Writing task 1

Bar / Line and Table

INTRODUCTION
Graphs

LINE
PIE TABLE
BAR

INTRO – (PIE & TABLE)

PARAPHRASE THE QUESTION
INTRO – (LINE &BAR)
X & Y AXIS
 STRUCTURE
INTRO – (PIE & TABLE)PARAPHRASE THE QUESTION
(LINE &BAR) -X & Y AXIS

OVERVIEW-MAIN TREND
HIGHEST
LOWEST
LANGUAGE ( SIGNPOSTING, VERBS )
BODY 1- INFO 1 ;(IF THERE ARE 4 – 5
, DIVIDE ACCORDINGLY EXAMPLE 2 IN BODY 1 AND REST IN BODY 2)
BODY 2- INFO 2 , SOME INFORMATION CAN BE CLUBBED
GRAMMAR POINTS YOU NEED TO KNOW
• Tenses
• Passive voice
• Prepositions
Vocabulary that you must use
Starting Presentation Type Verb Description
The/ the given / the diagram / table / shows / represents / the comparison of…
supplied / the figure / illustration / depicts / enumerates the differences…
presented / the graph / chart / flow / illustrates / the changes...
provided chart / picture/ presents/ gives / the number of…
presentation/ pie provides / information on…
chart / bar graph/ delineates/ outlines/ data on…
column graph / line describes / the proportion of…
graph / table data/ delineates/ the amount of…
data / information / expresses/ denotes/ information on...
pictorial/ process compares/ shows data about...
diagram/ map/ pie contrast / indicates / comparative data...
chart and table/ bar figures / gives data the trend of...
graph and pie chart ... on / gives the percentages of...
information on/ the ratio of...
presents information how the...
about/ shows data
about/
demonstrates/ sketch
out/ summarises...
Example :

1. The diagram shows employment rates among adults in four European countries from 1925 to 1985.

2. The given pie charts represent the proportion of male and female employees in 6 broad categories,
dividing into manual and non-manual occupations in Australia, between 2010 and 2015.

3. The chart gives information about consumer expenditures on six products in four countries namely
Germany, Italy, Britain and France.

4. The supplied bar graph compares the number of male and female graduates in three developing
countries while the table data presents the overall literacy rate in these countries.

5. The bar graph and the table data depict the water consumption in different sectors in five regions.

6. The bar graph enumerates the money spent on different research projects while the column graph
demonstrates the fund sources over a decade, commencing from 1981.

7. The line graph delineates the proportion of male and female employees in three different sectors in
Australia between 2010 and 2015.
Just after you finish writing your 'Introduction' (i.e. General Statement + General overview/ trend), you are
expected to start a new paragraph to describe the main features of the diagrams. This second paragraph is called
the 'Body Paragraph / Report Body". You can have a single body paragraph/ report body or up to 3, (not more than
3 in any case) depending on the number of graphs provided in the question and the type of these graphs. There
are certain phrases you can use to start your body paragraph and following is a list of such phrases ---

