WRITING TASK

1
From Simon

Linh
Nguyen

Contents
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1.........................................................................1
General to specific........................................................................................... 1
How to write an introduction............................................................................1
More than one chart......................................................................................... 2
Two different charts.......................................................................................... 2
Process diagrams............................................................................................. 3
Comparisons.................................................................................................... 4
'Consumer durables' table............................................................................... 5
Active & passive for processes.........................................................................5
'Natural process' diagram................................................................................ 6
Line graph........................................................................................................ 7
Pie chart........................................................................................................... 8
Common mistakes........................................................................................... 9
The 'overview'................................................................................................ 10
to, by, with, at................................................................................................ 10
Selecting........................................................................................................ 11
Comparisons.................................................................................................. 12
Describing numbers....................................................................................... 12
The summary paragraph................................................................................ 13
Describing details.......................................................................................... 14
How to select main points.............................................................................. 15
Selecting details............................................................................................. 15
Line graphs.................................................................................................... 16
Process diagrams........................................................................................... 17
General to specific......................................................................................... 17
Tables............................................................................................................. 18
Using 'see' in writing task 1........................................................................... 18
Accuracy........................................................................................................ 19
Describing 2 charts........................................................................................ 19
Comparing numbers...................................................................................... 20
How to describe future years.........................................................................20
Grammar mistakes......................................................................................... 21
Graph showing future years...........................................................................21
Analyse model essays.................................................................................... 22
Introduction for 2 charts................................................................................ 22
1

Singular or plural?.......................................................................................... 22
Table about waste.......................................................................................... 23
Find the mistakes........................................................................................... 24
More than one chart....................................................................................... 24
Paraphrasing.................................................................................................. 25
Bar charts with age groups............................................................................ 26
Choosing which details to include..................................................................27
The overview.................................................................................................. 27
How to use your 20 minutes..........................................................................28
My 10 sentences............................................................................................ 28
Repeating key words...................................................................................... 29
A common mistake........................................................................................ 29
Double, twice as, twofold............................................................................... 30
'to' or 'by'....................................................................................................... 30
Articles........................................................................................................... 31
Process diagrams........................................................................................... 31
Diagram overview.......................................................................................... 32
Using the passive........................................................................................... 32
Describing percentages................................................................................. 33
Repeating words............................................................................................ 33
Maps of an island........................................................................................... 33
Did you analyse?............................................................................................ 34
Language for comparing................................................................................ 35
Different introductions................................................................................... 35
The most important skill................................................................................ 36
Too many synonyms....................................................................................... 36
Students' questions........................................................................................ 37
Comparing numbers...................................................................................... 37
The same language........................................................................................ 38
'Special' language.......................................................................................... 38
Flow chart...................................................................................................... 39
Why was it band 9?........................................................................................ 39
Technique review........................................................................................... 40
Paraphrasing.................................................................................................. 40
Nouns and verbs............................................................................................ 41
Add a comparison.......................................................................................... 41
Ages and age groups..................................................................................... 42
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Easy introductions.......................................................................................... 42
Make a list of collocations.............................................................................. 43
Fill the gaps.................................................................................................... 43
Shows, compares, illustrates..........................................................................44
Real statistics................................................................................................. 44
Nouns and verbs............................................................................................ 44
Vocabulary: soar, rocket, plummet.................................................................45
Two different charts........................................................................................ 45
Variety............................................................................................................ 45
'Details' paragraphs....................................................................................... 46
Verbs.............................................................................................................. 46
Percentages................................................................................................... 47
A few good phrases........................................................................................ 47
Rise or raise?................................................................................................. 48
Verbs and nouns for trends............................................................................ 48
Some grammar / vocabulary..........................................................................49
Using words from the chart............................................................................49
Passive sentences.......................................................................................... 50
Using 'by'....................................................................................................... 50
A real-life example of writing task 1...............................................................51
Three sentence types..................................................................................... 51
Past simple, past perfect................................................................................ 51
Using 'in terms of'.......................................................................................... 52
'with' or 'at'?.................................................................................................. 52
'with' and 'at'................................................................................................. 52
IELTS Writing Task 1: correct the mistakes.....................................................53
'while' sentences............................................................................................ 53
Students' questions........................................................................................ 54
The most common mistake............................................................................ 54
The most important skill................................................................................ 55
One correct sentence!.................................................................................... 55
Different word forms...................................................................................... 56
Pie chart and table......................................................................................... 56
Trying too hard!.............................................................................................. 57
Timing and introduction................................................................................. 58
Grammar exercise.......................................................................................... 58
Avoid common mistakes................................................................................ 59
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Don't use these phrases................................................................................. 59

Important little words..................................................................................... 60
Mistakes in the introduction...........................................................................61
Collocations.................................................................................................... 62
'overview' not conclusion............................................................................... 63
Paraphrasing and comparisons......................................................................63
Introduction problems.................................................................................... 64
Simplified introduction................................................................................... 64
Where to put the figure.................................................................................. 65
Charts showing countries............................................................................... 65

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

The IELTS Writing Test should start at 11.45am, after the Reading Test. There are 2
parts to the Writing Test, and you have a total of 60 minutes to complete them.
You should spend 20 minutes doing IELTS Writing Task 1. You must write 150 words
or more. You will have to describe a graph, chart, table, diagram or map.
The good news is that you can quickly learn how to write a Task 1 essay. I'll make sure
you know exactly what to do in the exam.
We'll work on these areas:
How to structure a good Task 1 essay.
How to decide what information to include in your description.
4

 The words, phrases and grammatical structures for describing graphs, charts,
tables, diagrams and maps.
By using the right techniques, you can write the kind of essay that examiners like.
Thursday, June 03, 2010

General to specific
My IELTS Writing Task 1 essays follow a "general to specific" structure.
The introduction is the most general part of the essay; it simply tells the reader
what the graph is about.
Then I write a paragraph about the main points or a general trend.
Finally, I write 2 paragraphs describing specific facts or figures.
I don't write a conclusion because I have already summarised the information
in paragraph 2.
Thursday, August 05, 2010

How to write an introduction

The introduction to an IELTS writing task 1 essay should explain what the chart/graph
shows. To do this, just paraphrase the question (rewrite it in your own words).
Here is an example description from an IELTS Task 1 question:
The graph below shows the proportion of the population aged 65 and over
between 1940 and 2040 in three different countries.
By rewriting this description with a few changes, I can quickly create a good
introduction:
The line graph compares the percentage of people aged 65 or more in three
countries over a period of 100 years.
If you practise this technique, you will be able to write task 1 introductions very
quickly. You will be able to start the writing test quickly and confidently.
Thursday, September 30, 2010

More than one chart

How do you answer a task 1 question that has more than one chart or graph?
Here's my advice:
Introduction
Write your introduction in the usual way: paraphrase the question. For this kind of
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question, it's easier to write 2 sentences e.g. "The first chart illustrates... The second
chart shows..."
Summary
Write a paragraph describing the main points. If possible, try to summarise all of the
information, rather than writing a separate summary for each chart. Look for a topic or
trend that links the charts.
Details
Describe each chart separately. Just write a short paragraph about each chart. Choose
the most important information from each one.
Thursday, November 18, 2010

Two different charts

Sometimes you are given two different charts e.g. a line graph and a bar chart, or a bar
chart and a pie chart.
How to describe two different charts in 4 paragraphs:
1. Mention each chart in the introduction. Sometimes it's easier to write a
sentence for each.
2. Describe the main feature of each chart. If there is a connection between the
charts, describe it.
3. Describe the first chart.
4. Describe the second chart.
Find Cambridge IELTS 4, page 54, which shows a line graph and a pie chart.
Click here to see a website that has a copy of this question.
Here is my introduction and summary paragraph for the above question:
The line graph compares daily electricity consumption in England during the winter
and summer, while the pie chart shows information about the different uses of this
electricity in an average English household.
It is clear that English homes use around double the amount of electricity in the winter
compared to the summer. Throughout the year, just over half of the electricity
consumed by English households is used for heating rooms and water.

Thursday, December 09, 2010

Process diagrams
Here is some advice for describing a process diagram. The question I'm using comes
from Cambridge IELTS 6. It's also on this website (go down the page to test 3).
Advice:
1. Introduction: paraphrase the question (one sentence).
2. Summary paragraph: write how many steps there are. You could also mention
the first step and the last step (two sentences).
3. Details: describe each step in the diagrams.
Introduction and summary paragraphs:
The figures illustrate the stages in the life of a silkworm and the process of producing
silk cloth.
There are four main stages in the life cycle of the silkworm, from eggs to adult moth.
The process of silk cloth production involves six steps, from silkworm cocoon to silk
material.

Thursday, January 06, 2011

Comparisons
Yesterday I looked at this question with my students. When describing a line graph:

- Do not describe each line separately.

- You must compare the figures.
Here is an example of how to compare the 4 lines for the year 1990:
In 1990, almost 90% of 14 to 24 year olds went to the cinema at least once a year.
Cinema attendance was about 30% lower than this among people aged 25 to 34 and
35 to 49, while the figure for those aged over 50 was the lowest, at only 40%.
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Thursday, January 13, 2011

'Consumer durables' table

Yesterday I looked at the following question with my students.
The table below shows the consumer durables owned in Britain from 1972 to 1983.

Here's our essay plan:

1.
2.
3.
4.

Introduction: paraphrase the question

Overview: highest = TV, biggest change = telephone and central heating
Describe figures for the 4 items with highest percentages
Describe figures for the 4 items with lowest percentages

We did paragraph 3 as an example:

In 1972, 93% of British homes had a television, and this increased to 98% in 1983.
The majority of homes also had a vacuum cleaner and a refrigerator. These consumer
durables were owned by over 90% of households by the end of the period. Washing
machines were the fourth most common item, with 66% of households owning one in
1972, rising to 80% of households in 1983.
Thursday, February 17, 2011

Active & passive for processes

When describing a process, verbs may be 'active' or 'passive'.
Active: A chicken lays an egg.
Passive: An egg is laid (by a chicken).
We often use the active to describe a natural process and the passive to describe a manmade process. The sentences below come from this lesson. I've underlined the active
and passive verbs.

Life cycle (natural process):

The adult moth lays its eggs.
The silkworm larva produces silk thread.

Production of silk cloth (man-made

process):
The cocoon is boiled in water.
The silk thread is unwound, twisted and
then dyed.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

'Natural process' diagram

Some of my students are working on the following question:
The diagram below shows the water cycle, which is the continuous movement of
water on, above and below the surface of the Earth.

Here are some tips:

1.Introduction: Paraphrase the question. You could use the words 'natural
process'.
2.Summary: Say how many steps there are, and mention the first and last steps.
You can choose where the cycle begins, but I'd start from the ocean.
3.Details (2 paragraphs): Describe the process step by step. You don't have to
mention every word shown on the diagram, so don't worry if you don't
understand 'salt water intrusion'.
4.No conclusion: It's a description, so there is nothing to conclude.
Note:
Verbs will be ACTIVE, not passive e.g. "water evaporates", not "water is evaporated".

