When looking at an IELTS writing task 1 chart question, you should ask yourself 10 quick

questions before you write your answer.

What kind of chart is it? (Line, pie, bar)
What does the title say about the chart? (Read it carefully)
What information is contained on both axes?
What are the units of measurements? (Age, %, amount etc.)
What groups are compared?
What is the time period? (Past, present or future)
What is the most obvious thing that the data shows you? (General increase or decrease?)
What is the most important or significant piece of information displayed?
Can any comparisons be made? (Between groups or charts if more than one)
Is it a static chart or dynamic chart? (Static- one time period. Dynamic- over a period of time)
1. Marking Criteria
There are four marking criteria for Task 1:
Task Achievement
Coherence and Cohesion
Lexical Resource
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Each of these is worth 25% of your total mark.
Dont worry if you dont understand what these phrases mean, I will go through each of them in more
detail below and explain what they mean in simpler language. You can access the official marking
criteria here.
Task Achievement refers to your ability to answer the question properly. In order to do this you have to
do all the things the question asks you to do and write a clear, well developed answer.
You will get a higher score if you:
Select the main/key features of the graph, chart, map or process.
Write a clear overview that includes the main/key features (main trends, differences, stages etc.) of
the graph, chart, map or process.
Support them with accurate detail.
Write at least 150 words.
Coherence refers to your ability to connect your main ideas together so that they make sense and are
easy to understand. This is mostly done at paragraph level. Are your paragraphs in a logical order? Is there
one clear main idea in every paragraph? Is it easy to understand the main idea of each paragraph?
You will get a higher score for coherence if you:
Introduce your essay by paraphrasing the question in the first paragraph.
Separate your ideas into paragraphs.
Making it clear which paragraph is your overview.
Having very clear ideas in your overview.
Supporting the main points in your overview in separate paragraphs.
Making it clear what each paragraph is about.
Cohesion refers to the connection of ideas at sentence and paragraph level. Are your sentences and ideas
linked together?
You will get a higher score for cohesion if you:
Use a range of linking words when appropriate.
Use linking words accurately.
Do not over-use linking words.
Lexical resource refers to your ability to use vocabulary both accurately and appropriately.
You will get a higher score for vocabulary if you:
Paraphrase the question correctly.
Vary your vocabulary using synonyms.
Avoid vocabulary mistakes.
Spell words correctly.

Use appropriate vocabulary to describe trends, comparisons, stages, changes etc.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

This refers to your ability to write sentences with no mistakes and also use a range of grammatical
structures.
You will get a higher score if you:
Do not make errors.
Use a range of appropriate tenses.
Use a range of appropriate structures.
Use both simple and complex sentences.
Use correct punctuation.
2. Paraphrase Question
Now that we know how the exam is marked we can give the examiners exactly what they want
and prevent common mistakes that stop people getting a high score.
Our very first sentence in Task 1 should always be a paraphrase of the question. Paraphrasing is when we
rewrite phrase or sentence so that it has different words but keeps the same meaning. We can do this in a
number of different ways, but the simplest way is to use synonyms.
For example:
Question: The chart below shows the changes in three different areas of crime in Manchester city
centre from 2003-2012.
Paraphrased: The line graph displays alterations for burglary, car theft and robbery in the centre of
Manchester between 2003 and 2012.
The synonyms we used:
chart

line graph

shows

displays

changes

alterations

different areas of crime

burglary, car theft and robbery

Manchester city centre

the centre of Manchester

from

between

So with a few simple synonyms we have paraphrased the sentence and shown the examiner that we can
use this skill effectively and that we have a wide ranging vocabulary, thus two big ticks towards a high
score.
This should be your very first paragraph and we should then skip a line to show the examiner that we are
starting a new paragraph- the overview.
3. Overview
The overview is the most important paragraph in the whole essay and it is impossible to get a high score if
you dont write a good one.
The question for Academic Task 1 is always the same. It states:
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant.
We therefore need to provide a short summary of the main features. You do this in the overview paragraph
by picking out 3-4 of the most significant things you can see and writing them in general terms. By
general, I mean you do not support anything you see with data from the graph or chart, just write about
what you can see at first glance.
A problem students often have is limiting themselves to just three or four things. There is so much
information and it can all seem relevant.

When things are complicated in the IELTS exam, think of a way to simplify them. To make this task easier,
think about this way: if someone asked you to tell them three things and three things only about the graph
what would they be? Thinking this way stops you looking at all the data and focuses your mind on picking
out the most important points.
With line graphs we should look out for what happens generally between the start date and the end date.
Lets look at our example again and pick out the main features.

If I had to say just three general things about the graph above, they would be:
1. Burglary decreases dramatically.
2. Car theft increases steadily.
3. Robbery remains steady throughout the period.
Thats it. You dont need to over-complicate it. Just find the three or four most obvious things and pick
them out.
We are now ready to take our three main features and add them to our overview paragraph. An overview
paragraph should normally be 2 sentences and state the main features in general terms. Never support
the main features with data in the overview. Dates are fine, but dont use any other numbers.
Our overview paragraph will look like this:
The most noticeable trend is that burglary fell dramatically over the period. Car theft
fluctuated until 2008, upon which it rose steadily; whereas the number of car thefts remained
relatively stable between 2003 and 2012.
4. Support Overview with Detail
We reported three main features in the overview and now we must take each of those features and
describe them in more detail.
1. If we take robbery first we notice that it goes up a little first, then there is a big drop until 2008
when it goes up slightly and then remains steady.
2. Car theft goes up and down slightly (fluctuates) until 2008, when it rises steadily.
3. Robbery also fluctuates throughout the period but not by much. It rises slightly and drops, then
remains steady for a number of years, before rising and falling slightly again.
Now that we have looked at these in more detail we need to put them into sentences.
Robbery started at just below three and a half thousand in 2003 and apart from a small rise of
around five hundred offences in 2004, fell drastically to just over one thousand incidents in
2008. 2009 saw a slight rise to just below fifteen hundred in 2009 and it remained in and
around this figure until the end of the time period.
From 2003 to 2008 the number of car thefts shifted between just below two thousand five
hundred and just over two thousand, before rising steadily to nearly three thousand in 2013.
Over the entire period robbery never rose above one thousand and did not go under five
hundred.

5. Check Your Work

The first draft of our essay looks like this:
The line graph displays alterations for burglary, car theft and robbery in the centre of
Manchester between 2003 and 2012.
The most noticeable trend is that burglary fell dramatically over the period. Car theft
fluctuated until 2008, upon which it rose steadily; whereas the number of car thefts remained
relatively stable between 2003 and 2012.
Robbery started at just below three and a half thousand in 2003 and apart from a small rise of
around five hundred offences in 2004, fell drastically to just over one thousand incidents in
2008. 2009 saw a slight rise to just below fifteen hundred in 2009 and it remained in and
around this figure until the end of the time period.
From 2003 to 2008 the number of car thefts shifted between just below two thousand five
hundred and just over two thousand, before rising steadily to nearly three thousand in 2013.
Over the entire period robbery never rose above one thousand and did not go under five
hundred.
We now should have a few minutes to check our work for mistakes and see if there are any improvements
we could make. This is a crucial stage and you should aim to have at least 3-4 minutes at the end to check
and improve everything.
When we check our work we should:
1. Check spelling and punctuation
2. Check verb tenses. Are they the correct tense?
3. Check accuracy of the data used.
4. Check vocabulary. Is there any repetition we could remove with synonyms?
5. Check paragraphing.
6. Check word limit. Over 150?
You should write your answer in pencil so you can make quick alterations.

This means that to get at least a 5 for task achievement we must give some kind of overview. If we do not
give any overview we will always get below a 5. If we select the appropriate data to include in our
overview we get a score of 6 and if it is clear we get a 7 for this part of the exam.
If you know how to select the appropriate data and you practice writing a clear overview, then you are
likely to get the score you deserve in this section.
What is an overview?
To understand this we must look at the question. The question for academic task one is always the same:
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant.
We therefore need to provide a short summary of the main features. You do this in the overview paragraph
by picking out 3-4 of the most significant things you can see and writing them in general terms. By
general, I mean you do not support anything you see with data from the graph or chart, just write about
what you can see visually.
Lets look at an example:

Overall, I notice that there are 7 regions. Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America make up the majority,
with North America being the largest. Africa, India, Latin America and China make up a very small
proportion.
We can then include these things in an overview paragraph:
The pie chart is comprised of 7 regions in total with Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America making up the
vast majority of global wealth. North America has the single biggest share and Africa, India, Latin America
and China combined, only make up a small proportion.
As you can see, I have not talked about individual fractions or percentages, in fact I have not supported
any of my features with data. Instead, I have just reported what I can see visually, without looking closely
at the data. If you have to look at the data, then you probably wont write a good overview.
How do I select the correct features?
To understand this we have to think about the different types of graphs and charts we might see. There are
generally two different kinds of charts and graphs: dynamic and static.
Dynamic charts show data over time and static charts show data at just one point in time. This will affect
the type of data we select.
Lets look at a dynamic chart:

As you can see, the graph is dynamic because it shows data over a period of time. We should
therefore look at the general trend over the time period.

First, we should look at what happened from the start (2011) to the end (2014). From the start to the end
both lines increased. Then we should look at any other general trends for each of the two lines. We can see
the blue line (women) goes up until 2013 and then does down a little. The green line (men) goes up
slightly and then has a very large increase between 2012 and 2014.
These are the most striking or most obvious things we can see when first looking at the graph
and these are perfect for our overview.
Lets put this information into a sentence:
Over the entire time period the number of men and women reading books increased. Women saw a steady
increase between 2011 and 2013 before declining in 2014, while men increased gradually at first before
rocketing up in the last two years.
When we are looking at dynamic graphs we should be looking out for:
What does the data do from the start to the finish?
Do they generally go up or down or do they fluctuate?
Any significant difference from the general trend?
Overall increase/decrease?
Peaks/lows?

No lets look at a static chart:

This chart is different from the last one because there are no dates to look at; it is data from just one point
in time. We can therefore not talk about general trends over time.
Instead we are more concerned about comparing the data between the different sources. In this
case, we will be comparing the data between countries.
The first thing I notice is that all countries are below 400k except two of them. Switzerland and Australia
are the biggest and Singapore and the U.K. are the smallest. Switzerland has almost double the average.
There isnt a significant amount of difference between the bottom 6 countries.
Lets try and turn the things Ive noticed above into an overview:
The graph compares eight countries with only a small amount of difference between the bottom 6.
Australia and Switzerland have the highest average wealth, with Switzerland averaging nearly double the
value of the two bottom countries.
When

we look at static graphs we should be looking for:

What are the highest/lowest values?
What are the most noticeable differences?
Any similarities?
Any significant exceptions?

Is there any special grammar?