1. As is presented in the diagram(s)/ graph(s)/ pie chart(s)/ table...

2. As (is) shown in the illustration...
3. As can be seen in the...
4. As the diagrams suggest...
5. According to the...
6. Categorically speaking...
7. Getting back to the details...
8. Now, turning to the details...
9. The table data clearly shows that...
10. The diagram reveals that...
11. The data suggest that...
12. The graph gives the figure...
13. It is interesting to note that...
14. It is apparently seen that...
15. It is conspicuous that...
 Vocabulary to show changes
Trends Verb form Noun Form
Increase rise / increase / go up / uplift / rocket(ed) / climb / a rise / an increase / an upward trend / a
upsurge / soar/ shot up/ improve/ jump/ leap/ growth / a leap / a jump / an
move upward/ skyrocket/ soar/ surge. improvement/ a climb.
Decrease fall / decrease / decline / plummet / plunge / drop / a fall / a decrease / a reduction / a
reduce / collapse / deterioriate/ dip / dive / go downward trends /a downward tendency
down / take a nosedive / slum / slide / go into free- / a decline/ a drop / a slide / a collapse / a
fall. downfall.
Steadiness unchanged / level out / remain constant / remain a steadiness/ a plateau / a stability/ a static
steady / plateau / remain the same / remain stable
/ remain static
Gradual increase an upward trend / an upward tendency / a
------------ ceiling trend
Gradual decrease a downward trend / a downward tendency
------------ / a descending trend
Standability/ Flat level(ed) off / remain(ed) constant / remain(ed)
unchanged / remain(ed) stable / prevail(ed) No change, a flat, a plateau.
consistency / plateaued / reach(ed) a plateau /
stay(ed) uniform /immutable / level(ed) out/
stabilise/ remain(ed) the same.
 Vocabulary showing changes
Type of Change Adverb form Adjective form
Rapid change dramatically / rapidly / sharply / dramatic / rapid / sharp / quick /
quickly / hurriedly / speedily / hurried / speedy / swift / significant
swiftly / significantly/ / considerable / substantial /
considerably / substantially / noticable.
noticeably.

Moderate change moderately / gradually / moderate / gradual / progressive

progressively / sequentially. / sequential.
Steady change steadily/ ceaselessly. steady/ ceaseless.
Slight change slightly / slowly / mildly / slight / slow / mild / tedious.
tediously.
 Adjectives and Adverbs

Great change / Huge difference: Overwhelming Overwhelmingly

Substantial Substantially
Enormous Enormously

Big change / Big difference: Significant Significantly

Considerable Considerably

Medium change / Moderate Somewhat Somewhat

difference: Moderate Moderately

Minor change / Small difference: Fractional Fractionally

Marginal Marginally
Slight Slightly
Dates, Months & Years related vocabulary and
grammar:
From 1990 to 2000, Commencing from 1980, Between 1995 and 2005,
After 2012.
» By 1995, In 1998, In February, Over the period, During the period,
During 2011.
» In the first half of the year, For the first quarter, The last quarter of
the year, During the first decade.
» In the 80s, In the 1980s, During the next 6 months, In the mid-70s,
Next 10 years, Previous year, Next year, Between 1980 - 1990.
» Within a time span of ten years, within five years.
» Next month, Next quarter, Next year, Previous month, Previous year.
» Since, Then, From.
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information in the graph below.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make
comparisons where relevant.

Line Graph is adapted

Sample answer
Intro – The given line graphs depict X diseases cases
in Someland between the years 1960 to 1955.The
years have been plotted on the x axis and the
diseases on the y axis .