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Thursday, March 17, 2011

Line graph
The graph below shows the demand for electricity in England during typical days in
winter and summer. (Cambridge IELTS 4, page 54)

Fill the gaps below using words from the following list:
demand (x2)
lowest
at (x2)
in
highest
consumption (x2)
peaks
twice
1. The daily ______ of electricity in England is about ______ as high in the winter
compared to the summer.
2. During the winter, ______ for electricity ______ ______ around 45,000 units
between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.
3. During the summer, ______ of electricity is at its ______, at about 20,000 units,
between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
4. ______ for electricity is ______ its ______ between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. ______ both
seasons.
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
1. consumption, twice
2. demand, peaks at
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3. consumption, highest
4. demand, at, lowest, in
Note: "demand FOR", "consumption OF"

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Thursday, April 07, 2011

Pie chart
The pie chart below shows how electricity is used in an average English home.
(Cambridge IELTS 4, page 54)

Fill the gaps using words from the following list.

appliances
remaining
account
proportion
for
largest
household
In an average English home, the ______ ______ of electricity, 52.5%, is used for
heating rooms and water.
Three kitchen ______, namely ovens, kettles and washing machines, ______ ______
17.5% of ______ electricity use.
The ______ 30% of electricity is used for lighting, televisions and radios (15%), and
vacuum cleaners, food mixers and electric tools (15%).
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
largest proportion
appliances, account for, household
remaining
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Thursday, April 21, 2011

Common mistakes
Many students make the same mistakes when describing numbers. You must express
numbers correctly if you want to get a high score.
Look at the graph below (thanks to Magi for sending it to me).

What is wrong with these sentences?

1.
2.
3.
4.

In 1985, Canada was about 19 million tonnes.

Australia was lower, at 15 million tonnes of wheat exports.
In 1988, Canada increased by about 5 million tonnes of wheat exports.
Australia exported about 11 millions of tonnes of wheat in 1990.

What big mistake in the first 3 sentences has not been made in the 4th sentence?
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
1. In 1985, Canada exported about 19 million tonnes of wheat.
2. Australia exported less wheat, at 15 million tonnes.
3. In 1988, Canadian wheat exports increased by about 5 million tonnes.
4. Australia exported about 11 million tonnes of wheat in 1990.
NOTE 1:
You can't say "Canada was 19 million tonnes" or "Australia was lower" or "Canada
increased" - the country didn't increase, the wheat exports increased.
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NOTE 2:
The verb use was the big mistake in the first 3 sentences (e.g. 'Canada was' - see note
1). The 4th sentence is better because the verb 'exported' is used. However, we don't
say "11 millions of tonnes", we say "11 million tonnes".
Thursday, April 28, 2011

The 'overview'
If you want to get a high score for task 1, you must write an 'overview' of the
information. An overview is a summary of the main points or general trends.

I try to write two sentences for my overview, so I look for two main points or trends. I
don't usually mention any numbers because I save them for my 'details' paragraphs.
Example overview: It is clear that Canada exported more wheat than Australia and
the European Community for most of the period shown. However, while Canada's
wheat exports fluctuated and Australia's fell, wheat exports from the European
Community rose steadily.
Thursday, May 05, 2011

to, by, with, at

Several people have asked me to explain how to use to, by, with and at when
describing numbers. Here are some examples to give you a basic idea of the
differences:
1) Use to when describing what happened to the number:
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In 2008, the rate of unemployment rose to 10%.

2) Use by when describing the amount of change between two numbers:
In 2009, the rate of unemployment fell by 2% (from 10% to 8%).
3) Use with to give the idea of 'having' the number:
Obama won the election with 52% of the vote.
4) Use at to add the number on the end of a sentence:
Unemployment reached its highest level in 2008, at 10%.

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Thursday, June 09, 2011

Selecting
The following bar chart has a total of 24 bars. It's impossible to describe 24 pieces of
information in only 20 minutes, so you need to select.

A simple rule is to select at least one key thing about each country. Here are some
examples:
Britain: highest spending on all 6 products, give the figure for photographic film.
France: second highest for 3 products, but lowest for the other 3.
Italy: Italians spent more money on toys than on any other product.
Germany: lowest spending overall, similar figures for all 6 products

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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Comparisons
You can use "compared to", "compared with" and "in comparison with" in the same
way. For example:
Prices in the UK are high compared to/with / in comparison with (prices in)
Canada and Australia.
Compared to/with / In comparison with (prices in) Canada and Australia, prices
in the UK are high.
When writing about numbers or changes, I find it easier to use "while" or "whereas":
There are 5 million smokers in the UK, while / whereas only 2 million
Canadians and 1 million Australians smoke.
Between 1990 and 2000, the number of smokers in the UK decreased
dramatically, while / whereas the figures for Canada and Australia remained
the same.
Please note:
We DONT say "comparing to".
We say "2 million" NOT "2 millions".
Thursday, June 30, 2011

Describing numbers

UK marriages, 1951 - 2009

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Here are 5 different sentences describing the 'all marriages' figure for the year 1951:
Around 400,000 couples got married in the UK in 1951.
Around 400,000 weddings took place in the UK in the year 1951.
In 1951, there were around 400,000 marriages in the UK.
In 1951, the number of UK marriages stood at about 400,000.
In 1951, the figure for marriages in the UK was approximately 400,000.
Thursday, July 07, 2011

The summary paragraph

As part of your task 1 essay, you need to write a general summary of the information
(examiners call this the 'overview'). I usually write my summary straight after the
introduction, but you can also put it at the end of the essay.
To summarise graphs, I look for the overall change from the first year to the last year
shown. I also look for the main trends or the highest and lowest numbers.

Here's my 2-sentence summary for the graph above:

It is clear that the total number of marriages per year fell between 1951 and 2009.
While the number of first marriages fell dramatically from the end of the 1960s, the
figure for remarriages remained stable.

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Thursday, July 14, 2011

Describing details

Try to write 2 paragraphs describing details. It looks more organised if you divide the
information into 2 parts.
For line graphs, I always use the following approach:
1st detail paragraph: compare the numbers for the first year (e.g. 1951), then describe
the changes up to a key point on the graph (e.g. peak numbers in 1971).
2nd detail paragraph: explain the general trend for each line after the key point (1971),
then compare the numbers for the last year shown (2009).

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Thursday, July 21, 2011

How to select main points

After a short introduction, I always try to write a paragraph which summarises the
main points. When there is a lot of information (like in the bar chart below), it can be
difficult to select the main points.
The table below shows the figures for imprisonment in five countries between 1930
and 1980. (The y axis shows numbers of prisoners in thousands)

(Cambridge IELTS 2)
Usually I look for a change from the beginning to the end of the period. However,
there is no overall trend because the figures fluctuate. So, I'll talk about the highest and
lowest figures instead.
Here is my summary of the main points:
While the figures for imprisonment fluctuated over the period shown, it is clear that
the United States had the highest number of prisoners overall. Great Britain, on the
other hand, had the lowest number of prisoners for the majority of the period.
Thursday, July 28, 2011

Selecting details
The bar chart we saw last week contains a lot of information, so you will not be able to
include everything.
Make sure that you write something about each country. Select the most relevant point
for each country, and don't forget to mention some figures. I've written an example
sentence about each country below.

United States
The United States had the highest number of prisoners in four out of the six years
shown on the chart, and in 1980 the figure for this country peaked at nearly 140,000
prisoners.
Canada
Canada had the highest figures for imprisonment in 1930 and 1950, with about
120,000 prisoners in both years.
New Zealand and Australia
The figures for New Zealand an Australia fluctuated between 40,000 and 100,000
prisoners, although New Zealand's prison population tended to be the higher of the
two.
Great Britain
In contrast to the figures for the other countries, the number of prisoners in Great
Britain rose steadily between 1930 and 1980, reaching a peak of about 80,000 at the
end of the period.
Thursday, September 01, 2011

Line graphs
Line graphs always show changes over time. Here's some advice about how to
describe them:
Try to write 4 paragraphs - introduction, summary of main points, 2 detail
paragraphs.
For your summary paragraph, look at the "big picture" - what changes happened
to all of the lines from the beginning to the end of the period shown (i.e. from
the first year to the last). Is there a trend that all of the lines follow (e.g. an
overall increase)?
You don't need to give numbers in your summary paragraph. Numbers are
specific details. Just mention general things like 'overall change', 'highest' and
'lowest', without giving specific figures.
Never describe each line separately. The examiner wants to see comparisons.
If the graph shows years, you won't have time to mention all of them. The key
years to describe are the first year and the last year. You should also mention
any 'special' years (e.g. a peak or a significant rise/fall).
Start describing details (paragraph 3) with a comparison of the lines for the first
year shown on the graph (e.g. In 1990, the number of...).

 Use the past simple (increased, fell) for past years, and 'will' or 'is
expected/predicted to' for future years.
DONT use the passive (e.g. the number was increased), continuous (e.g. the
number was increasing), or perfect tenses (e.g. the number has increased).

Thursday, September 08, 2011

Process diagrams
Process diagrams show how something is done or made. They always show
steps/stages. Here's some advice about how to describe them:
Try to write 4 paragraphs - introduction, summary of main points, 2 detail
paragraphs.
Write the introduction by paraphrasing the question (rewrite it by changing
some of the words).
For your summary, first say how many steps there are in the process. Then say
where/how the process begins and ends (look at the first and last stages).
In paragraphs 3 and 4, describe the process step by step. Include the first and
last steps that you mentioned in the summary, but try to describe them in more
detail or in a different way.
You could describe the steps in one paragraph, but it looks more organised if
you break the description into two paragraphs. Just start paragraph 4
somewhere in the middle of the process.
Mention every stage in the process.
Use 'sequencing' language e.g. at the first / second / following / final stage of
the process, next, after that, then, finally etc.
Times (e.g. past dates) are not usually shown, so use the present simple tense.
It's usually a good idea to use the passive e.g. 'At the final stage, the product is
delivered to shops' (because we don't need to know who delivered the
product).
Thursday, October 06, 2011

General to specific
If you read any of my example essays, you will see that I always write 4 paragraphs,
and I use a "general to specific" essay structure.
The introduction is the most general part of the essay; it tells the reader what
the chart is about.
Then I write a paragraph about the main points or the most general points.
Finally, I write 2 paragraphs describing specific facts or figures.
I don't write a conclusion because I have already summarised the information
in paragraph 2.
One reason I put the summary near the beginning (rather than at the end) is because I
think it's easier to describe general things first, then specific things later.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Tables
Tables seem difficult when they contain a lot of numbers. Here's some advice:
Try to write 4 paragraphs - introduction, summary of main points, 2 detail
paragraphs.
Before you start writing, highlight some key numbers. Choose the biggest
number in each category in the table (i.e. in each column and row). If the table
shows years, look for the biggest changes in numbers over the time period.
You could also mention the smallest numbers, but you can ignore 'middle'
numbers (neither biggest nor smallest).
For your summary paragraph, try to compare whole categories (columns or
rows) rather than individual 'cells' in the table. If you can't compare whole
categories, compare the biggest and smallest number. Write 2 sentences for the
summary.
In your two 'details' paragraphs, never describe each category (column or row)
separately. The examiner wants to see comparisons. Try to organise the
numbers you highlighted into 2 groups - one for each paragraph (e.g. highest
numbers for all categories together, and lowest numbers together).
Describe / compare the numbers you highlighted - include at least 3 numbers in
each paragraph.
Use the past simple for past years, and 'will' or 'is expected/predicted to' for
future years. If no time is shown, use the present simple.
Sunday, November 27, 2011