You should try and make a complex sentence by making a subordinate clause. Complex
sentences are sentences with more than one clause and they help increase our marks in the grammatical
range part of the marking criteria.
You can easily make a subordinate clause structure in the overview by joining two pieces of information
with the words while. although, with, even though, whereas or and. However, make sure you know
the meaning of these words and how they are correctly used in a sentence.
How does an overview fit into the rest of my essay?
The overview should be the second paragraph of a four paragraph structure:
Paragraph 1- Paraphrase Sentence
Paragraph 2- Overview
Paragraph 3- Details
Paragraph 4- Details
I tell my students to write the overview before the details because it makes it clear to the examiner that
you have identified the main features and it also helps you write the details paragraph. In the details
paragraphs you will simply take the statements you made in the overview and support them with data.
Shouldnt I write a conclusion?
No. Conclusions are really a summary of what you think or opinions. This is not an opinion essay and you
therefore do not need to write a conclusion. Save your conclusions for task 2.
Paraphrasing is simply re-writing a phrase or sentence so that it has the same meaning, but with different
words. Paraphrasing is one of the most important skills to learn before doing your IELTS test. It is most
important for writing and speaking, but will also help you in the reading and listening tests. In other words,
if you know how to paraphrase you are more likely to get the score you need.
The mental processes required to paraphrase will also help you to fully understand the question and this is
one of the reasons I tell my students to begin all of their answers in the writing test by paraphrasing the
question.
Lets look at an example.
Example: Paraphrasing is one of the most important skills to learn before doing your IELTS test.
Paraphrased: Prior to taking the IELTS test, mastering paraphrasing is one of the most crucial
things to do.
As you can see, the second sentence (paraphrased sentence) uses synonyms to change some vocabulary
(e.g., important for crucial and prior to before and changes the grammar (e.g., Paraphrasing is one
of the most important skills for mastering paraphrasing). You can also change the word order.
These are the three main methods you should use in the IELTS test to paraphrase sentences. Ideally, you
should try to use all three but sometimes two will only be possible.
We will now look at each method in detail and also have a look at the passive.
Method Number 1: Using Synonyms
Synonyms are different words that have the same meaning. For example, humans is a synonym of
people and attractive is a synonym of beautiful. This method simply replaces words with the same
meaning in order to produce a new sentence.
For example:
My car needs petrol.
My vehicle requires fuel.
As you can see, I have replaced 3 out of four words with synonyms to produce a new sentence, with the
same meaning as the first one. You will notice that I didnt replace all of the words, but you should try to
replace most of them.
This is the most common method that students use and it can be used effectively, but you should be
careful. The biggest mistake students make is trying to paraphrase and the word having
a similar meaning, but not the same meaning. Similar meanings are not good enough and will lose you
marks. Lets look at some examples of poor paraphrasing because of using similar instead of the same
meanings.

Violent crime is on the rise among teenagers.

Violent offences are rising among young people.
This student has changed the word teenagers for young people. They are similar words and teenagers
are of course young people; however children and young adults, aged between 18-30, could also be
described as young people. A more term would be adolescents or young people between the ages of 1319. A better way to paraphrase this sentence would therefore be:
Violent offences are rising among adolescents.
You should therefore only use words you are 100% sure about. Dont change a word unless you are 100%
sure that it is a direct synonym, otherwise you are likely to make mistakes and this will bring down your
score.
Lets look at another good example:
Global warming is mostly caused by emissions from internal combustion engines.
Climate change is mainly caused by the release of fumes from motor vehicles.
Method Number 2: Change the Word Order
Changing the word order also allows us to effectively paraphrase a sentence, but again, we have to be
careful. Dont change the word order without thinking about how this affects the grammar of the sentence.
By changing the word order you may have to add a word, subtract a word or change the form of the word.
The 100% rule applies again; dont change it if you are not 100% sure it is grammatically correct.
Remember that you are being judged on your ability to produce error free sentences in the IELTS test as
well as use a range of grammar structures.
Fortunately, there are two straightforward ways we can change the word order in most IELTS questions.

You can easily change the order of the clauses, if the original sentence has more than one clause.

Question: As languages such as Spanish, Chinese and English become more widely used, there
is a fear that that many minority languages may die out.
Paraphrased by changing word order: There is a fear that many minority languages may die out, as
languages such as Spanish, Chinese and English become more widely used.
We could also add some synonyms to paraphrase it even more:
Paraphrased with changing word order AND synonyms: There is dismay that many lesser used
languages may pass away, as languages such as Chinese, English and Spanish become more
broadly spoken.

You can also change the word order if there is an adjective or noun in the question. You do this by
simply changing the adjective into a relative clause.

Question: Learning to manage money is one of the key aspects to adult life.
Paraphrased using a relative clause: Learning to manage money is one of the aspects to adult life
that is key.
Method Number 3: Change the Form of the Word
There are many different forms of words including nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. Changing the
form of a word allows us to paraphrase effectively. Again, dont just change the form of the word; you also
need to check that your changes make grammatical sense. You might need to change the words around it
to make the sentence error free.
Question: Longer life spans and improvements in the health of older people suggest that people
over the age of sixty-five can continue to live full and active lives.
Paraphrased by changing word form: Longer life spans and improvements in the health of older
people are suggesting that people over the age of sixty-five can continue living full and active
lives.
Method Number 4: Change from Active to Passive

The passive voice is often used in academic writing and can therefore be used in the IELTS academic
writing test. Only verbs with an object can be turned into the passive.
Example active sentence: The property developers invested $20 million in the development of the
shopping centre.
Example passive sentence: $20 million was invested in the developments of shopping centre.
We often use the passive voice in academic writing when we dont want to say it is our opinion.
Example active: People say that global warming is caused by the burning of fossil fuels.
Example passive: Global warming is said to be caused by the burning of fossil fuels.
How many of these methods should I use?
The four methods can be used independently or together. I advise my students to try and change the
grammar (word order and/or word form) and use synonyms. Remember only use the methods you feel
100% comfortable using and that you are sure your work is error free.
In IELTS writing task 1 you may have to describe trends. This may come up in a line graph, bar chart or
when comparing more than one chart.
There are two main grammatical structures we can use to describe trends.
1. There + be + adj. + noun + in + noun phrase
2.
Example:
There was a gradual rise in the price of oil.
There has been a sharp drop in the price of oil.
Possible adjectives
gradual
moderate
modest
sharp
dramatic
slight
steep
steady
significant
considerable
rapid
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Possible nouns:
variation
decline
decrease
dip
drop
fall
peak
fluctuation
growth
increase
rise
slump

Noun phrase + verb + adverb

Example:
The price of oil rose gradually.
The price of oil has risen dramatically.
Possible verbs:
rise
jump
grow
climb
increase
rocket
fall
drop
decline
decrease
go down
plummet

9.

plunge
Possible adverbs:
gradually
moderately
modestly
sharply
dramatically
slightly
steeply
steadily
significantly
considerably
rapidly

 slowly
10. Describing Increases and Decreases
11. When describing any of the charts in IELTS
writing task 1, you might have to describe
increases and decreases. There are three
main ways you can describe increases and
decreases.
1. Noun phrase + verb + adverb
12. Example:
13. The price of property fell sharply
14. The percentage of homes dropped
dramatically.
2. There + be + noun + in + noun
phrase
15. Example:
16. There was a fall in literacy levels.
17. There has been an increase in the cost of
coffee.
3. Using fractions
18. Example:
19. The price of oil halved in less than a year.
20. The price of oil have halved since July.
21. By July, the price of oil has halved.
22. Making Comparisons
23. IELTS writing task 1 will often require you
to make comparisons between data
sources, groups and times. Here are five

grammatical structures you can use to

make comparisons.
1. More/few/less + noun + than
24. Example:
25. Overall, more people preferred public
transport than taxis.
2. of one syllable -er + than
26. Example:
27. A higher number for people preferred
public transport than taxis.
3. More/less + adj. of more than one
syllable + than
28. Example:
29. Taxis were more popular than public
transport.
4. of one syllable -est.
30. Example:
31. The highest % of commuters preferred
taxis.
5. The most/least + adj. of more than
one syllable.
32. Example:
33. The least popular mode of transport was
buses.
34.

35. Summarising
36. IELTS writing task 1 is essentially a summarising task. Your overview paragraph should contain two
or three sentences summarising the main features of the graph. In order to help you do this, here
are some short phrases.
To summarise, the most marked change is.
Overall it is clear.
Overall the majority/minority.
In sum, the most noticeable trend is.
37. Dont say to conclude. This is only for discursive essays.
38.
39. Tenses
40. Using the appropriate tenses in IELTS writing task 1 is essential if you want to get a high band
score.
41. The key is to look at the title of the chart and the information contained on both axes to establish
what time frame is used. This will help you establish what tense you should use.
42. Example:
If the time is one point in the past, for example January 1990, then we should use the past tense.
If it has projections for the future, for example 2045, we use future tenses.
It there is no time, we use present simple.
43. Below are a range of tenses that could be used in task 1. Remember, the tense you use will depend
on the information displayed in the graph. This is not a complete list of tenses and an awareness of
all the English tenses will help you achieve the IELTS score you need.
44.
1. Present Perfect:
45. We use this tense generally to talk about an action that happened at an unspecified time before
now. The exact time period is not important.
46. In writing task 1, we use this tense to talk about changes in data that have happened over a period
of time.
47. Example
48. The price of oil has fallen by $5 a barrel every week since July.
2. Present Perfect Continuous
49. We use this tense to show that something started in the past and has continued up until now.
50. Example
51. Oil prices have been decreasing since July.
3. Future Perfect
52. We use this tense to state that something will be finished by a particular time in the future.
53. We often use it with by or in.
54. Example
55. The price of oil will have reached $300 a barrel by 2020.
4. Past Simple
56. Use this tense to talk about an action that started and finished at a specific time in the past.
57. Example
58. The price of oil fell from $150 in Jan 2014 to $50 in Jan 2015.
59. Approximations, Percentages and Fractions
60. In many of the IELTS writing task 1 questions you will have to deal with percentages. This is a good
opportunity to express these percentages in a different way and boost your score. A way of varying
this language is to express them as fractions or proportions.
61. Remember that you should vary your language as much as possible in order to score high in the
lexical resource part of the test.
62. It is also fine to use approximations, for example, 49% can be expressed as nearly a half.
63. Below are a range of expressions that can be used to express percentages.
64. Fractions
65. 73%- nearly three quarters
66. 51%- just over a half
67. 49%- just under a half
68. 32%- nearly a third
69. 3%- a tiny fraction
70. 50%- exactly a half
71. 26%- roughly one quarter
72. 49%- around a half

73. 24%- almost a quarter

74. 77%- approximately three quarters
75. Proportions
76. 70%- a large proportion
77. 71%- a significant majority
78. 15% a small minority
79. 3%- an insignificant minority
80.Different Kinds of Map Question
81. There are three main types of map question:
1. Describe one map in the present day.
2. Describe two maps- one in the present and one in the future.
3. Describe two maps- one in the past and one in the present.
82. The first kind is very rare, as it only requires you to use the present simple and it is impossible for
any comparisons to be made.
83. The second kind does come up occasionally and would require you to use present and future
tenses. This kind of question is normally about the future development of a town or city. It requires
the same vocabulary as the other two.
84. The third is the most common and will be the main focus of this post.
85. You will normally be shown two maps, as above and asked to select and report the main features,
and make comparisons where relevant. You will obviously be using both present and past tenses to
describe the maps and how the town has developed.
86. Also, as this is a man-made process we will use the passive.

87.
88.Structure
89. To describe two maps I advise my students to follow a four paragraph structure.
90. Paragraph 1- Paraphrase Sentence
91. Paraphrase question using synonyms.
92. Paragraph 2- Overview
93. Make two general statements about the map. You should describe the maps generally and write
about the most noticeable differences between the two maps. You could ask yourself the following
questions to identify general changes. Is the map more or less residential? Is there more or less
countryside? Are there more or less trees? Were the changes dramatic or negligible? Were there
any major improvements in infrastructure? How have the buildings and leisure facilities changed?
94. Paragraph 3- Main Body 1
95. Three to four sentences about specific changes that have occurred.
96. Paragraph 4- Main Body 2
97. Further three to four sentences about specific changes that have occurred.
98. You can group information together in paragraph 3 and 4 by time or location, depending on the
question asked.
99. Look at the sample answer below to see how I have used this structure.
100.
How to Describe Specific Changes
101.
The ability to describe change is crucial to answering these questions. The various buildings
and features will normally be labelled for you. What you need to work on is how to write about how
they have changed from the past up until the present day.
102.
Tip: You may be asked to describe your hometown in the speaking test. The vocabulary
and grammar in this post should come in very useful.

