Introduction

IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic requires you to write at least 150 words in
response to a graph, table, chart or process. You will be presented with factual
information and asked to select and report the main features of the data in under 20
minutes.

What sort of graphs or diagrams could I get?

You could get any of the following, or a variation on these formats.

Pie

chart
Line graph

Bar chart Table

Diagram of how something works Diagram of a natural cycle

 Main types in Writing task 1

Main type

Data Image

Statistic Dynamic
Process Map
chart chart

Process Change
language language
Dynamic chart: Describe changes

I, Introduction to tasks:
Information can be given in line graphs, bar charts, or tables.
The underlying principle is that candidates need to describe changes shown over time (different
days, months, years or even decades). Without this critical feature, it is another type of IELTS
task 1.
Note: the most common way to present information is in line graphs.
Writing an introduction
The introduction is very simple in task 1 and is often 1 sentence long. You need to paraphrase
the information given by IELTS in the rubric and add more from the graph / diagram. Try not to
change too many words but rather change the grammar structure or the order of information.
1, The introduction should start as follows:

The graph (present simple)

The chart the number of / the
The line graph Describes figure of
The pie chart shows how many / much
The diagram gives information the amount of
The map about the percentage of/ the
The table illustrates proportion of
compares
Don’t change this Change this
Change the verb

2, Adding information:
The information should also add dates, names, units, category headings and any other
information you think necessary which is given in the graph.
Examples:
The table illustrates how much money was spent in Germany, the UK, France and Spain

between 1996 and 1999.

What, where, when.

Must drop : Below

Paraphrasing

1. Đổi loại từ
2. Đổi thứ tự từ
3. Dùng từ đồng nghĩa

Example:
The graph below shows the average number of UK commuters travelling each day
by car, bus or train between 1970 and 2030

The line graph compares figures for daily travel by workers in the UK using three different forms
of transport over a period of 60 years.

WRITING OVERALL STATEMENT FOR TASK 1

 This paragraph should start with “Overall” or “In general”. Never use “In total”.

 This paragraph can be written after the introduction or at the end of the report.

 The overall statement should cover main features, not details. No data is provided

 It should mention: - Main trends (increase or decrease)

- Show comparisons: Which is higher /highest, which is lower/

lowest.

- Which experiences more/ most dramatic changes

Describing data (basic)

The number of Vietnamese car users was 5 million.

The quantity of Vienamese car users stood at 5 million.

5 million people in Vn used cars.

5 million Vietnamese people travelled by cars.

There was 5 million Vietnamese people using cars.

The amount of fast food consumed in the UK was 2000

tones.

200 tones of fastfood were eaten by the UK.

There were 200 tones of fastfood eaten by the UK.

20% của dân số Vietnam sử dụng internet

The percentage/proportion of Vietnamese internet users

was 2%.

20% of Vietnamese population used the internet.

Internet users accounted/occupied for 20% of

Vietnamese population
Số người dùng internet ở VN chiếm 30% của tổng người
dùng internet thế giới.

The percentage of Vietnamese internet users was 30%

of the total global internet users.

30% of global internet users came from Vietnam.

Vietnamese people made up/ took up 30% of the total

global internet user.
Practice
1. The graph below shows the average number of UK commuters travelling each
day by car, bus or train between 1970 and 2030

Số lượng người dùng đi xe bus/car/train vào năm 2010

The line graph compares figures for daily travel by workers in the UK using three different forms
of transport over a period of 60 years.
It is clear that the car is by far the most popular means of transport for UK commuters
throughout the period shown. Also, while the numbers of people who use the car and train
increase gradually, the number of bus users falls steadily.
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. In the year 2000, the
number of those driving to work rose to 7 million and the number of commuting rail passengers
reached 3 million. However, there was a small drop of approximately 0.5 million in the number
of bus users.
By 2030, the number of people who commute by car is expected to reach almost 9 million, and
the number of train users is also predicted to rise, to nearly 5 million. By contrast, buses are
predicted to become a less popular choice, with only 3 million daily users.
2. The graph below shows electricity production in terawatt hours in France between 1980 and 2012.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and making comparisons where
relevant.
3. The graph below gives information about car ownership in Britain from 1971 to 2007. Summarize
the information by selecting and reporting the main features and making comparisons where relevant.

The graph shows changes in the number of cars per household in Great Britain over a period of
36 years.

