Introduction to charts and data

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In Task 1 of IELTS Writing you are asked to describe information that is presented in a
visual format. In this step we’ll look at the different types of data you may meet.

The information you need to describe can be shown in several different ways. This could
involve graphs, charts or tables showing facts and figures, diagrams showing how something
works, such as a natural or machine process, or maps showing a location.

Types of visual information

Pie charts

Pie charts are used to compare relative data and show percentages.

 
A pie chart (Click to expand, click back to return to this page)

Bar charts/graphs

A bar chart or bar graph can be used to compare either different items in general, as in this
example, or to show change over time, where the horizontal axis shows dates and the
vertical axis shows quantity.
  
A bar chart (Click to expand, click back to return to this page)

Line graphs

A line graph visually represents change over time, usually with the dates or times on the
horizontal axis and whatever unit is being measured, e.g. number, percentage, cost etc. on
the vertical axis.

 
A line graph (Click to expand, click back to return to this page)

Tables

Tables are another way of showing numerical data, and these are often provided together
with a graph or chart to show additional information or details or make comparisons.
  
A table and pie chart (Click to expand, click back to return to this page)

Diagrams

Diagrams like this show a process, with all the different parts and stages involved.

 
A process diagram (Click to expand, click back to return to this page)

Maps

Finally, you may be given a map or maps, often showing the same location at two different
times.
  
A map showing a street plan (Click to expand, click back to return to this page)

As you can see, some of these examples show data at one particular time or in general. This
is called static data. Others, such as line graphs or bar charts, show data that changes over
time, and this is called dynamic data. The type of data will affect the language you need to
use, especially vocabulary and tense. Over the next steps we will look in detail at some of
the language you will need for different tasks.

Understanding the question and

writing an introduction
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The first step in writing a good Task 1 answer is to make sure

you understand exactly what you are asked to do and what the
graph, table, diagram or map shows.

The instructions for Task 1 questions are:

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main

features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The key instructions there

are summarise, select, report and make comparisons. The other
key point is that it asks for the main features – not all the features.
But before you start selecting which details you are going to report
and what comparisons you are going to choose, you need to make
sure you understand exactly what the diagram or table shows and
that you can summarise its main purpose. This will help you to
complete two very important steps in writing your answer.

1. Writing your opening introductory sentence.

2. Writing an overview of the data.

Both of these are essential if you want to get a good score for Task
Achievement. In this step we’ll look at writing the introduction
sentence, then in the next step we’ll look at how to write the
overview.

Look at this example:

The graph below shows the proportion of four different materials

that were recycled from 1982 to 2010 in a particular country.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main
features, and make comparisons where relevant.

 
Recycling rates (Click to expand, click back to return to this page)

In your opening sentence, you need to say how the information is

presented – in this case a line graph – what it shows and, if there is
a time period, what dates it covers. As you can see, all that
information is already in the question. Your job is to paraphrase that
into your own words.
Paraphrasing means saying something in a different way, keeping
the same meaning but using your own words. There are several
different ways you can do this:

1. Use synonyms - for example, you could use rise in place

of increase or glass bottles and jars in place of glass
containers.
2. Change the part of speech - for example changing the
gerund recycling into the verb form and talk about how
people recycle.
3. Change the word order - for example, ‘four different
materials that were recycled’ can be changed to ‘people
recycled four materials’, as in ‘the amount that people recycled
four different materials’. This may require other changes, like
the active-passive one here, or it may simply involve taking
information from the second clause of a sentence and moving
it to the front.

You don’t have to change every word - key terms

like recycling, plastics, aluminium cans etc. will stay the same. You
can also add details from the diagram to the information in the
question to make a new sentence.

Let’s break down the example above.

The graph below shows the proportion of four different

materials that were recycled from 1982 to 2010 in a particular
country.

The words and phrases in bold can all be changed in some way to
make the description your own. How could you change or add to:
1. The graph…
2. … the proportion of …
3. … four different materials …
4. … from 1982 to 2010 …
5. … in a particular country …

Remember, some of the changes might seem very small, while in

others you might change the wording completely. One other small
point to remember – in the question it says ‘the graph below’. But in
your answer there IS no graph below, so don’t include the
word below.

Writing an overview
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In the previous step we looked at how to describe what the

data shows in your own words and how to write your opening
sentence. This step will look at how to write an overview
summarising the main points.