103.
Below I will list various buildings and features and verbs we could describe their change.
104.
Buildings demolished, knocked-down, flattened, replaced, renovated, built, constructed,
reconstructed, developed, extended, expanded, relocated, converted and modernized.
105.
Examples:
106.
The government demolished the industrial estate and developed a sports ground.
107.
They removed the shops and replaced it with a skyscraper.
108.
A port was constructed at the edge of the river.
109.
The factory in the city centre was demolished and relocated to the north of the city.
110.
The old warehouses were replaced with new hotels.
111.
The factory was converted into apartments.
112.
Tress and Forests- cleared, cut-down, chopped-down, removed, planted.
113.
Examples:
114.
The forest was cut-down and replaced with a shopping centre.
115.
The trees were cleared to make way for houses.
116.
Roads, bridges and railways lines- constructed, built, extended, expanded and removed.
117.
The main road was extended and a new bridge built over the river.
118.
Leisure facilities- opened, set up, developed.
119.
Examples:
120.
A skate park was set up next to the swimming pool.
121.
A park was developed beside the forest.
122.
How to Describe General Changes
123.
As this is an IELTS writing task 1 question we must write an overview and this is where we
talk generally about the main changes that have occurred between the two maps.
124.
Below are some examples of general statements we could use to describe change in towns
and cities.
1. Over the period, the area witnessed dramatic changes.
2. From 1995 to 2005, the city centre saw spectacular developments.
3. The village changed considerable over the time period.
4. During the 10 year period, the industrial area was totally transformed.
5. Over the past 20 years, the residential area was totally reconstructed.
6. Over the time period, the old docks were totally redeveloped.
7. Between 1995 and 2005, the old houses were rebuilt.
8. The central business district was completely modernised during the time period.
125.
Pick two or three of the most noticeable differences in the map and write a general
statement for each. This will be your overview paragraph.
126.
The more specific changes should be included in your main body paragraphs.
127.
How to Describe Locations
128.
You will also be expected to describe where things are maps and describe where changes
have occurred.
129.
You can use to the left and to the right, but a better way is to use north, south, east
and west. I normally advise my students to draw the symbols on the question paper if they are not
already there.
130.
Examples:
131.
The forest to the south of the river was cut down.
132.
A golf course was constructed to the north of the airport.
133.
The houses in the south-west of the town were demolished.
134.
The green fields to the north-west of the city were redeveloped as a park.
135.
The airport in the centre of the city was relocated to the north-east of the river.
136.
The school to the south-east was knocked down and a new one built to the east of
the forest.
137.
Finally, you will also be expected to use prepositions of place, e.g.
at/in/on/by/beside/to/off/from, to describe where things are.
138.
Examples:
139.
Dramatic changes took place in the city centre.
140.
To the south of the town, there is a golf course surrounded by trees.
141.
A new school was built next to the swimming pool.
142.
The old road running from north to south was replaced by a new motorway.
143.
A marina was built on the banks of the river.
144.
Sample Answer

145.
146.
Both maps display an island, before and after it was developed for tourism.
147.
The island is approximately 250 metres long, has palm trees dotted around it, is surrounded
by ocean and has a beach to the west. Over the period, the island was completely transformed with
the addition of a hotel and a pier; however the eastern part of the island appears to have been left
undeveloped.
148.
The most noticeable additions are the hotel rooms. 6 buildings, surrounding some trees,
have been built in the west of the island and 9 buildings have been constructed in the centre of the
island. Between the two accommodation areas, a reception building and a restaurant has been
developed.
149.
A pier has also been built on the south coast of the island, allowing yachts access to the
resort. Apart from the trees, the beach remains the only natural feature to remain relatively
untouched; however it does appear that it is now used for swimming.

150.

A common question on the IELTS academic task 1 paper asks you to write about two

different graphs.
151.
(Cambridge IELTS 8, page 30)
152.
For example, in the question above we are asked to summarise both a pie chart and a table.
You could also be given a line graph and a bar chart, a pie chart and a line graph or any other
combination. Students normally score lower on these types of questions, not because they are more
difficult, but because they are unfamiliar with this type of question.
153.
This lesson will:
discuss common problems
suggest solutions to these problems
give you a structure that can be used again and again for these questions
analyse a sample answer
154.
Common Problems
155.
Writing too much- Because there is more than one data source, students tend to write
about everything and this causes two problems. The first problem is you only have 20 minutes to
answer task 1 questions and you therefore dont have time to write about everything. The second
problem is that the question asks you to summarise and report the main features, therefore
you have to pick only a few features and report them. In other words, if you write about everything,
you have not answered the question properly.
156.
Solution Pick 2 of the most obvious features from each graph and limit yourself to writing
about these things and these things only. Dont worry about leaving information out; the examiner
will be actually looking for your ability to leave insignificant information out because this shows that
you are summarising and only reporting the mainfeatures. More on how to do this in the question
analysis below.
157.
Cant find the main features This is related to the first point. As stated above you will be
looking for just 2 features in each graph. It is often very difficult for students to decide which
features are the most significant.
158.
Solution The first important points should be very visual. By that I mean, you should be
able to identify them without looking at the data; just by looking at the graphs. Also, look for
extremes (highs and lows), major trends, major changes (from beginning to end) and any obvious
comparisons that can be made between either the two graphs or within the same graph.
159.
Remember that the most obvious things are the main features. The examiners are not
trying to trick you and want you to tell them the very obvious things about the graph, so dont get
too clever and try to find something less obvious.
160.
Not grouping information into paragraphs It is very important that you organise your
ideas into paragraphs. Paragraphs should be logical and have one main idea. Lots of students fail to
do this because they get confused between the multiple pieces of data in the question and group
data from different graphs into one paragraph. This is very difficult to read and understand and you
will lose marks if you do this.

161.
Solution Dont write about both graphs in one paragraph. Follow the structure I suggest
below. Group ideas for each paragraph separately i.e. 1 paragraph for 1 graph.
162.
Making comparisons The question states make comparisons where relevant. The
keyword here is relevant and this is what tricks many students. Sometimes there will be a relevant
comparison to make, but in some questions there will not. Some students see two different graphs
and they assume that there must be a comparison. They then spend too long looking for a
comparison and then write about one even if they dont find one.
163.
Solution If you dont notice a very obvious comparison between the two sources of data,
then stop looking for one and dont write about one. It should also be noted that there may also be
comparisons to be made between the data in the same graph.
164.
Structure
165.
This structure can be used for every question in which you are given two different graphs.
166.
Paragraph 1
167.
Sentence 1- Paraphrase question sentences.
168.
There will normally be two question sentences and you should combine them into one
sentence by using and or while. This will allow you to produce a complex sentence and gain
points for grammatical range and accuracy.
169.
Paragraph 2
170.
Sentence 2- Overview of two of the main features from graph number 1.
171.
Sentence 3- Overview of two of the main features from graph number 2.
172.
Sentence 4- Overview of any comparisons if necessary (optional).
173.
Paragraph 3
174.
Sentence 5- Details of first main feature of graph number 1,
175.
Sentence 6- Details of second main feature of graph number 1.
176.
Paragraph 4
177.
Sentence 7- Details of first main feature of graph number 2.
178.
Sentence 8- Details of second main feature of graph number 2.
179.
Sentence 9- Details of any comparisons (if any).
180.
So paragraph 2 should just be an overview of the main features and should not include any
details. The details come in paragraphs 3 and 4.
181.
Sample Answer
182.
Question The pie chart below shows the main reasons why agricultural land become
lesson productive. The table shows how these causes affected three regions of the world during the
1990s. (graphs in picture above).
183.
Answer
184.
The pie graph displays the principal causes why farming land deteriorates while the table
illustrates how three regions of the planet were affected by these factors in the 1990s.
185.
As you can see all I have done is change the words in the questions using synonyms and
then connected them using the word while.
186.
We can clearly see from the pie chart that there are three primary causes of farmland
degradation, and over-grazing is the major one. The table shows that Europe had a far higher
percentage of unproductive land compared to the other two regions in this time period.
187.
For this paragraph I have picked out the main features from each graph and wrote them in a
general way. Notice that I have not included any numbers. We will support our ideas with number in
the next two paragraphs. Also, notice that I am using the present simple for the pie chart because
there is no date and the past tense for the table because it was in the 1990s.
188.
The pie chart represents four causes, with over-grazing representing the biggest proportion
at just over a third. Widespread clearing of trees and the over-use of crops constitute nearly one
third and just over a quarter respectively.
189.
Here I have varied my language by using synonyms for the causes and proportions and
fractions for the data.
190.
The table shows that nearly one quarter of Europes entire surface had fall victim to
degeneration. Only a small proportion of North Americas total land became less productive at 5%
and Oceania was marginally higher with a value of 13%.
191.
Different Types of Process Question
192.
There are generally two different types of process question: natural and man-made.
193.
Natural processes include things like the life cycle of a butterfly or frog, pregnancy, the
water cycle or how cows produce milk.
194.
Below is the process is photosynthesis:

195.
196.
You might also be asked to describe a man-made process like how coffee, tea, beer or wine
are made, how cement or bricks are produced or how an ATM or the internet works. Below is the
man-made process of nuclear power generation:

197.
198.
It does not matter if it is man-made or a natural process. The same skills and system we use
to answer process questions is the same for both.
199.
Writing Task 1 Process Questions: 5 Step Plan
200.
To understand the task and quickly make a plan to answer process questions you should
follow the 7 steps below:

1. Understand the process. Find the start and the end of the process. Count how many stages there
are and understand what each stage does and the relationship it has with the stage before and
after it.
2. Paraphrase the question.
3. Describe what is happening generally in 2 sentences. This is your overview paragraph and I will
show you how to write this in more detail below.
4. Divide the process in two and write two separate paragraphs detailing each stage of the process.
5. Check your work.
201.
Understand the Process
202.
One of the most challenging things about these questions is having to write about
something you have never seen or heard of before.
203.
Dont worry, try to remember two things.
204.
First, the examiner knows that you have probably never seen this process before and you
have only 20 minutes to write about it. They do not expect a perfect answer. Just pick out the main
features and report them accurately.
205.
Second, you can quickly understand any process by asking yourself these questions:
1. Where does the process start and where does it end?
2. How many stages are there?
3. Is it a man-made process or natural process?
4. Is it a cyclical (in a circle) or linear (one start point and one end point) process?
5. Are there any materials that need to be added to the process?
6. What is produced?
7. What does each stage of the process do?
8. What are the relationships between each stage?
206.
The processes you will be asked to write about in the IELTS test will not be very complicated
and you should be able to easily answer all of the questions above. When you do this you will
completely understand what is happening and you will be able to start writing your answer.
207.
Paraphrase the Question
208.
Every process question follows the same format. First it tells you some general information
about the process and then it instructs you to Summarise the information by selecting and
reporting the main features.
209.
For example, the question above states:
210.
The diagram below shows the process of photosynthesis. (General information)
211.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features.
(Instructions)
212.
The first thing we need to do in every question is to paraphrase the general
information. Paraphrasing is one of the most important IELTS skills to master. We paraphrase a
sentence by rewriting it so that the words are different but the meaning stays the same. There are a
few different ways we can do this but the easiest way is to use synonyms and change the word
order of the sentence. Synonyms are different words that have the same meaning, for example,
woman and female.
213.
Lets look at the questions above and paraphrase them.
214.
215.
Question 1: The diagram below shows the process of photosynthesis.
216.
Paraphrased: The illustration demonstrates how plants produce energy from sunlight.
217.
218.
Question 2: The diagram below shows how electricity is produced in a nuclear power
station.
219.
Paraphrased: The illustration below show the process of how nuclear power plants make
electricity.
220.
221.
Every time you see an Academic Task 1 question rewrite the question and this should be
your first paragraph. We can no move on and write our next paragraph; the overview.
222.
Overview of Process
223.
The overview is probably the most important paragraph in the whole essay. If you do not
write an overview it is extremely difficult to get a high mark in IELTS Task 1, however, if you learn
how to write a good one, you are far more likely to get the score you deserve.
224.
Overviews for process questions can be done quite easily by asking yourself a few questions.
The answers to these questions will allow you to form 2 overview sentences.
1. Is it a man-made or natural process?
2. How many stages are there?

