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THE KEY TO IELTS WRITING SUCCESS

1. Vocabulary for IELTS

BAND LEXICAL RESOURCE - WRITING

9 Uses a wide range of vocabulary with very natural sophisticated control of
lexical features
8 - Uses a wide range of vocabulary fluently and flexibility to convey precise
meanings
- Skillfully uses uncommon lexical items but there may be occasional
inaccuracies in word choice and collocation
- Procedures rare errors in spelling/word formation
7 - Uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision
- Attempts to use less common vocabulary with some awareness of style
and collocation
- May produce occasional errors
6 - Uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task
- Attempts to use less common vocabulary but with some inaccuracy
- Makes some errors in spelling but they do not impede communication

2. Grammar for IELTS

BAND LEXICAL RESOURCE - WRITING

9 Use a wide range of structures with full flexibility and accuracy; rare minor
errors only occur as ‘slips’
8 - Use a wide range of structures
- The majority of sentences are error-free
- Makes only very occasional errors or appropriacies
7 - Uses a variety of complex structures
- Produces frequent error-free sentences
- Has good control of grammar and punctuation, but may make a few errors
6 - Use a mix of simple and complex structures
- Makes some errors in grammar and punctuation but they rarely reduce
communication

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2.1. The most common grammatical mistakes:

- Articles
- Tenses
- Prepositions
- Relative clauses
- Verb and subject agreement

2.2. Complex sentences

When we first learn a language, we form very basic sentences:
I like apples.
I like bananas.
I don’t like oranges.
We then learn to join these together, in a simple way:
I like apples and I like bananas.
I like apples but I don’t like oranges.
As we progress, we learn to express the same ideas in more complex ways:
Although I like most fruit, I don’t really enjoy eating oranges.
This is now a complex sentence, like this:
Although fresh fruit and vegetables have greater health benefits, many people
would rather eat fast food.

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IELTS WRITING TASK 1 INTRODUCTION

Task achievement (TA)

There are a number of common mistakes that prevent candidates from getting a high score in
TA. These are:
- not including an overview statement
- misreporting data
- not highlighting key information or trends
- not including enough or any data
- speculating or giving an opinion about why changes have occurred
- using an inappropriate tone
- writing fewer than 150 words
- not including a final summary or concluding paragraph, or producing one which doesn’t
summarise the main features

Task 1:
The line graph below shows the main reasons people gave for moving away from a particular
capital city to the countryside.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

90000

80000

70000

60000

50000

40000

30000

20000

10000

0
1990 2000 2010

rising cost of living traffic lifestyle

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1. Before writing:
As you look at a graph/table/chart for the first time, ask yourself:
- Are there any common trends in the graphical information?
- Does any of the information differ from the rest in an obvious and significant way? If
so, how?
- Is there anything that two or more categories have in common?
- Is there anything that only happens once?
2. Identifying main features:
- Graph type(s)
- Topic
- Subjects
- Unit
- Place & Time
3. Basic structure:

The line graph sets out the main motivations people

INTRODUCTION expressed for relocating to the countryside from the city in
the years 1990, 2000, and 2010.
← spacing
So, what does it all mean from the graph? For me, the
answer is crystal clear. Overall, the graph shows that a
OVERALL
huge number of people moved away from the city to the
countryside in a twenty-year period. (1)
← spacing
According to the graph, the main reason for relocation was
the rising cost of living. In 1990, 65,000 people left the city
because of this, then 85,000 left in 2000, then 80,000
people moved away in 2010, so it actually increased by
BODY
20,000 initially (between 1990 and 2000), before going
PARAGRAPH 1
down by 5,000 in those last ten years between 2000 and
2010 (2). This drop of 5,000 could have been because
people generally had less money in 2010 than they did in
2000, so they could not afford to move. (3)
← spacing
BODY It was a different story for traffic and lifestyle. Both had the
PARAGRAPH 2 same number of city leavers at the start of the period.
Subsequently, both categories saw increases, with traffic