Using 'see'
A few people have asked me about using 'see' to describe numbers on a graph or chart.
Look at the following sentence:
In Britain, CD sales increased dramatically in the 1980s.
We can write the same sentence in various ways using 'see':
Britain saw a dramatic increase in CD sales in the 1980s.
The 1980s saw a dramatic increase in CD sales in Britain.
British shops saw CD sales increase dramatically in the 1980s.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Accuracy
The gap-fill exercise below should test whether you can describe numbers accurately.
I'll put the correct answers in the 'comments' area tomorrow.
UK Household Expenditure in 2009
Household ______ ______ highest in the transport category, ______ 63 a week. This
included 21.10 per week ______ purchase of vehicles, 31.80 on the operation of
personal transport (such as petrol, diesel, repairs and servicing) and 10.50 on
transport services such as rail, tube and bus fares.
Food and non-alcoholic drink purchases ______ 51 to weekly household expenditure
- 13.10 of which ______ ______ on meat and fish, 3.70 on fresh vegetables, and
3.00 on fresh fruit. Non-alcoholic drinks ______ ______ 4.00 ______ weekly
expenditure, and 2.10 per week was spent on chocolate and confectionery.
Fill the gaps with the following words:
spent, spending, for, on, at, of, accounted, contributed, was (x2)
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
spending was

at

on

contributed

was spent

accounted for

of

Thursday, January 05, 2012

Describing 2 charts
Here are some tips for writing about 2 charts, graphs or tables:
1. Introduction
Write one sentence, but introduce each chart separately e.g. "The first bar chart
shows..., and the second chart illustrates..."
2. Summary of main points
Write 2 sentences. If the information in the charts is not connected, find one main
point or general trend for each chart. If the charts are connected, try to make
comparisons.
3. Main body paragraphs
If the 2 charts are completely different (e.g. a graph and a table), write a separate
paragraph about each.

If the charts are the same, and show the same information (e.g. 2 pie charts), don't
describe them separately; the examiner will want to see comparisons. In this case, you
could write one paragraph describing all of the information, but I still prefer to write 2
paragraphs because it makes the essay look more organised.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Comparing numbers
Fill the gaps in the following text using the words below it. If you find any of the gaps
difficult, miss them and come back to them after doing the easier ones.
Emigration from the UK
The number of people leaving the UK for 12 months or more ______ ______ record
______ in 2008, ______ an estimated 427,000 people emigrating. This ______ ______
from 341,000 in 2007.
There has been a large ______ ______ the number of people emigrating for work
related reasons, particularly those with a definite job to go to. In 2008 an estimated
136,000 people emigrated from the UK to take up a definite job, ______ ______
100,000 in 2007.
- in
- high
- compared

- increase
- was

- up

- reached

- with (x2)

-a

CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:

- REACHED A record HIGH... WITH
- This WAS UP from
- a large INCREASE IN
- COMPARED WITH
Thursday, January 19, 2012

How to describe future years

Several people have asked me how to write about future years on a graph or chart. For
example, what tense should you use if the graph shows the year 2025?
Try this exercise: take a description of past years, and rewrite it with future years.
Past:
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%.
Future (I've changed the years and the verbs):

In 2015, the proportion of people using the Internet in the USA is expected to beabout
20%. The figures for Canada and Mexico are likely to be lower, at about 10% and 5%
respectively. In 2025, it is predicted that Internet usage in both the USA and
Canada will rise to around 70% of the population, while the figure for Mexico should
reach just over 25%.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Grammar mistakes
Can you find the mistakes in the following sentences?
1.The first table shows us the rate of marriage and divorce between 1970 - 2000.
2.While the divorce rate increased from 1 million to 1.5 million during the same
period.
3.As from 1990 to 2000 marriage rate has decreased relatively from 2.5 to 2
million.
4.As shown in table 1 that the total number of marriages were high in 1970.
5.Finally few people got divorced in 1970 than 2000.
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
1. The first table shows us the rate of marriage and divorce between 1970 - 2000.
- delete 'us'
- make 'marriage' and 'divorce' plural
- write '1970 and 2000'
The first table shows the rate of marriages and divorces between 1970 and 2000.
2. While the divorce rate increased from 1 million to 1.5 million during the same
period.
- delete 'while' because there is no contrast in this sentence
The divorce rate increased from 1 million to 1.5 million during the same period.
3. As from 1990 to 2000 marriage rate has decreased relatively from 2.5 to 2 million.
- delete 'as'
- write 'the marriage rate'
- use the past simple 'decreased', not 'has decreased'
- delete 'relatively'
From 1990 to 2000 the marriage rate decreased from 2.5 to 2 million.
4. As shown in table 1 that the total number of marriages were high in 1970.

- write 'the first table shows that' instead of 'as shown in table 1 that'
- 'was' instead of 'were' because 'the total number' is singular
- I think the student means 'highest' instead of 'high'
The first table shows that the total number of marriages was highest in 1970.
5. Finally few people got divorced in 1970 than 2000.
- put a comma after 'Finally'
- 'fewer' instead of 'few' because this is a comparison
Finally, fewer people got divorced in 1970 than 2000.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Graph showing future years

The graph below shows the proportion of the population aged 65 and over between
1940 and 2040 in three different countries.

Here are the steps I would follow to write my essay:

Introduction: write one sentence to introduce what the graph shows. Just paraphrase
the question statement (i.e. change a few words).

Summary: describe 2 main things e.g. the overall trend for all 3 countries, and the
biggest change that you can see.
Details: compare all 3 countries in 1940, then in 1990.
Details: describe the dramatic increase predicted for Japan, and compare all 3
countries in 2040.
Thursday, March 29, 2012

Analyse model essays

Maybe you read my line graph essay last week, but did you really study it?
Here's some example analysis of last week's essay:
Structure - 4 paragraphs: introduction, overview, 2 specific details
Paraphrasing - proportion of the population = percentage of people (find more
examples)
Overview - overall trend, then biggest change
Selecting key information - first year (1940), middle years (1990, early
2000s), end of period (2030 to 2040)
Comparing - in each country, most dramatic, and, compared to, by contrast,
while, slightly lower, respectively (analyse my sentences to learn how to use
these words correctly)
Verbs - compares, increases, is expected to see, were, rose, remained... (look
carefully at the use of tenses)
It's possible to read model essays quickly and learn a little. It's also possible to spend a
long time studying them carefully and learn a lot!
Thursday, April 05, 2012

Introduction for 2 charts

You might find it easier to introduce two different charts by writing two separate
sentences.
Here is an example question about a graph and bar chart:
The charts below give information about travel to and from the UK, and about the
most popular countries for UK residents to visit.
Here is my 2-sentence introduction:
The graph shows numbers of visits to the UK and trips abroad by UK residents.
The bar chart shows the five most popular destinations for UK travellers.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Singular or plural?
Students often make simple mistakes with singular and plural forms. The problem is
that the words used on graphs, charts and tables are usually singular.
So, the labels on a chart could be:
single parent
graduate
only child
laptop computer
But when you write a sentence, you might need to use a plural:
The number of single parents increased.
In 1999 nearly 55% of graduates were female.
The UK has the highest number of only children.
More laptop computers were sold in the UK than any other country.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Table about waste

The table below shows the amount of waste production (in millions of tonnes) in six
different countries in three different years over a twenty-year period.

A few things to consider before you write your essay:

1.
2.
3.
4.

Can you think of a few alternative ways to write "waste production"?

What is the most noticeable feature of the table?
Is there a general trend over the period of time shown?
How can you separate the information into 2 groups (in order to write 2
paragraphs about specific details)?

Here are my answers:

1.It's fine to repeat the word 'waste' because there isn't really an ideal synonym
('rubbish' and 'garbage' have a more limited meaning). However, we can vary
our sentences by writing things like 'waste output', 'waste materials' or 'the
waste that was produced'.
2.The most noticeable feature must be that the US produced by far the most waste
in all 3 years. Use this idea in you 'overview' paragraph.
3.The general trend is that waste production rose in every country apart from
Korea. This could be your second 'overview' idea.
4.I would write one main paragraph comparing the 3 countries with the highest
figures (US, Japan, Korea), and a separate paragraph about Ireland, Poland
and Portugal. Try to use some 'comparing' language when describing the
countries (e.g. while, whereas, by contrast) and some 'trend' language when
describing the years (e.g. increased, rose, fell).

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Find the mistakes

Can you find the mistakes in the paragraph below?
In 1980, the US produced 131 millions of tonnes of waste. Japan was in second place
with 28 millions, while the figures for Poland, Portugal and Ireland were less than 5
millions. In 1990, the US was 151, and in 2000 it rose to 192 millions.
Note: Some of the mistakes are not related to grammar.
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
Mistakes:
1. When there is a number we say "131 million tonnes".
ONLY use "millions of tonnes" when there is no number.
2. DONT write "in first/second place". It's not a competition!

3. DON'T write "the US was + number"

From Oxford: You say a, one, two, several, etc. million without a final s on
million. Millions (of) can be used if there is no number or quantity before it.
Always use a plural verb with million or millions, except when an amount of money is
mentionedFour million (people) were affected.Two million (pounds) was withdrawn
from the account.

So, here's my corrected paragraph:

In 1980, the US produced 131 million tonnes of waste. Japan produced the second
largest amount, with 28 million tonnes, while the figures for Poland, Portugal and
Ireland were less than 5 million. In 1990, the US created 151 million tonnes of waste,
and in 2000 this rose to 192 million tonnes.
Thursday, June 21, 2012

More than one chart

Many students are still worried about questions with more than one chart.
Here are some tips:
1.If there are 2 charts, they often show different information. Don't worry about
comparing them. Just do: introduction, overview, then one paragraph for each
chart.
2.If the units are different (e.g. one chart shows 'millions' and the other shows
'percentages'), you can't usually compare them.
3.If the units are the same, you can probably compare the charts.
4.If there are 3 or 4 charts, you can usually compare them.

To see an essay about 2 different charts

t1-marriage-charts.
pdf

(Cambridge IELTS 6, p98).

To see an essay about 4 related charts click here (Cambridge IELTS 7, p101).
Thursday, June 28, 2012

Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing means writing something in a different way (using your own words).
Here are some simple changes you can make:
graph = line graph
chart = bar chart
diagram = figure

 shows = illustrates (or 'compares' if the graph is comparing)

proportion = percentage
information = data
the number of = the figure for
the proportion of = the figure for
people in the USA = Americans
from 1999 to 2009 = between 1999 and 2009
from 1999 to 2009 = over a period of 10 years
how to produce = the process of producing
in three countries = in the UK, France and Spain (i.e. name the countries)
Tip: "The figure for / figures for" is a great phrase that not many people use (e.g. the
graph shows figures for unemployment in three countries).

Thursday, July 05, 2012

Bar charts with age groups

A few people have asked about the question on page 52 of Cambridge IELTS 5.
The charts below show the main reasons for study among students of different age
groups and the amount of support they received from employers.

As usual, I recommend writing 4 paragraphs:

1.
2.
3.
4.

A quick introduction to say what the charts show.

An overview of the main features - one sentence for each chart.
Describe the first chart in detail.
Describe the second chart in detail.