In any Task 1 answer it is essential to include an overview. This is

different from the introduction, which simply states what the data is
about. The overview consists of one or two sentences summarising
the most important features. It can come either just after the
introduction, or at the end – it’s up to you. The important thing is
that it must be there. Look at what the band descriptors say for
Bands 6 and 7:

Band 6 – ‘presents an overview with information appropriately

selected’ Band 7 – ‘presents a clear overview of main trends,
differences or stages’

Writing an overview is not only important for your band score. It also
helps you to focus. Once you are clear in your own head what the
main information is, it makes it easier to choose what details to
include, what ones to leave out and what connections or
comparisons you can make.

Remember, you only have twenty minutes for this task, so it’s
important not to waste time on irrelevant details. In fact, focusing
too much on details and including irrelevant information will result in
a lower band score for task achievement.

The overview: an example

  
Computer ownership between 2002 and 2010 (Click to expand,
click back to return to this page)

Look at this overview based on the graphs above:

Computer ownership grew steadily between 2002 and 2010 from

just over half the population in 2002 to close to 80% by the end of
the period. Ownership increased across all education levels.

What do you think? Does the overview cover the main points of the
graphs? Would you change anything?

Task: Write an overview

Let’s look at the graph from Step 1.8 again.

 
Recycling rates (Click to expand, click back to return to this page)
How could you summarise the main points in one sentence? What
information would you include? Think about the following questions:

1. Which materials were recycled most or least?

2. Was the trend the same for all four types of material?
3. Are there any other changes you should include?

The language of numbers

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In this video, Sally talks about the essential language needed to describe graphs, charts
and tables showing numerical data.

As we saw in Step 1.7, data can be presented in several different forms in Task 1. This is
often numerical data showing specific numbers or proportions, and you often have to make
comparisons between different items. In order to get a good score for Task Achievement, you
need to select which numbers are important, and express them accurately. In addition, if you
want a higher band score for Lexical Resource, you need to able to use a range of different
ways to describe and compare them rather than using the same forms all the time. This can
also affect Grammatical Range and Accuracy if you express numbers or comparisons in
incorrect forms.

Remember that any graph, chart or table will contain more information than you need or can
describe in the time you have. You must select the key points.

Ways of expressing numbers

There are different ways of expressing the same figure in English. Smaller numbers can be
written as words or digits, e.g. twenty-five or 25, while larger numbers can be written as
digits or a combination of digits and words. For example, 1,500,000 could be written as 1.5
million. The shortest and simplest form is usually the best.

It’s important to also be aware of common errors with numbers. Numbers containing words
such as thousand, million etc. are always singular. Also, the fact that the decimal point in
English is written as a comma in some languages (and vice versa) can cause confusion. 3,142
is three thousand one hundred and forty two in English, not the first four digits of π!

Proportions

There are basically two ways to talk about proportions. You can use fractions, such as ‘a half’
or ‘½’, or you can use percentages - 50% or fifty percent. Depending on the diagram, it may
be difficult or impossible to be precise, so you may want to modify these numbers. You can
do this in the following ways:
 1. A number which is slightly greater than a certain proportion like 50% could be
described as just over 50%/half, a little over 50%/half, slightly over 50%/half.

2. A number which is slightly less can be described in the same way using just under, a
little under, slightly under. You could also say ‘almost 50%’.

3. If you are unsure of the exact amount, or if you want to vary the way you are
describing numbers, you can say ‘about/approximately/around/roughly 50%’.

4. If you want to emphasise a larger difference, you could say ‘well under/over’. For

example, ‘well over 50% of customers returned for a second visit’.

Quantifiers

While you should report some precise numbers, especially if they are significant, you should
not report every number. Often it is best to use quantifiers to describe approximate numbers
or amounts.

For countable nouns you can use: a large number of, a significant number of, several, a small
number of or a few.

For uncountable nouns you can use: a large amount of, a great deal of, a significant amount
of, a small amount of, a little.

You can use some and a lot of with both countable and uncountable nouns and no or none for
zero.

Task: Describing numbers

Now look at this pie chart.

  
Smartphone use (Click to expand, click back to return to this page)

Can you say these percentages in different ways?

1. 20%
2. 35%
3. 29%

Use your answers to make three sentences about the pie chart. Write your answers in
the comments below and compare and comment on other people’s. You will get more
practice in talking about numbers in Step 1.12.

Making comparisons
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In this step, we’ll look at some of the language used for making comparisons, and
practise using this language to compare two charts.

In Step 1.8 we looked at the standard instructions for Task 1 questions:

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

So far, we have looked at the language needed for the first part, summarising the main
information. However, the second part, make comparisons where relevant, is equally
important. In order to complete the task successfully you can’t just report figures, you also
need to make connections and draw comparisons.