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first going up by a large number between 1990 and 2000
and then even more steeply after that. Lifestyle leavers rose
consistently over the whole period, going up to 30,000
initially, then up again to 2010. (4)
 1. Read the above sample again. Then match the teacher’s comments (A-D) to the numbered
sections (1-4).
A Don’t speculate – you shouldn’t suggest reasons for any change. All you need to do is
report what you can see on the graph.
B This section is too mechanical – avoid simply listing the changes to a single category like
this. Focus more on highlighting the key figures and trends.
C It doesn’t really summarise the key features. Your tone here is inappropriate – it sounds
like you’re writing a magazine article. Remember to keep the tone more formal and
scientific.
D This section makes its points more clearly but fails to include the key data to demonstrate
the point.

 2. Look at these notes that another candidate made for this line graph, then complete the
sentences with the adjectives in the box.

consistent highest joint-lowest notable

overall stable lowest

1. Rising cost living: the (1) _________________ point of any reason in any year (85,000 in
2000); the only one to decrease (to 80,000 in 2010)
2. Traffic: greatest (2) _________________ rise (40,000); most (3) _________________ rise
between 2000 and 2010 (25,000)
3. Lifestyle: most (4) _________________ and (5) _________________ increase (only
20,000); remained the (6) _________________ of all three reasons
4. Traffic and lifestyle: (7) _________________ in the first year presented (20,000 in 1990)

 3. Change the underlined words in the sentences into the form given in brackets and the rewrite
the sentences.
1. The category of ‘Lifestyle’ increased the most consistently and stably.
→ The most consistent and stable increase was seen in the category of ‘Lifestyle’.
2. Traffic rose steadily as a reason for moving to the countryside between 1990 and 2000 …
(adjective + noun)
→ ________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
3. … but then there was a marked increase between 2000 and 2010. (verb + adverb)
→ (Traffic) _________________________________________________________________

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__________________________________________________________________________
4. The number of people moving to the countryside for lifestyle reasons grew consistently
across the whole period shown in the graph. (adjective + noun)
→ ________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Task 2:
The line chart below shows the results of a survey giving the reasons why people moved to the
capital city of a particular country.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

Survey results: reasons for moving

100000
90000
80000
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
2000 2005 2010 2015

employment study
family/friends adventure

Task 3:
The chart below shows the changes that took place in three different areas of crime in Newport
city centre from 2003-2012.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

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Task 4:
The chart below shows the annual number of rentals and sales (in various formats) of films from a
particular store between 2002 and 2011.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

250,000

200,000

150,000

100,000

50,000

0
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Rentals VHS sales DVD sales Blu-ray sales

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INTRODUCTION
First, … First, let’s consider the data in the bar chart.
Let’s first … Let’s first look at the line graph.

Turning to … Turning to the pie chart, …

Next … Next, let’s examine the data in the second chart.
Having considered …, let’s … Having considered the bar chart, let’s look at …
Meanwhile, … Meanwhile, the information in the second graph shows that …
It’s clear … that … It’s clear from the data in the chart that …
It’s obvious that … It’s obvious that an overwhelming number …
It’s easy to see … It’s easy to see which country produces the most …

NUMBERS AND AMOUNTS

the number of The number of serious storms to affect New
(+ plural nouns) England rose to 21 this year.

the amount of The amount of natural gas produced this year

(+ uncountable nouns) increased sharply.

the percentage of The percentage of live births continues to

(to describe percentages, not numbers) increase.

the proportion of The proportion of women to men at my

(to describe percentages, not numbers) college was about five to one.

the figure for The figures for patients older than 75 years
were 61% among women and 21% among

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(+ plural nouns, uncountable nouns, and men.
percentages)

VERBS DESCRIBING TRENDS

verbs + adverbs
rise – rose (v) Production costs rose to their highest level of the year in July.
go up – went up (v) Between 1900 and 2000, the population went up by over a
million people.
grow – grew (v) The number of first-time users grew rapidly in 2015.
increase – increased (v) The numbers of cyclists increased between 2005 and 2010.
decline – declined (v) The construction of new homes declined for ten years in
succession.
go down After a brief rise, imports went down again.
– went down (v)
decrease – decreased (v) Average test scores decreased in test at three of the schools.
drop – dropped (v) In 2008, foreign investment dropped by over 20%.