Here's an example introduction and overview:

The first bar chart compares students of different ages in terms of why they are
studying their chosen courses, and the second chart compares the same age groups in
terms of the help they require at work.

It is clear that the proportion of people who study for career purposes is far higher
among the younger age groups, and decreases steadily with age. The need for
employer support also decreases with age, but only up to the point when employees
enter their forties.
Thursday, July 12, 2012

Choosing which details to include

In last week's lesson I wrote an introduction and overview for a question about two bar
charts. For paragraphs 3 and 4, we need to describe each chart in detail.
I usually find that 3 sentences are enough for a good 'details' paragraph, which means
that we only need to choose 3 things to describe for each chart.
3 sentences about the first chart:
1.Compare the percentages for students under 26.
2.Mention the overall trend as students get older, and that the proportions are the
same for the 40-49 age group.
3.Compare the percentages for students over 49.
3 sentences about the second chart:
1. Write about the two youngest age groups.
2. Write about the 30-39 age group.
3. Write about the two oldest age groups.
Thursday, August 02, 2012

The overview
A current examiner recently told me that the most common mistake in students' task 1
essays is that there is no overview. This was also true when I was an examiner.
So what makes a good overview? Here are a few tips:
An overview is simply a summary of the main things you can see.
Because the overview is so important, I recommend putting it at the beginning
of your essay, just after the introduction sentence.
I write two overview sentences. A one-sentence overview isn't really enough.
Try not to include specific numbers in the overview. Save the specifics for later
paragraphs.
Look at the 'big picture' e.g. the overall change from the first year to the last
year (if years are shown on the chart), the differences between whole

categories rather than single numbers, or the total number of stages in a

process.
Have another look at the overview paragraphs (paragraph 2) in the essays I've written
here on the site. Analyse them carefully, and practise writing your own overviews in
the same way.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

How to use your 20 minutes

You have 20 minutes for task 1, so try spending 5 minutes on each paragraph. This
might help you to organise your time better.
First 5 minutes
Read the question, make sure you understand the chart, write your introduction by
paraphrasing the question.
Second 5 minutes
Look at the chart and try to find 2 general points. Don't look at specific details; look
for "the big picture". Write 2 sentences summarising the information.
Final 10 minutes
Describe specific details. Try to break this part into 2 paragraphs because it looks
better. You could spend 5 minutes on each paragraph.
Thursday, September 27, 2012

My 10 sentences
Last week I explained how to write 10 sentences about the chart below.
Average weekly household expenditure by region, 2007-09

Weekly expenditure ()
Here are my 10 sentences:
1. The bar chart shows average weekly spending by households in different
areas of England between 2007 and 2009.
2. Households in the south of the country spent more on average than those in
the north.
3. Average weekly spending by households was highest in London and lowest in
the North East.
4. English households spent on average around 470 per week.
5. The average expenditure for households in London was about 560 per week,
almost 100 more than the overall figure for England.
6. Households in the South East, East and South West also spent more than the
national average.
7. Weekly household spending figures for those three regions were approximately
520, 490 and 480 respectively.
8. Similar levels of household spending were seen in the West Midlands, the
North West and the East Midlands, at about 430 to 450 per week.
9. In the region of Yorkshire and the Humber, households spent approximately
400 per week, while expenditure in the North East was around 10 per week
lower than this.
10. It is noticeable that average weekly expenditure by households in the North
East was around 80 less than the national average, and around 170 less
than the London average.
Thursday, October 04, 2012

Repeating key words

Repeating a key word or phrase a few times is not a problem; sometimes it is

necessary to show that you are consistently talking about the same thing. If you try to
use too much variety, there is a danger that you will confuse the reader or write
something that does not mean what you want it to mean.
It's fine to either repeat the key words or make small changes. Look at these examples
of small changes I made to the phrase average weekly spending:
spent on average
average expenditure
weekly spending figures
levels of spending
spent per week
expenditure per week
Thursday, October 11, 2012

A common mistake
You should say "10 million" not "10 millions". It's the same with hundred, thousand,

Correct: 10 million people

Wrong: 10 millions people, 10 millions of people, 10 million of people
NOTE: When there is no number, we do write "millions of".
e.g. Millions of people travel abroad each year.

Thursday, November 01, 2012

Double, twice as, twofold

A few students have asked me about how to use 'double', 'twice as', 'three times',
'twofold', 'threefold' etc. Compare how each word/phrase is used in the following
examples:
1. 'double' (verb)
The number of unemployed people doubled between 2005 and 2009.
2. 'twice as...as/compared to', 'three times as...as/compared to'
There were twice as many unemployed people in 2009 as in 2005.
Twice as many people were unemployed in 2009 compared to 2005.
3. 'twofold', 'threefold' (adjective or adverb)

There was a twofold increase in the number of unemployed people between 2005 and
2009. (adjective with the noun 'increase')
The number of unemployed people increased twofold between 2005 and 2009. (adverb
with the verb 'increase')
* Try using these forms in your own sentences. Make sure you follow the patterns.
Thursday, November 15, 2012

'to' or 'by'
In IELTS writing task 1, you might need to use verbs like increase, decrease, rise and
fall. These verbs can be followed by the words 'to' and 'by', but what's the difference?
Let's use these figures:
- Company profit in 2005 = 20,000
- Company profit in 2010 = 25,000
Now compare these sentences:
- Company profit rose to 25,000 in 2010.
- Company profit rose by 5,000 between 2005 and 2010.
It's easy: 'to' is used before the new figure, and 'by' is used to show the change. It's the
same when you are talking about a fall.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Articles
Correct or natural use of articles (the, a, an) is probably one of the most difficult things
for learners of English to master. For example, why did I write "temperatures are
highest" instead of "temperatures are the highest" in the essay I wrote last week?

There are many other complex 'rules' about article use in English, which grammar
books and websites do their best to explain. I also recommend using Google in the way
described below.
Task: try Googling the phrases "temperatures were highest" and "temperatures
were the highest" (make sure you put the quotation marks so that Google searches for
the whole phrase). Compare the number of search results to see which is more
common, then look through the results to find good examples of full sentences for
each phrase. You might find that good examples help you more than grammar rules do.
Thursday, December 06, 2012

Process diagrams
The following paragraph describes the process of making cement.
At the first stage in the cement production process, limestone and clay are crushed to
form a powder. This powder is then mixed and passed through a rotating heater. The
resulting mixture is ground, and finally the end product, cement, is packed into large
bags.
There are 2 things that make process descriptions special:
1. Phrases that order the process and link the steps (underlined)
2. Passive verbs (highlighted)
(See Cambridge IELTS book 8 for the full question)

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Diagram overview
After the introduction, I tell my students to write an overview of the information
shown on the chart. When the chart shows numbers, we look for the highest, lowest,
biggest change, overall trend etc.
But how do you write an overview of a diagram that doesn't show numbers?
Here are some things you could put in a process diagram overview:
The total number of steps in the process.
Where the process begins and ends.
And this is what you could write about for a comparing diagram:
The total number of changes or differences.
The main changes or differences.
The main similarities or what doesn't change.
Thursday, January 03, 2013

Using the passive

In which of the following sentences is the passive used appropriately? Which
sentences should be changed to the active?
1) The number of marriages was decreased between 1999 and 2009.
2) First, the raw materials are mixed together.
3) The figure for residents with no children has been increased this year.
4) The final product is packaged and delivered to shops.
FROM SIMON:
1 and 3 need to be changed:
1. The number of marriages decreased between 1999 and 2009. (not 'was decreased')
3. The figure for residents with no children has increased this year. (not 'has been
increased')
The passive is used correctly in sentences 2 and 4 because they describe steps in a
process.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Describing percentages
Here are 3 useful techniques for describing percentages:
1. English speakers usually put the percentage at the start of the sentence.
2. Use while, whereas or compared to (after a comma) to add a comparison.
3. Use "the figure for" to add another comparison in the next sentence.
Use these examples as models for your own sentences:
In 1999, 35% of British people went abroad for their holidays, while only 28% of
Australians spent their holidays in a different country. The figure for the USA stood at
31%.
Around 40% of women in the UK had an undergraduate qualification in 1999,
compared to 37% of men. The figures for the year 2000 rose slightly to 42% and 38%
respectively.
Thursday, March 14, 2013

Repeating words
In last week's line graph essay I repeated the word "expenditure" four times. Is this a
problem?
The answer is no! If you look at the graph, you can see that the whole essay must be
about expenditure. In fact, I needed to mention the idea of expenditure eleven times!
Does the examiner really expect you to think of eleven synonyms for "expenditure"?
Of course not.
It's impossible to avoid repeating some of the key words in writing task 1. Try to add
variety where you can (I also used "spending", "spent" and "paid out"), but don't
become obsessed with this. The important thing is to describe and compare the data.
Thursday, May 30, 2013

Maps of an island
Last week I linked to http://englishwithyeasir.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/ielts-writingpart-i.html which shows an interesting task 1 question. Now let's write our essay step
by step. I'll write the first 2 paragraphs today, and the rest next week.

1. Introduction: As usual, we can start the essay by paraphrasing the question (rewrite
the question in your own words).
Question
The two maps below show an island, before and after the construction of some
tourist facilities.
My introduction
The diagrams illustrate some changes to a small island which has been developed for
tourism.
2. Overview: For our second paragraph we need to summarise the information in a
couple of sentences. When comparing diagrams, we can count the number of changes
and look for the main types of changes.
My overview
It is clear that the island has changed considerably with the introduction of tourism,
and six new features can be seen in the second diagram. The main developments are
that the island is accessible and visitors have somewhere to stay.
Thursday, June 13, 2013

Did you analyse?

Did you analyse the map essay I wrote last week, or did you just read it quickly? Here
are some things that you might have noticed if you analysed it carefully:
Range of verb tenses, and use of both active and passive:
- has been developed, have been built
- has changed
- can be seen
- is, are, include
- was
Phrases and collocations that would impress the examiner:
- with the introduction of tourism
- new features
- main developments
- the island is accessible
- small huts*
- to accommodate visitors
- physical structures
- in the middle of, to the north of

- completely bare apart from

- where boats can dock*
- a designated swimming area
- the western tip* of the island
*huts, dock and tip might be the words that most impress the examiner in this essay.
Can you think why? Does this surprise you?

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Language for comparing

If you look carefully at the bar chart essay I wrote last week, you'll find some good
phrases for comparing. See if you can adapt them to other task 1 questions.
The chart compares... in terms of the number of...
...is by far the most... OR ...has by far the highest number of...
the figures for... tend to be fairly similar
In second place on the chart is...*
The number of... is slightly higher than...
Only four other countries have...
...all with similar proportions of...
...is the only country with a noticeably higher proportion of...
*Note: Only use phrases like "in second place" if the chart shows some kind of
competition. Don't write "in first / second place" if the chart shows unemployment or
health problems!
Thursday, August 22, 2013

Different introductions

The table below shows the proportion of different categories of families living in
poverty in Australia in 1999. (Cambridge IELTS 4, page 31)

Here are 3 introductions that paraphrase the question in different ways:

1) The chart compares percentages of Australians from six different family types who
were classed as poor in 1999.
2) The table gives information about poverty rates among six types of household in
Australia in the year 1999.
3) The table compares different categories of Australian families in terms of the
proportion of people living below the poverty line in each one.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

The most important skill

Probably the most important skill for task 1 is to be able to describe numbers correctly.
Look at the table below.

