Compiled by: Ms.

Thanh Ha Mai
Zalo: (+84) 37 422 9598

DYNAMIC CHART
1. Definition
In IELTS Writing Task 1, dynamic charts refer to visual representations that show
changes over time. These charts typically illustrate trends, movements, or
developments in data across different time periods. Common types of dynamic
charts include:

1. Line Graphs: These are used to show trends over time, such as
increases, decreases, or fluctuations in data. For example, a line graph
might display the population growth of a country over several decades.

2. Bar Charts: These can also be dynamic if they compare data across
different time periods. For instance, a bar chart might show the sales
figures of a company over multiple years.

3. Pie Charts: While pie charts are generally static, a series of pie charts
can be used to show changes over time, such as the shifting market
share of different companies over several years.

4. Tables: Tables can be dynamic if they present data for different time
periods, allowing for comparisons and trend analysis.

5. Combination Charts: Sometimes, a single chart might combine

elements, such as a line graph and a bar chart, to illustrate different
aspects of data over time.

Figure 2- Line chart

Figure 1- Bar chart

Compiled by: Ms. Thanh Ha Mai
Zalo: (+84) 37 422 9598
Compiled by: Ms. Thanh Ha Mai
Zalo: (+84) 37 422 9598

Figure 4- Pie charts

Figure 3- Table

2. How to write the Introduction

The introduction of a dynamic chart should include the KEY INFORMATION as
below:
 Type of chart
 Items illustrated in the chart
 Time
 Unit of measurement
The most effective method of writing an Introduction is to rewrite the topic
(Paraphrasing). The writer changes a few words and phrases to create a new
sentence where the original content is still conveyed.
Tense: Use the SIMPLE PRESENT to say what the graph shows
Useful expression:
 the graph/chart/table/diagram…
 gives information about/on…
 provides information about/on…
 compares sth in terms of sth…
 depicts/ demonstrates/ illustrates/ shows …
 from (year A) to (year B)
 between (year A) to (year B)
 within a timespan of (number of years), commencing from (the first
year)
Compiled by: Ms. Thanh Ha Mai
Zalo: (+84) 37 422 9598

* Practice 1: Write the introductions for dynamic charts as below

Compiled by: Ms. Thanh Ha Mai
Zalo: (+84) 37 422 9598
Compiled by: Ms. Thanh Ha Mai
Zalo: (+84) 37 422 9598

3. How to write the Overview

The overview section of the dynamic chart MUST INCLUDE at least TWO KEY
FEATURES:
 General trend of items (increase, decrease, fluctuation, ...)
 Items with highest/lowest figures
 Items with the strongest/slightest change
 The period of time witnessing the strongest/lightest change
Tense
 Historical data in a graph with dates: Although the present simple
is probably the easiest-safest option to use, try to use the active, past
simple to describe completed past events.
 If a graph has no date: You can use past or present, but your use of
tenses must be consistent. So, if you decide to use the present simple
to describe data in a graph, you must use the present simple
throughout the whole graph.
 Future events and forecasts: If you are describing forecasts, you
need to use future tenses.
Useful expression:

 Generally speaking…….. x was the most striking feature.

 Overall, it can be seen that …
 It is very clear from the overall trend that
 It can be seen from the graph that ….
 It is noticeable that …
 Overall, it is immediately apparent that…
 The most obvious pieces of information are that …
 The most striking feature was the …
 The main facts that stand out are that …
 It is important to note that …
 The most significant facts to emerge from the graph are that …
Compiled by: Ms. Thanh Ha Mai
Zalo: (+84) 37 422 9598

Structure for TREND:

WHILE CLAUSE 1, CLAUSE 2. MEANWHILE CLAUSE 3

A IS EQUAL, BUT B INCREASE, WHILE C DECREASED
A HAD THE GREATEST RISE, BUT B DROPPED
A DOUBLED. IN CONTRAST B HALVED
A INCREASED, AND B, IN COMPARISON, DECREASED

 It can be seen that A experienced an upward/downward trend over the

period of time.
 In particular, the number/the amount of A saw/witnessed a
rise/decline….
 The most dramatic change was seen in…
Structure for ORDER:
 Take first place
 Take bottom place
 Stand at first place
 Stand at bottom place
 Take top place
 Stand in joint first/ bottom place
 Stand at top place
 It is noticeable that A accounted for the largest
proportion/percentage…
Compiled by: Ms. Thanh Ha Mai
Zalo: (+84) 37 422 9598

* Practice 2: Write the overviews for dynamic charts as below

b) The graph above shows the stock price of four technology companies
between 2011 and 2016.
Compiled by: Ms. Thanh Ha Mai
Zalo: (+84) 37 422 9598
Compiled by: Ms. Thanh Ha Mai
Zalo: (+84) 37 422 9598
Compiled by: Ms. Thanh Ha Mai
Zalo: (+84) 37 422 9598
Compiled by: Ms. Thanh Ha Mai
Zalo: (+84) 37 422 9598

4. LANGUAGE OF CHANGE
TREND VERBS NOUNS
UP VARIATIONS • rise (rose-risen) • a rise
• increase • an increase
• grow • a growth
• double • a doubling in + n.
• triple • a trebling in + n.
• soar
• jump
• surge
• rocket
• leap
DOWN VARIATIONS • fall (fell-fallen) • a fall
• decline • a decline
• decrease • a decrease
• drop (dropped) • a drop
• halve
• dive
• plunge
• plummet
• dip
• shrink
STABILITY  maintain the same level  no change
 remain stable/unchanged  a levelling off
 level off (levelled off)  a plateau
 plateau
 event out
SPEACIAL POINTS  peak at • hit/reach a high [of x]
 hit • hit/reach a peak [of x]
 reach • hit/reach a low [of x]
 bottom out at
FLUCTATION  fluctuate [around x]/[between x and y]  a fluctuation