ADVERBS
rapidly (adv) The number of smartphones in use has risen rapidly over the last
ten years.
suddenly (adv) Employment figures dropped suddenly during the following ten
years.
sharply (adv) The price of textbooks rose sharply.
dramatically (adv) Exports fell dramatically last year.

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significantly (adv) Property taxes rose significantly in 2014.
steeply (adv) The number of people attending the event increased steeply in
2013.
steadily (adv) The number of tourists visiting the park rose steadily.
gradually (adv) The population of the province gradually declined.
slightly (adv) Bus fares may go up slightly.

NOUNS DESCRIBING TRENDS

adjective + noun
rise (n) There was a rise in production costs to the highest level of the
year in July.
growth (n) There was a rapid growth in the number of first-time users in
2015.
increase (n) There was an increase in the number of cyclists between 2005
and 2010.
decline (n) There was a decline in the number of new homes for ten years in
succession.
decrease (n) There was a decrease in test scores at three of the schools.
drop (n) In 2008, there was a drop in foreign investment of over 20%.

ADJECTIVES
rapid (adj) In this decade, there was a rapid increase in smartphone use.
sudden (adj) The next decade saw a sudden decrease in employment figures.
sharp (adj) There was a sharp rise in the price of textbooks.
dramatic (adj) There was a dramatic fall in exports last year.
significant (adj) There was a significant rise in property taxes in 2014.
steep (adj) The year 2013 saw a steep increase in the number of people
attending the event.

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major (adj) A major expansion of the company’s marketing department is
expected in the next few years.
steady (adj) The park experienced a steady increase in the number of
tourists.
gradual (adj) There was a gradual decline in the population of the province.
slight (adj) A slight increase in bus fares is expected.
minor (adj) There were minor fluctuations in the value of raw materials.

DESCRIBING A CONSTANT TREND

stay the same The company’s market share stayed the same.
– stayed the same (v)
remain constant For three months, the percentage remained constant.
– remained constant (v)
DESCRIBING AN UP AND DOWN TREND
fluctuate – fluctuated (v) The number of seasonal workers employed by the company
fluctuates each year.
fluctuation (n) There have been fluctuations in the number of seasonal workers
employed by the company.
go up and down Fares have gone up and down over the last few months.
– went up and down (v)

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Task 5:
The chart below shows the total number of minutes (in billions) of telephone calls in the UK,
divided into three categories, from 1995-2002.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

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Task 6:
The graph below shows the consumption of fish and some different kinds of meat in a European
country between 1979 and 2004.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

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Task 7:
The graph below gives information from a 2008 report about consumption of energy in the USA
since 1980 with projections until 2030.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

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Task 8:
The chart below gives information about Southland’s main exports in 2000, 2015, and future
projections for 2030.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

Southland’s main exports in 2000 and 2015,

and future projections for 2030.
10
9
8
7
6 2000
2015
£ billion

5
2030
4
3
2
1
0
International tourism Dairy products Meat products

Task 9:
The graph below gives historical information and projections about changes in population in the
United States, Nigerian and Japan.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

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Millions of people Population changes in three countries
600

500

400

300

200

100

0
1950 1975 2000 2025 2050

United States Nigeria Japan

DESCRIBING PROJECTIONS

The costs of doing business in Country B might rise next

might + infinitive
year.

Government revenues may go down again during the next

may + infinitive
quarter.