It's useful to think about how to start your sentences. For example, here are some
sentences about the year 1970:
1) 60 million tonnes of goods were transported by road.
2) The amount of goods transported by road totalled 60 million tonnes.
3) Road vehicles were used to transport 60 million tonnes of goods.
You should notice that it's much easier to begin with the number (sentence 1). This is
how I usually prefer to write sentences for task 1.
Number 2 is good, but you might find that you repeat "the amount of goods" too many
times if you only use this type of sentence.
Number 3 is the most difficult. You can't say "Road was used", so you have to add the
word "vehicles". Most students make a mistake here.
Thursday, September 05, 2013

Too many synonyms

Some students learn 10 different ways to write the word "shows" (e.g. the graph
shows). They find words like depicts, indicates, reveals, displays, exhibits etc. But
none of these words are really appropriate for the kind of essay we are writing.
I advise my students to keep it simple and avoid making mistakes. Just learn one or
two different ways to write the same thing. For example:
shows = illustrates / compares
graph = line graph
chart = bar chart / pie chart

 the number of = the figure for

increased = rose / saw an increase / there was a rise

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Students' questions
Here are my answers to some questions about writing task 1:
1) Can I start my introduction like this: "It is on a line graph playing out over a 60
year time period that one sees..."?
No. That sentence looks very strange to me as a native speaker, and it won't impress
the examiner. Just stick to the simple approach that I recommend in my task 1 lessons
here on the website.
2) What will happen if my overview paragraph is different from what the examiner
would write for an overview?
I tell my students to choose two main or general points for their overview (summary)
paragraph. There are usually more than two main points to choose from, so don't worry
about whether the examiner would choose something different. If your overview
sentences summarise the information well, you'll be fine.
3) Is writing task 1 less important than task 2?
Yes. Task 1 is worth one third of your writing score. Task 2 is worth two thirds.
4) Can I write more than 150 words?
Yes. There is no maximum word count.
5) Is every word counted, even words like "a"?
Yes. All words are counted, even small words like "a" and "of".
Thursday, September 19, 2013

Comparing numbers
Can you work out what the missing words in the paragraph below are?
In 1970, around 5 million people travelled to work by car each day, _____ _____
about 4 million who used the bus _____ _____ 2 million who commuted by train.

Over the next 30 years there was a significant increase in the number of car users, to
almost 7 million, _____ a steady rise in rail passengers, to 3 million. _____ _____, the
number of bus commuters decreased slightly.
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
1. compared to (with)
2. and only (about / around)
3. and
4. By contrast (In contrast)

Thursday, September 26, 2013

The same language

People sometimes ask me to teach them "the language for pie charts" or "the language
for tables". I tell them that they already know it. The language for the following 4
types of chart is the same:
Line graphs
Bar charts
Pie charts
Tables
These 4 types of chart all show the same thing: numbers. You can usually take the
same set of numbers and present them in either of these 4 ways. The language you use
to describe them will not change.
So what type of language are you going to use? You need to be able to 1) describe
numbers 2) compare different numbers 3) describe changes in numbers (increase,
decrease etc.). Easy!
Thursday, October 03, 2013

'Special' language
Last week I explained that the language you need for graphs, bar charts, pie charts and
tables is the same: language for describing and comparing numbers.
Only one type of question requires 'special' language: the process diagram.

A process diagram shows steps or stages, not numbers.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Flow chart
A flow chart is really the same as a process diagram, but I might use the term 'flow
chart' when the process is shown without any pictures. Try writing 4 paragraphs about
the flow chart below. I'll write something for next week.
The chart below shows the process of waste paper recycling.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Why was it band 9?

The essay I shared last Thursday was good enough for a band 9, but why? Apart from
being well organised and covering all of the necessary points, the essay contains some
phrases that would ensure high vocabulary and grammar scores:
Vocabulary

there are six distinct stages

from the initial collection... to the eventual production
members of the public
directly from businesses
separated according to its grade
Stages four and five both involve cleaning
foreign objects are taken out
remnants of ink and glue
the end product

Grammar
six distinct stages, from... to... (good use of 'from-to' after comma)
where members of the public... (inclusion of extra information between
commas)
This paper (use of 'this' to refer back to an idea in the previous sentence)
with any paper... being (use of with + ing to add extra information)
cleaned, pulped, taken out, removed (use of passive verb forms instead of nouns
shown on the diagram)
which makes the end product (use of relative pronoun 'which' to connect ideas)
Note: The best way to get a high grammar score is to reduce the number of mistakes
that you make, not to use 'difficult' structures.
Thursday, November 07, 2013

Technique review
Let's review the approach (method / technique) that I suggest for writing task 1. Your
task 1 essay should contain three elements:
1.You need a short introduction to explain what the graph, chart or diagram
shows. The easiest way to write this is by paraphrasing the question. The
examiner will be impressed if you can paraphrase effectively.
2.You need an overview of the information. This means that you need to look at
the "big picture", not the individual details. I recommend writing a short

paragraph with two sentences that summarise two main things that you can
see on the chart. If you forget the overview, you'll get a lower score.
3.Finally, you need to describe some specific details. This is where you select,
describe and compare individual pieces of information (usually numbers). I try
to separate this description of details into two paragraphs.
If you look through the task 1 lessons on this site, you'll see how I include these three
elements in every essay.
Thursday, December 12, 2013

Paraphrasing
If you've read my advice about how to write an introduction for writing task 1, you'll
know that we simply paraphrase the question statement (we rewrite it using different
words). A good idea would be to go through all of my sample task 1 reports, and make
a list of paraphrased items.
Working back from my most recent lesson, here's some paraphrasing that I used in my
introductions:
graph = line graph
trends in = changes in
US consumption = consumption in the United States
chart = flow chart (also: bar chart, pie chart, table)
the process of paper recycling = how paper is recycled
the diagram = the figure
shows = illustrates
to produce forecasts = to forecast
shows = compares
the total number = the overall number
various mobile phone features = different functions of mobile phones
maps show = diagrams illustrate
an island before and after = some changes to an island
Thursday, December 19, 2013

Nouns and verbs

Charts and tables usually show nouns rather than verbs. However, you need to find the
right verb in order to write a good sentence. Example:

Don't write:
- Walking was 255 miles per person in 1985.
- Car was the highest form of transport.
Do write:
- The average person walked 255 miles in 1985.
- People travelled more miles by car than by any other form of transport.
(Table taken from Cambridge IELTS 6, page 52)
Thursday, March 13, 2014

Add a comparison
In last week's video lesson I followed some easy steps to build the following sentence:
The number of Japanese tourists who travelled abroad increased dramatically from
just under 5 million to around 15 million between 1985 and 1995, a rise of about 10
million in 10 years.
The next step after writing this sentence about Japanese tourists would be to add a
comparison with tourists from the other countries shown on the graph or chart. Let's
use the chart below as an example (numbers represent millions of tourists who
travelled abroad).

Here's my original sentence about Japan, with a comparison sentence about Australia
and Canada. Look carefully at how I construct the comparison sentence. If you want a
good score in writing task 1, these are the kinds of sentences that you need to be able
to write!
The number of Japanese tourists who travelled abroad increased dramatically from
just under 5 million to around 15 million between 1985 and 1995, a rise of about 10
million in 10 years. By contrast, the number of Australians who visited other countries

remained stable, at just over 7 million, and the figure for Canada fell slightly, from 6
million travellers in 1985 to 5.5 million in 1995.
Thursday, April 10, 2014

Ages and age groups

It's easy to make small mistakes when describing ages and age groups. Here are some
examples that should help.
One person:
He is 10 years old.
He is a 10-year-old.
He is aged 10.
More than one person:
The children in the class are all 10 years old.
It is a class of 10-year-olds (or "10-year-old children").
The children in the class are all aged 10.
Age groups with more than one person:
The chart shows the preferred hobbies of children (who are) between 10 and
12 years old.
The chart shows the preferred hobbies of 10- to 12-year-olds (or "10- to 12year-old children").
The chart shows the preferred hobbies of children aged 10 to 12.
Note:
If you miss the hyphens (-), it's not a big problem. It won't affect your score.
Thursday, April 17, 2014

Easy introductions
Task 1 introductions should be fast and easy. Just paraphrase the question statement
(rewrite it in your own words). If you practise this technique, you will be able to start
the writing test with confidence.
Look at this question statement from Cambridge IELTS book 2, page 95:
The table below shows the figures for imprisonment in five countries between 1930
and 1980.

I'll change 3 elements of this sentence:

1. table shows = bar chart compares
2. figures for imprisonment = number of people in prison
3. between... and... = over a period of
So, here's my paraphrased introduction:
The bar chart compares the number of people in prison in five different countries
over a period of 50 years.
Thursday, June 19, 2014

Make a list of collocations

Collocations for any topic:
distinct stages
final steps
at the... stage
a significant rise
over a/the period
Collocations for specific topics:
produce electricity
the capture of energy
take energy, convert energy
global turnover
sales figures, worldwide sales
Thursday, June 26, 2014

Fill the gaps

Page 51 of Cambridge IELTS book 2
1. The chart compares the _____ of hours of free time that men and women had
between 1998 and 1999.
2. It is _____ that men enjoyed more leisure time than women.
3. Unemployed males had just _____ 80 hours of leisure time per week.
4. The figures for retired men and women were exactly the same as _____ for the
unemployed.
5. Housewives enjoyed the next highest _____ of spare time.

6. Part-time working women enjoyed only 3 extra hours of leisure _____ to those
who worked full-time.
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON: 1. number 2. clear
3. over / under (it depends whether you have seen the chart or not)
4. THOSE 5. amount
6. COMPARED
*Look carefully at numbers 4 and 6!
Thursday, July 03, 2014

Shows, compares, illustrates

I often meet students who have learnt ten different ways to paraphrase "the graph
shows". If you look in a dictionary, you'll find many synonyms for the word "show"
(e.g. display, exhibit, parade, depict, convey). But is it a good idea to use these
synonyms?
The answer is no.
First, most synonyms of the word "show" are not appropriate for descriptions of a
graph or chart. The phrase "the graph exhibits" will look very strange to the examiner.
Second, if you learn ten synonyms, you'll probably waste time deciding which one to
use.
I tell my students to remember just two synonyms for "shows": compares and
illustrates (e.g. the bar chart compares; the diagram illustrates). It won't help your
score if you use a strange synonym that you found in a dictionary.
Thursday, August 07, 2014

Real statistics
A good place to find 'real' descriptions of graphs and charts is a government statistics
website like this one for the UK. If you click on the different themes, you'll see graphs,
charts and written summaries of recent statistics for the country.
Here's an example summary from the website:
The employment rate for those aged from 16 to 64 for the three months to June
2012 was 71.0 per cent. This is the highest figure since the three months to May 2009
and it is up 0.4 percentage points on the previous quarter. The number of people in
employment aged 16 and over increased by 201,000 on the quarter to reach 29.48
million, the largest quarterly increase since the three months to July 2010. The number
of people in employment was 96,000 lower than the pre-recession peak of 29.57
million recorded for March-May 2008.
Note:
I've underlined the verbs in the paragraph above. Notice that we tend to use 'easy'
verbs when describing statistics.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Nouns and verbs

When describing changes I prefer to avoid words
like soar, rocket and plummetbecause they are too "sensationalist" - they exaggerate
too much, and are more journalistic than academic in style.
Instead, we can demonstrate good control of grammar by using words
likeincrease, rise and fall as both nouns and verbs:
- London saw a significant increase in the cost of homes. (noun)
- The cost of homes in London increased significantly. (verb)
- There was a rise in house prices between 1990 and 1995. (noun)
- House prices rose between 1990 and 1995. (verb)
- There was a 7% fall in the average house price in Tokyo. (noun)
- The average Tokyo house price fell by 7%. (verb)
Saturday, August 16, 2014

Vocabulary: soar, rocket, plummet

In Thursday's lesson I suggested that you should avoid using words like soar, rocket
and plummet when describing changes on a graph or chart. I explained that these
words exaggerate too much, and that they are not 'academic'.
But someone asked this sensible question:
How can we get a high score for lexical resource (vocabulary) if we only use common
words like 'increase', 'rise' and 'fall'?
The quick answer is that it's better to use 'less common vocabulary' for other aspects of
your description. If you analyse this http://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-englishpr/2014/05/ielts-writing-task-1-bar-chart-essay.html band 9 essay, you'll see that I
used common words like rose, decreased, reaching and dropped to describe changes,
but I managed to use 'less common vocabulary' for other aspects of my description e.g.
global turnover, devices, namely, platform.
I'll explain more about how to get a high vocabulary score tomorrow.
Thursday, August 21, 2014

Two different charts

From Simon: I've been busy moving house today, which is why this lesson is so late!

