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1. ABOUT ACADEMIC IELTS TASK 1
There are four marking criteria for Task 1:
A. TASK ACHIEVEMENT
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.
B. COHERENCE AND COHESION
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.
Having very clear ideas and making it clear which paragraph is 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.
C. LEXICAL RESOURCE
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.
D. 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/grammar.
Use both simple and complex sentences.
Use correct punctuation.
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2. TYPES OF DIAGRAMS
Table Bar chart
Line graph Pie chart
Mixed/Two Data (Pie chart and Table) Map
Cycle Process
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3. PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
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.
Writing task 1 consists of 4 paragraphs
1. Introduction / Paraphrase Question (including 1 or 2 sentences)
2. Overview (including at least two important general points, 2-3 sentences)
3. Body Paragraphs (including the details and the factual information presented in the figure as well as relevant comparisons in 6-7 sentences)
4. Conclusion (conditional, if the general information is already written in overview, don’t mention it again in the summary)
A. INTRODUCTION
It states:
Your own words what the graphs/tables/diagrams/processes/cycles/maps are showing.
Includes the place, time, and subject with paraphrasing.
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 Paraphrased
The chart below shows the changes in three different areas of crime in Manchester city centre from 2003-2012.
The line graph displays alterations for burglary, car theft and robbery in the centre of Manchester between 2003 and 2012 Using synonyms
chart line graph
shows displays/reveals
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.
Here is the sentence that might use as introduction:
1. A glance at the chart provided reveals ….
2. Given is/are one/two figure concerning … 3. The graph provides/presents/shows/depicts…
4. The presented/given/provided data shows…
B. OVERVIEW
The overview is the most important paragraph in the whole essay and it is impossible to get a high score if you don’t write a good one.The question for Academic Task 1 is always the same.
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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, 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.
Let’s 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:
Burglary decreases
dramatically.
Car theft increases steadily.
Robbery remains steady throughout the period.
That’s it. You don’t 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 don’t use any other numbers.
Here is the sentence that might use as overview:
1. It is evident that …
2. It is apparent from the information supplied that … 3. The most noticeable feature is that …
4. One particularly interesting fact highlighted by the figure is that …
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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 robberies remained relatively stable between 2003 and 2012
C. BODY
It states:
The feature of the graphs in detail. It could be trends, comparisons, percentage, fractions, and etc, vary depending on the type of graph or diagram, and the type of language will vary, but there is a certain structure that they all follow.
Here is the sentence that might use as starting body:
1. With regard to (topic example “yearly carrying capacity”) … 2. Of these (topic example “activities”) …..
3. Not surprisingly, …
4. From the information supplied, … 5. As shown in the figure…
6. In the first stage, … 7. According to …
8. As the diagram suggested, … 9. Turning to the details, …
How do I answer an IELTS writing task 1?
To analyse this, we’ll look at a line graph. Look at the following question and the graph.
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The line graph below shows changes in the amount and type of fast food consumed by Australian teenagers from 1975 to 2000.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
There are three basic things you need to structure an IELTS writing task 1.
Introduce the graph
Give an overview
Give the detail
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EXAMPLE OF WRITING TASK 1:
Introduce the graph by paraphrasing the question.
The line graph compares the fast food consumption of teenagers in Australia between 1975 and 2000, a period of 25 years.
Give an overview.
Overall, the consumption of fish and chips declined over the period, whereas the amount of pizza and hamburgers that were eaten increased. This covers the main changes that took place over the whole period.
First body paragraph started with what is mentioned first on overview:
In 1975, the most popular fast food with Australian teenagers was fish and chips, being eaten 100 times a year. This was far higher than Pizza and hamburgers, which were consumed approximately 5 times a year. However, apart from a brief rise again from 1980 to 1985, the consumption of fish and chips gradually declined over the 25 year timescale to finish at just under 40.
The second body then focuses on the other attributes:
In sharp contrast to this, teenagers ate the other two fast foods at much higher levels. Pizza consumption increased gradually until it overtook the consumption of fish and chips in 1990.
It then levelled off from 1995 to 2000. The biggest rise was seen in hamburgers as the occasions they were eaten increased sharply throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s, exceeding that of fish and chips in 1985. It finished at the same level that fish and chips began, with consumption at 100 times a year.
D. CONCLUSION (CONDITIONAL)
It states: summary of the additional information from the graphs. If you already write it in the overview, you don’t need to rewrite it in the conclusion section.
Here is the sentence that might use as conclusion:
1. It is interesting to note that … 2. Also not worthy is the fact that …
E. WRAP-UP
NO TYPE OVERVIEW BODY CONCLUSION
(CONDITIONAL) 1 Line, Bar, Pie,
Table
The highest
The lowest
Trends
(Avoid number)
Report main feature / trends / problem
Additional information
2 Process, Cycle How many steps/stages
Simple/complex
Report all data Additional information 3 Maps Rebuilt/construction
City plan
Report all data Additional information
Impact
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4. GRAMMAR
A. TENSES
a) PAST TENSESSimple past:
Used for reporting consecutive events in the past:
There was a significant rise in 1964. Then the figure dipped sharply in 1980.
