Writing Task 1 Format and Vocabs:

WRITING TASK 1

Format:

Paragraph 1: Paraphrase Question (using proper synonyms)

Starting line: The given/ supplied/ presented/ shown/ provided

Charts: diagram/ table/ figure/ illustration/ graph/ chart/ flow chart/ picture/ presentation/
pie chart/ bar graph/ column chart/ line graph/ table data/ pictorial/ diagram/ map
Verbs: shows/ represents/ depicts/enumerates/ illustrates/ presents/ gives/ provides /
delineates/ outlines/describes/ expresses/denotes/compares/ indicates/ demonstrates/
summarises/ shows

Examples:

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.

Paragraph 2: Main features of chart/process/ diagram

Starting line:
1. In general...2. In common...3. Generally speaking...4. Overall...5. It is obvious...6. As it is
observed...7. As a general trend...8. As can be seen...9. As an overall trend/ As overall
trend...10. As it is presented...11. It can be clearly seen that...12. At the first glance...13. It
is clear,14. At the onset...15. It is clear that...16. A glance at the graph(s) reveals that...

Examples:

1. In general, the employment opportunities increased till 1970 and then declined
throughout the next decade.
2. As it is observed, the figures for imprisonment in the five mentioned countries show no
overall pattern, rather shows the considerable fluctuations from country to country.
3. Generally speaking, citizens in the USA had a far better life standard than that of the
remaining countries.
4. As can be seen, the highest number of passengers used the London Underground
station at 8:00 in the morning and at 6:00 in the evening.
4. Generally speaking, more men were engaged in managerial positions in 1987 than that
of women in New York this year.
5. As an overall trend, the number of crimes reported increased fairly rapidly until the
mid-seventies, remained constant for five years and finally, dropped to 20 cases a week
after 1982.
6. At a first glance, it is clear that more percentages of native university pupils violated
regulations and rules than the foreign students did during this period.

Vocabulary:

Increase rise / increase / go up a rise / an increase /

/ uplift / rocket(ed) / an upward trend / a
climb / upsurge / soar/ growth / a leap / a
shot up/ improve/ jump / an
jump/ leap/ move improvement/ a climb.
upward/ skyrocket/
soar/ surge.
Decrease fall / decrease / a fall / a decrease / a
decline / plummet / reduction / a
plunge / drop / reduce downward trends
/ collapse / /a downward
deterioriate/ dip / dive tendency / a decline/
/ go down / take a a drop / a slide / a
nosedive / slum / slide collapse / a downfall.
/ go into free-fall.
Steadiness unchanged / level out / a steadiness/ a
remain constant / plateau / a stability/ a
remain steady / static
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 / No change, a flat, a
remain(ed) constant / plateau.
remain(ed) unchanged
/ remain(ed) stable /
prevail(ed) consistency
/ plateaued / reach(ed)
a plateau / stay(ed)
uniform /immutable /
level(ed) out/ stabilise/
remain(ed) the same.
Examples:
1. The overall sale of the company increased by 20% at the end of the year.
2. The expenditure of the office remained constant for the last 6 months but the profit
rose by almost 25%.
3. There was a 15% drop in the ratio of student enrollment at this University.
4. The population of the country remained almost the same as it was 2 years ago.
5. The population of these two cities increase significantly in the last two decades and it
is expected that it will remain stable during the next 5 years.