Question: How should you structure your task 1 report if the question shows two
different charts (e.g. a line graph and a pie chart)?
Answer: It's easy. Just follow the 4-paragraph structure below:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Introduction - say what each chart shows (one or two sentences)

Overview - write one sentence about each chart, describing it's main feature
Describe the first chart in detail
Describe the second chart in detail

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Variety
From:
http://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2014/09/ielts-writing-task-1table-essay.html. Instead of the phrase "the numbers of residents cycling to work", I
wrote:
the numbers of people who cycled to work
the number of UK commuters who travelled to work by bicycle
the number of cycling commuters
...residents commuted by bicycle
this figure
total numbers of cycling commuters
figures for
It doesn't matter that I often repeated the word 'number' (it's normal to repeat this word
in English). What the examiner will notice is that I am able to express "residents
cycling to work" in a variety of ways. Doing this is harder than it looks!
Thursday, September 25, 2014

'Details' paragraphs
If you've read my task 1 lessons, you'll know that I always write 4 paragraphs:
1. Introduction - paraphrase the question
2. Overview - describe 2 main or general things
3. Details
4. Details
Let's forget the introduction and overview for the moment, and focus on the two
'details' paragraphs. Why do we need two paragraphs?

The answer is that this encourages you to divide the information into 2 groups, and
hopefully this means that your essay will be better organised and you'll make some
useful comparisons.
Click here to see 3 pie charts (taken from Cambridge book 8). Thinking about the
'details' paragraphs only, how would you divide the information into 2 groups?
Thursday, October 16, 2014

Verbs
Fill the gaps in the following sentences with suitable verbs.
1. In 1995, people in the UK ______ around 72 billion minutes of local phone calls.
2. They ______ about half this amount of time making national or international calls.
3. In the same year, less than 5 billion minutes of mobile calls ______ made.
4. National and international calls ______ a high point of around 61 billion minutes
in 2002.
5. The time spent on mobiles ______ from 15 billion minutes in 1999 to 45 billion in
2002.
Note: these sentences refer to a bar chart in Cambridge IELTS book 9.
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
4. reached
5. tripled / increased / rose

1. made

2. spent

3. were

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Percentages
Let's look at where to put the number in sentences that describe percentages.

...
You could put the percentage at the beginning of the sentence (example 1), or at the
end of the sentence (example 2):
1. 6% of single aged people were living in poverty.
2. The level of poverty among single aged people stood at 6%.
You could also add a comparison:

1. 6% of single aged people were living in poverty, compared to only 4% of aged

couples.
2. The level of poverty among single aged people stood at 6%, whereas the
figure for aged couples was only 4%.
Which sentence do you think is clearer? Also, why have I used "people" and "couples"
in my sentences when the table says "person" and "couple"?
Thursday, November 13, 2014

A few good phrases

Here are some useful phrases to describe the chart in last week's lesson. Check my
essay to find the missing words.
The US produced more waste than the other countries _____.
Rising _____ were seen in five out of the six countries.
Korea was the only country that _____ a fall in waste output.
In Ireland, waste production increased more than _____.
Korea managed to _____ its waste production between 1990 and 2000.
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
1. combined
2. trends
3. SAW
4. eightfold
5. cut / reduce
Note: most people didn't get "saw" for number 3. Check that sentence if you got it
wrong.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Rise or raise?
These two words are often confused by students. Here is the main difference:
something rises (e.g. the price rose)
somebody raises something (e.g. the company raised the price)
"Rise" (rose, risen) can be a verb or a noun. I often use it for IELTS writing task 1:
The price of cigarettes rises every year. (verb, present)

 In 2008, the number of customers rose from 100 to 200. (verb, past)
There has been a dramatic rise in Internet usage in the UK. (noun)
In 2008, the UK saw a rise in the divorce rate. (noun)
"Raise" (raised) is almost always a verb. You probably won't use it for task 1:
The Government raises the price of cigarettes every year.
Charities work to raise the standard of living in developing countries.
Thursday, December 04, 2014

Verbs and nouns for trends

In the following sentences the verbs are underlined. Can you rewrite the same
sentences using nouns (e.g. a rise) instead of verbs?
1. In 2013, UK house prices rose by 10%.
2. The number of university applicants fell by 5% from 1999 to 2009.
3. The price of petrol increased significantly in 2009.
ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
There are several possibilities for each sentence, but here are three that seem 'natural'
to me:
1. In 2013, there was a 10% rise in UK house prices.
2. There was a 5% fall in the number of university applicants between 1999 and
2009.
3. There was a significant increase in the price of petrol in 2009.
Notice that it's very common to use "there was" with nouns that show change.
An interesting alternative when describing a change in a particular country is to use
"see". For example:
1. In 2013, the UK saw a 10% rise in house prices.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Some grammar / vocabulary

Using the report in this lesson, find one word to fill each gap below.
1) something is _____ risk _____ happening
2) the stopbank acts _____ a flood barrier
3) to stop something _____ happening
4) to prevent something _____ happening
5) _____ shown in the second diagram, there will be...
Note:
Some people would call this a grammar exercise. I prefer to see it as a vocabulary
(collocations) task.
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
1. at, of
2. as
3. from
4. from
5. As
Thursday, January 22, 2015

Using words from the chart

Be very careful when using the words (labels) that you see on the graph or chart. You
may need to change them when writing full sentences.
Look at this chart for example:

You can't just use the words in the table like this:
- Nuclear was 30% of energy used.
- Thermal produced 20% of energy used.
You need to write something like this:
- Nuclear power was used to produce 30% of the country's energy.
- Thermal power stations produced 20% of the energy used in... (year / country).
Can you see why we need to add words when writing full sentences?

(Answer: 'nuclear' and 'thermal' are adjectives, so we need a noun like 'power' after
them)

Thursday, March 05, 2015

Passive sentences
When describing a graph or chart, you almost never need to use the passive. However,
you probably will use the passive when describing a process diagram.
Imagine we have a diagram that shows the process of recycling used glass. One step in
the process is labelled "grinding machine" (to grind means to crush or reduce into
small particles).

Do you know the past participle of the verb grind? If you don't, you won't be able to
make a passive sentence. But don't worry; there are various ways to describe this step.
Using a different verb:
1. Next, the glass passes through a grinding machine. (active form of 'pass')
2. Next, the glass is passed through a grinding machine. (passive form of 'pass')
3. Next, a grinding machine is used to crush the glass. (passive form of 'use')
If you know the verb 'grind' and its past participle 'ground':
1. Next, a machine grinds the glass. (active)
2. Next, the glass is ground in a machine. (passive)
I would probably use the last sentence above in my report, but the others are all
acceptable. I'm working on a video lesson about process diagrams, with more advice
about passive sentences. It should be ready in the next few days.
Sunday, March 08, 2015

Using 'by'
A student asked me about the two uses of the word "by" in these sentences:
Korea was the only country that managed to reduce its waste output by the year 2000.
Korea cut its waste output by 12 million tonnes between 1990 and 2000.

Questions:
1. Can you explain how "by" is used in the two cases above?
2. What is the difference between "by the year 2000" and "in the year 2000"?
FROM SIMON:
Most people commenting above have the right idea:
1. In the first sentence, "by" is used to refer to the years BEFORE AND UP TO the
year 2000. In the second sentence, "by" is used to refer to a difference in numbers (e.g.
decreased from 31 million to 19 million = decreased BY 12 million).
2. Use "by" when looking at the years BEFORE and UP TO. By contrast, "in 2000"
would mean "only in the year 2000" (during that year only).
Note: when using "by" with years, we usually (but not always) use the past perfect
e.g. By the year 2000, Korea had reduced its waste output.
Thursday, April 02, 2015

A real-life example of writing task 1

A student sent me this link to a BBC article about unemployment. It's a fantastic reallife example of the kind of language that I often use in my task 1 reports.
Here's part of the article with some useful language highlighted:
The UK unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest level since 2009, official figures
show. At 7.4%, this is the lowest rate since the February-to-April period in 2009. The
number of people out of work fell by 99,000 to 2.39 million in the three months to
October.
In Northern Ireland the unemployment rate was slightly higher at 7.5%, while
Scotland's figure was 7.1.%. The North East of England had the highest
unemployment rate, at 10.1%, while the lowest rate was 5.6% in the East of England.
Thursday, May 07, 2015

Three sentence types

Here are three 'sentence types' that I like using:
1. while sentence
2. respectively sentence
3. saw sentence
Try using 'while' at the beginning of a sentence when you want to make a contrast
between two numbers or trends. Use 'respectively' at the end of a sentence that

compares two or three numbers. Use 'saw' to say what happened in a country (e.g. the
UK saw an increase in...).
Thursday, May 14, 2015

Past simple, past perfect

Look at the following description:
In 2002, the cost of an average house in the UK was 130,000. By 2007, the average
house price had risen to almost 190,000.
Notice the verbs used with "in" and "by":
I used "in" with the past simple "was" to talk about what happened in one year
only (2002).
I used "by" with the past perfect "had risen" to talk about an increase that
happened in the years before 2007 (from 2002 to 2007).
Thursday, May 28, 2015

Using 'in terms of'

In last week's sample answer I began my introduction with:
"The charts compare Korea, Sweden and the UK in terms of..."
Try this exercise:
Rewrite the following two introduction sentences using the formula below.
"The chart(s) compare(s) + countries + in terms of + finish the sentence"
1. The pie charts show household spending patterns in the UK and New Zealand
between 1980 and 2008.
2. The table shows the amounts of money spent by tourists in five different
countries over a period of two years.
ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
1. The pie charts compare the UK and New Zealand in terms of household
spending patterns between 1980 and 2008.
2. The table compares five different countries in terms of the amounts of money
spent by tourists over a period of two years.
Thursday, July 02, 2015

'with' or 'at'?
1. The figure for resources peaked in 1991 ______ 20%.

