Writing task 1 (Supporting notes)

1
Time limits: 20 minutes
Word limit: 150-200 words
Minimum number of paragraphs: 3 (50-60 words per paragraph)
Maximum number of paragraphs: 4 (40-50 words per paragraph)

Paragraph 1: Introduction +
Overview Paragraph 2: Body
paragraph 1
Paragraph 3: Body paragraph 2
Paragraph 4: Conclusion (if any)

Question types Tasks to do

• Line graph
1. Summarize the main information.
• Bar/column graph
• Pie chart 2. Compare data.
• Table
3. Show contrasts and trends.
• Life cycle
• Process/flowchart 4. Identify significant trends.

• Map/diagram 5. Describe the process.

Dates and tenses
We might find dates in IELTS graph, chart, map, diagram or table. These will tell us what tense
to use.

1. No dates: Present or past tense

2. Past dates: Past tense

3. Future dates: Future forms

4. Dates spanning both past and future: both tenses should be used.

5. When describing a process, use the present passive voice.

6. When describing a life cycle, use the present tense.

7. When describing a map, you should use the passive voice. If the map is in the past, use the past
passive; if the map is in the present form, use the present passive; and if the map in the
projection, use the future passive voice.

Grading criteria
• Task achievement: information, overview, accurate of data
• Coherence and cohesion: paraphrasing and linking words
• Lexical resource: collocation, spelling and accuracy
• Grammatical range and accuracy: sentence structure, tenses, punctuation, grammar
range and accuracy

Important notes for writing task 1

1. Write enough words, do not write too many words.
2. Think and plan before writing.
3. Do not copy whole sections of the question.
4. Think about the range of vocabulary.
5. Use paragraphs well.
6. Check your writing.
7. Notes or bullet points are not acceptable as answers.
8. Avoid personal opinions and views.
9. Vary your sentence structure.
10. Avoid repeating the features.
11. It is not necessary to write what the X-axis and Y-axis represent.
12. Change noun and adjectives phrases into verbs and adverbs to create a range of expres-
sions.
Example: A slight increase → Increased slightly
13. Avoid contraction form. (Do not write don’t, etc., I’d, & and so on.. !! Instead write “do
not”, “I would”, “and”,... )
 14. Do not analyze or explain everything in the graph. Pick the main ideas.
(a) Instead of writing: It went up by 2% and then dropped by 5%, then rose again for 2
years, and again dropped by 2%.
(b) Write: It fluctuated between 5% and 2% for the year’s first quarter.

1.1 First paragraph

Introduction + linking words + overview

Introduction: The first sentence contains the introduction. If there are two visuals in your
task, you need to introduce both. This can be done in one or two sentences.

Linking words: Overall, To summarise, In summary, In brief, As a whole, At a glance, It can be

clearly seen that...

Overview: The second sentence contains the overview. If there are two visuals in your task,
your overview should summarise both if you can see a relationship between them. If you can’t,
simply present an overview before you describe each visual in detail.

1.1.1 Introduction: (a+b+c+d)

(a) The given / The supplied / The presented / The showed / The provided
(b) diagram / table / figure / illustration / graph / chart / flow chart / picture/ presenta-
tion/ pie chart / bar graph/ line graph / table data/ data / information
(c) shows / represents / depicts / illustrates / presents/ gives / provides / describes
/ compares/ figures / gives data on / gives information on
(d) the comparison of . . . ./ the differences . . . ./ the number of . . . ./ information on.../ data
on . . . ./the proportion of. . . . /the amount of . . . ./ information on....

1.1.2 Overview
This overview should clearly state the main trend or most noticeable piece of information from
the graph or chart. Answer the following question while writing an overview:
1. Can you see an overall increase, decrease or fluctuation in the visual diagram?
2. Can you see very high or very low points?
3. Can you see more or less of something (E.g. more males, less females, more employed,
less employed)?
4. Has the map or plan changed over time?
5. Have features been added or taken away?
6. What is the main relationship between the visuals?
7. Is there a predicted change that will happen in the future?
If you have more than one visual, your overview needs to summarize both of them. You have
to present the whole picture and not just part of it. Refer Table 1.1 for examples.
**Note: Do not use statistical data in overview.