3. What is produced?
4. Where does it start and where does it end?
5. Is it cyclical or linear?
6. Are any materials added?
225.
You might not be able to answer all of these for each process question, but you will always
be able to answer enough of them to be be able to write a good overview.
226.
Lets look at one of the previous examples:

227.
1. Is it a man-made or natural process? Natural
2. How many stages are there? Five
3. What is produced? Sugar, oxygen and starch.
4. Where does it start and where does it end? Starts with sun and end with production sugar, oxygen
and starch.
5. Is it cyclical or linear? Linear.
6. Are any materials added? Sunlight, CO2 and water.
228.
We can then use this information to make two sentences:
229.
Photosynthesis is a natural linear process that starts with sunshine and carbon
dioxide being absorbed and ends with the production of sugar, oxygen and starch. There
are five main stages to this process and it allows plants to convert light energy to
chemical energy in the form of sugar.
230.
Lets look at the other example:

231.
1. Is it a man-made or natural process? Man-made
2. How many stages are there? Six
3. What is produced? Electricity
4. Where does it start and where does it end? Starts with uranium fuel and ends with electricity being
sent to the grid.
5. Is it cyclical or linear? Linear
6. Are any materials added? Water and uranium

232.
This is a man-made linear process that starts with the uranium fuel and water
creating steam and ends with electricity being sent to the grid. There are 6 main stages
including steam production, turbines driving a generator and a transformer creating
electricity.
233.
This system can be used for any process question and allows you to produce clear overviews
each time. We can now move on to detailing each stage of the process in our next paragraphs.
234.
Detail Each Stage of the Process
235.
Now that we have paraphrased the question and provided an overview we need to tell the
examiner about each stage in more detail.
236.
You can:
say what each stage does
what it produces
if any materials are added
and/or discuss the relationship with the previous or subsequent stages.
237.
Sequencing the Process
238.
Try to sequence your language and make your details easier to read by using language like:
Firstly
First of all
Secondly
After that
From this
Where
Following that
Subsequently
Before that
In turn
Then
239.
Make sure you know the meaning and grammar of the words and phrases above before you
use them. Do not use them if you are not 100% sure about how they should be used in a sentence.
240.
Examples
241.
Lets detail each stage for the first process:

242.
243.
First of all, chlorophyll allows the plant to take in sunlight along the green
spectrum and the leaves also absorb carbon dioxide through openings in their surface.
At the same time, water is sucked up through the roots and this is combined with CO2
and the suns rays to produce sugar that can be utilised by the plant for food.
244.
Oxygen and water are the byproducts of this chemical reaction and it is extracted
through a process called transpiration. Water evaporates from the leaves and O2 is
released. Any extra sugar is deposited in the roots as starch.
245.
You will notice that there are 2 separate paragraphs. I advise students to try and split the
process in two and then write two paragraphs. Separating the process into 2 parts makes it easier

to understand and easier to write about. Not all processes have two distinct parts but most of the
IELTS questions I have seen can be treated in this way.
246.
We will now detail each stage of the next question:

247.
248.
First of all, uranium fuel creates heat in the steam generator and this water vapor
flows through pipes to a turbine. The steam causes the turbine to spin and in turn
powers a generator which subsequently creates electricity.
249.
After that, electricity from the generator is transferred to a transformer where
the electric can be changed to a form that is ready to be sent to the grid to power
homes and industry. Hot water makes its way to a cooling tower, condenses and then
returns to the turbine or can flow into the cold water source.
250.
Check Your Essay
251.
You should try to leave 3-4 minutes at the end to check and improve your work. Many
students do not do this because they feel they do not have enough time, however, it is better to try
and get everything done in 15 minutes and then check and refine your work, than do everything in
20 minutes.
252.
Things that you should check are:
1. Are there any spelling or punctuation mistakes?
2. Are the verbs the correct tense?
3. Does the process I describe make sense? Does it match the diagram?
4. Is there any vocabulary repetition we could remove with synonyms?
5. Do I have 4 clear paragraphs.
6. Did I write over 150 words?
7. Have I included things only obvious from the diagram?
8. Have I included the main features in the overview?
253.
Sample Answers
254.
Look at both of the first drafts and comment below with any improvements you
would make.
255.
First Draft of Process Question 1
256.
The illustration demonstrates how plants produce energy from sunlight.
257.
Photosynthesis is a natural linear process that starts with sunshine and carbon
dioxide being absorbed and ends with the production of sugar, oxygen and starch. There
are five main stages to this process and it allows plants to convert light energy to
chemical energy in the form of sugar.
258.
First of all, chlorophyll allows the plant to take in sunlight along the green
spectrum and the leaves also absorb carbon dioxide through openings in their surface.
At the same time, water is sucked up through the roots and this is combined with CO2
and the suns rays to produce sugar that can be utilised by the plant for food.
259.
Oxygen and water are the byproducts of this chemical reaction and it is extracted
through a process called transpiration. Water evaporates from the leaves and O2 is
released. Any extra sugar is deposited in the roots as starch.
260.
First Draft of Process Question 2
261.
The illustration below show the process of how nuclear power plants make
electricity.
262.
This is a man-made linear process that starts with the uranium fuel and water
creating steam and ends with electricity being sent to the grid. There are 6 main stages
including steam production, turbines driving a generator and a transformer creating
electricity.

263.
First of all, uranium fuel creates heat in the steam generator and this water vapor
flows through pipes to a turbine. The steam causes the turbine to spin and in turn
powers a generator which subsequently creates electricity.
264.
After that, electricity from the generator is transferred to a transformer where
the electric can be changed to a form that is ready to be sent to the grid to power
homes and industry. Hot water makes its way to a cooling tower, condenses and then
returns to the turbine or can flow into the cold water source.
265.
Summary

266.
267.
268.

Dos

269.
1. Do find out what are your most common mistakes.
270.
Checking your work at the end is really important, but many students complain that they
dont have time. You can make this process more efficient by checking your work when you practice
and writing down your four or five common mistakes. After a while, you will get to know your more
common mistakes and fix them quickly.
271.
You could also use grammar checking software like https://www.grammarly.com/ to help you
spot mistakes.
2. Do read the instructions carefully.
272.
Seems like a very obvious one, but it is one of the most common mistakes students make in
IELTS writing task 1.
273.
Take one minute to read the question a few times and really understand what it is asking you
to do. Practice will also help you familiarise yourself with the different types of task 1 question and
save you time in the exam.
3. Do paraphrase the question.
274.
You will lose marks for copying the words in the answer and the examiner is looking to see if
you can paraphrase the question. To paraphrase, simply use synonyms to change keywords.
275.
Example:

276.
Question: The graph below gives information about cinema attendance in the UK between
1998 and the present, with projections to 2018.
277.
Paraphrased: The diagram shows data of movie-goers in the United Kingdom from 1998 until
now, with forecasts up to 2018.
278.
As you can see, the meaning has not changed but the words have. This should be the first
paragraph in your essay.
4. Do use signposting language.
279.
These are words and phrases that tell the examiner what you are writing about. They are
sometimes also called discourse markers.
280.
Examples include The graph/table/chart shows, The most significant change is.,
Another noticeable change/trend is., Overall.
281.
Remember that these should only be used appropriately.
5. Do practice on IELTS answer sheets.
282.
Many students worry about not writing at least 150 words in IELTS writing part 1. A clever
way to always know how many words you have is to practice on the official exam answer sheets
and then you will be able to judge how much space you normally use for 150 words.
283.
A quick google search will help you find these.
6. Do know how to describe change.
284.
You will pick up easy marks if you know how to accurately describe change. From very small
to very large, here are some examples:
285.
Minimal-slight-gradual-moderate-considerable-significant-substantial-enormous-dramatic.
286.
You will normally have to describe change in your task 1 essay and these more advanced
words will help you gain some valuable marks for lexical resource.
7. Do spend time organising and planning your answer.
287.
This is one of the main differences between students who score well in IELTS writing and
those who dont. It is never a waste of time to plan your answer as this will help you score well by
giving a clear and coherent answer.
288.
Familiarise yourself with the different question types and then learn the different structures
for each one. For example a bar chart should look like this:
289.
Paragraph 1- paraphrase question.
290.
Paragraph 2- overview.
291.
Paragraph 3- describe main feature in detail.
292.
Paragraph 4- describe another main feature in detail.
293.
When you have this structure in your head, you will be able to plan an effective answer
quickly and easily.
8. Practice writing overviews.
294.
Your overview is probably the most important paragraph in the whole essay. Write a good
one and you are well on your way to getting a good band score.
295.
An overview is a summary of the main features shown in the diagram.
296.
Part of this is identifying the main trends in the diagram. For bar and line charts ask yourself
what is increasing, what is decreasing and what is fluctuating? For processes ask yourself how
many main stages there are and what are the main changes and outcomes?
297.
Remember that your overview should not include any numbers because you are just
describing the most significant aspects in general terms, the detail comes in the next paragraphs.
9. Do consider which tense you are going to use.
298.
Many IELTS candidates lose easy marks by only writing in the present tense. Ask yourself if
any of the data is about the past or the future and change your tenses accordingly.
10. Support your descriptions with accurate data.
299.
As stated before, you wont use any numbers in the overview section but you will have to
use data to describe the main features in subsequent paragraphs. Make sure you choose the
correct data and that it is accurate.
300.
Donts

301.
1. Dont use the same words for percentages and numbers.
302.
For percentages use words like large/small/higher/lower percentage of
303.
For numbers use words like many/more/most/few and fewer.
2. Dont give your opinion or speculate.
304.
IELTS task 1 is not a discursive essay; discursive essays are for task 2. Only write exactly
what you see and dont try to give reasons for the data unless explicitly stated in the diagram. You
will lose a lot of marks if you do this.
305.
You should also not add any new information or draw any conclusions from the data
presented.
306.
For example, I had one student who was an engineer and was presented with a diagram of
how a car engine works. He wrote a very detailed description of the process from his own
knowledge. All of his information was correct but it was not shown in the diagram. He didnt achieve
the score he should have because he made this error.
307.
Remember, give the IELTS examiners what they want and nothing else.
3. Dont use bullet points, notes or abbreviations.
308.
Again, this might be fine in university essays but not in IELTS essays.
4. Dont write every number or process you see.
309.
Many students do this and end up spending far too much time on task 1. Remember you will
only be asked to write about the most significant features. For example, in a line graph or bar chart
question you will only be expected to write about 2 or 3 things. Any more is a waste of time and you
wont get any extra marks for writing about anything else.
5. Dont copy words from the question or information from the diagram.
310.
If you do this examiners will not mark these words and it is therefore like writing nothing at
all.
311.
To overcome this, familiarise yourself with the common vocabulary used in IELTS writing part
1 and learn synonyms for this information. Also use synonyms when practicing writing.
312.
See above for an example of how I used synonyms to paraphrase the question.
6. Dont overuse linking words or signposting language.
313.
Above I advised you to use these words but one problem students have is learning lots of
linking words and then overusing them to show the examiner how good they are. Unfortunately, for
those students you lose marks for overusing them.
314.
If you use around 6 of these words and phrases you will do fine. More than 8 and it looks like
you are trying to insert them in without thinking if you are using them appropriately or not.
7. Dont have messy handwriting.
315.
IELTS examiners will try their best to understand what you have written but sometimes the
writing is so untidy that it is impossible to read. If your writing is like this the examiner will not be
able to give you a mark for the words they cant read.
316.
Many of us rely on computers these days and some students dont realise how bad your
handwriting is. Show some of your practice tests to a teacher or friend and ask their opinion. If they
cant read it then an examiner wont be able to either.
8. Dont use informal language.
317.
Remember this is an academic essay and you are expected to write in that style. Avoid
phrasal verbs, slang and colloquial language.
9. Dont just focus on line and bar graphs.
318.
These may have been popular in the past but it doesnt mean IELTS will continue to use
them that often. We are seeing many more maps, pie charts and process diagrams these days.

