Techniques For IELTS Writing Task 1

TECHNIQUES FOR IELTS WRITING TASK 1
Mark Lamerton
Task 1 (20 minutes) Task 2 (40 minutes)
Report (describe the key points of Essay (provide and support your
a diagram) opinion)
language for describing facts, language for discussing arguments

numbers, trends, etc. and providing opinions
150 words minimum 250 words minimum

≈ 200-220 maximum ≈ 300-320 maximum
1/3 of your total writing score 2/3 of your total writing score
Ø Task Achievement / Task Response:
= presents a clear overview of main trends, differences or stages
Ø Coherence and Cohesion

= clear and logical organization of information and ideas
Ø Lexical Resource
= varied, accurate and appropriate use of vocabulary
Your spelling must be correct. Demonstrating the ability to paraphrase and use high
level vocabulary correctly is important
Ø Grammatical Range and Accuracy

= uses a variety of complex structures; good control of grammar and punctuation
You will not get a high score if you make basic grammar errors (e.g. verb endings,
plurals, etc.)
1. Read Summary
Ø What is the verb tense?
Ø What is being measured?
Ø What is the unit of measure (UOM)?
2. Analyze Trends
Ø General (increase, decrease etc.)
Ø (peaks, dips, fluctuations)
Ø Superlatives (highest, least, most, fewest)
3. Main Point (change from beginning to end of period OR highest and
lowest)
4. Organize Paragraphs
5. Paraphrase Summary…Main Point…Describe
ADVICE
• Of course, grammar helps, but you should also focus on sentence structures.
• We see many of the same sentence structures used repeatedly.
• Read as much as possible. You can understand how to be a more effective

writer by observing other writers.
• Write as much as you can. Practise the sentence structures; many of the
same structures are useful for all IELTS writing tasks
• The fastest way to improve your band score is to focus on Task Response and
Lexical Resource; do this by explaining your ideas / views in more detail.
• Organise your time effectively (do Task 2 first)

COMMON DIAGRAMS
IN TASK 1
PREPARATION AND STUDY IDEAS FOR TASK 1
1) Print a collection of questions

Understand different types of questions you might face.
Print paper copies of around 10 different questions. They should
include: a line graph, bar chart, pie chart, table, two different charts,
3 or more similar charts, process diagram, comparison diagram, life
cycle, map.
2) Practise parts of reports
Instead of writing a full essay, try writing 10 introductions -
one for each question. The next time you are studying, just
focus on writing overviews. On a different day, practise
describing percentages, or comparing numbers etc..
3) Use 'model' sentences

Find all the sentence structures you need for the 10
question types. Use these sentences as models, and
change the content according to the topic. But don’t copy!
1 Don't copy the question for your introduction. You should paraphrase
the question
2 Separate your paragraphs clearly.
3 Write a good summary/overview of the information. Put the overview

straight after the introduction, and try to write 2 sentences describing the
information in general.
4 Don't describe items separately (e.g. 2 lines on a graph). 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 describe every number on a chart or graph (unless there are only
a few numbers). Choose the key information and describe or compare it
well. Try to mention around 6 or 7 numbers in your main paragraphs.
6 Don't spend longer than 20 minutes on task 1. Practise spending 5
minutes on each of your 3/4 paragraphs. Stop yourself after 20 minutes.
EXAMPLE 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.
The introduction to a task 1 essay should
explain what the chart/graph shows.
Paraphrase the question. Here is an example
HOW TO description:
WRITE AN • “The graph below shows the proportion of

the population aged 65 and over between
1940 and 2040 in three different countries”.
INTRODUC Rewrite this description with a few changes:
TION
• “The line graph compares the percentage
of people aged 65 or more in three countries
over a period of 100 years”.
After your introduction, write a
paragraph which summarises the main
point(s).
The table below shows the figures for

imprisonment in five countries
between 1930 and 1980.
(The y axis shows numbers of prisoners
in thousands)
There is no overall trend, so talk about the highest and lowest figures instead.
”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”.
The bar graph shows the global sales (in billions of dollars) of different
types of digital games between 2000 and 2006. Write a report for a
University lecture describing the information below.
The bar chart compares the turnover in dollars from sales of video
games for four different platforms, namely mobile phones, online,
consoles and handheld devices, from 2000 to 2006.
It is clear that sales of games for three out of the four platforms rose
each year, leading to a significant rise in total global turnover over
the 7-year period. Sales figures for handheld games were at least
twice as high as those for any other platform in almost every year.
What examples of paraphrasing can you see?

Which two main points have been chosen for the overview?
In 2000, worldwide sales of handheld games stood at around $11
billion, while console games earned just under $6 billion. No
figures are given for mobile or online games in that year. Over the
next 3 years, sales of handheld video games rose by about $4
billion, but the figure for consoles decreased by $2 billion. Mobile
phone and online games started to become popular, with sales
reaching around $3 billion in 2003.
In 2006, sales of handheld, online and mobile games reached

peaks of 17, 9 and 7 billion dollars respectively. By contrast,
turnover from console games dropped to its lowest point, at
around $2.5 billion.

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TECHNIQUES FOR IELTS WRITING TASK 1

language for describing facts, language for discussing arguments

150 words minimum 250 words minimum

Ø Coherence and Cohesion

Ø Grammatical Range and Accuracy

• We see many of the same sentence structures used repeatedly.

• Read as much as possible. You can understand how to be a more effective

• Organise your time effectively (do Task 2 first)

1) Print a collection of questions

3) Use 'model' sentences

2 Separate your paragraphs clearly.

3 Write a good summary/overview of the information. Put the overview

1. English speakers usually put the percentage at the start of the

Use these examples as models for your own sentences:

Around 40% of women in the UK had an undergraduate qualification in

WRITE AN • “The graph below shows the proportion of

The table below shows the figures for

What examples of paraphrasing can you see?

In 2006, sales of handheld, online and mobile games reached

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