2. Bristol was the UKs second city in terms of the number of cyclists, ______ 8,108
in 2001.
3. It is uncommon for families to own three or more cars, ______ only 2% of
households falling into this category.
4. The percentage change, ______ only 45%, was the lowest of the twelve areas
shown in the table.
5. The North East of England had the highest unemployment rate, ______ 10.1%.
6. Frances population was more evenly distributed across the age ranges, ______
similar figures for each five-year cohort.
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
1. at

2. with

3. with

4. at

5. at

6. with

Thursday, July 09, 2015

'with' and 'at'

AT:
Petrol prices were particularly high in January, at 1.30 per litre.
WITH:
Petrol prices were particularly high in January, with a litre costing 1.30.
Correct the mistakes
Here are some sentences that my students wrote. Can you correct them? Each sentence
refers to a graph showing complaints about noise.
1.The graph shows how many complaints gave to the Environmental Health
Organisation.
2.Complaints due to domestic noise were at the top in 1996, by 1200 complaints.
3.The complaints of roadworks finished the period decreasing.
4.The domestic household is the most problem that causes noise.
5. The number of complaints to roadworks was remained static.
ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
First, I'll try to explain the problems:
1. We don't say "give a complaint", we say "make a complaint".
2. DONT use "at the top". We also need "at" instead of "by" before the number.
3. We don't say "complaints of", we say "complaints about". I would also
change the phrase "finished the period".

4. "the most problem" is grammatically incorrect.

5. "was remained" is wrong - it shouldn't be in the passive.
Here are my sentences:
1. The graph shows how many complaints WERE MADE to the Environmental Health
Organisation.
2. Complaints due to domestic noise PEAKED in 1996, AT 1200.
3. The number of complaints ABOUT roadworks DECREASED TOWARDS THE
END OF THE PERIOD.
4. Domestic household noise caused the highest number of complaints.
5. The number of complaints ABOUT roadworks remained stable.
Thursday, July 23, 2015

'while' sentences
I often write 'while' sentences in my task 2 introductions (see yesterday's lesson for
example). I also like using 'while' in writing task 1 to make comparisons.
In the following example sentences, notice the position of 'while' and where I put the
comma that separates the items being compared.
1) 'while' at the beginning of the sentence:
While the number of people who travelled by train increased gradually, the number of
bus passengers fell steadily.
2) 'while' in the middle of the sentence:
In 1970, around 5 million UK commuters travelled by car on a daily basis, while the
bus and train were used by about 4 million and 2 million people respectively.
Thursday, August 06, 2015

Students' questions
1) Can I write "A glance at the graph shows..." in my overview paragraph?
No, I don't recommend using this phrase. It's not normal to use the word "glance"
when describing graphs or charts, and it seems strange to me as a native speaker. If
you try too hard to use 'original' words, your writing will probably seem forced,
unnatural or inappropriate to the examiner.

2) Can I write "the rate of" instead of "the figure for"?

In many cases, no you can't. I like the phrase "the figure for" because it can be used
instead of "the number of" e.g. "the number of people who live in cities" could be "the
figure for people who live in cities". But I wouldn't write "the rate of people who live
in cities". You have to be careful with the word "rate" - look it up on Google to find
common uses e.g. unemployment rate, birth rate, crime rate, rate of change. Here's my
tip: if you're not sure, don't use it.
3) Can we use "the data of" instead of "the number of"?
No. I would only use "data" instead of the word "information" e.g. "the chart
gives/shows information about..." could be "the chart gives/shows data about...".
Thursday, September 03, 2015

The most common mistake

The most common mistake in IELTS writing task 1 is not a grammar mistake.
Find the 2 big mistakes in the sentences below:
The unemployment rate in the UK rose by 2% between 2008 and 2009, whereas
Canada decreased by about 1%. The USA was the highest, at just over 4%.
FROM SIMON: Here's the big mistake:
You can't write "Canada decreased" or "the USA was the highest".
These phrases don't make sense. Canada, the country, didn't decrease! We need to
describe the thing that decreased properly - in this case it's the "unemployment rate".
So, instead of saying that countries decreased or were highest, describe the topic
properly. For example:
- Unemployment in Canada decreased.
- The USA had the highest rate of unemployment.
Remember: saying that a country increases or decreases is very strange!

Thursday, September 10, 2015

The most important skill

Probably the most important skill for writing task 1 is being able to describe numbers
correctly. IELTS candidates make a lot of basic mistakes in this area.

Take the simple table below for example. It shows the percentages of people who used
two different forms of communication in the year 2012.

Can you write one correct sentence to describe the numbers in the table? Here is the
big mistake that examiners see all the time:
In 2012, text message was 95%, while email was only 52%. (don't write this)
Can you see what the problem is here? Try translating the sentence into your language
exactly as it is. Does it make sense?
FROM SIMON:
Of course, you can't say "text message was 95%". To describe the numbers properly,
you need to think about WHO did WHAT (subject and verb).
WHO did something? = PEOPLE
WHAT did they do? = COMMUNICATE IN DIFFERENT WAYS, OR USE
DIFFERENT FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
So, here's an easy sentence that properly describes the numbers:
In 2012, 95% of people communicated by text message, while only 52% of people
used email.
Note: Don't overcomplicate your sentences when describing numbers. Try to be as
clear and concise as possible.
Thursday, September 17, 2015

One correct sentence!

Take this information for example (from a question in Cambridge book 10):
year 1999
Switzerland
highest sales of Fairtrade coffee and bananas
Fairtrade coffee sales: 3 million Euros
Fairtrade banana sales: 15 million Euros

FROM SIMON:
Here's the sentence that I wrote with my students:
In 1999, Switzerland had the highest figures for sales of both Fairtrade coffee and
Fairtrade bananas, with 3 million and 15 million Euros of sales for the two
respective products.
Many of you wrote good sentences, but I'll try to find some mistakes and I'll make a
"correct the mistakes" lesson on Sunday.
Thursday, September 24, 2015

Different word forms

Verbs and nouns
- the number increased
- there was an increase in the number
- UK house prices fell
- the UK saw a fall in house prices
Adverbs and adjectives
- sales rose dramatically
- there was a dramatic rise in sales
- with sales reaching 3 million and 15 million respectively
- with sales of the two respective products reaching 3 million and 15 million
Tip: Use a dictionary to find some different forms of words that you already know.
This is a good way to improve your English in general, not only for writing task 1.
Pie chart and table
If you get a question like this one from Cambridge IELTS book 8, you don't need to
worry about comparing the two charts. Just describe them separately:
1. Introduction: say what each chart shows
2. Overview: write one general sentence about the pie chart, and one about the
table
3. Details: describe the pie chart
4. Details: describe the table
Here's an example 'overview'. Notice that I write a separate sentence about each chart,
and I paraphrase several of the words from the question.
Overview (paragraph 2):

It is clear from the pie chart that there are three principal reasons why farmland
becomes degraded, and over-grazing is the main one. The table shows that Europe
had a far higher proportion of unproductive land than Oceania or North America in
the 1990s.

Thursday, October 08, 2015

Trying too hard!

One of my students asked me why she isn't getting band 7 in writing task 1. When I
looked at one of her reports, the main problem was clear:
She was trying too hard to use 'difficult' vocabulary or sentence constructions, and she
was making mistakes that could easily be avoided.
Here are some examples, with problems underlined:
1) The highest number of people residence in Australia are those living in cities.
2) The highest population of birth are those born within Australia.
3) This figure was over 50% of those given birth to outside Australia.
Can you suggest 'easier' versions of these sentences, without any mistakes?
FROM SIMON:
For now, my tip is to be as simple as possible:
1. Try using the verb "live" instead of the word "residence".
2. Try using "Most Australians..."
3. Try making a phrase with the word "born"
Here are the sentences from last week's lesson, with problems underlined:
1) The highest number of people residence in Australia are those living in cities.
2) The highest population of birth are those born within Australia.
3) This figure was over 50% of those given birth to outside Australia.
Let's rewrite these sentences in an "easy but accurate" way:
1) The majority of Australians live in cities.
2) Most of the people who live in Australia were born there.

3) This was over 50% higher than the figure for people born outside Australia.
Task: Can you rewrite sentence 1 using residence, resident(s) or reside correctly?
FROM SIMON:
It's difficult to use "residence" in a natural way in this context, so I would avoid using
that.
You could write:
- The majority of Australians are residents of cities.
- The majority of Australians reside in cities.

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Timing and introduction

20 minutes is a very short amount of time, so you need to be very organised. I suggest
breaking the 20 minutes into four parts, each lasting 5 minutes.
Part 1
First five minutes: read the question, understand it, underline key figures or
trends, and write your one-sentence introduction.
Parts 2, 3 and 4
Five minutes for each paragraph: overview, details, details.
Let's start with the first 5 minutes. Go to last week's lesson, read the question,
underline key information, and write your introduction by paraphrasing the question
statement. Time yourself - can you do this in 5 minutes or less?
Here's my introduction:
The tables show the amount of money spent on Fairtrade coffee and bananas in two
separate years in the UK, Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium and Sweden.
Thursday, November 26, 2015

Grammar exercise
Try this quick exercise to practise your grammar and vocabulary for IELTS writing
task 1. The phrases come from the report that I wrote for last week's lesson.
Fill each gap with one word.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

the amount of money spent _____ coffee

sales of coffee _____ up in 2004
the UK saw by _____ the highest levels of spending
revenue _____ bananas was highest in the UK, _____ 15 million
the year 2004 _____ dramatic increases _____ the money spent

CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:

1. on
2. went
3. far
4. from, at
5. saw, in

Thursday, December 03, 2015

Avoid common mistakes

Here's some advice to help you avoid common mistakes in IELTS writing task 1:
1.Don't copy the question for your introduction. You should paraphrasethe
question (i.e. rewrite it using some different words).
2.Don't forget to separate your paragraphs clearly.
3.Don't forget to write a good summary/overview of the information. A quick
one-sentence conclusion is not good enough. I prefer to put the overview
straight after the introduction, and I try to write 2 sentences describing the
information in general. You won't get a high score if you don't write a good
overview.
4.Don't describe items separately (e.g. 2 lines on a graph). You should always try
to compare things if it is possible to do so. Instead of describing 2 lines
separately, compare the 2 lines at key points.
5.Don't try to describe every number on a chart or graph (unless there are only a
few numbers). A key skill in task 1 is being able to select the key information
and describe or compare it well. I usually mention around 6 or 7 numbers in
my main paragraphs.
6.Don't spend longer than 20 minutes on task 1. Practise spending 5 minutes on
each of your 4 paragraphs. Stop yourself after 20 minutes; remember that task
2 is worth more marks.
Thursday, January 07, 2016

Don't use these phrases

Can you see what's wrong with the phrases below? Try to explain the problem with
each phrase, and suggest a better alternative.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

The bar chart displays the percentage of...

A glance at the bar chart provided reveals...
From an overall perspective, it is clear from the evidence that...
Looking at the pie chart, it is noticed that...
As can be seen, the figures show that...