319.
Many students overlook these kinds of questions and if you are well prepared for every type
of question you will really stand out from the crowd.
10. Dont panic!
320.
Many students open up the exam paper, see something they know nothing about and then
panic.
321.
For example, I was teaching a class and the process diagram was about the production of
chocolate. But, all I know about chocolate is how to eat it. cried most of my students. This is
understandable but the IELTS writing tests are not knowledge tests, they are English tests. You are
not expected to have knowledge of the diagram, just calmly write about what you see.
322.
An IELTS pie chart exercise
323.
This lesson shows you how to approach a pie chart for IELTS and focuses on
324.
organising your answer logically
325.
seeing patterns
326.
using numbers
327.
You will also find a useful IELTS pie chart exercise at the end.

328.
329.
Step 1 see the big picture
330.
Before you start thinking about detail I suggest you look first for main points what I call the
big picture. Why? The main points help you structure your summary. I suggest that you
typically want to write two body paragraphs. The question is how can you find two paragraphs that
are logical. There are points for logical organisation.
331.
Ask yourself some simple questions
332.
The starting point is to ask simple questions. Sometimes it is easy to make things too
complex. Its generally the simple things you need to include. These are the questions I would start
with:
333.
How many items of expense were there? [You need to make sure you include all items and it
may help to say how many there were]
334.
What was the biggest? [This is almost always important and will nearly always be the first
thing you write about]
335.
What was the smallest? [This too almost always needs to be mentioned]
336.
Now try and identify patterns
337.
This is the harder bit normally it may take a little practice to get right. The idea is to group
similar items together and not write a simple list. My suggestion in this case is just to start at the
top and work you way down. How many groups do you see? There is not necessarily one correct
answer here you just need to find a logical answer.
338.
Close Me
339.
I will emphasise that this may not be the only way to do it. You may for instance decide that
site preparation belongs in its own category. All I will say is that it is logical and helps me write my
summary.

340.
three large items security, staging of events and site preparation
341.
four similar ones at around 1 billion pounds venue construction, Olympic village, park
projects and transort
342.
one much smaller one the media centre
343.
How to compare and contrast numbers in task 1
344.
Some of the most important language in task 1 is the compare and contrast vocabulary. This
is because the instructions tell you to
345.
make comparisons where relevant
346.
If you want to score well, you need some different ways to compare and contrast. Here are
some variations to help you out. It is not all aboutmore and less.
347.
1. Comparisons between sentences
348.
One way to make comparisons is to start a new sentence with a word/phrase that shows that
you are about to make a comparison with the previous sentence. The basic words you need here
are:
349.
In contrast
350.
The most popular form of holiday among the Welsh was self-catering with over 60%
choosing to cook for themselves. In contrast, only 5 % of the English chose this form of vacation
and hotel accommodation was much more popular at 48%.
351.
In comparison
352.
Almost 50% of the English, Scots and Northern Irish chose to stay in a hotel for their holiday.
In comparison, staying in self-catering accommodation was much less popular with around 10% of
people choosing this.
353.
However
354.
The general pattern was for hotel accommodation to be the most popular with around half
the people choosing it. The majority of the Welsh, however, chose to stay in self-catering
accommodation.
355.
On the other hand
356.
It is clear that a majority of the British chose to stay in hotel for their holiday. On the other
hand, there was an exception to this because over 50% of the Welsh opted for self-catering
accommodation.
357.
Note that we normally use a comma after In contrast and In comparison.
358.
Note that there are lots of different ways to use compare and contrast and these are just the
most basic examples. If you are looking for a higher band score, its good advice to learn different
ways to use these words.
359.
Note too that typically however is not used as the first word in a sentence.
360.
2. Comparisons within sentences
361.
Another possibility is to compare two pieces of information within the same sentence. The
basic words you need here are:
362.
while
363.
While there are 4 million miles of train lines in the UK, there are only 3 million in France.
364.
whereas
365.
Whereas the majority of the French prefer to travel to work by train, only a small minority of
the British do.
366.
although
367.
Although 15% of the French read novels, only 5% of the British do.
368.
but
369.
Almost 25% of French females study maths with a private tutor, but nearly 60% study
English with one.
370.
3. Comparisons with more or less/fewer
371.
This is another obvious way to make comparisons and contrasts. You should note though
that you are normally going to compare numbers and nouns and not adjectives. You want to
remember these two key bit of grammar:
372.
Than
373.
Remember that after more/less/fewer we use than
374.
5% more girls chose to read books than go to cinema.
375.
Fewer/less
376.
If the word is uncountable we use less, if it is countable we use fewer:
377.
Fewer mobiles phones were bought in 2013 than 2014.
378.
Less oil was consumed in 2013 than 2014.
379.
4. Qualify your comparisons with much/far/slightly or a number

380.
This is similar. The idea here is that you still use less/more/fewer but this time you explain
how much. Typically, the best way to do this is to use a number:
381.
Far fewer people chose to travel by train than by car. [Wheres the detail?]
382.
25% fewer people chose to travel by train than by car. [Better now we have detail and
not just a comparison]
383.
5. Comparisons with most or least/fewest
384.
When you are looking for details to include, the highest/lowest number is almost always
important. This too is a form of comparison.
385.
The most popular form of entertainment in the UK was going to the cinema.
386.
The least common form of transport was taking a taxi.
387.
6. Comparisons with similar or same or as..as
388.
Dont forget that some of the numbers you will be comparing are similar. These are the basic
words and structures you need.
389.
Similar (to)
390.
The percentage of females and males who studied languages at university were very similar.
391.
A similar amount of gas and electricity was used domestically in homes.
392.
The figures for 2012 were very similar to the figures for 2013.
393.
Same as as
394.
The percentage of females who studied at university in 2011 was almost exactly the same
as in 2012
395.
7. Comparisons with differ/different/difference
396.
If something is similar, it can also be different! Here is another set of basic variations for
you:
397.
The amount of time spent at home differed by almost 25% according to gender.
398.
There was a difference of over 25% in the amount of time males and females spent at
home.
399.
This figure was very different among males, only half of whom watched television.
400.
8. Comparisons with numbers
401.
Another way to make comparisons is to do some simple arithmetic! Here are some simple
variations:
402.
[5 million] more/less/fewer
403.
5 million fewer units of gas were sold in 2014.
404.
Twice
405.
Twice as many people elected to use gas and not electricity for cooking [note the twice as
as structure]
406.
Twice the amount of gas was used for cooking in this period. [note that we amount with
uncountable nouns]
407.
Three/four etc times
408.
Four times as many people chose to heat their house with electricity as with gas.
409.
Half
410.
Half the number of people chose to use gas as electricity.
411.
Electricity was half as popular as gas for cooking.
412.
The most basic trend vocabulary a few variations
413.
Lets look at this graph and see what words we need to describe it. Put simply we need
language that describes
up (2009 to 2010),
down (2008 to 2009),
up and down (between 2006 and 2009)
no change (2006 and 2007)
the top (2010)

414.
415.
The trend vocabulary I am going to suggest may seem very basic. It does, however, allow
you to say the same thing in up to 6 different ways.Thats good.
416.
Tip: if you find yourself repeating a word, try changing the form of it from a verb to a noun
417.
You should also note that, even with this basic language, there are a variety of grammar
problems that cause many candidates problems. Thats bad.
418.
Up variations

419.
420.

Down variations

421.
422.
Up and down
423.
Sometimes you need to describe a graph that goes up and then down. Here we have fewer
options.

424.
425.

No change

426.
427.

Top

428.
429.
430.

Preposition problem 1 by and to

Prepositions are horrid in English. Have another look at the graph:

431.
Note how these two sentences mean exactly
the same:
432.
The rate of unemployment rose to 12% in 2010.
433.
The rate of unemployment rose by 5% in 2010.
434.
Preposition problem 2 in and of
435.
This one is harder. We use in to describe changes in things and of to describe changes in
number or amount. For example,
436.
There was a rise in the rate of unemployment
437.
There was a rise of 5% in the rate of unemployment.
438.
Verbs
439.
These verbs are alternatives to the basic rise and fall vocabulary. One benefit of using them
is that sometimes they help you avoid repeating too many numbers. If you have a strong verb, you
dont always have to give the exact figure.
440.
Up verbs

441.
442.
Notes:
Soar and rocket are both very strong words that describe large rises. Rocket is more sudden.
You probably do not need to qualify these verbs with adverbs.
Leap shows a large and sudden rise. Again, you probably do not need to qualify it with an adverb.
Climb is a relatively neutral verb that can be used with the adverbs below.
443.
Down verbs

444.
445.
Notes:
Plummet is the strongest word here. It means to fall very quickly and a long way.
Drop and drop are normally used for fairly small decreases

 Slip back is used for falls that come after rises

Drop and Dip are also frequently used as nouns: eg a slight dip a sudden drop
446.
Adjectives and adverbs
447.
This is a selection of some of the most common adjectives and adverbs used for trend
language. Please be careful. This is an area where it is possible to make low-level mistakes. Make
sure that you use adjectives with nouns and adverbs with verbs:
a significant rise correct (adjective/noun)
rose significantly correct (adverb/verb)
a significantly rise wrong wrong wrong
448.
Please also note the spelling of the adverbs. There is a particular problem with the word
dramatically:
dramatically correct
dramaticly wrong
dramaticaly wrong
449.
Adjectives of degree

450.
451.
notes
sudden and sharp can be used of relatively minor changes that happen quickly
spectacular and dramatic are very strong words only to used to big, big, big changes
452.
Steady adjectives

453.
454.

Small adjectives

455.
456.
notes
marginal is a particularly useful word for describing very small changes
457.
Other useful adjectives
458.
These adjectives can be used to describes more general trends

459.
460.
notes
overall can be used to describe changes in trend over the whole period: very useful in
introductions and conclusions
upward and downward are adjectives: the adverbs are upwards and downwards

461.
462.
Analysing the key details
463.
Dont look at the whole chart, look at the x axis and the y axis separately
464.
The first step is to analyse the chart carefully. Dont rush this stage. One way to do this is
by asking yourself some simple questions. Ask yourself which is the biggest/longest? Are there any
patterns? As you do this I suggest that you
465.
dont worry about names of countries and types of accommodation. Think colours and
lengths. Look dont read.
466.
look at each element one by one. It can be very confusing of you look at the chart as a
whole.
467.
look at the extremes (the biggest/the smallest) first they are almost always important
468.
look for patterns these are also important. Note that a pattern can have exceptions.
469.
note exceptions these are also details you want to include.
470.
471.
472.
Using tenses in task 1 writing
473.
In this lesson I give you a quick outline on using tenses in task 1 writing. This is a common
problem for many candidates who forget to use the correct tense.
474.