Body 1- In 1960, the number of cases stood at

approximately 100. That number rose steadily to
200 by 1969 and then more sharply to 500 in 1977.
At this point the number of cases remained stable
until 1984.
Body 2- Post 1984 there was a gradual decrease
before plummeting to zero in 1988. From 1988 to
1995 Someland was free of the disease.
The graph below shows population figures for India and China since
the year 2000 and predicted population growth up until 2050.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main
features, and make comparisons where relevant.
 Sample answer
• Intro - The graph illustrates how the populations of India
and China have changed since 2000 and how they will
change in the future. The number of years in plotted on the
x axis and population growth on the y axis.
• Overview - In 2000, there were more people living in China
than in India. The number of Chinese was 1.25 billion,
while India's population was about 1 billion. Between 2000
and 2010, there has been a 0.2 billion rise in the number of
Indian citizens. Over the same period, China's population
has increased by 0.1 billion to reach over 1.35 billion.
• Body 1- According to the graph, the population in India will
increase more quickly than in China, and experts say that
by 2030, both countries will have the same population of
1.45 billion. After this, China's population is likely to fall
slightly to 1.4 billion in 2050, while India's population will
probably increase and reach 1.6 billion.
• Body 2- Thus, over the 50-year period, India is going to
experience steady growth in its population and it will
overtake China. On the other hand, China's population will
peak in 2030 and then begin to fall.
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The line graph below shows the percentage of tourists to England who visited four different attractions in
Brighton.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
 Sample answer
• Intro- The line graph illustrates the percentage of
travelers to England who travelled to 4 famous tourist
spots in Brighton between 1980 and 2010. Numbers of
years in plotted on the x axis and percentage on the y
axis.
• Overview-We can see that in 1980 and in 2010 the
favourite attractions were the pavilion and the festival. In
1980 the least popular attraction was the pier but in 2010
this changed and the art gallery was the least popular.
• Body 1- During the 1980s and 1990s there was a sharp
increase in visitors to the pavilion from 28% to 48% and
then the percentage gradually went down to 31% in 2010.
The trend for the art gallery was similar to the pavilion.
Visitors increased rapidly from 22% to 37% from 1980 to
1985 then gradually decreased to less than 10% over the
next twenty-five years.
• Body 2- The number of tourists who visited the Brighton
Festival fluctuated slightly but in general remained steady
at about 25%. Visitors to the pier also fluctuated from
1980 to 2000 then rose significantly from 12% to 22%
between 2000 and 2010.
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The line graph shows thefts per thousand vehicles in four countries between 1990
and 1999.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make
comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
 Grammar and vocabulary
➢Avoiding repetition
➢You will receive a higher mark if your writing uses a range
of structures and vocabulary correctly rather than a
limited number. For example, the candidate who writes:
➢The number of cases of X disease started at 50 in 1965
and then went up to 200 in 1970 and then went up to 500
in 1980 and then went down to zero in 1990.
➢will lose marks for being repetitive. You should therefore
practise writing reports using a wide variety of terms to
describe the different movements in the graphs and
different structures to vary your writing.
 BAR CHART
• It is common in the IELTS Writing paper to be asked to describe a bar graph. Bar
graphs, also known as bar charts, are like line graphs in that they have two axes
and are useful for showing how something has changed over a given period of
time, especially when there are significant changes. Bar graphs consist of
rectangular bars, which can be orientated horizontally or vertically, with the
lengths proportional to the data values that they represent. They are typically
used for comparing two or more values.
 Question prompt
• The bar chart shows the divorce rates in two European countries from 2011 to
2015.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.
 Introduction

• 1. You should start your answer by writing an introduction. The

introduction is 1 or 2 sentences, where you paraphrase the
information from your question. You should mention two things in
your introduction:
• what your graph shows
• for what period of time
• In our example, the introduction can look like this:
• The bar chart provides information about the percentages of divorces
in Finland and Sweden between 2011 and 2015.
• See how I used synonyms to paraphrase the question:
• shows → provides information about
divorce rates → percentages of divorces
two European countries → Finland and Sweden (it’s good to be more
specific)
from 2011 to 2015 → between 2011 and 2015.
 2. General Overview
The second paragraph of your answer is a general overview, where you briefly describe
major trends on your graph. Ideally, you should describe 2-4 key features.
To make major trends easier to notice, you can outline Sweden’s bars and Finland’s
bars like this:
Now it’s obvious that:
• Sweden experienced a downward trend
• Finland experienced an upward trend
• both countries showed fluctuations
• Initially Finland had a lower rate, but in 2015 Finland outraced Sweden
Use word overall to start your general overview. In our case, the overview may look as
follows:
Overall, Sweden experienced a downward trend, while Finland showed an upward trend
throughout the period. Both countries’ divorce rates had some fluctuations. Although
Finland initially had a lower rate, it outraced Sweden at the end of the period.
 3. Specific details

➢After we’ve written the introduction and general overview, it’s

time to give the specific details. You should describe the specific
features in 2 or 3 (sometimes more) paragraphs.
➢You can group data in such way:
➢Details about Sweden
➢Details about Finland
➢When you have two countries (or two cities or any other two
things depicted on the graph), the simplest way of grouping data -
is to describe each country’s trend in a separate paragraph.
➢When giving specific features, you have to write exact
numbers/percentages and include as much details as you can
 In our case, the specific details may look as follows:

• Sweden’s divorce rate was about 45% in 2011, being higher than Finland’s rate by
approximately 8%. Then, it rose to almost fifty percent in 2012. However, the figure showed a
gradual decrease to about 47% in 2013, and continued to decline steadily to the end of the
period, reaching around 45% in 2014 and hitting a low-point of about 37% in 2015.
Percentage of divorces in Finland was less than 40% in 2011, and it decreased in 2012, when
about one third of marriages in Finland ended with a divorce (as opposed to almost a half in
Sweden). However, the figure experienced a steady growth during the next two years. It rose
to approximately 39% in 2013, then increased by around 3% in 2014, and remained steady for
the next year, outracing the rate of Sweden.
Tips:
• When analyzing a bar-chart, we cannot always give exact details (due to inaccuracies of the
chart), so use words around, about and approximately when giving inexact data.
• Give data for each year shown on the chart
 Activity
➢Fill in the gaps in this answer with appropriate words.
➢The___ provides ___ about the percentages of divorces in Finland and
Sweden between 2011 and 2015.
➢_____ , Sweden experienced a downward trend, while Finland showed
an__ trend throughout the period. Both countries’ divorce rates had some
fluctuations. Although Finland initially had a lower rate, it___ Sweden at
the end of the period.
➢Sweden’s divorce rate was about 45% in 2011, being higher than Finland’s
rate by approximately 8%. Then, it rose to ____fifty percent in 2012.
However, the figure showed a gradual decrease to about 47% in 2013, and
continued to decline steadily to the end of the period, reaching around 45%
in 2014 and hitting a ____of about 37% in 2015.
➢Percentage of divorces in Finland was _____than 40% in 2011, and it
decreased in 2012, when about one third of marriages in Finland ended with
a divorce (as ___to almost a half in Sweden). However, the figure
experienced a steady growth during the next two years. It rose to
approximately 39% in 2013, then increased by around 3% in 2014, and
remained steady for the next year, outracing the rate of Sweden.
 Activity
➢ t’s the end, we have finally written the answer for IELTS bar chart question. And
now, let’s practice: fill in the gaps in this answer with appropriate words.
➢ The bar chart provides information about the percentages of divorces in Finland
and Sweden between 2011 and 2015.
➢ Overall , Sweden experienced a downward trend, while Finland showed an
upward trend throughout the period. Both countries’ divorce rates had some
fluctuations. Although Finland initially had a lower rate, it outraced Sweden at the
end of the period.
➢ Sweden’s divorce rate was about 45% in 2011, being higher than Finland’s rate by
approximately 8%. Then, it rose to almost fifty percent in 2012. However, the
figure showed a gradual decrease to about 47% in 2013, and continued to decline
steadily to the end of the period, reaching around 45% in 2014 and hitting a low
point of about 37% in 2015.
➢ Percentage of divorces in Finland was less than 40% in 2011, and it decreased in
2012, when about one third of marriages in Finland ended with a divorce
(as opposed to almost a half in Sweden). However, the figure experienced a
steady growth during the next two years. It rose to approximately 39% in 2013,
then increased by around 3% in 2014, and remained steady for the next year,
outracing the rate of Sweden.
• What will you see in an IELTS Writing Task 1 bar chart?
• A bar chart uses either horizontal or vertical bars to show comparisons
among two or more categories. One axis of the chart shows the specific
categories being compared, and the other axis represents a given value
(usually a percentage or a dollar amount).
 What to Look for in an IELTS Writing Task 1 Bar Chart
Read the Title
First and foremost, you should read the title. Often, I have students report on the essay in an inverted order because
they didn’t read the bar chart title.
For example, an IELTS Writing Task 1 bar chart that I give students has the chart title “Expected City Visits by Country of
Origin for 2018.” Yet I often get sample sentences back that read: “It is predicted that people from Paris will be the
most likely to visit the United States in 2018.” The correct answer should be “It is predicted that Americans will choose
Paris as their favorite city to visit in 2018.”
Look at the Time Frame
Look at the time frame given in the chart. Are you looking at a specific year? Are there multiple years being compared?
Are we talking about something in the future? This will determine if you need to use past tense language, the language
of change, or future tense language when discussing your data.
Decide What You Are Comparing
What titles are given to the Y- and X-axis? This important information will form the language that you will use in the
essay and the corresponding synonyms you should also use.
For example, the bar chart above compares the gross earnings of fiction books in five categories (Young Adults,
Classics, Mystery, Romance and Sci-Fi and Fantasy) between 2006 and 2010. (Incidentally, this sentence is exactly what
you would say for your introduction!)
 How to Describe an IELTS Writing Task 1 Bar
Chart