1.2 Body paragraph

Key notes for body paragraph
1. Describe the trend/date.
2. Compare inter/intra features.
 3. Select the most relevant data, NOT all data. However, in the map, process or lifecycle, you
need to describe all.
4. Make comparison where relevant.
5. Summarize key: key features can be summarized as:

1.2.1 Body paragraph 1

Write in detail about feature 1 (group data of similar trend) in logical way. Give your
thorough analysis about feature 1.

Table 1.1: Sample example to write overview of section 1.1.2

Visual type Overview example
Table Overall, it can be clearly seen that the total numbers of people employed
have increased over the period, whereas the number of women employed
has decreased.
Chart In brief, Germany was the major producer of vehicles over this period fol-
lowed by France and then Norway.
Process It can clearly be seen that there are six steps involved in the production of
cloth starting with the raw materials and ending with the final product.
Map In summary, in one hundred years, the village has experienced major
changes transforming it from a small farming village into a tourist desti-
nation.
Plan Overall, though the area size remains the same, there are significant
changes planned for this company as it moves from single offices to an
open-plan design.
Graph To summarise, it can be seen that the younger age groups visit the
cinema the most, whereas older people rarely attend.
Two visu- Overall, by looking at the charts it can be seen that oil is used the most as
als an energy source in this town and that most power is required for domestic
cooling.
Three visu- Of the three meals consumed, breakfast contains the lowest amount of
als sodium, saturated fats, and sugar, while dinner contains more saturated
fats and sodium than lunch.

1.2.2 Body paragraph 2

Write in detail about feature 2 (group data of different trend) in logical way. Give your thorough
analysis about feature 2.

1.2.3 Compare body paragraphs 1 and 2

Make relevant comparison between above two paragraphs, only if reliable comparison is
pos- sible.
**Note: Only write conclusion part in writing task 1 if you find it worth writing.
 Writing task 1 (Detailed contents for body section)
2
2.1 Line graph
2.1.1 Inaccurate Y-axis is provided
Use following phrases when provided unit in Y-axis is not accurate:

Under About Over

Below Approximately Above
Less than Nearly More than
Just under Around Just over
Slightly under Tentatively Slightly over
Well under Closed to Well over
beneath Almost Marginally above

2.1.2 Futuristic X-axis

If the timeline in the x-axis is futuristic, use the following phrases

• Is projected

• Is expected

• Is predicted

• Is assumed

• Is calculated

• Is estimated

2.2 Process
Always write process in “Present Passive” form.

2.3 Maps
According to IELTS Writing Evaluation guidelines, you need to write an overview or
summary of the changes you see between the maps. You need to write just two sentences
and nothing more.
1. Describe the biggest change in a short sentence.
 2. State the names of other few changes from the map. Do not mention the location of these.

2.3.1 Locating places in a map

1. Top / bottom: If directions have not been given, then mention whether the places in the
map are at the top or at the bottom.
2. Left / right: Similarly, in the absence of directions, include whether the places are on the
left-hand side or the right-hand side.
3. North / south / east / west / northeast / southeast / northwest / southwest: Some maps
include a compass rose. In such cases, locate places using directions instead of simply
top, bottom, left, or right. Sometimes only one direction, usually North, is given. You
have to work out the other directions by yourself.

Figure 2.1: Directions

2.3.2 Vocabulary for changes in maps:

Table 2.1: Vocabulary of changes

Expanding Removing Additions Change into something
Enlarged Demolished Constructed Converted
Expanded Knocked down Built Redeveloped
Extended Pulled down Erected Replaced
Made bigger Removed Introduced Made into
Developed Torn down Added Modernized
- Cut down (trees) Planted (forests, trees) Renovated
- - Opened up (facilities) -

2.3.3 Vocabulary for percentage and fractions

Essential for pie chart and table
2.4. GRAMMATICAL RULES FOR WRITING TASK 1

3. Some other fractions

1. Multiple of 25%
Percentage Fraction
Percentage Fraction
33.33% One third
25% A quarter
66.67% Two third
50% A half
10% One in ten
75% Three quarters 70% Seven in ten
5% One in twenty
2. Multiple of 20%