Overall, car ownership in Britain increased between 1971 and 2007. In particular, the percentage
of households with two cars rose, while the figure for households without a car fell.
In 1971, almost half of all British households did not have regular use of a car. Around 44% of
households had one car, but only about 7% had two cars. It was uncommon for families to own
three or more cars, with around 2% of households falling into this category.
The one-car household was the most common type from the late 1970s onwards, although there
was little change in the figures for this category. The biggest change was seen in the proportion
of households without a car, which fell steadily over the 36-year period to around 25% in 2007.
In contrast, the proportion of two-car families rose steadily, reaching about 26% in 2007, and the
proportion of households with more than two cars rose by around 5%.
Comparing data (basic)
1. Respectively
The numbers of Vienamese cars and motorbike users were 5 million and 20 millions
respectively.
5 million and 20 million Vienamese people used cars and motorbikes respectively.

Level up
Walking was least favored by Vietnamese people, with 1 million walkers.
The numbers of car and motorbike users were much higher, at approximately 5 million and 20
million respectively.

2. compared to + data
The number of Vietnamese car users was 5 million, compared to 20 million motorbike users
The number of Vietnamese car users was 5 million, compared to 20 million of motorbike ones.

3. while/whereas
The number of Vienamese car users was 5 million, while the number of motorbike users was 20
milliion.
The number of Vienamese car users was 5 million, while that of motorbike ones was 20 milliion.

5 million Vienamese people used cars, while there were 20 million individuals travelling by
motorbikes.

4. Meanwhile/ At the same time

The number of Vienamese car users was 5 million. Meanwhile, the number of motorbike users
was 20 milliion.

5. Superlative
The UK by far saw the highest number of motorbike users, followed by Canada
Outer London has the second highest number of cycling commuters.
X saw the second biggest increase in the number of residents cycling to work.
Comparing data (advance)

1. Comparative verb
Outnumber
Exceed
Be higher than
Be smaller than
Be double/triple

Distinguish:
1. The number of male students was double that of female.
2. The number of male students was 1000 in 2014, then it doubled after 3
years.
Which one is statistic chart’s data? Which one show trend? (2)

Increase twice as much as / increase two fold.

A double increase/ a twofold increase

Twice as many/much as
Twice as many people were jobless in 2009 as in 2005
Compared to 2005
Twice as much rice was exported in 2009 as in 2005

2. Linking words
While / whereas/ meanwhile
Similarly/likewise/ also/share the same
As opposed to/ in contrast (big differences)
3. Phrases
Compared to…
In comparision with …
Followed by ….

4. The difference between a and b was…. slight/significant in …….,

with …….(data) compare to …… (data)

5. Superlative
Ice hockey is the predominat winter sport
A majority of …
A minority of
The primary sport
Language Building: describing trend
1, Increase:
Verbs Past Tense Nouns

2, Decrease
Verbs Past Tense Nouns

3, Adjectives + Adverbs
3.1, Significant changes:
Adjectives Adverbs

3.2, Continuous changes:

Adjectives Adverbs

3.3, Small changes:

Adjectives Adverbs

4
Language Building with answer:
1, Increase:
Verbs Past Tense Nouns
Increase Increased An increase
Grow Grew A growth
Rise Rose A rise
Climb Climbed A climb
Go up Went up

2, Decrease
Verbs Past Tense Nouns
Decline Declined A decline
Drop Dropped A drop
Dip Dipped A dip
Fall Fell A fall
Go down Went down

3, Adjectives + Adverbs
3.1, Significant changes:
Adjectives Adverbs
Significant
Dramatic Dramatically
Substantial
Considerable

3.2, Continuous changes:

Adjectives Adverbs
Steady
Gradual
Continuous

3.3, Small changes:

Adjectives Adverbs
Slight
Marginal ( = very small)
Insignificant
4. Fluctuate in a decreasing / an increasing trend – a
decreasing / an increasing fluctuation
Language Reinforcement – Describe Changes

I/ Underline the adverbs or adjectives that have a similar meaning

a. The sales figures decreased sharply / significantly / slightly in August.

b. The numbers of accidents rose gradually / steadily / rapidly in 2000

c. There was a slight / insignificant / continuous growth in the amount of water consumed
in the first half of the century.

d. The amount of time spent on doing housework by males was exactly / approximately /
roughly / almost 2 hours per week.

e. The quantity of fast food consumed was relatively / comparatively / slightly stable in
the first 10 years.

f. The number remained stable / flat/ unchanged / steady at 20,000 tones in two years.

