IELTS Writing Task 1 (Academic)

General Task 1 Essay Structure

1. Introduction (Paraphrase)
2. Overview (General trends)
3. Body Paragraph 1 (Detailed features)
4. Body Paragraph 2 (Detailed features)

Line Graph/Bar Chart Structure

Introduction:

Paraphrase topic, time period, units.

Overview:

General trends (highest/lowest, significant changes).

Body 1:

Detail 1

• 2 major trends/categories, with figures.

Body 2:

Detail remaining trends/categories, with comparisons and figures.

Pie Chart Structure

Introduction:

Paraphrase.

Overview:

Main proportions/comparisons among slices.

Body 1:

Detail major slices/changes over time, with percentages.

Body 2:

Detail minor slices/remaining changes, with percentages.

Process Diagram Structure

Introduction:

Paraphrase (what process is shown).

Overview:

Number of stages (linear/cyclical), overall purpose or key transformation.

Body 1:

First half of stages, using sequencing language and passive voice.

Body 2:

Second half of stages, using sequencing language and passive voice.

Map Structure

Introduction:

Paraphrase (which locations, what periods).

Overview:

Main changes (e.g., urbanization, development, demolition) or lack thereof.

Body 1:

Detail changes in specific areas or features from the first period.

Body 2:

Detail changes in other specific areas or features from the second period.

Key for Body Paragraphs

Focus on:

• Grouping similar data.
• Comparing significant points.
• Reporting specific numbers/figures (e.g., 'rose to 300' or 'constituted 25\%').
• Do NOT explain reasons WHY trends occurred.

Overall Trend Template 1

Overall, it is clear that [main subject] witnessed a significant [increase/decrease/fluctuation] over the period shown.

Overall Trend Template 2

A striking feature of the data is that [specific item] consistently [rose/fell/remained stable].

Comparison Overview Template 1

It is immediately apparent that [category A] accounted for the [largest/smallest] proportion of the total.

Comparison Overview Template 2

Generally, while [trend in A] occurred, [trend in B] followed an [opposite/similar] pattern.

Static Data Overview

Regarding the static data, the most notable observation is the dominance of [category X] among all groups.

Process Overview

The diagram illustrates a [number]-stage linear/cyclical process, beginning with [first stage] and culminating in [final stage].

Map Overview (Change)

In general, the area underwent considerable [urbanization/modernization/development/transformation] over the given period.

Overview focusing on exceptions

While most categories displayed a [general trend], [an exception] showed an [opposing/different] trend.

Opening Overview Phrase

In general, / Overall, / It is clear from the charts that… / A quick glance at the charts reveals that…

Identifying Main Features

The main features of the data indicate… / The most striking feature is… / It is noticeable that…

Identifying Highest/Lowest

The highest/lowest figure was recorded for… / The peak/trough was observed in…

Noting Disparities

A significant disparity can be observed between… and…

Line Graph: Increase Verbs

rose, grew, climbed, surged, escalated, soared, shot up

Line Graph: Increase Nouns

a rise, a growth, an increase, an escalation, a surge, an upswing

Line Graph: Decrease Verbs

declined, fell, dropped, plunged, plummeted, decreased, dwindled

Line Graph: Decrease Nouns

a fall, a drop, a decline, a plunge, a decrease, a downturn

Line Graph: Stability Verbs

remained stable, leveled off, stayed constant, maintained, stagnated, stabilised

Line Graph: Stability Nouns

stability, a plateau, stagnation, constancy

Line Graph: Fluctuation

fluctuated, varied, went up and down, oscillated, showed volatility

Line Graph: Highest Point

peaked at, reached a peak of, hit its highest point of, soared to

Line Graph: Lowest Point

bottomed out at, reached a trough of, hit its lowest point of, plunged to

Line Graph: Prepositional Phrases for Trends

• rose to X
• fell by Y
• increased from A to B

Bar Chart: Comparative Adjectives

higher, lower, greater, smaller, more, less, fewer, larger, smaller

Bar Chart: Comparison Phrases 1

compared to, in contrast to, as opposed to, whereas, whilst, by comparison

Bar Chart: Comparison Phrases 2

outnumbered, surpassed, lagged behind, was slightly higher/lower than, dwarfed by, eclipsed by

Bar Chart: Highlighting Differences

a significant difference, a clear disparity, a noticeable gap, a sharp contrast

Pie Chart: Proportion Phrases 1

accounted for, made up, constituted, represented, comprised, contributed to

Pie Chart: Proportion Phrases 2

the largest share, a substantial portion, a minority, a tiny fraction, a significant segment

Pie Chart: Key Fractions/Percentages

half (50\%), a third (\approx 33.3\%), a quarter (25\%), three-quarters (75\%), nearly a fifth (18\% - 22\%, approximately 20\%), a significant majority (e.g., above 70\%)

Pie Chart: Expressions for Size

the vast majority, a small minority, a considerable percentage, a negligible proportion, slightly less than a third

Process: Opening/Starting Verbs (Passive Voice)

is begun, commences, starts with, is initiated by, the process begins when…

Process: Action Verbs (Passive Voice)

is transported, is filtered, is heated, is cooled, is purified, is collected, is transformed into, is converted, is separated, is directed