According to the graph, the number of websites will

will + probably + infinitive
probably double over the next few years.

There is probably going to be an increase in the number

is + probably + going to + infinitive
of television dramas this autumn.

noun + is predicted A sudden increase in tourism is predicted.

is predicted + to + infinitive The number of tourists is predicted to rise.

noun + is expected A decline in the average age is expected.

noun + is expected to + infinitive The average age is expected to go down.

It is expected that + clause It is expected that the average age will decrease.

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COMPARATIVE CHARTS

The pie charts show the first place Germans and Nigerians go to in order to access the news in a
typical week.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

First place Germans go to for their news

4%
11%
30% TV
Newspaper
10% Radio
Internet
Other sources

45%

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First place Nigerians (urban areas only) go to for their news

1% 1%

22% TV
Newspaper
Radio
Internet
Other sources
13% 63%

 1. Match the percentages (1-6) with the descriptions (a-f).

1. 20% _________ a. a little under half

2. 77% _________ b. a fifth
3. 92% _________ c. just less than a third
4. 31% _________ d. about three quarters
5. 24% _________ e. approximately 9 out of 10
6. 48% _________ f. almost a quarter

 2. Choose the words in the box to fill in the blank to complete the report of pie charts showing
the first place that Germans and Nigerians go to in order to access the news in a typical week.

only quarter half less doubling

The pie charts represent which sources the citizens of two countries, Germany and Nigeria, turn to
first in order to access the news. It should be noted that the figures for Nigeria do not include
figures for rural areas of the country.

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Overall, it is clear from the data that two countries have vastly different tendencies when it comes
to news sources. While newspaper is the most favoured first news provider in Germany, TV is the
dominant channel to access news in Nigeria.

For Germans, the primary news source is newspaper, with just under 1 ____________ of the
population using them (45%), followed in second place by television with 30%. Whilst newspaper
is a relatively popular source of first news in Germany, 2 ____________ 13% Nigerian citizens use
them in this way. In fact, the internet is more commonly used by Germans than radio, with 11% of
the population turning to it first.

In Nigeria, however, television is the dominant first news provider, more than a 3 ____________
of the German figure with 63%. The second most popular first provider in Nigeria is actually radio,
with numbers approaching a 4 ____________ of the population. In Germany, however, the figure
is 5 ____________ than half that, only reaching 10%. The use of internet in Nigeria contrasts with
that of Germany, merely 1% say that they use it for initial news access.

NUMBER AND AMOUNTS

a large proportion Property taxes make up a large proportion of the city’s income.

a major portion A major portion of this country’s economy is fuelled by oil exports.

a significant majority A significant majority of the cars in this country are made in Japan.

a large percentage A large percentage of the cars in this country are made in Japan.

a tiny fraction The journal can only publish a tiny fraction of the articles it receives.

a mere A mere five per cent of the people in this country had cell phones in
+ number or per cent 1995.

a small minority Just a small minority of people agree with this idea.

a small percentage Only a small percentage of earthquakes cause major damage.

APPROXIMATION

around The population grew by around a million people in that decade.

about According to the chart, about 45% of all people surveyed believe in UFOs.

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roughly Roughly 300,000 units were manufactured in factory A in 2005.
approximately Approximately 4.000 more people attended this year’s parade.
almost The vacancy rate for hotel rooms is almost zero in August.
nearly Nearly 90% of people in the country agreed with this decision.
just over Just over 2.5 billion people worldwide own digital cameras.
just under This state has just under 300 days of sunshine a year.

PERCENTAGES
per cent/ percent About seventy per cent of the population of Singapore is of Chinese
(used after a number) ancestry.
percentage An important percentage of Canada’s electricity is generated by
(used without numbers) hydroelectric power.
A larger proportion of the national budget is spent on the military than
proportion
on anything else.
portion The family spends a significant portion of their income on rent.
Two or three companies control a large share of the paper-product
share
market.
segment Only a small segment of the population agrees with this idea.
A tiny fraction of the total number of applicants to this university are
fraction
accepted.