• Now that you know what the IELTS Writing Task 1 bar chart is about, these are the vital
elements to include in your essay:
• Start with an introduction. The introduction explains what the chart is about, and gives an
overview of the main points. Make sure you include one! Your introduction can be short, but
it must be there. If you’ve spent time examining the chart this should be easy to write.
• Look for the key data and make sure that you are comparing and contrasting the data, NOT
just listing the data from one section to the next. If you just write about what happened to X,
what happened to Y, and what happened to Z, without showing any relationship between
them, you will not get a high score.

• In the body paragraphs, make sure that you show the connection between the pie charts and
the graph or bar chart rather than just listing the data from each separately. Focus on
similarities and differences.
To do this, you will need to look for similarities and differences when you first analyze the
chart and you will need to decide what can logically be put together or not. This means that
you don’t have to describe everything that you see in the bar chart, just the key points!
How to Describe an IELTS Writing Task 1 Bar Chart
• For example, for the above chart, you might say: It is interesting to note that Romance novels
earned the most income each year between 2006 and 2010 with sales ranging from $70,000
to $115,000. In contrast, Sci Fi and Fantasy novels were the poorest revenue generators of the
five categories earning only $20,000 at its highest point in 2007 and a mere $10,000 at its
lowest point in 2009.

• Group the data together so that you have a well-organized and coherent answer. It is a good
idea to divide your answer into two or three paragraphs so it is well organized. To do this, you
should group similar ideas together into paragraphs or sections.

• Use a wide variety of sentence structures. Include complex sentences and simple sentences.

• It is equally important to use appropriate transitions between describing each data point.

• Always provide a short summary conclusion of what you included in your essay. One line is
enough here. For example, It can be seen from the chart that overall, 2007 was the best year
for book sales in all five categories.
• Finally, make sure that you have written 150 words.
The bar chart below shows the percentage of students who passed their high school
competency exams, by subject and gender, during the period 2010-2011.

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

• INTRO- The graph shows the percentages of boys and girls who were successful in their high
school competency exams in the period from 2010 to 2011, by subject.
• OVERVEIEW- Overall, students of both sexes did / performed best in Computer Science,
Mathematics, and Foreign Languages, including French, German and Spanish. Results for
boys and girls were roughly comparable / equivalent / equal / the same in Computer Science
and Mathematics. In other subjects, however, there were some significant differences.
• BODY1 -Girls achieved by far their best results in Computer Science, with a pass rate
of 56.3%, which was considerably higher / much higher / around 14% higher than the boys.
The difference was even greater / more marked in Chemistry, where over 16% / more than
16% more girls passed. The only / The one / The single subject where boys’ results were
better than girls was Geography where they achieved a pass rate of 30.4%, which was 10%
higher than that / the figure / the percentage / the pass rate / the result for girls.
• BODY 2-In general, we can say / we can see / the statistics show that during the period in
question girls performed better in most subjects in the competency exams than boys.
The bar chart below shows the sector contributions to India’s gross domestic product from 1960 to 2000.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Contribution as % of India's GDP
In the above graph, you should describe differences at 2 different times
(1992 and 2000) and also differences between the IT and service
industries.
PIE
CHART
What will you see in an IELTS Writing Task 1 pie chart?
A pie chart is a type of graph in which a circle is divided into sections, where each section represents a
proportion of the whole. The various sections add up to 100%.
• Sometimes you will see the pie charts illustrated as above, without any
percentage marks. When this happens, you will need to approximate the
amount. I like to think of the pie chart like a clock and imagine that the part
where each section ends corresponds to the minute hand of the clock.