ANSWERS FROM SIMON:

First, it's important to point out that there were no grammar mistakes in the phrases. In
each case, the problem is that there is something 'unnatural', unnecessary, or
inappropriate in the phrase. Here are my suggestions.
1. I wouldn't use "displays". "The bar chart displays" seems strange to me as a native
speaker. Just stick with "shows", "compares" or "illustrates". Read this lesson:
http://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2014/07/ielts-writing-task-1-showscompares-illustrates.html
2. "A glance at the bar chart reveals" is very strange - no native speaker would write
this. Although the meaning of "glance" is to look quickly, this word isn't appropriate in
this context. Just use: "It is clear that" or "it is noticeable that".
3. Just write: "Overall, it is clear that...". Adding the words "perspective" and
"evidence" just make the phrase seem forced and unnatural. The examiner won't be
impressed.
4. Don't write "it is noticed that". Change it to "it is noticeable that".
5. "As can be seen" and "the figures show" seems like unnecessary repetition to me too many words for such a simple job. Just write "we can see that..." OR "the chart
shows". Don't write both phrases together.
NOTE:
The overall problem that I'm highlighting in this lesson is that so many students think
that "difficult" linking phrases are the key to a high score. They are not!
Remember: the examiner wants to read your description of the information shown on
the chart. Use short, simple linking phrases, and spend more time describing the
information in detail. This is the key to a high score. Look through my task 1 lessons
to see how I focus on the information rather than the linking.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Important little words

The following phrases are taken from the sample answer that I wrote last week. Can
you fill the gaps without checking my answer?
Use these words: at, in, on, to, for, by
1. the amount of time spent _____ people in the UK _____ three different types
of phone call
2. calls made via local, fixed lines were the most popular type, _____ terms of
overall usage
3. the figures _____ all three types of phone call increased
4. the amount of time spent _____ local calls using landlines had reached a peak
_____ 90 billion minutes
5. the rise _____ the other two types of phone call continued
6. the figure _____ mobiles rose _____ around 45 billion minutes
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
1. by, on

2. in

3. for

4. on, at

5. in

6. for, to

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Mistakes in the introduction

Can you find and correct the mistakes in each of the introductions below? Why do you
think people make mistakes in their introductions?
1.The bar chart illustrates that the trend of call types in the united kingdom for 8
years from 1995 to 2002.
2.The bar chart compares the figures in terms of minutes spent on telephone calls,
splitted into three types.
3.The bar chart gives information about telephone calls. It is in three types Local,
National & International and Mobile call minutes from year 1995 to 2002 in
UK.

4.The graph compares the total using time of 3 call types in the UK over a 7-year
period from 1995.
5.The bar chart presents the amount of phone calls in billion of minutes make in
the UK over a period of seven years into the categories of local,
national/international and mobile phone calls.
To avoid mistakes, keep your introduction simple, like mine:
The bar chart compares the amount of time spent by people in the UK on three
different types of phone call between 1995 and 2002.
ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
The main problem seems to be that people are making the sentence too 'difficult'. If
you read my introduction (at the bottom of the lesson), it's easier and clearer than the
students' sentences. Just keep your introduction as simple as possible!
Here are the problems:
1. The main problem is the use of the word "that". Just write "The bar chart illustrates
the amount of time / the trend" etc.
2. The main mistake is the word "splitted". The past and past participle are "split" and
"split".
3. The main problem is the phrase "It is in three types Local..." I don't know what the
word "it" refers to.
4. The phrase "the total using time of 3 call types" isn't right.
5. Problems with "make" and "into the categories.
FROM SIMON (continued):
Here are my suggestions:
1) The bar chart illustrates trends in different types of phone call in the United
Kingdom over 8 years from 1995 to 2002.
2) The bar chart compares figures for UK phone calls in terms of minutes spent on
three types of call (between1995 and 2002).
3) The bar chart gives information about three types of telephone call, namely local,
national/international and mobile calls, in the UK between 1995 and 2002.
4) The chart compares the total number of minutes of three types of phone call made in
the UK over a 7-year period from 1995.

5) The bar chart shows the amount of time spent on three types of phone call, in
billions of minutes, in the UK over a period of seven years.
Thursday, February 25, 2016

Collocations
Here are some collocations from my most recent sample answer
Typical writing task 1 collocations:
amount of time
the time spent on
in terms of
throughout the period
the period shown
a dramatic increase in
increased steadily
reached a peak
the figure for
the rise in
Collocations related to the 'phone calls' topic:
local calls
national calls
international calls
fixed line / landline calls
mobile calls
overall usage
user minutes
Tip: try using the online Oxford Collocations Dictionary.

Thursday, March 03, 2016

'overview' not conclusion

You should not write a conclusion for IELTS writing task 1. You should write an
"overview" of the information.
But why shouldn't you write a conclusion? What's the difference between a
conclusion and an overview?
First, a conclusion is a final judgement, decision or opinion. This is perfect for the task
2 essay, but task 1 asks you to write a description without analysis or opinions. On the
other hand, an "overview" is a simple description of the main points. It is a summary
of the information shown on the graph or chart.
Second, a conclusion should be at the end of a piece of writing. An overview or
general summary could go either at the end or near the beginning. Personally, I think
it's a good idea to describe the main features of the graph or chart near the beginning
of your report.
So, my suggested structure for task 1 looks like this:
1. Introduction: what does the chart show?
2. Overview / summary: what are the most noticeable features?
3. Specific details: try to write 2 paragraphs.
Click here to see an example of the report structure above.
Sunday, March 27, 2016

Paraphrasing and comparisons

Did you notice the paraphrasing that I used in Thursday's lesson?
the amount of time = the time spent
10 to 15-year-olds = aged between 10 and 15
chatting on the Internet = chatting online = chat online = engage in online
conversation
playing on games consoles = playing computer games = play on their consoles
more popular = boys favour = girls prefer
the majority of = most of them = most girls
and the comparisons that I made?
...is more popular than...
Boys favour... / By contrast, girls prefer...

 while 85% of boys..., only 55%...

close to 70% of girls..., compared to about 50% of this cohort who...
most of them..., whereas most...

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Introduction problems
Look at the following statement from a question in Cambridge IELTS book 10.
The charts below show what UK graduate and postgraduate students who did not go
into full-time work did after leaving college in 2008.
Now read an introduction written by a student (below). There are several problems in
this introduction sentence - not only grammatical problems. Can you see them?
Introduction sentence:
The bar graphs give information and compare between the kinds of jobs opted by UK's
undergraduate and postgraduate students who did not go for a full time job after
completing their degrees in 2008.
Thursday, April 07, 2016

Simplified introduction
Last week I asked you to look for problems in this introduction:
The bar graphs give information and compare between the kinds of jobs opted by UK's
undergraduate and postgraduate students who did not go for a full time job after
completing their degrees in 2008.
Here are some things that you might have noticed:
give information and compare between: We don't need two verbs at the
beginning of the introduction, and "between" doesn't work with either of them.
Either write "give information about" or "compare" (without the word
"between").
kinds of jobs: The charts show activities like "further study", so we can't write
about "jobs" here.
opted by: We say "opt for" in English, so we would need to write "opted for by"
in this case, which seems awkward to me. It would be easier to use "chosen
by". However, as one of the categories on the chart is "unemployment", maybe
it isn't accurate to write about this as a choice.

 UK's: using a possessive with the country seems strange in this situation.
Instead, we can use "UK" as an adjective (e.g. UK graduates), or simply write
"in the UK".
go for a job seems a bit informal in this situation.
Here's a simplified and corrected version of the introduction:
The bar charts give information about the career paths of UK undergraduate and
postgraduate students who were not in full-time employment after completing their
degrees in 2008.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Where to put the figure

1) Figures at the beginning of sentences:
10 million people voted in the election.
A quarter of the population voted.
25% of people voted in the election.
2) Figures at the end of sentences:
The number of people who voted in the election was 10 million.
The proportion of the population that voted was a quarter.
The figure for people who voted in the election was 25%.
For me, the sentences in the first group (with figures at the beginning) seem clearer
and more natural. While it's good to vary your sentence structure, it's probably best to
have the "figure at the beginning" structure as your first choice.
Thursday, April 21, 2016

Charts showing countries

A few things to remember when the graph or chart shows countries:
1.If the question doesn't name the countries (e.g. "in three countries"), you could
name them in your introduction (e.g. "in Britain, France and Germany"). You
could even write "in three countries, namely Britain, France and Germany".
2.Don't forget the word "the" when writing about "the USA" and "the UK".
3.Always compare the countries; never describe the figures for each country in
separate paragraphs.

Finally, try to vary the way you write about countries. For example:
The number of elderly people in the USA rose.
The USA saw a rise in the number of elderly people.
The figure for the USA rose.
Thursday, May 12, 2016

Correct the mistakes

The following sentences relate to the pie charts in last week's lesson.
1.Worldwide had spend water for agriculture almost 69%.
2.The world's proportion of water consumption go to agriculture by 69%.
3.There are same percentage in water usage in industry between San Diego and
worldwide by 23%.
4.San Diego and worldwide consumptions had had same percentage which
reached 23%.
Note:
Each of the sentences above is trying to describe one number. This is the most basic
skill that you need when describing graphs and charts. If you want a good score in task
1, you must be able to describe one number clearly and correctly.
ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
First, I'll explain some of the problems:
Sentence 1
- We need to use the present simple, not the past perfect.
- The past perfect is also used wrongly. It would be "had spent".
- We don't "spend" water.
Sentence 2
- "go to agriculture" is wrong.
- We can't use "by 69%" in this case. Only use "by + %" when you are describing a
change e.g. "prices increased by 10%".
Sentence 3
- "There are same percentage" is wrong.

- We can't use "by" with the percentage.

Sentence 4
- "consumptions" of what?
- Don't try to use the past perfect "had had" - this seems very strange here. We just
need the present simple.
- "reached" implies that this percentage was lower in the past and has now increased.
There is no information about past years, so we can't use "reached".
FROM SIMON (continued)
Here are my suggestions:
1. Agriculture accounts for 69% of the world's water consumption.
2. The proportion of water used for agricultural purposes globally is 69%.
3. Worldwide and in San Diego County, industry accounts for 23% of water
consumption.
4. The figure for water use by industry (23%) is the same for both San Diego County
and the world as a whole.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Pie chart vocabulary

Here are a few sentences that describe the pie charts in this lesson. Can you guess
which words I used in the spaces shown?
1.In San Diego County and California State, residential water consumption _____
for 60% and 39% of total water usage _____.
2.In both US regions, the _____ for agricultural water use is significantly _____,
at 17% and 28%.
3.By contrast, a _____ 8% of the water used globally goes to homes, and a
massive 69% is required for agriculture.
ANSWERS FROM SIMON:

Here are the words that I used:

1. accounts, respectively
2. figure, lower
3. mere
Thursday, May 26, 2016

General to specific
If you read any of my task 1 answers, you will see that I always write 4 paragraphs,
and I use a "general to specific" essay structure.
The introduction is the most general part of the report; it tells the reader what
the chart is about.
Then I write a short paragraph about the main / general points.
Finally, I write 2 paragraphs describing specific facts or figures.
I don't write a conclusion because I have already summarised the information
in paragraph 2.
One reason why I prefer to put the overview / summary near the beginning (rather than
at the end) is because I think it's easier to describe general things first, then specific
things later.