Percentage Fraction
4. Fractions of a range
20% A fifth
40% Two-fifths Percentage Fraction
60% Three-fifths 75%–85% A very large majority
80% Four-fifths 65%–75% A significant proportion
10%–15% A minority
5% A very small number

2.4 Grammatical rules for writing task 1

2.4.1 Noun and verb of trend
Let us see some examples of trend that represent noun and verb

Table 2.2: trends as a noun and as a verb

Trends Noun Verb (any form of verb)
A rise Rose (to)
An increase Increased (to)
Increase Growth Went up (to)
An upward trend Climbed (to)
A boom Boomed
Consistent Levelled out (at)
Steady Remained steady (at)
Constant Stable Remained stable (at)
No change Did not change
Constant Stayed constant (at)
A decrease Decreased (to)
A decline Declined (to)
A fall Fell (to)
Decrease
A slump Shinned (to)
A reduction Reduced (to)
A drop Dropped (to)

**Note: we can write verbs in form of the tense or in the passive voice.

2.4.2 Adjective and adverb

• Adjective describes a noun. (KASTO??)
 • Adverb describes a verb or action. (KASARI??)

Write sentences in following two form.

1. Adjective + Noun
2. Verb + Adverb

Table 2.3: How to describe noun with adjective and verb with adverbs
Trend Adjective Adverb Adjective + Noun Verb + Adverb
Significant Significantly A significant change Changed significantly
Dramatic Dramatically A dramatic shift Shifts dramatically
Large change Sudden Suddenly A sudden fall Rose suddenly
Substantial Substantially A substantial gain Gaining substantially
Sharp Sharply A sharp decrease Had decreased sharply
Consistent Consistently A consistent flow Flowed consistently
Steady Steady Steadily A steady movement Moved steadily
Constant Constantly Constant shift Shifted constantly
Slight Slightly A slight rise Rose slightly
Gradual Gradually A gradual fall Has fallen gradually
Small change Marginal Marginally A marginal change Has changed marginally
Modest Modestly A modest increase Increases modestly

2.4.3 Two common grammatical errors

1. Prepositions: use of in and of
(a) Of: when stating the specific value of the change (number, amount, percentage etc.)
(b) In: when stating what has changed.
Examples:
An increase of 20%.
An increase in the number of over 60’s taking exercise classes.
A drop of almost a half.
A drop in house prices.
An improvement of 45 units per week.
An improvement in retail sales from April to June.
‘Of’ is also used after a value.
Examples:
a small percentage of
just under a quarter
of exactly a half of
roughly three quarters of
a significant majority of
a high number of
2. Articles: use of a, an and the
(a) Use the before singular and plural nouns when the noun is a specific thing.
(b) Use a before a noun or noun phrase beginning with a consonant. Use an before a
noun or noun phrase beginning with a vowel.
 ✓ Maintained the same level
✓ Stayed at
✓ Stabilized at
✓ Remained steady
✓ Stayed constant
Number/ ✓ Did not change

Quantity/ ✓ Moderately
Amount/ ✓ Slightly ✓ Dramatically
Percentage ✓ Minimally ✓ Sharply
✓ Slowly ✓ Steeply
✓ Steadily ✓ Substantially
✓ Gradually ✓ Considerably
✓ Significantly
✓ Markedly
✓ Rapidly
✓ Suddenly
✓ Reduced
✓ Swiftly
✓ Went down
✓ Quickly
✓ Expanded ✓ Decreased
✓ Notably
✓ Grew ✓ Dropped
✓ Climbed ✓ Declined
✓ Rose ✓ Fell
✓ Stepped up
✓ Picked up ✓ Shot up ✓ Collapsed
✓ Soared ✓ Slumped
✓ Jumped ✓ Crashed
✓ Rocketed* ✓ Plunged
✓ Escalated ✓ Plummeted
✓ Doubled
✓ Trebled
✓ Quadrupled

Period
* For rocketed or sky-rocketed it must be a straight line.
Figure 2.2: Useful vocabulary to describe line
graph