• For example, in the pie chart above, you can imagine that the long hand falls
on the 20-minute mark between “bus” and “walk,” which is a third of an hour.
Therefore, the percentage of bus travel would be 33%. Likewise, the
percentage of walking travel makes up the rest of the time before the clock
hand reaches the 30-minute mark, so through some simple math, we can see
that the walking travel is roughly 17%.

• Rarely will you have just one pie chart. You will usually be presented with two
or more pie charts or you might have both a pie chart and a graph that are
related that need to be compared and contrasted. In each, though, there will
be the following language: “Summarize the information by selecting and
reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.”
 How to Describe an IELTS Writing Task 1 Pie Chart

• First, take a few minutes to read the pie chart’s heading and data labels. Do the same with the
graph if there is one. Make sure you know what the information is about and what detail is
included.

• When you write your introduction, show that you are looking at the IELTS Writing Task 1 pie chart
with the relevant language (i.e. From the pie chart, it is clear/obvious/evident that…).

• In the body paragraphs, make sure that you show the connection between the pie charts and the
graph or bar chart rather than just listing the data from each separately. Focus on similarities and
differences.

• Try to relate a particular item in the IELTS Writing Task 1 pie chart to an aspect of the graph/chart
by using language such as is related, is connected to, has an effect on.

• Choose the most important points to write about first. Usually, these will be the largest pie slices.
Items such as ‘other’ are usually less important and account for small amounts, so can be left until
the end or excluded if you don’t have enough time or word count.
• As with any Task 1, it is important to vary your language. You should
not keep repeating the same words and phrases. The key language
when you write about pie charts is proportions and percentages.
Common phrases to see are “the proportion of…” or “the percentage
of…”. Other phrases can include: a large number, a small minority, less
than a fifth…

• Avoid drawing conclusions and stating opinions about information

that is not in the charts. If you think that the bus travel is higher than
car travel because you think the graph is representing a metropolitan
city, it doesn’t matter. If it isn’t included in the data, do not mention it!

• Think about what tense you will use to write your essay. Often your
essay will be given a date in the past, so be sure to use the past tense
when writing.
 Fractions Proportions
73%- nearly three quarters 70%- a large proportion

51%- just over a half 71%- a significant majority

49%- just under a half 15% a small minority

32%- nearly a third 3%- an insignificant minority

3%- a tiny fraction

50%- exactly a half

26%- roughly one quarter

49%- around a half

24%- almost a quarter

77%- approximately three quarters

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The pie charts show the main reasons for migration to and from the UK in 2007.

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

Write at least 150 words.

 Sample

• Intro -The pie charts illustrate the primary reasons that people came to and left the
UK in 2007. At first glance it is clear that the main factor influencing this decision was
employment.
• Overview-Having a definite job accounted for 30 per cent of immigration to the UK,
and this figure was very similar for emigration, at 29%. A large number of people,
22%, also emigrated because they were looking for a job, though the proportion of
people entering the UK for this purpose was noticeably lower at less than a fifth.
• Body1- Another major factor influencing a move to the UK was for formal study, with
over a quarter of people immigrating for this reason. However, interestingly, only a
small minority, 4%, left for this.
• Body 2 - The proportions of those moving to join a family member were quite similar
for immigration and emigration, at 15% and 13% respectively. Although a significant
number of people (32%) gave ‘other’ reasons or did not give a reason why they
emigrated, this accounted for only 17% with regards to immigration.
The pie chart below shows the percentage of family’s
household income distributed into different part

