What's the difference between examples that are statistical, real/factual and general?
As always, here at IELTS Advantage we recommend you keep things simple. It is actually much easier to use real/factual or general examples than statistical ones.
If you struggle with real/factual examples, simply use general ones.
Statistical and report examples do not seem real to the examiner because it is very unlikely you have memorised all that information. Also, avoid examples about only one person or a few people you know because they don't provide very much support for your main idea.
Here are some examples to help you.
Good examples:
Real/Factual: For instance, when smoking was banned in public places in the UK in 2007, there was a large rise in the number of people quitting smoking. (Note: I can't remember if 2007 is the correct year, but it doesn't matter. It seems real and supports my idea.)
General: For instance, it is often seen that when smoking is banned in public places, such as restaurants and bars, there is a large rise in the number of people who quit smoking.
Only write them if you have no other choice:
Statistical: For instance, according to research by Oxford University, when smoking was banned in public places in Western nations, there was a 32% rise in the number of people quitting smoking.
Don't write this kind of example:
Avoid examples about one person only: I stopped smoking when it was banned in public places in my country.