WORDS EXAMPLES

fewer than The chart indicates that fewer people visited this website in 2012 than
in 2011.

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The factory produced less pollution during 2010 than in the previous
less than
year.

The amount of time it takes to complete A is (about) the same as the

(about) the same as
amount takes to complete task B.

NOTES:
• To make these expressions stronger, you use many, much, far: many more than, much more
than, far less than
• To make these expressions weaker, you can use slightly or a little: slightly more than, a little
less than

There were nearly twice as many accidents at the factory this year as
twice as many as
last year.

According to the chart, there was about twice as much coal mined in
twice as much as
this country in the 1940s as in the 1990s.

The amount of milk produced at this dairy farm nearly doubled over
(nearly/almost) the five years period.
doubled The number of runners in the race almost doubled between 2000 and
2015.

There were only about half as many applications for jobs received in
half as many as
January as there had been in July.

half as much as A dollar in 1980 was worth around half as much as it had been in 1967.

number + times + as There were, on average, about three times as many pages in
many as newspapers in country A as in country B.

number + times + as
There was around four times as much traffic in city X as in city Y.
much as

FRACTIONS

three quarters/ 75% per cent/ three out of four

a half/ one half/ 50 per cent/ one out of two/ one in two

a third/ one third/ one out of three/ one in three

a quarter/ 25 per cent/ one out of four/ one in four

a tenth/ one ten/ 10 per cent/ one out of ten/ one in ten

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WORDS EXAMPLES

account for Rice accounts for about a third of their diet.

make up Poisonous snakes make up only about ten per cent of all snakes.

Accidents that occur when drivers are texting represent about a quarter
represent
of the total number of car accidents.

constitute Rental properties constitute about a third of all the company’s assets.

Task 10:
The pie charts below show the online shopping sales for retail sectors in New Zealand in 2003 and
2013.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

2003 2013

16%
24%
29%
36% Travel
Film/Music
Books
Clothes 22%

19%

21% 33%

Task 11:
The graph below gives information from a report about the purpose and frequency of Internet use
by medical students in 2009 in one country.

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Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

Purposes of Internet use

60
50
40
30
Percentage

20
10
0
at least daily weekly monthly occasionally never
Frequency

research e-mail
information for patient reading recommended coursework
chat
Task 12:
The chart below provides information about student accommodation at one US university in 2013.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

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Student accommodation 2013

4500
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0

se
e
s

t
t
y

nt

en
en

us

ing
or

ou
re

ho
rtm
tm
int

nh

us
pa

ar

ed
m

ho
pa

Ow
i th
or

ap

ar
na

nt
yd

Sh
ed

de
Ow
t

ar
rsi

s tu
Sh
ive

d
rie
Un

ar
M
Undergraduate students Graduate students
Task 13:
The chart below gives information on the percentage of British people giving money to charity by
age range for the years 1990 and 2010.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.
45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

0
18-25 26-35 36-50 51-65 65+

1990 2010

Task 14:
The table below provides information about milk production in Australia in millions of litres.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

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2001/2002 2010/2011
July 590 590
August 630 710
September 830 1050
October 920 1350
November 840 1120
December 790 1060
January 730 970
February 550 740
March 570 730
April 580 690
May 590 640
June 610 590

Task 15:
The pie charts below show units of electricity production by fuel source in Australia and France in
1980 and 2000.