Education 22%
Write a report for a university lecturer describing the
information in the graphs below.
The pie charts below show the most common advantages and disadvantages of Bowen Island, according to a
survey of visitors.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant.
DUAL GRAPH
 Question prompt
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The line graph shows visits to and from the UK from 1979 to
1999, and the bar graph shows the most popular countries
visited by UK residents in 1999.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main

features and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Adapted
APPROACH AND
VOCABULARY
OF DIFFERENT
GRAPHS
Upward trend
➢Grow / a growth
➢Go up
➢Increase / an increase
➢Rise / a rise
➢Climb / a climb

• Downward trend
➢Decrease / a decrease
➢Drop/ a drop
➢Fall / a fall
➢Decline / a decline
 Other vocabulary
➢Remain stable
➢Dip / a dip
➢Remain steady
➢Fluctuate / a fluctuation
➢Remain unchanged
➢Level off
➢peak at
➢Reach a peak of
➢Hit a high of
➢Hit a low of
➢Bottom out
➢plateau
 What do you need to write?

• INTRODUCTION

• BODY PARAGRAPH 1

• BODY PARAGRAPH 2 ( no conclusion)

 RECAP OF THE TIPS
➢When you state what the graph shows, mention both of them. Here
is a sample first sentence of the introduction.
➢Remember to write this in your own words and not to copy from the
question.
➢Next you need to mention the key points from the graph. When you
do this, mention the most interesting things from each.
➢If there are two graphs and a lot of information, you will have to be
careful not to describe everything as you may then have too much
information.
➢Also, the examiner is looking to see that you can select the
important things and not describe every single detail.
TABLE
WHAT IS TABLE ALL ABOUT IN WRITING TASK
1
Table
In Academic Writing Task 1, you need to describe some visual
information. This visual information might be a table. Tables contain
words, numbers or signs, or a combination of these, displayed in
columns or boxes to illustrate a set of facts and the relationship
between them.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main
features and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

 How to approach table completion tasks

Step 1: Read the instructions carefully. Note that in the sample task you
may use your own words if you wish, based on the information in
the reading text. In other cases you will be instructed to use the
words from the reading text only. Note also that here you may
write only three words or fewer.
Step 2: Look at the table and especially any headings. Decide which is the
most useful way to read the table. In this case you need to read it
horizontally to answer the questions. Glance at the other
information given in the table to get an idea of what information
you will be searching for when you read.
How to approach table completion tasks

Step 3: Look at the first row under the headings. Decide what key
ideas you will need to search for as you skim the reading text.
Decide also what information you will need to complete the
first gap. For example, in the sample task you will skim for a
paragraph or section discussing icebergs not being plotted
because something was scattered all over the ship. What was
that something?
Step 4: Skim the text for the appropriate paragraph or section.
Step 5: Read that section more carefully and decide on the best word
or words to fill the gap. Remember that you will need to use
the appropriate form of any verbs.
TASK 1
• Before you write
• Read the task and make a mental summary of the key points
and overall trends/stages.
• Why? Because if you misinterpret the data or diagram, you
will lose a lot of marks for content
 TASK 1
• As you write
• Introduce the information, in a sentence or two, using your own words.
• Why? Because if you copy the question, the examiner will not count these
words.
• Summarise the key points and use data to illustrate these.
• Why? Because you will lose marks if you miss key points or fail to illustrate
them.
• Include an overview of the information - either in your introduction or
conclusion.
• Why? Because you will lose marks if your answer does not contain an
overview.
 TASK 1
• How you write
• Try to show that you can use your own words (wherever possible)
and a range of grammatical structures.
• Why? Because you will get more marks for vocabulary and
grammar if you can do this.
• Divide your answer into paragraphs and use linkers to connect
your ideas.
• Why? Because you will get more marks if you can organise your
answer well and use a range of linking and reference words.
 TASK 1
• When you have finished
• Count your words to make sure you have written
enough.
• Why? Because short answers lose marks. (There are no
extra marks for long answers.)
• Check your grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• Why? Because mistakes in these areas can reduce your
marks.
 Question prompt
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The table illustrates the proportion of monthly household
income five European countries spend on food and drink,
housing, clothing and entertainment.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main

features and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Proportion of household income five European
countries spend on food and drink, housing, clothing
and entertainment