Past Perfect:
Used for reporting what happened (e.g. the figure reached) by a given time in the past:
There was a significant rise in 1964. Then the figure dipped sharply and had reached 5 by 1980 b) PRESENT TENSE
Simple present:
Used for reporting diagram that have no specific time and occur regularly (e.g. every day), or for reporting the present value or figure of a variable:
There is a significant rise at 6 am every morning. Then the figure increases sharply at 8 am.
The number of people suffering from diarrhea now stands at 158 Present perfect:
Used for reporting diagram that started in the past and have continued until the present time or continue into the future
There has been a significant rise since 2013, and the figure now stands at 15000
There has been a significant rise since 2013 and the figure is expected to reach 15000 in 2030 c) FUTURE
Future forms are used to describe diagram that are predicted and projected for the 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 probably likely to reach 15000 in 2045 The figure should reach 15000 in 2045
The figure is likely to reach 15000 in 2045
It seems likely that the figure will reach 15000 in 2045 Predictions
Forecasts Estimates Evaluations calculations
Show Reveal Indicate illustrate
That the figure will increase and reach 800 in 2045
It is
Predicted Expected Anticipated Forecast Estimated Evaluated Calculated
That the figure will increase and reach 800 in 2045
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The figure is
Predicted Expected Anticipated Forecast Estimated Evaluated Calculated
To increase and reach 800 in 2045
Example of how the following paragraphs have been changed from past forms into future forms:
In 1999, the proportion of people using the internet in the USA was about 20%. The figures for Canada and Mexico were lower, at about 10% and 5% respectively. In 2005, internet usage in both the USA and Canada rose to around 70% of the population, while the figure for Mexico reached just over 25%
In 2030, the proportion of people using the internet in the USA is expected to be about 20%.
The figures for Canada and Mexico are likely to be lower, at about 10% and 5% respectively.
In 2040, it is predicted that internet usage in the both USA and Canada will rise to around 70% of the population, while the figure for Mexico should reach just over 25%
B. PREPOSITIONS
It is important to use the right preposition when you are reporting the features and describing the numbers, prepositions like to, by, with and at when describing numbers and figures. Here are some examples to give you a basic idea of the differences:
1. Use from when describing starting number Profits fell by 10%, from 2,000 to 1,800 in 1970s.
2. Use to when describing what happened to the number: (increase / decrease) In 2008, the rate of unemployment rose to 10%.
3. Use by or of when describing the amount of change between two numbers In 2009, the rate of unemployment fell by 2% (from 10% to 8%).
4. Use with to give the idea of 'having' the number:
He won the election with 52% of the vote.
5. Use at to add the number on the end of a sentence or point at particular number:
Unemployment reached its highest level in 2008, at 10%.
The number of cars sold remained unchanged in 1999 at three million.
6. Use in when describing the time/place/noun/population In the year 2000, sales started at 10,000.
The introduction of DVDs led to a decline of 20% in video sales The survey hopes to track trends in consumer spending 7. Use between … and … when describing range
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Between 1994 and 1997, sales rose steadily to over 20,000.
Canada and Australia’s wheat exports fluctuated between 5 million and 6 million respectively.
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C. LINKING WORDS
First event Middle event Final event
a. Firstly, … b. Initially, … c. Primarily, ….
d. Chiefly, …
e. Predominantly, … f. Most importantly, … g. Principally, … h. Substantially, … i. In essence, … j. First of all, …
k. First and foremost, … l. At first, …
m. At the start, … n. At the outset, … o. At the dawn, … p. To begin with, … q. To start with, … r. In the beginning, … s. In the first place, … t. Above all, …
a. After that, … b. Further, … c. Thereafter, … d. Thereupon, … e. Hereafter, … f. Hereinafter, … g. Then, … h. Forward, … i. Subsequently, … j. Afterwards, … k. After a bit, … l. Next, … m. Later, … n. Later on, …
o. Following this/that, … p. Forth, …
q. Eventually, …
r. At a subsequent time, . s. Ensuing this, …
t. By and by, … u. At a later date, … v. At some time/point in
the future, …
a. Finally, … b. Ultimately, … c. Eventually, … d. Lastly, … e. Concisely, … f. Conclusively, … g. Briefly, … h. Shortly, … i. At last, … j. At length, … k. At long last, … l. To conclude, … m. To end, … n. To end with, … o. To finish, … p. To be brief, … q. To cut a long story
short, … r. To sum up, … s. After all, … t. In conclusion, … u. In depth, … v. In detail, … w. In brief, … x. In short, … y. In a word, … z. In a nutshell, … aa. In summary, …
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5. DESCRIBING TRENDS
EXAMPLE:
GM car sales increased significantly from
$5,000 to $105,000 between 1960 and 2010
There was a significant increase of
$100,000 in GM car sales, from $5,000 to
$105,000 between 1960 and 2010
GM car sales saw a significant growth, from $5,000 to $105,000 between 1960 and 2010
GM car sales registered a significant rise between 1960 and 2010
GM car sales reached a peak at $105,000 in 2010
GM car sales had an enormous climb of
$100,000 between 1960 and 2010 Use past tense because the data is taken in 1960 to 2010
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