In some ways, the advice is quite simple and can be summarised in these two tips:

475.
LOOK TO SEE WHETHER THE CHART/GRAPH IS ABOUT THE PAST, PRESENT OR
FUTURE CHECK THAT YOU DONT CHANGE TENSE HALF WAY THROUGH THE SUMMARY
476.

Some basic examples of how to choose the correct tense

477.
The golden rule is to look at the title of the chart/graph and the x/y axes to see what time is
used there. You then use that time to choose the tense you write in:
478.

if the time is 1999 then you choose the past

479.

if the time is 2030 you choose a future

480.

if there is no time you use the present simple

481.
It really doesnt make too much difference if you are looking at a pie chart or a bar graph
here. The idea is the same.
482.

Example 1

483.

Look at this pie chart. What time does it show? Which tense would you choose?

484.
485.

This should be easy. The time is 1999 and so you will use the past tense.

486.

Example 2

487.

Look at this bar chart. What time does it show? What tense would you use?

488.
489.
This may be slightly more confusing. You cant see any time. You should look though at the
words in the title: use most frequently is a present tense and so the chart is about general
present time and so you will want the present simple.
490.

Example 3

491.

Look at this pie chart and do the same thing:

492.
493.
I hope you see that this pie chart refers to the future and so well need a future tense to
describe the information in it.
494.

Some more complex examples varying your tenses

495.

Sometimes you get charts/graphs that allow you to use more than one tense.

496.

Example 1 charts with changes in time in the past using different verb forms

497.

Look at this bar graph. What are the times? Which tenses can you use?

498.
499.
You see here the years from 1999 to 2007. This means that you want the past. It is possible
just to use the past simple:
500.
The average price was 97,500 and then it rose to almost 130,000 and then it dropped
slightly in 2006 and finally fell to around 110,000 in 2007.
501.
Correct English, but boring. You want to try and vary your grammar to get a higher score.
What you can do here is
502.
After it had reached a peak of almost 130,000 in 2005, the average price dropped
slightly in 2006 before finishing the period at 117,000 in 2007
503.
The change in time (from 1999 to 2007) allows you to use the past perfect (had tense) too
and you can also use a participle (-ing form) in the same way.
504.

Example 2 charts/graphs with the past and future using two tenses

505.
In this next example you should see that the you will need to use more than one tense just
because the two charts relate to different times the past and the future. [I should add that this is
an unusual example]

506.
507.
Here the easy answer is that you use a future to describe the first chart and a past for the
second one. The simple thing to do is use one paragraph for one chart and another for the other
being careful to get your tenses right each time.
508.
But there is a more complex answer too. You need really to compare the changes in sources
of power. To do this you may use one of the less usual tenses in English the future perfect:
509.

By 2030 the use of coal will have decreased by 10%.

510.
The idea remains the same though you are still using a future to describe something in the
future.
511.
More about using comparisons in task 1 writing
512.
This lesson looks at some more advanced comparison vocabulary for academic task 1
writing to talk about the degree or size of the comparison. The idea is generally not enough to say
that something is bigger than something else, you need to say by how much and that there are
times you want to use words and not just numbers.

513.
Why do you need this language? Why not just use numbers?
514.
An extremely interesting comment on this site came from someone who asked whether it
was wrong to say something was far more than something else on the grounds that this was a
subjective opinion and the task is to describe the data objectively. My answer to this is:
515.
this is a language task and you should try to use language and not just numbers in your
answer
516.
this is a summary task and that means that you do not include all the numbers, but describe
some of them in language
517.
mostly, you should try and combine words and numbers together in order to give the
examiner/reader as much information as possible
518.
in your summary statement, however, (normally either your introduction/conclusion) you
may simply use words without numbers because it is a general description of the chart/graph/table

519.

Amounts and numbers

520.
notes
521.
Considerably and significantly have similar meanings. I would say that considerably is the
stronger word, but someone else might tell you different!
522.
A useful alternative to marginally is fractionally.
523.
Be careful with countable and uncountable words. You use amount and less with
uncountable words such gas and number, and fewer with countable words such as people.
524.
I would avoid using a lot more as this is rather non-academic language. Alternatives would
include far more and a great deal more.
525.
Differences

526.
notes
527.
You should be careful with the prepositions here. You talk about a difference between two
things, but say one thing is different from (or sometimes to) something else.
528.
Similarities

529.
530.
531.
532.

Notes
While you cannot use almost similar, you can say almost the same as
Other useful adjectives

533.
534.
notes
535.
The preposition used with both these words is to. So one thing can be identical or
comparable to something else.
536.
Describing a natural process in task 1 writing
537.
If you are unlucky enough to get a process diagram in academic task 1, it is quite possible
that you will need to be able to describe a process or cycle from nature. In this lesson, I talk you
through how to approach this type of task with tips on understanding the diagram and writing a
description that is coherent and well-structured.
538.
The diagram

539.
540.
Understanding the cycle what are the stages in it?
541.
The first step is to remember that your goal is to provide a clear summary of what the
diagram shows. This cycle is difficult in that it has no obvious beginning or end. The idea is to try
and look and see if you can divide the diagram into separate parts. This makes it easier to write
about than if you look at he whole diagram at once. Put another way, I ask myself if there are any
stages within this cycle I can use to structure my description.
542.
The top tip is to look for visual clues and here I see two distinct stages by looking at the
arrows: some point down and some point up.
543.
1. The food chain

544.
545.
Looking at the central part of the diagram, I see a row of arrows pointing downwards. This
shows how carbon from the atmosphere is used by plants and animals. It is, if you look closely, a
food chain. The atmosphere provides CO2 to plants which are eaten by insects which are eaten by
small animals which are then eaten by larger animals. All I have to do now is put this into decent
English, trying not to repeat the language of the diagram too much.
546.
2. Return of CO2 to the atmosphere
547.
The second part of the cycle is quite straight forward. There are on either side a set of
arrows pointing upwards to show the return of CO2 to the atmosphere. This shows me that
respiration, fuel consumption and waste products are the 3 ways in which CO2 returns to the
atmosphere to complete the cycle.

548.
549.
Thinking vocabulary
550.
This diagram gives you a certain of language. You have the choice of whether to repeat it in
your description or try and vary it. What you do here will depend on how well you understand the
diagram and the words. It is not an absolute disaster in this task if you do repeat some of the words
from the diagram as they are technical terms. You should, however, try and find alternatives for the
more general English words.
551.
carbon dioxide: no alternative
552.
atmosphere: no alternative
553.
terrestrial and aquatic: either repeat the words, or if you understand them try land and
water
554.
primary, secondary, tertiary: these mean first, second and third level
555.
consumers: try the word eat or vary it to consume or consumption
556.
respiration: this means breathing
557.
Read my sample description
558.
This diagram shows how the carbon cycle works in nature. The first part of the cycle is
providing plants and animals on both land and sea with the carbon dioxide they need to exist and
the second part of the cycle is the return of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
559.
The first part of the cycle shows a food chain where plants and grasses absorb carbon
dioxide from the air. These plants are a food source for primary consumers such as insects which
are in turn eaten by the second level consumers, including smaller birds and fish. At the end of this
food chain are larger animals and mammals which use the secondary level consumers as a source
of carbon and food.
560.
The second part of the cycle shows how there are two main ways in which carbon dioxide is
returned to the atmosphere. This can either happen as a result of living beings breathing or
consuming fuel, or as a product of the waste and remains from their death.
561.
Understand the coherent structure of the description
562.
It is important that you make your description coherent and well-structured. The main idea is
to think carefully about how you start your sentences and paragraphs. This is a very useful word
here.
563.
Close Me
564.
This diagram shows how the carbon cycle works in nature. The first part of the cycle is
providing plants and animals on both land and sea with the carbon dioxide they need to exist
and the second part of the cycle is the return of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
565.
The first paragraph is a summary of the whole diagram
566.
I show the examiner/reader that the cycle can be understood in two parts. These two parts
are my two content paragraphs.
567.
Both land and sea: I have shown the examiner I can rephrase some of the language from the
diagram
568.
The first part of the cycle shows a food chain where plants and grasses absorb carbon
dioxide from the air.These plants are a food source for primary consumers such as insects which
are in turn eaten by the second level consumers, including smaller birds and fish. At the end of this

food chain are larger animals and mammals which use the secondary level consumers as a source
of carbon and food.
569.
I start my paragraph with a short summary like sentence that links back to the introduction
paragraph
570.
Each sentence begins with a linking phrase to connect it to the sentence before. The key
word is THIS.
571.
The second part of the cycle shows how there are two main ways in which carbon dioxide is
returned to the atmosphere.Thiscan either happen as a result of living beings breathing or
consuming fuel, or as a product of the waste and remains from their death.
572.
This paragraph also starts with a short summary sentence. This links back to the first
paragraph and the introductory paragraph
573.
This: I use the same linking technique to make sure my sentences are coherent
574.
575.
IELTS writing task 1 process diagrams an introduction
576.
The process diagram is in many ways the odd one out in academic task 1 and it requires
some different language from the other task types. This lesson shows you some of the skills you
need to tackle a process diagram. In it, I talk you through some of the difficulties in describing a
process and suggest some basic techniques to help you understand the diagram and write the
description. You will also find a sample task and description.
577.
578.
579.
Reading a process diagram find the beginnings and ends
580.
The first step in learning to write about a process diagram is to see where the process starts
and ends. Sometimes it is evident, frequently it is less so. This is important information as it will
help structure your writing. The obvious thing to do is to start at the beginning and carry on until
you get to the end.
581.
An example

582.
583.
Where is the beginning here? The customer pays by credit card (item 1). Where is the end?
The merchant receives his money (item 7). We now know part of the structure of our report.
584.
Understand the different stages of the process
585.
The next point is to try and understand how the process works. Typically, there will be some
problem in understanding the diagram: it is not always the case that everything is in a natural
order. The key is to stop and think and look. This is a visual task and you need to look at all the
visual clues. What you are looking for are normally simple things. It is often a good idea to ask
yourself the WH questions.
586.
In the diagram above, we see the following details:
there are 5 parties involved (the pictures) (WHO)
there are 7 stages in the process (the numbers) (HOW MANY)
some of the arrows point in two different directions this needs to be explained
item 4 seems to be out of order as it is next to 1
587.
Find a way of organising your description