Food and drink Housing Clothing Entertainment

31% 7% 13%
France 25%

22% 33% 15% 19%

Germany

UK 27% 37% 11% 11%

36% 20% 12% 10%
Turkey

31% 18% 8% 15%

Spain
 WORD CHOICES YOU CAN USE IN YOUR
WRITING

it is evident that However shows a quarter on the largest

the remaining ranging between respectively while much less on

 THE TABLE
The table 1. ___ the amount of household income that five
countries in Europe spend per month on four items.
Overall, 2. ___all five countries spend the majority of their income
on food and drink and housing, but 3. ___clothing and
entertainment.
Housing is 4. ______expenditure item for France, Germany and
the UK, with all of them spending around one 5. ____third of their
income on this, at 30%, 33% and 37%, . In contrast, they spend
around 6. ____food and drink. 7. ____, this pattern is reversed for
Turkey and Spain, who spend around a fifth of their income on
housing, but approximately one third on food and drink.
All five countries spend much less on 8. ____two items. Regarding
clothes, France and Spain spend the least, at less than
10%, 9. ____ the other three countries spend around the same
amount, 10. ____12% and 15%. At 19%, Germany spends the most
on entertainment, whereas UK and Turkey spend approximately
half this amount, with France and Spain between the two.
ANSWER
• The table 1. shows the amount of household income that five
countries in Europe spend per month on four items. Overall, 2. it is
evident that all five countries spend the majority of their income on
food and drink and housing, but 3. much less on clothing and
entertainment.
• Housing is 4. the largest expenditure item for France, Germany and
the UK, with all of them spending around one third of their income on
this, at 30%, 33% and 37%, 5. respectively. In contrast, they spend
around 6. a quarter on food and drink. 7. However, this pattern is
reversed for Turkey and Spain, who spend around a fifth of their
income on housing, but approximately one third on food and drink.
• All five countries spend much less on 8. the remaining two items.
Regarding clothing, France and Spain spend the least, at less than
10%, 9. while the other three countries spend around the same
amount, 10. ranging between 12% and 15%. At 19%, Germany spends
the most on entertainment, whereas UK and Turkey spend
approximately half this amount, with France and Spain between the
two.
VOCABULARY THAT
YOU CAN USE
• An inspection of the data in the first table clearly shows
It is apparent from this table that considerable …
In the third column there is a distinct trend of …
What stands out in the table is …
Closer inspection of the table shows …
As the table shows, there is a significant decrease …
There is a significant difference between column A and column B, most notably…
An inspection of the data in the table reveals that…
• What stands out in this table …
• …is the general pattern of
…is the difference between
…is the wide disparity between
…is the rapid increase of
…is the growth of
…is the high rate of
• Fancy Sentences
• The figure for 1999 is almost three times that of 2010.
The figure for 2011 is exactly four times that of 2010.
It is clear that the figures between 2001 and 2010 are broadly in the same range.
• Grouping
• The figures between 1999 and 2000 are very similar to those of the prior year.
The figures in column A and B are almost identical.
The diagram shows the procedure for university entry for high school graduates.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Sample answer
• The flow chart depicts the steps involved in getting admitted in a university for high school
graduates. Overall, to get admitted to the university someone must have a high school
degree and finally, the Dean of the university approves the admission.
Getting back to details, high school graduates first need to download the application form
from the university website and then fill it up. The filled application forms are then sent to
the admin. The admin department either accepts an application or declines it. There are
two types of acceptance – complete enrolment and provisional acceptance. Those who
have been provisionally accepted need to submit more documentations within 2 weeks to
the admin department.
• Their papers are then reexamined. Those who are accepted for complete enrolment then
select their preferred subjects and register with the dean of the university. At the last step,
the students get admitted to the university. On the contrary, applicants who are rejected
are either given the chance to apply for an alternative course and go through the same
steps again or their applications are discarded.