Test 1/Writing task 1
Topic request
The table below shows the proportion of different categories of families living in poverty in Australia in 1999.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Model answer
The table gives a breakdown of the different types of families who were living in poverty in Australia in 1999.
On average, 11% of all households, comprising almost two million people, were in this position. However, those consisting of only one parent or a single adult had almost double this proportion of poor people, with 21% and 19% respectively.
Couples generally tended to be better off, with lower poverty levels for couples without children (7%) than those with children (12%). It is noticeable that for both types of households with children, a higher than average proportion were living in poverty at this time.
Overall the table suggests that households of single adults and those with children were more likely to be living in poverty than those consisting of couples.