ADJECTIVE ADVERB
VERY EXTENSIVE Dramatic/ sharp/ Dramatically/ drastically/ sharp
CHANGE
EXTENSIVE CHANGE substantial/significant/ substantially/considerably/
considerable/remarkable significantly/remarkably
AVERAGE CHANGE noticeable/moderate/ marked noticeably/markedly/ moderately
SMALL CHANGE slight/minimal slightly/minimally
QUICK CHANGE sharp/rapid/steep/erractic sharply/rapidly/steeply/erratically
SLOW CHANGE steady/gradual steadily/gradually
UNEXPECTED sudden/abrupt suddenly/abruptly
Compiled by: Ms. Thanh Ha Mai
Zalo: (+84) 37 422 9598

CHANGE

5. GRAMMAR FOR DESCRIBING TREND

Past tense: Used for reporting consecutive trends and events in the
past
Ex: There was a significant rise in 1964.Then, the figure dipped sharply in
1980.
Past perfect: Used for reporting what happened by a given time in
the past
Ex: There was a significant rise in 1964. Then, the figure dipped sharply and
had reached 5 by 1980.
Present tenses: Used for reporting trends that have no specific time
and occur regularly (e.g every day), or for reporting the present
value or figure of a variable
Ex: There is a significant rise at 6am every morning. Then the figure
increases sharply at 8am.
Ex: The number of people suffering from diarrhoea now stands at 158.
Present Perfect: Used for reporting trends that started in the past
and have continued until the present time or continue into the
future
Ex: There has been a significant rise since 2013, and the figure now stands
at 15000.
Ex: There has been a significant rise since 2013, and the figure is expected
to reach 15000 in 2020.
Future: Used to describe trends that are predicted and projected for
future times and dates. You should note that none of these
predictions are certain, and therefore a level of uncertainty is
desirable in your report.
 The figure will/should reach 15000 in 2020.
It is predicted that the figure will increase
expected and reach 800 in 2050.
Compiled by: Ms. Thanh Ha Mai
Zalo: (+84) 37 422 9598

anticipated
forecasted
estimated

The figure is predicted to increase and reach 800 in

expected 2050.
anticipated
forecasted
estimated

6.GRAMMAR FOR REPORTING DETAILS

STRUCTURE 1: REPORTING DATA
 Subject + Verb + Object, (at) [data]
Ex: The percentage of sugar consumption reached its peak in 1995, at
45%.
 [Period of time] + witnessed/ saw/ experienced + a rise/
decrease of [data] + in +
[item]
Ex: The period from 1990 to 1995 saw a rise of 5% in the percentage of
sugar consumption.
STRUCTURE 2: REPORTING MAXIMUM POINTS
 [Item] + led the way with/ hit the list with [data]
Ex: The percentage of sugar consumption led the way with 45%.
 At the top position was [items], at [data]
Ex: At the top position was the percentage of sugar consumption, at 45%.
STRUCTURE 3: REPORTING MINIMUM POINTS
 At the bottom position was [item], at [data]
Ex: At the bottom position was the percentage of salt consumption, at
10%.
STRUCTURE 4: SHOWING THE EQUALITY
 [ITEM 1] and [ITEM 2] were (almost) the same, at (around)
[data]
Ex: The percentage of sugar consumption and the percentage of salt
consumption were
Compiled by: Ms. Thanh Ha Mai
Zalo: (+84) 37 422 9598

almost the same, at around 4%.

 [ITEM 1] doubled/trebled/was 4 times higher than that of [ITEM
2], at [DATA OF ITEM 1] and [DATA OF ITEM 2] respectively.
Ex: The percentage of sugar consumption was two times higher than that
of salt
consumption, at 40% and 20% respectively.
STRUCTURE 5: COMPLEX SENTENCE STRUCTURE
 [ITEM 1] + Verb, which was followed by [ITEM 2]
Ex: The percentage of sugar consumption was the highest, which was
followed by that of
salt consumption.
 [ITEM] + Verb before/ prior to/ previous to Verb-ing
Ex: The percentage of sugar consumption increased rapidly before staying
constant from 1990 to 1995.

7.LINKING
First event:
At first,/Initially/In the first year,/In 1999
Middle events:
…and/but…
However/Nevertheless,
Then/Next,/After this,/Following this,/Afterwards,
This is followed by + <n/n.p>
…following/after which… or …which is followed by… + <n/n.p>
…until…after/following which…
…until…when…
…before… + <sentence or n.p.> or After + <sentence or n.p.> , …
during/over the next…years or …years later,

8.APPROXIMATY
– For Trends:
Compiled by: Ms. Thanh Ha Mai
Zalo: (+84) 37 422 9598

relatively/rather/almost
– For Values:
roughly/[just] about/approximately/around
almost/nearly
[just] below/under or [just] above/over
a little/slightly more/less than

9.STRUCTURE FOR BODY

STRUCTURE
Sentence Khai báo dữ liệu ban đầu của đối tượng, đề cập thứ tự của COMPLE
1 nó (REPORT) X
Sentence Miêu tả hành động số liệu của đối tượng (TREND) SINGLE
2
Sentence So sánh với đối tượng khác tương đồng hoặc tương phản COMPLE
3 (COMPARE) X