II. Match the following verbs with their synonyms:

Decline Vary Stay unchanged Grow

Experience a period of stability Fall Climb
Rise stay flat
Drop Dip
at

To increase To decrease To fluctuate To remain stable

Language Reinforcement – Describe Changes
I/ Underline the adverbs or adjectives that have a similar meaning

a. The sales figures decreased sharply / significantly / slightly in August.

b. The numbers of accidents rose gradually / steadily / rapidly in 2000

c. There was a slight / insignificant / continuous growth in the amount of water

consumed in the first half of the century.

d. The amount of time spent on doing housework by males was exactly / approximately /
roughly / almost 2 hours per week.

e. The quantity of fast food consumed was relatively / comparatively / slightly stable in
the first 10 years.

f. The number remained stable / flat/ unchanged / steady at 20,000 tones in two years.

II. Match the following verbs with their synonyms:

Decline Vary Stay unchanged Grow

Experience a period of stability Fall Climb
Rise stay flat
Drop Dip
at

To increase To decrease To fluctuate To remain stable

Practice (easy level)
1. Exercise 1

2. Exercise 2

3.
 Suggested structures to describing trends

Structure 1: Subject + a verb + an adverb + data + time

The number of people commuting by cars increased from 1 to 5 million between 2000 and 2011.
significantly
The figure for …. by 20% to 5 million from… to…
The quantity of…. by 20% and reached within a 10 years period
(countable/uncountabl 5 million over a 10 years period
e nouns) in a 10-year period
The amount of ….. oil consumed by the USA throughout the 10-year period.
(uncountable)

Structure 2: There is + a noun + data + time

There was a significant from 1 to 5 million in the number people commuting by cars between 2000 and
increase of 2011.

of 20% to 5 million
a 20% increase to 5
million
a threefold
a twofold
Structure 3: Place/Time + witnessed/experience/saw + a noun + time
The period between 2000 and 2011 witnessed a significant increase from 1 to 5 million in the number of people commuting by
cars.

Extra structures
Structure 4: Subject + experience/undergo + a noun + time
E.g.: The number of students experienced a double increase to 5 million in the period between 2005 and 2009.

Structure 5: A clause, which + a verb

The percentage rose significantly by 27%, which climbed from nearly 10% to about 37% in 10 years

Structure 6: Subject + see + object + verb / verbing + data

E.g.: Apple saw its sales increase by 50% in Asian markets last year
The UK saw its number of motorbike users increase by 20% in 10 years.
Practice
General rules

For Graphs or Tables in Writing Task 1:

1. Start on the first day / month / year for each line – do not use topic sentences.

2. Describe each line fully but always be selective about what you describe

3. The overall paragraph should describe the overall changes and can be written either after the

introduction paragraph or at the end of the body. No data is provided here

4. Use the linking words such as : Next , Then , After that , Following that , Subsequently

5. Make sure you use the same tense throughout the writing.

6. Make sure each sentence in the body paragraphs is supported by data.

7. If you have two lines, each line should be a separate paragraph.

8. If you have more than two lines, put the similar lines in one paragraph.
Homework:
Test 1: LINE GRAPH

The graph gives information about the percentage of the population of four different Asian
countries living in cities between 1970 and 2020 with additional predictions for 2030 and 2040.