588.
This is another thinking task. Before you start writing, you want to see if there is some way
to organise your report into paragraphs. This is not absolutely essential but it can help the
organisation of your writing. In the diagram above, there does seem to be a logical solution, as the
process falls in to two parts:
1. the customer receives his goods
2. the merchant gets his money
589.
As this is the case, I am going to do the logical thing and divide my description into two main
paragraphs. One to describe the authorisation process until the customer gets his/her money and
one for the payment process until the merchant is paid.
590.
The introduction and conclusion
591.
This is a key part of your description. What you need to do here is to give the examiner an
overall view of the process. Again, you want to ask yourself questions, such as:
what happens as a result of this process?
is there any change involved?
how many stages are there in this process?
is there one simple process or are there variations within the process?
592.
Typically, you will either write a longer introduction or add a conclusion. You will not normally
need both an extended introduction and conclusion.
593.
The language of the description
594.
Topic language
595.
The process will normally be an everyday event that everyone is familiar with, you should
not need any specialised language. Sometimes, as in this example, you will be given some topic
vocabulary. If you are, be careful of two points:
1. try to vary the language if you can, but dont worry too much if you cant. It may be that the
language you are given is the correct topic language and there are no, or few, variations
2. dont copy language incorrectly. If you are given a verb, you may need to change it into a noun
596.
Sequencing language
597.
Some of the most important language you need is vocabulary to say in what order things
happen. It is important to have some variation here. Some very basic options are:
next
then
after
before
once
598.
See this download for an explanation of this language: Sequencing language for process
diagrams (34652)
599.
Passives
600.
A key grammatical area is very often the passive. We use this when it is not important who
does the action. So, if you have a process diagram showing the making of wine, you may choose
to write:
601.
the grapes are crushed and their stems are removed
602.
Put simply, we make the passive by taking part of the verb to be and adding the 3rd form
of the verb.
603.
Sample description with detailed notes
604.
Close Me
605.
This diagram shows the different stages in the process of making a purchase with a credit
card. We can see from it that there are five different parties involved in such a transaction and
there are seven different steps until the merchant receives payment.
606.
The first step is that the customer offers to pay for the goods by credit card. At that point,
the merchant has to request for the payment to be authorised by the credit card organisation,
which must also request authorisation in turn from the consumers bank. Once that authorisation
has been received, the merchant can then release the goods to the customer.
607.
The merchant, however, does not receive the money for the transaction until it has paid a
fee to the credit card organisation.After that has been paid, the consumers issuing bank will
transfer the money for the transaction to the merchants own bank, which will then credit the
merchants bank account with the amount of the purchase less the credit card fee.
608.
notes
609.
introduction
610.
This diagram shows the different stages in the process of making a purchase with a credit
card

611.
Simple sentence to start explaining what the diagram shows
612.
We can see from it that there are five different parties involved in such a transaction and
there are seven different steps until the merchant receives payment.
613.
Complete the introduction by giving an overview of the process (how many steps and how
many parties)
614.
paragraphs 1 and 2 sequencing language
615.
The first stepAt that point.Once that authorisation has been receivedin turn
until After that has been paid
616.
paragraph 1 organisation and vocabulary.
617.
This follows the authorisation procedure step by step until step 4.
618.
I have not changed the vocabulary much but I have used

authorised and not authorisation

customer for consumer
goods for product
619.
Paragraph 2 organisation and vocabulary
620.
The key to this paragraph is the first sentence. The merchant receiving his money is step 7.
However, because it helps me organise the paragraph, I have used it out of order in the first
sentence as the main point.
621.
I have used some new vocabulary here:
purchase
credit
622.
Comparisons in task 1 tables
623.
This post shows you one simple way of varying your language of comparison in task 1
reports. This matters because in task 1 you very often need to make comparisons and it is no good
if you use the same words and structures all the time as your grammar is marked not only for
accuracy, but also for range.
624.
The approach I take here is to think about using different words and different word forms in
describing a table.
625.
A task
626.
Look at this table and decide what the major comparisons and contrasts are . These will be
the main points that you need to make in your report. The tip is to divide and conquer by looking
at columns and rows.

627.
628.
My answer
629.
Looking at the columns and rows I see three major comparisons that must be included:
1. the younger boys played more sport (the columns)
2. some sports were more popular than others (the rows)
3. the same sports were equally popular in both age groups (the rows and the columns)
630.
Any answer that does not highlight these points would be marked down on task
achievement, so it is worthwhile spending time on this analysis.
631.
Vary your comparison words
632.
The next stage is to write the report. The trap here is to use the same language all the time,
something it is very easy for you to do if you are not careful. Dont worry though, you dont need
lots of new words. You just need to use the words you already have, but more flexibly. The keys are:
1. use different comparing words
2. use different comparing structures
633.
To show you what I mean, here are a few variations for you to consider. Im going to choose
In each case I suggest one word and show you how it can be used in different ways. The point is
that if you change the form of the word, you change your gramamtical structure and that is a good
thing.

634.
Tip: think about changing nouns to verbs or nouns to adjectives
635.
Compare
636.
This is probably the first word youll want to use. Note how it can be used both as a verb and
as a noun and see also the different prepositions it uses.

637.
638.
Contrast
639.
This is the next most important word. Here I have just shown you the noun forms, but you
should note that in each case you end up using a different grammatical structure.

640.
641.

Similar

642.
643.
Different
644.
This is a handy alternative: a simple word that is very effective when making comparisons.
Here the main variations are between the noun difference and the adjective different.

645.
646.
Change
647.
This is another very useful alternative with a noun and verb form that can be used for
comparisons sometimes. It is mostly used of course when there is a time element to the diagram,
but it can also be used in other cases too.

648.
649.
Academic task 1 tables
650.
Describing a table is almost certainly the most challenging IELTS writing task. In this post I
look at what causes the difficulty and suggest a technique for dealing with it. You will find two
exercises and a model report at the end of the post to help you write the report yourself.
651.
A sample task
652.
Lets look at this sample task and do a little analysis.
653.
The table below shows the in which sector of the economy different age groups
were employed.
654.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, making
comparisons where relevant

655.
656.
The problem too much information
657.
There are 30 different pieces of data here. How on earth can you describe all of that? The
solution is simple: dont try to! Remember the task is to summarise and to select the main
features of the table. This means leaving some items of information out.
658.
A solution divide and conquer
659.
My solution is to divide and conquer by looking at the table in columns and rows. This way
you can more easily identify the key details and comparisons. The key is to understand that you
have two sets of data:
1. the data from the rows (across)
2. the data from the columns (down)
660.
Rather than try and understand the table as a whole all at once, look at each row in turn and
each column in turn and note the main features.
661.
What are the main features?
662.
Typically, the main features are
1. high numbers
2. low numbers
3. the biggest contrasts
4. the closest similarities
663.
An example
664.
Looking at this column, we see that we need to include 23 and 3 as the highest and lowest
numbers

665.
666.
Now looking at the rows in turn we note the numbers for manufacturing are much higher
than catering and agriculture.

667.

668.
Then once you have gone through each row and column, you need to look for the obvious
comparisons and contrasts.
669.
Organising your report
670.
This is the simple bit. The logical thing is almost always to write one paragraph for the rows
(here the sectors of employment) and one for the columns (here the age groups).
671.
A model pie chart report step by step
672.
This lesson gives you a step-by-step approach to dealing with pie charts in task 1. I talk you
through how to identify the main points, select the supporting details and then structure your
report. I then show you two model answers: one with standard vocabulary and then a much more
advanced version with more vocabulary and grammar you can borrow.
673.
The task
674.
The following pie charts show the results of a survey into the most popular leisure activities
in the United States of America in 1999 and 2009.
675.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.

676.

677.
Step 1: seeing the big picture
678.
The first step is to identify the main points of the two charts. This is not just an important
part of the task and your band score, it will also help you write your description. The main points
are normally obvious. Sometimes they are so obvious that candidates ignore them. Look at these
questions:
1. How many activities are there in each chart? Just count
2. Are the activities the same in each chart? Read the key
3. Are there any changes in popularity between the two years? Look at the colours
679.
You should get these answers:
1. There are 8 activities for each year
2. 7 of 8 activities are the same
3. There are a number of differences in popularity between the two years.
680.
All you need to do now is put that into English and you have the main points of the report.
Adding in a short description of the task we have:
681.
These two pie charts show the changes in popularity of different leisure activities in the
United States of America between 1999 and 2009. We can see that the most popular leisure
activities were almost the same in both periods, but there were a number of differences in
popularity between the various activities.

682.
Step 2: choose the details to include
683.
There are 16 different figures you can include. This is too many. The task is to select and
report the most important details. This will include naming all the activities, but not all the
numbers. To do this, try looking for:
1. the biggest number
2. the smallest number
684.
These are generally important details to include. You should also consider what changes
beween the two charts, not least because the task asks you to make comparisons. So, ask yourself:
1. whats gone up
2. whats gone down
3. what hasnt changed
4. whats new
685.
Putting this together, we need these details:
1. walking is most popular in both periods
2. yoga disappears and weightlifting is new
3. swimming doubles
4. aerobics, jogging and cycling all fall
5. soccer and camping dont change much
686.
Step 3: organise your report
687.
This will vary from task to task, but typically you will be looking at two content paragraphs.
As you write your paragraphs, you want to think of three key ideas:
highlight the main points they come first
group similar ideas together
find a logical structure to present the points
688.
In this case, I would go with this structure:
689.
Paragraph 1
690.
walking is much the biggest slice of the pie in both years
691.
weightlifting is new and yoga has gone
692.
It is clear that walking was the most popular activity in both 1999 and 2009 with around
30% of Americans saying that they preferred it. Also, yoga was no longer among the preferred
activities in 2009, but weightlifting was chosen by 10% of people.
693.
Paragraph 2
694.
refer to the other activities in order of popularity in 2009 soccer and swimming first,
jogging and aerobics last
695.
note the biggest changes cycling, jogging and aerobics all big fallers, swimming the big
riser.
696.
The second most popular activity was soccer at just under 20% in both years, a figure that
was matched by swimming in 2009, having almost doubled in popularity over the previous decade.
Most of the other activities became less popular over the same period of time, with cycling, jogging
and aerobics all falling by at least a half to under 10%. The one exception to this trend was camping
which stayed almost unchanged at around 9%.
697.
Step 4: get the vocabulary right
698.
This is the big one and will take time to learn. To help you on your way, I show you two
model answers with extensive vocabulary notes. My suggestion is start with the first one. Dont be
worries that it looks too simple. it isnt. It is in fact extremely good band score 9. The when you
have that right, take a look at the second version which has some more advanced vocabulary.
699.
A good version
700.
This is the final report
701.
These two pie charts show the changes in popularity of different leisure activities in the
United States of America between 1999 and 2009. We can see that the most popular leisure
activities were almost the same in both periods, but there were a number of differences in
popularity between the various activities.
702.
It is clear that walking was the most popular activity in both 1999 and 2009, with around
30% of Americans saying that they preferred it. Also, yoga was no longer among the preferred
activities in 2009, but weightlifting was chosen by 10% of people.
703.
The second most popular activity was soccer at just under 20% in both years, a figure that
was matched by swimming in 2009, having almost doubled in popularity over the previous decade.
Most of the other activities became less popular over the same period of time, with cycling, jogging
and aerobics all falling by at least a half to under 10%. The one exception to this trend was
camping which stayed almost unchanged at around 9%.
704.
Read about the vocabulary