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Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.
UNITS OF ELECTRICITY BY FUEL SOURCE IN AUSTRALIA

1980 2000
Total production: 100 units Total production: 170 units

20 36

2
2
50

20

130

10

Coal Oil Natural Gas Hydro Power Coal Oil Natural Gas Hydro Power

UNITS OF ELECTRICITY BY FUEL SOURCE IN FRANCE

1980 2000
Total production: 90 units Total production: 180 units

15 25
25

5
25

2
2
25 126
20

Coal Oil Natural Gas

Hydro Power Nuclear Power Coal Oil Natural Gas Hydro Power Nuclear Power

Task 16:

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The three pie charts below show the changes in annual spending by a particular UK school in
1981, 1991 and 2001.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

Total school spending 1991

Total school spending 1981
3%

2 22%

28

50%
40 20%

5%

15
Total school spending 2001

15 8%
15%

Insurance Teacher's salaries Furniture and equipment

Resources e.g. books Other workers' salaries 9%

45%

23%

Task 17:
The tables below give information about sales of Fairtrade *-labelled coffee and bananas in 1999
and 2004 in five European countries.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

Sales of Fairtrade-labelled coffee and bananas (1999 & 2004)

Coffee 1999 2004

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(millions of euros) (millions of euros)
UK 1.5 20
Switzerland 3 6
Denmark 1.8 2
Belgium 1 1.7
Sweden 0.8 1

1999 2004
Coffee
(millions of euros) (millions of euros)
Switzerland 15 47
UK 1 5.5
Belgium 0.6 4
Sweden 1.8 1
Denmark 2 0.9

*
Fairtrade: a category of products for which farmers from developing countries have been paid an officially agreed
fair price.

MULTIPLE CHARTS

The charts below give information about the origin of crude oil imports to the US in 2012 and
about the percentage of imports as a share of US crude oil consumption.

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Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

Origin of crude oil imports to the US in 2012 Percentage of imports as a share of US crude oil consumption
3% 70

9% 60

50
8%
39% 40

Percentage of imports
30
17%
20

10

24% 0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
US Canada Middle East Year
Africa Latin America Other
. Choose the words in the box to fill in the blank to complete the report of the charts above
showing the origin of crude oil imports to the US in 2012 and about the percentage of imports as a
share of US crude oil consumption.

40% accounted general However less majority

percentage significant Turning to under was while

The pie shows the amount of crude oil that is exported to the US from other countries, 1
___________ the bar chart illustrates the amount that is produced domestically.

In 2 ___________, the US imported oil from around the world. 3 ___________, the percentage of
internationally produced oil consumed in the US had shrunk dramatically.

The pie chart clearly showed that a 4 ___________ proportion of oil was produced from wells in
the US. Canada’s share 5 ___________ just under a quarter of oil imports. Oil from the Middle
East 6 ___________ for the next largest share. Latin American and African countries contributed 7
___________ than 10%. The amount imported from countries not listed on the chart was a very
small 8 ___________ (3%).

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9 ___________ the bar chart, the US imported around 60% of its crude oi, but percentages had
been declining since 2005. In 2005 and 2006, imported oil made up a significant 10 ___________
of the oil consumed in the US. By 2010, that amount had dropped to 11 ___________ 50%. The
decline continued to 2012, imported oil constituted only 12 ___________ of the total.

Task 18:
The graph and table below show the average monthly temperatures and the average number of
hours of sunshine per year in three major cities.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

35

30

25

20

15

10

0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

London New York Sydney

Total annual sunshine for London, New York, and Sydney

London 1,180
New York 2,535
Sydney 2,437

Task 19:
The chart shows annual office rents in five international cities in 2008 and 2013 ($US / square
metre). The table shows office vacancy rates in those cities.

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Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

Annual rent per square metre 2008 2013

City A 6% 4%
City E
City B 7% 2%
City D City C 9% 6%
City D 10% 23%
City C 2013
City E 16% 9%
2008
City B

City A

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500

US dollar ($)

MAPS

 1. Put the verbs into the correct category.

demolish extend knock down enlarge put up alter

modernise replace tear down develop flatten erect
relocate expand renovate convert construct

Build Change Remove

Verb Noun Verb Noun Verb Noun

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 2. Use the words in the box to fill in the blanks, and put them in the correct forms.