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

(Cambridge 18 test1)
Zim
The line graph shows the proportion of the urban population in four nations in Southeast Asia between 1970
and 2020, with projections until 2040.
Overall, there are projected increases in the population living in cities of all countries examined, with
Malaysia dominating the chart for the vast majority of the period, and the Philippines are predicted to
overtake Thailand and Indonesia to hold the second position in the second half of the timeframe.
Regarding Malaysia and Indonesia, precisely a third of the former’s population resided in urban areas in the
first year, after which it is expected to increase continually to just over 80% in 2040, significantly higher than
any other countries listed. Indonesia almost exactly mirrors this upward trend, albeit at a much lower rate.
Despite starting at the lowest (at nearly 15%), the urban population rate for this country rose considerably,
surpassing those of Thailand in 2000 and the Philippines in 2010 to become the second highest before being
forecast to reach just above 60% in the final year.
Moving on to Thailand and the Philippines, the percentage of urban inhabitants in the latter was the highest
initially, standing at slightly above 30%. After being exceeded by Malaysia in the first years, the Philippines
witnessed a rise to nearly half of the population, regaining its dominant position in 1990. However, this
dominance was short-lived, as its share had gradually dropped to approximately 41% by 2010, and it is then
anticipated to have climbed by roughly 10% by 2040. Thailand follows a very similar pattern but ranks last
from 2000 onwards. Its figure began at close to one-fifth of its population prior to being estimated to more
than double by the end of the period.
From day 1 to day 11, the number of Music Choice’s visitors fluctuated from around 20,000
to 40,000, except for day 3, when the figure was slightly higher and reached about 60,000.
After that, on day 12, there was a dramatic increase of nearly 100,000 people, which made
the number of this music site’s visitors rise significantly from more than 20,000 to about
120,000. In the next 2 days, there were about 110,000 and more than 120,000 people visited
the site, respectively. After that marginal change, Music Choice saw its number of visitors
suddenly dropped to around 70,000 people.

For the first 9 days of the research period, the number of Pop Parade’s visitors experienced a
continual decrease of nearly 80,000 and defined its lowest point at about 35,000 on day 7.
Then, the number climbed significantly by more than 110,000 in the next 2 days to reach its
peak on day 11 at around 150,000. Subsequently, it fell considerably by more than 60,000,
then experienced 2 days of stability. There was a substantial growth from about 80,000 to
around 160,000 people in the Pop Parade visitors figure on day 14 before the figure reached
its peak of about 170,000 people on the last day.
 Error correction- Describe trends

1. Homeowners increased from almost 20,000 in 1980 to nearly 25,000 in 1995.

⇨ The number of ……….

2. The number of foreign visitors decreased of approximately 2000 people last year.

⇨ Decrease (verb) + by

3. There was a sharp decline by 7,000 units in the sales figure.

⇨ Decline (noun) + of

4. The number of students rose rapidly, which climb from nearly 10,000 to over 15,000.

⇨ Which climbed

5. The percentage of young working adults dropped gradually in Japan.

⇨ Data??? Time???

6. Japan witnessed an increase in the number of senior citizens from about 20.000 to roughly

27.000 people.

⇨ 27,000 or 27 thousand (thousands of people – 27 thousand people)

7. There was an increase to 15,000 visits before reaching a peak of 60,000 visits on day 9.

⇨ Before the number reached ……….

8. The number of people accessed Pop parade increased dramatically to 10,000 on day.

⇨ Accessing

⇨ Or who accessed
 Using prepositions:
The chart shows the changes which took place (1) in student spending in the United
Kingdom (2) during/ over…. the three-year period from 1996 to 1999.

Students spent 3% less on accommodation, which fell (3) …from……. 23% (4) ….…to...
20% of their expenditure. Similarly, there was a 2% decrease (5) …...in…... spending on
food, bills and household goods, which fell from 20% to 18%. At the same time, course
expenditure went down 6……by.… 3% from 10% to 7%. Children, who constituted 1% (7)
…. of.... students’ expenditure in 1996, are not represented in 1999.

On the other hand, there was a 5% growth (8) ………in ………spending on entertainment,
which stood (9) ….at ….…26% of total expenditure in 1996 but rose (10) …… to…………
31% in 1999. Spending on other non- essential items and credit payments also grew (11) …
by……… …… 4% to make (12) …up…….16% of total expenditure. Likewise, spending
on essential travel went up (13) ………by…….3%

Overall, there was an upward trend in expenditure (14) …………on/in……………. four

categories, including entertainment, non-essential items, credit payments and essential
travel, while there was an opposite pattern in spending on the others. The most significant
general change was recorded in spending on entertainment.

183 words

Edited from Instant IELTS book

 1. Making predictions 2. Language of estimation:

E.g. The number will increase to 10,000. - About

3. Reporting age groups Linking words:

People over 65 = Next =

25 -30-year-old people =

Added language: Writing task 1: future

With your partner, complete the table below:

Making predictions Language of estimation:

E.g. The number is likely to increase - About, Around, Almost

- Just under
….is predicted to ………….
….is anticipated to………. - Just above
….is estimated to…………...
- Approximately, roughly, nearly
….is forecast to……………...

