IELTS – Writing

Task 1

1
Introduction

• Write 150 – 200 words to describe a visual

• Worth 33% of your mark

• Sample of visual: graph, table, chart, diagram,

maps

2
Structure

Introduction •Paraphrase the question

•Write the general overview of the
Overview
main features

•Write in detail about the features

Body •Paragraphs should be divided in a
Paragraphs way that each paragraph represents
a common pattern

3
Assessment

Task Coherence
Achievement & Cohesion

Grammatical
Lexical
Range &
Resource
Accuracy
4
 Sample

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

5
 Introduction
Starting Presentation Type Verb Description
The/ the given / the diagram / table / shows / represents / depicts the comparison of…
presented / the illustration / flow chart / / illustrates / presents/ gives / the differences…
shown / the picture/ pie chart / bar provides / describes / the changes...
provided chart/ line graph / process compares/ indicates / gives the number of…
/ map data on / demonstrates the amount of…
information on...
data about...
the percentage of...
how the...

Sample:
The bar chart compares British and French consumers’ spending on various goods during 2010.

6
Overview

1. Begin with a general statement about the data or information presented in the graph or
chart.

2. Identify the main trends or patterns that are apparent from the data
3. Avoid using too much detail or giving away the main points of your report

Sample:
Overall, the expenditure of the UK was higher than the expenditure of France. Both the French
and the British spent the most money on cars, while in the UK the least amount of money was
spent on perfume compared to cameras in France. Furthermore, the most significant
difference between the two countries was on cameras
7
Body Paragraph
• Use specific details and examples to support and illustrate your
points – incorporate the numbers
• Use linking words or cohesive devices to connect your ideas
• Avoid repeating information or using too much detail
• Use a variety of sentence structures – combining the use of
simple (shorter) and complex (more elaborate) sentences
• Use appropriate vocabularies
• Don’t give personal opinion

8
Simple vs Complex Sentence

Simple • The chart displays the percentage of students who earned A or

B grades in Math, Science, and English at a specific school in

sentences the past five years

Complex
• The chart illustrates the changes in the percentage of students
who achieved high grades (A or B) in Math, Science, and
English at a particular school during the last five years, showing

sentences
that while there was a slight decrease in Math and Science
grades in 2020, there was a significant increase in English grades
during the same period.

9
Example

The British spent more than the French on cars, books, and cameras.
Regarding vehicles, the UK’s people spent around $450,000
compared to exactly $400.000 in France. Similarly, the expenditure on
books in the UK was higher than in France (400.000 and 300.000
respectively). In the UK, spending on cameras (just over 350.000) was
over double than that of France, which was only 150.000.

On the other hand, the amount of money spent on the remaining

good was higher in France. Above 350.000 was consumed by the
French on computers which were slightly more than the British who
spent exactly 350.000. Neither of the countries spent much on
perfume which accounted for 200.000 of expenditure in French but
under 150.000 in the UK
10
Grammar for IELTS Writing Task 1

Tenses • Pay attention to the time marker, use the appropriate tenses
(present tenses, past tenses, present perfect, or past perfect)

Writing Style • Use of passive voices is more advisable for Writing Task 1

• Make sure to use the correct form of words (singular vs plural)

Word forms • Make sure that the sentence formation is correct and
comprehensible

11
Line Chart

12
Useful language to describe change

13
 Sample
Options in describing the change
Noun phrase:
A dramatic + verb

Verb phrase:
Verb + adverb
Increased slightly

From January to March there was

a slight increase of student
enrolment (NP)

the number of student enrolment

increased slightly between
January and March

the number of student enrolment

increased slightly from 90 in
January to 100 in March

14
Exercise

The graph shows the changes in student numbers at Lees

College over a one-year period.
Overall, there was a lot of fluctuation in the numbers.
Between January and March, there was a slight increase in
student numbers. This was followed by a _____________ in
numbers over the next three months.
In June, enrollments reached a ________. After that, there
was a ___________ in numbers from August to December

15
Prepositions to describe time

• Between 1980 and 1990 the figure fell a little

• In 1980 the figure was just under 60%
• Since 1980 it has increased slightly
• Between January and March, student number increased
slightly from 90 to 100.
• In June, numbers peaked___225 students
• Between January and March, there was a slight increase
__ ten students
16
Exercise

The graph shows that the percentage of

people in the world who cannot read
and write has ________ from 37 percent
in 1970 to 18 percent now.

However, from 1970 to 2002, the decline

was ________ than it has been between
2002 and the present day

17
 Homework
The graph below shows the number of library books read by boys and girls at Starmouth School from
2006 to present

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

Submit the assignment on Canvas (docx)

Due 25 February 2023, 23:59

18