The maps show part of the town of Poulton in 1900 and 1935.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.

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disappear develop build expand
renovate replace

The maps depict an area of the town of Poulton in the years 1900 and 1935 and the urban
developments that took place.

Overall, the area was (1) ____________ extensively, seeing fundamental changes to its residential
accommodation, and its commercial and recreational facilities were (2) ____________.

Regarding the western side of the area, in 1900, this place had a combination of residential and
industrial features, but by 1935 the industrial features had largely (3) ____________.
Furthermore, the terraced houses which used to dominate the 1900 map had been (4)
____________ by blocks of flats by 1935, and the areas of wasteland had gone. The demolition of
a second row of houses on Bayley Street and the removal of the railway line made room for a
spacious park and children’s play area.

Having considered the east, one thing they did in 1935 was the development of more commercial
and recreational features. On the commercial side, to the right of the park some new shops were
(5) ____________ on the aptly named New Lane, replacing the small shop of 1900, and the café
and laundry were located and (6) ____________. Lastly, in 1900, a rail way ran through the
neighborhood, by 1935 this had been removed.

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Task 20: The diagrams below show the changes that have taken place at West Park Secondary
School since its construction in 1950.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.

Task 21: The maps show the waterfront section of a city before and after a development project.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.

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Task 22: The maps show a beach hotel at different times.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.

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Task 23: The maps show the outskirts of the town of Fosbury in 1980 and 2015.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.

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In the first map, there is no development on the northern part of the
Present simple beach. However, in the second map, there is a large hotel on this section
of the beach.
th
In 1950, there was a coffee shop on the corner of 4 Street and Oak
Past simple and
Avenue. However, in 1975, a hotel stood on that corner.
past perfect
By 2010, a bridge across the river had been built.
In 2000, King Street was a two-way street, but it is a one-way street
today.
Past simple/present The trees have been cut down and the forest has been replaced with a
simple, present paved parking area.
perfect, used to The shop that used to be on the south side of the street was relocated to
the north side.
There was formerly a large playground in the park.
Present/future At the moment, there is one sports centre, but three years from now
times there will be four sports centres in the area.

One common way to locate features on maps is to use compass points.

A new public swimming pool was built to the north of the tennis courts.
A bandstand has been constructed in the centre of the park.
There was formerly an industrial zone in the south-east of the city.

The word just can be used to indicate that two things are close to each
other:
The public gardens are just west of Albert Street.

DESCRIBING MAPS AND PLANS

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POSITION
The town hall is in the centre of town. There is now a high-speed
be
train linking the two towns.
lie The town of Greendale lies 20 kilometres east of Fallsbrook.
is located The new student residence is located on the east of the campus.

stand The opera house once stood on the corner of Charles Avenue and
(used mainly for buildings) Rose Street.
build A shopping mall has been built just outside of town.
construct An elementary school was constructed where the factory used to be.
expand The science lab was greatly expanded.
add on to A new wing has been added on to the art museum.
demolish Several houses were demolished when the road was constructed.
The open space west of the business park became a residential
become
neighborhood.
CHANGE
The first two rows of seats in the theatre were removed when the
remove
stage was expanded.
convert (to) The factory was converted to a museum.
transform (into) The old barn will be transformed into an antique shop.
move to The gift shop was moved to another part of the art museum.
relocate By 2008, the fire station had been relocated.

DESCRIBING ROADS, BRIDGES, ETC

pass through A highway now passes through the centre of town.
run A railway used to run between the two towns.
link th
The two skyscrapers are linked by a walkway on the 30 floor.
connect A bridge connects Travis Island with the mainland.
extend The light rail system will be extended all the way to the airport next year.
at the conjunction
There is a hospital on Cooper Street at the conjunction with Blake Avenue.
with
Cars used to cross the river at Pembroke Street, but now they cross the
cross
river at Castle Street.
DESCRIBING A PROCESS
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The diagram shows the process of making Wesak lanterns, which Sri Lankans do to celebrate the
festival of Wesak in May each year.

