards bronze” — The collocation "skew towards" is precise statistical vocabulary, more sophisticated than saying a country "won more bronze."
  • GRA“the Philippines, despite having fewer medals overall, won more bronze (98) than gold (58)” — A concessive participial phrase interrupts the main clause to contrast total medal count with the internal gold-bronze imbalance, showing controlled complex syntax.
  • CC“Among the remaining nations, Singapore and Malaysia have comparable overall totals, at 158 and 148 medals respectively.” — The phrase "Among the remaining nations" cohesively signals a shift from the top four countries to the lower-ranked group.
  • TR“as host nation Cambodia's bronze medals (78) are more than double its gold total (33)” — A well-chosen closing detail that highlights a genuinely notable anomaly in the data (host nation with a skewed medal distribution).