Vocabulary to represent changes in graphs:

Type of Change Adverb form Adjective form
Rapid change dramatically / rapidly / dramatic / rapid /
sharply / quickly / sharp / quick / hurried
hurriedly / speedily / / speedy / swift /
swiftly / significantly/ significant /
considerably / considerable /
substantionally / substantial / noticable.
noticably.
Moderate change moderately / gradually moderate / gradual /
/ progressively / progressive
sequentially. / sequential.
Steady change steadily/ ceaselessly. steady/ ceaseless.
Slight change slightly / slowly / slight / slow / mild /
mildly / tediously. tedious.
Example:
1. The economic inflation of the country increased sharply by 20% in 2008.
2. There was a sharp drop in industrial production in the year 2009.
3. The demand for new houses dramatically increased in 2002.
4. The population of the country dramatically increased in the last decade.
5. The price of oil moderately increased during the last quarter but as a consequence, the
price of daily necessities rapidly went up.
 Vocabulary to represent frequent changes in graphs:
Type of Change Verb form Noun form
Rapid ups and downs wave / fluctuate / waves / fluctuations /
oscillate / vacillate / oscillations /
palpitate vacillations
/ palpitations
Example:
1. The price of the goods fluctuated during the first three months of 2017.
2. The graph shows the oscillations of the price from 1998 to 2002.
3. The passenger number in this station oscillates throughout the day and in the early
morning and evening, it remains busy.
4. The changes in car production in Japan shows a palpitation for the second quarter of
the year.
5. The number of students in debate clubs fluctuated in different months of the year and
rapid ups and downs could be observed in the last three months of this year.

Types of Changes/ Differences and Vocabulary to present them:

Great change / Huge difference:

Adjectives Adverbs
Overwhelming OverwhelminglySubstantial SubstantiallyEnormo
us Enormously

Big change / Big difference:

Adjectives Adverbs
Significant SignificantlyConsiderable Considerably

Medium change / Moderate difference:

Adjectives Adverbs
Somewhat SomewhatModerate Moderately

Minor change / Small difference:

Adjectives Adverbs
Fractional FractionallyMarginal MarginallySlight
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.

Percentage, Portion and Numbers:

Percentages:10% increase, 25 percent decrease, increased by 15%, dropped by 10 per
cent, fall at 50%, reached to 75%, tripled, doubled, one-fourth, three-quarters, half,
double fold, treble, 5 times higher, 3 timers lower, declined to about 49%, stood exactly
at 43%.
Fractions:4% = A tiny fraction.24% = Almost a quarter.25% Exactly a quarter.26% =
Roughly one quarter.32% Nearly one-third, nearly a third.49% = Around a half, just under
a half.50% Exactly a half.51% = Just over a half.73% = Nearly three quarters.77% =
Approximately three quarter, more than three-quarter.79% = Well over three quarters.
Proportions: 2% = A tiny portion, a very small proportion.4% = An insignificant minority,
an insignificant proportion.16% = A small minority, a small portion.70% = A large
proportion.72% = A significant majority, A significant proportion.89% = A very large
proportion. 89% = A very large proportion.

Words/ Phrases of Approximation - Vocabulary:

» Approximately» Nearly» Roughly» Almost» About» Around» More or less» Just over» Just
under» Just around» Just about» Just below» A little more than» A little less than

Vocabulary to represent the highest and lowest points in graphs:

Type Verb Noun
Highest Point peaked / culminated / a (/the) peak / a (/the)
climaxed / reach the pinnacle / a (/the)
peak / hit the peak / vertex / the highest
touch the highest point/ an (/the) apex /
point / reach the a (/the) summit, a
vertex/ reach the apex (/the) top, a (/the)
pinnacle, a (/the)
acme, a (/the) zenith,
Lowest Point touch the lowest point the lowest point / the
/ get the lowest point / lowest mark /
reached the nadir bottommost point /
rock bottom point/
bottommost mark /
nadir/ the all-time low/
the lowest level/ the
bottom/ rock-bottom
Example:
1. The price of the oil reached a peak amounting $20 in February and again touched the
lowest point amounting only $10 in July. 2. Student enrolment in foreign Universities and
Colleges increased dramatically hitting a peak of over 20 thousand in 2004. 3. The highest
number of books was sold in July while it was lowest in December. 4. The oil price reached
a peak in 2003 while it was lowest in 2006.
5. The selling volume of the DVD hit the peak with 2 million copies sold in a month but
after just three months it reached the bottom with only 20 thousand sold in a month.