 1. Complete the sample answer using the words in the box.

after that this then this stage next

finally to begin with followed by once

The diagram shows the process of making Wesak lanterns. There are eight main stages, which
consist of tying bamboo sticks together to form the frame of the lantern, (1) ____________ the
cutting and pasting of colour paper which is used to decorate it.

(2) ____________, you need to cut 24 bamboo sticks to a length of 25cm each. Four of the sticks
are (3) ____________ tied together to make a square. (4) ____________ of the process has to be
repeated until you have made six squares. (5) ____________, you have to tie the corners of four
of the squares together. The remaining two squares are then tied in pace at the top and bottom of
the ring, which will give you the basic frame of the lantern.

(6) ____________ your frame is completed, take brightly coloured tissue paper and cut our eight
triangles and four squares to sizes with correspond to the squares and triangles on the frame. (7)
____________ the tissue paper shapes should be attached onto the frame. The squares at the top
and bottom of the frame should be left empty. (8) ____________, fold and cut paper for the frills,
and decorate the base of the lantern with them, so that they hand down below it. The lantern is
then ready to be hung on a lightbulb.

Task 24:

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The diagram illustrates the process of making traditional wooden shoes called clogs.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.

Task 25:

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The diagrams below show the life cycle of a species of large fish called the salmon.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.

Task 26:

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The diagram below shows how to operate a hot air balloon.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.

SEQUENCING WORDS AND PHRASES

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First, First, a suitable location must be found.
First of all, … First of all, the water must be purified.
The first step/stage … The first step in starting a business is to write a business plan.
The process of … The process of mining begins with locating a rich source of the
begins with … mineral.
Next, … Next, the raw materials are cleaned.
The next step The next step is to test the machine.
Then Then the tank is filled with water.
The water is first filter and then poured into the tank.
Following this, … Following this, the valve must be opened.
The following step The following step is to collect as much information as possible.
After After the two types of materials have been separated, they are stored
in large containers.
After this, … After this, you need to pre-heat the oven.
Once Once funds have been deposited, customers can write checks or
withdraw cash.
Finally, … Finally, the adult female lays eggs and the process begins again.
The final step/stage The final step is to make sure that all the parts are correctly
connected.
The last step/stage The last step in applying to the university is to submit your application
before the deadline.

SIGNAL WORDS FOR ALTERNATIVE STEPS

Sometimes, a diagram will show two or more ways to complete a process. You should use signal
words to indicate that a process can follow two possible directions.
either … or … At this point, either … or … can take place.
Alternatively, … The next step is for D2 to happen. Alternative, D3 might occur.
If If B1 happens, then C1 occurs. However, if B2 takes place, C2
happens.

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VERB FORMS FOR PROCESS DIAGRAMS

In most process diagrams, the emphasis is on the action, not on the person. Therefore, you will
generally use verbs in the passive in your response.
Present passive The pigments are then mixed with oil.
(Used to describe industrial, agricultural, or business processes.)

Present perfect After a bill has been signed by the president, it becomes law.
passive Once the students’ papers have been graded, the results are
recorded.
(In clauses beginning with the signal words Once … or After …)

is + to + infinitive The first step is to take the patient’s temperature. The final step is to
send the email.
Present simple active An adult butterfly emerges wet and shaky from its cocoon.
(For biological or other natural processes.)

Passive modal verbs Next, the can of paint should be thoroughly shaken.
The two hotels must be lined up carefully.
(In a response to a ‘how to’ process, for example how to paint a room, how to
change the oil in your car, etc.)

Imperative First, break the eggs in a bowl and then add milk. Next, heat the oil
(Command) form and butter in a pan.
(Can also be used in responses to ‘how to’ processes.)

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