There will be ……………...

Paraphrase Linking words:

People over 65 = senior citizens = elderly - Next, then

people = The elderly population - Following that, after that
- In the next ……….
The percentage = the proportion = the figure of - Finally, lastly
- Over a period of ………
25 -30-year-old people
25 – 30-year olds
People aged 25 – 30
People in the age group 25 to 30

Added Language in Describing trends

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

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.
More advanced language
Matching the words in the table below with their meanings

1. Surge (verb + A. Remain stable at, remain unchanged at, stay flat at …
noun) C
2. Plunge G B. Reach the lowest point of, bottom out at

3. Vary E C. to increase suddenly and strongly

4. Drastic F D. Very Small, slight, insignificant

5. Marginal D E. not regular, not certain = fluctuate

6. Reach a plateau F. Dramatic, substantial

at A
7. Hit / reach a G. Become lower in value or level very suddenly and quickly
high of H
8. Hit / reach a low H. Peak at = reach a peak of
of B
More advanced language: reading
Underline the words that are used to describe changes in the extracts below:

Apple Reports Second Quarter Results

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/04/apple-reports-second-quarter-results/
Apple today announced financial results for its 2021 second quarter. The Company posted a
record revenue of $89.6 billion, up 54 percent year over the year.
“We are proud of our March quarter performance, which included revenue records in each of our
geographic segments and a strong growth in each of our product categories” said Luca Maestri,
Apple’s CFO. “These results allowed us to generate operating cash flow of $24 billion and return
nearly $23 billion to shareholders during the quarter. We are confident in our future and continue
to make significant investments to support our long-term plans and enrich our customers’ lives.”
Apple’s board of directors has declared a cash profit of $0.22 per share of the Company’s
common stock, an increase of 7 percent.

Apple's revenue worldwide 2004-2020

https://www.statista.com/statistics/265125/total-net-sales-of-apple-since-2004/
Published by Lionel Sujay Vailshery, Apr 21, 2021
Apple’s total net sales amounted to 274.52 billion U.S. dollars in their 2020 financial year, a slight
increase from the historical record of 260.17 billion U.S. dollars in financial year 2019. Apple’s
annual revenue quadrupled / /kwɑːˈdruːpl/ in the last ten years.
Constant waves of innovative products contributed to Apple’s drastic growth over the years: The
Mac computer, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch are all revolutionary products that started their own
dynasties and enjoy immense commercial success. Apple’s share price has grown more than
tenfold and prompted it to become the first trillion-dollar company in terms of market
capitalization.
For Graphs or Tables in Writing Task 1: General rules

General rules
9. Start on the first day / month / year for each line – do not use topic sentences.

10. Describe each line fully but always be selective about what you describe

11. The overall paragraph should describe the overall changes and can be written either

after the introduction paragraph or at the end of the body. No data is provided here

12. Use the linking words such as : Next , Then , After that , Following that , Subsequently

13. Make sure you use the same tense throughout the writing.

14. Make sure each sentence in the body paragraphs is supported by data.

15. If you have two lines, each line should be a separate paragraph.

16. If you have more than two lines, put the similar lines in one paragraph.
Multiple line chart sample

Practice 5
Task 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graph below shows average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per person

in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal between 1967 and 2007.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and

make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Sample Answer

The graph provides information about the changes that took place in the amount of CO2
emitted per person in four distinct countries over the period 1967 to 2007.

In Italy, the figure started at just over four metric tonnes. This amount, then, increased
gradually to reach nearly eight metric tonnes and remained stable at this point towards the
end of the period. The pattern in Portugal was relatively similar, with the figure starting
at roughly 1 metric tonne but rising steadily to almost 5 metric tones in 2007. Like Italy,
Portugal also saw a period of stability in the last 10 years of the period.

However, in the UK, CO2 emissions experienced a steady decrease, falling from nearly 13
metric tonnes in 1967 to about 9 metric tonnes in 2007. Similarly, Sweden also saw a
decreasing trend, with greater varying degrees, to only 5 metric tons in the final year.

Overall, while CO2 emissions in Italy and Portugal increased, the UK and Sweden
witnessed opposite patterns. During the given period, the UK and Portugal remained their
positions, being the largest and smallest CO2 producer respectively. It is worth noting
that Sweden experienced the most dramatic changes in four countries.

199 words