705.
My band score 10 answer
706.
The above report is exceptionally good. It covers all the right details (Task response), has a
good range of grammar with relative clauses (Range and accuracy of grammar), is very coherent
(well organised and linked) and has some range of vocabulary, even if some words are repeated
(Lexical resource). This answer can help you by extending the range of vocabulary you use for:
general words
dealing with numbers
linking
707.
These two charts illustrate how the preferred leisure activities of Americans changed
between 1999 and 2009.Generally speaking, while the list of activities remained almost
identical over the decade, there were a number of changes in their relative popularity.
708.
It is immediately evident that walking was by some distance the most popular pastime in
both years,accounting for just under a third of the preferences expressed. Of equal note is that by
2009, yoga had disappeared from the list of preferred activities and had been replaced by
weightlifting, which was chosen by one in ten Americans.
709.
Among the less popular activities, the most notable development was that the proportion of
people who went swimming doubled, making it equal second in popularity with soccer at 18%. In
stark contrast, around as half as many Americans went cycling in 2009 as compared to ten years
earlier, with the result that it became less popular than camping, at 7% and
9% respectively. Likewise, the number of people who went jogging and did aerobics also dropped
significantly, with less than 5% of respondents to the survey choosing them.
710.
Close Me
711.
Language notes
712.
These two charts illustrate how the preferred leisure activities of Americans changed
between 1999 and 2009.Generally speaking, while the list of activities remained almost
identical over the decade, there were a number of changes in their relative popularity.
713.
It is immediately evident that walking was by some distance the most popular pastime in
both years,accounting for just under a third of the preferences expressed. Of equal note is that by
2009, yoga had disappeared from the list of preferred activities and had been replaced by
weightlifting, which was chosen by one in ten Americans.
714.
Among the less popular activities, the most notable development was that the proportion of
people who went swimming doubled, making it equal second in popularity with soccer at 18%. In
stark contrast, around as half as many Americans went cycling in 2009 as compared to ten years
earlier, with the result that it became less popular than camping, at 7% and
9% respectively. Likewise, the number of people who went jogging and did aerobics also dropped
significantly, with less than 5% of respondents to the survey choosing them.
715.
General vocabulary
716.
illustrate: a useful alternative to the standard show
717.
remained almost identical: a variation of stayed the same
718.
The most notable development: development is a useful alternative to change and
notable works in the same way as significant.
719.
respondents to the survey : one word you may find yourself repeating a lot is People.
One way to avoid this is to use Americans. This is a more advanced version you respond to a
survey and the people to respond to a survey are respondents.
720.
Linking phrases
721.
while: a useful and slightly more advanced variation of but
722.
Generally speaking,: an alternative to in general. It is a good habit to use a phrase like
this in your summary paragraph. Note the comma.
723.
It is immediately evident that: a variation of the standard It is clear that. Again, it is a
good habit to use a phrase like this when you are writing about the main points of the chart/graph.
724.
Of equal note: a useful linking phrase when you are joining two important main points.
725.
Among the less popular activities: this is good writing as it explains to the reader that this
paragraph is about a different topic.This is a good structure to borrow.
726.
In stark contrast: this is a set phrase when you have a large contrast. Dont overuse it, it
only works for big differences.
727.
Likewise: another very useful linking phrase. You use it between two sentences which are
about similar ideas. Note the comma.
728.
Dealing with numbers
729.
accounting for just under a third: you could just say around 30%, but this way you use
more language. Accounting/accounted for is a very useful phrase when dealing with numbers.

Another example would be: Children under 14 account for almost a quarter of people who play golf
regularly.
730.
by some distance the most: when you make a comparison, it is a good idea to try and
qualify it in some way. if you say it is the biggest, ask yourself the question By how much?.
Another alternative her would be significantly the most.
731.
one in ten Americans: one in ten is a very useful variation when you are talking about
percentages.
732.
proportion: another key word for task 1 an excellent variation for percentage.
733.
dropped significantly: you should have a number of variations for saying rise and fall.
Drop is quite a neutral word so you can qualify with adverbs like significantly
734.
Grammar notes
735.
had disappeared: think about tenses if you are given two charts relating to different
periods in the past. Can you use a past perfect?
736.
which was chosen by : two points to consider here. The relative whichis a key piece of
grammar and the passive, both of which are key pieces of grammar for this task.
737.
with the result that: note the structure here. The fall in popularity means that it has
become less popular. This is an idea you can borrow.
738.
Pie charts different ways to describe percentages
739.
One task that seems to concern IELTS candidates is the pie chart. I think I understand why
and I hope I have a solution. In this post I talk you through a major difficulty and give you some
language to deal with it. Theres also an exercise at the end to test you out.
740.
The difficulty I have nothing to say
741.
Typically, the problem is that candidates find they have very little to say about a pie chart in
comparison with a bar chart. Really this is just a problem of language. Very often, candidates spend
a long time learning about the language of trends when they prepare for task 1 and that language
very rarely applies to a pie chart. You need some different language.
742.
The necessary language
743.
The key point is that whatever the chart looks like the language you need is the same. Take
a look at these 3 pie charts and ask yourself what language you need.
744.
A chart with percentages

745.
746.

A chart without any numbers

747.
748.

A chart with numbers

749.
750.
The answer should be obvious. When you look at all three pie charts, you should see that
you need exactly the same language:its thelanguage of percentages. By definition the whole
pie is 100% and each share of that pie is also a percentage. It should make little or no difference
how the pie chart is labelled.
751.
Tip: if you see a pie chart without % figures written in, dont panic. Consider what the %
must be.
752.
Different ways to describe percentages
753.
Another possible problem is that you find yourself repeating the word percentage. Here
are some helpful variations for you. There are variations possible in almost every case: using
a fraction or a synonym such as proportion.

754.
755.
756.
Notes
1. percentage is more correct than percent (per cent is the correct spelling, though no one I
know uses it!)
2. amount is correctly used only with uncountable nouns: the variation for countables in number
757.
A bar chart organising your answer
758.
Much of the difficulty in academic IELTS part 1 is knowing how to organise your answer. This
post shows you one way to do this when the diagram is a bar chart. I talk about paragraphs, but
what you really need to understand is that this is a visual task. You need to be write so that
someone else can see the diagram.
759.
This post shows you one to organise your task 1 with a step-by-step guide and has the
added bonus of an interactive quiz on comparison language.
760.
The key skill paragraphing
761.
The key skill is to make sure that you write in organised paragraphs just as you would in an
essay. This is so important because it will not just improve your coherence and cohesion band
scores, but it will also make the report easier to write. To do this, we need to identify key
features that will make the topics of the paragraphs. When we have done that, we can look for
the details that explain those features.
762.
What are key features?
763.
Normally, they are obvious. Never ignore the obvious. Look at the bar chart below and what
do you see?

764.
What you should see is this:
1. 2 sets of lines (one red and one blue)
2. some lines are longer than others
765.
Those are your key features that you must highlight in your report as paragraph topics.
Everything else is detail.
766.
Tip: Think visually. Look for the obvious and ignore any writing when you first look at a
chart. Close your eyes. What do you remember? Its easy to be confused by detail.
767.
What are supporting details?
768.
Lets now look at the complete chart.

769.
770.
Key features
771.
We now see what the 2 key features that need to be reported are. Remember these will be
the topics of our 2 content paragraphs :
1. the distinction between men and women (the blue lines and the red lines)
2. how certain purposes of travel are more common than others (how long the lines are)
772.
Supporting detail: men and women
773.
Looking at the blue and red lines this is what I see and needs to be included:
1. little or no difference in walking holidays and personal business
2. more men in education, entertainment and commuting
3. more women in school run, visiting friends and shopping
4. many more women in school run (5% difference)
5. many more men in commuting (8% difference)
774.
Supporting detail: purposes
775.
This is fairly straightforward as all you need to do is arrange the different categories into an
order showing the most common and least common purposes.
1. commuting and shopping much the most common (around 20% average)
2. visiting friends and school run both around 15% average

3. personal business just under 10% average

4. sport/entertainment around 7% average just more than education at 6%
5. least common is walking and holidays at around 3% each
776.
Note the % figures here are averages of the male/female numbers.
777.
Tip: when you have many different categories, it is a good idea to group them together
under a few headings
778.
A possible answer
779.
There are, of course, many possible answers to this task. Here is one solution.
780.
This bar chart shows the different reasons for making journeys in the UK in 2006 and how
males and females differed in this.
781.
It is immediately apparent that the most common purposes for travelling were commuting
and shopping, both being around 20 per cent of trips. The next most common reasons were visiting
friends and doing the school run at 15%, closely followed by personal business at around 10%.
Travelling for sport and entertainment (7%) was only just more common than journeys for
educational purposes (6%). Finally, the fewest number of trips were travelling for holidays and
walking, both of which accounted for around 3 per cent of all journeys.
782.
Typically, there were few major differences between males and females. In holidays,
personal business and walking both sexes took approximately the same amount of journeys, while
slightly more men travelled for educational purposes and more women visited friends. Notably,
almost twice as many men as women travelled for entertainment reasons and, likewise, around 7%
more men commuted to work. The two areas in which women travelled significantly more than men
were shopping and the school run.
783.
Choosing the right details in a bar chart
784.
This lesson is designed to help you think about how part 1 IELTS writing works. The idea is
that many of the problems with task 1 writing are caused by the thinking part analysing the data.
That matters because the goal in task 1 is not just to describe the information in the chart, but
to summarise it by selecting the key data. To do this, you need to spend time thinking it is not
simply a vocabulary exercise.
785.
Id add that time spent thinking is rarely wasted. If you spend 3/4 minutes thinking of what
details to include, the report actually becomes easier to write. All the ideas are there (good for
your Task Response score) and it becomes much easier to organise the report (good for your
Coherence and Cohesion score).
786.
Test yourself first
787.
This is a simple bar chart similar to one you might find in task 1. Your task is to analyse and
decide what information you would choose to include in your writing.
1. Look at the chart and think for 3/4 minutes
2. Make notes of what details you would include
3. Try the test how many of the details I suggest did you find?
788.
Have problems? Disagree with me? Read on below.

789.
790.
Try the quiz
791.
Start with the obvious
792.
Sometimes it is easy to forget to include a detail because it looks too simple. Dont do that.
Simple matters. If you dont include these simple details, your writing will lack clarity. The tip here is
to look at the simple (that word again) things like colours and line lengths let the visual help you.
Do that and you get something like this:
1. there are 6 countries
2. some bars are longer than others there are significant differences in the proportion of proficient
second language speakers among the different countries

3. there are two colours of bars males and females are included in the study
4. the green lines are typically longer generally more females than males are proficient in a second
language
793.
Look at the key use it to organise your answer
794.
The key can also help you. Its role is to show what the different lines mean. One thing that
you can do is to use it to organise your answer: in this case, that means making sure you write
about:
males
females
a comparison of males and females

795.
Ive helped you here by re-organising
the data. This is what you should see and need to include:
1. India is much the largest (around 55%)
2. China is the smallest (about a third of India) (around 17%)
3. Romania, Vietnam, Russia and Thailand are in that order and approximately similar (between 32
and 42%)

796.
Likewise with females, its a good idea
to look at the extremes and this is what you get:
1. India and Romania are the largest (around 65% and 65% respectively)
2. Thailand is the smallest (about 27%)
3. There are fairly significant differences between Vietnam, Russia and China

797.
798.
Comparisons are almost always important. Here you should see:
1. Typically, more females are proficient than males
2. Thailand is the exception because there the pattern is reversed (the lines cross)
3. Romanian females appear to be especially good at languages
799.
Look at the axes
800.
Another detail you need to include is that the percentage of second language learners varies
considerably from country to country. You can see this by simply looking at the length of the lines
on the y (vertical) axis. To help you see this, I have re-organised the data in a pie chart:

801.
Key information to include from this is that overall:
1. China has significantly the lowest proportion of second language speakers
2. India is much the largest
3. there are no major differences between Romania, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam
802.
A sample report
803.
Take a look at this sample report and see how I have included the relevant details.
804.
This bar chart shows how second language proficiency varies between males and females in
6 different countries. It is immediately apparent that while there is significant regional variation in
second language ability, typically a higher percentage of females than males speak a second
language well.
805.
If we look at males we can see that India has much the greatest proportion of proficient
second language speakers at around 55% and China has the least at fewer than 18%. There is only
a 10% difference in competency ranging from around 40% to around 30% between Romania,
Vietnam, Russia and Thailand in second to fourth places respectively. There are,however, notably
more female than male second language speakers in every country with the exception of Thailand.
So, India once again leads the way with around 65% , closely followed by Romania and then
Vietnam and Russia at 56 and 42% in turn. The two countries with fewest proficient second
language speakers are China and Thailand at around 30%. The final point to note is that of the
countries in the report, India would appear to have the highest overall proportion of proficient
second language speakers and China the least.
806.
Notes
807.
The obvious details form the summary statement/introduction.
808.
The main content paragraph looks first at males and then makes a contrast with females.
Doing it this way means you dont need to repeat a lot of detail.
809.
For both males and females, the first figure included is the highest figure and, typically, the
numbers run logically from high to low.

810.