The language of comparisons

There are several different ways to make comparisons in English. Here are some of the most
common ones:

1. more/less/fewer - these can be modified with a little/slightly/a

lot/far/considerably/much/many

Examples

 Teenagers spend more time on social media than any other age group.

 In 2018 there were 500 fewer road accident deaths than in 2017.
 The UK spent slightly less than France.

2. twice/three times/four times as much/many; half as much/many

Examples

 15-18 year olds spent twice as much time online as 18-21 year olds.

 There were three times as many accidents in December.

3. a larger/greater number/amount

Examples

 A greater number of people travelled abroad in 2017 than in any previous year.

 The USA consumed a larger amount of oil per capita than any other country.

4. Linking and contrasting two examples by using while, whereas etc.

Example

While unemployment went down by 3% in France, it increased by 5% in Spain.

You can find more information about these and other ways of making comparisons in Step
1.22. But now, it’s your turn!

Task: Making comparisons

Look at these two pie charts:

 
Smartphone and tablet use (Click to expand, click back to return to this page)

Select some key points to compare, then write a few sentences in the comments using the
language above.

Describing trends
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An introduction to key vocabulary needed to describe changes and trends.

So far we have looked at static graphs and charts - ones that show a snapshot of a particular
point in time, or describe a situation in general. However, Task 1 often includes dynamic
charts, graphs or tables - ones that show trends or changes over time. The language needed to
describe those is quite different, and quite specialised.

While the most basic terms such as go up/down are simple enough, in order to score well for
both Task Achievement, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy, you need
to show that you can use a wider range of expressions and you need to give more precise
descriptions of the size or rate of change.

Both the vocabulary and the structures used are often new for test takers, and so it is
important to get them right and to practise using them. Over the next two steps we will look
at the vocabulary you need and practise using it to describe different sets of data.
Task

To begin with, let’s see what you know already. How many alternatives can you think of for
the following words:

go up go down a lot quickly

e.g.
     
increase

Review of key language for describing

trends
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A summary of essential expressions for describing trends over time.

How did you get on with task of suggesting different ways to describe changes in the last
step? Don’t worry if you couldn’t think of many! Remember, Task 1 is short - only 150
words. You don’t need hundreds of different ways to describe changes, only enough to make
sure that you can accurately describe things and don’t repeat the same words and structures
over and over again. In this step we will look at the verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs and
other expressions you need to describe any dynamic graph, chart or table. Take a look at the
list below. Are any of them new for you?

Describing trends

Verbs to describe a general increase

 Go up

 Rise

 Increase

 Climb

Verbs to describe a sudden, large increase

 Jump

 Shoot up
  Rocket

Verbs to describe a general decrease

 Go down

 Fall

 Decrease

 Drop

Verbs to describe a large decrease

 Plunge

 Plummet

To give more a more detailed description, you can use any of the general verbs with
additional adverbs.

Speed

 To describe a change that happens quickly, you can also use rapidly or sharply.

 To describe a change that happens slowly, you can also use gradually.

 To describe a change that happens by approximately the same amount each month/year
etc. you can use steadily.

Amount
To describe a large increase or decrease, you can
use considerably, significantly or substantially.
To describe a smaller increase or decrease, you can use slightly or moderately.

Alternative structures
Remember that it is important to show your range of vocabulary and grammar in your writing
tasks and avoid repetition. If you are describing a series of changes, you not only need to vary
the words you choose, but also the forms you use.

 You can use the verb + adverb forms above - ‘sales increased substantially in 2016.’

 You can also use the adjective + noun form together with there is/was. For example, ‘there
was a substantial increase in sales in 2016, followed by a slight drop in 2017.’ Be careful to
use the correct prepositions!

 Another possibility is to use the verb see or witness - ‘2016  saw a substantial increase

in  sales.’

Other useful expressions

Finally, there are a number of other useful expressions to describe particular changes:

 If a value goes up and down repeatedly, we say it fluctuates.

  If a value stays the same for a period of time, we can say that it remains stable.

 If it fluctuates, then stops fluctuating, we can say it stabilises or levels off.

 If a number reaches a high point and then drops back again, we can say it peaks at a certain
number or reaches a peak. For example, ‘the share price peaked at $115’ or ‘the share
price reached a peak of $115.’ Again, be careful to use the correct prepositions.

There are other possibilities too, and you can find them all in the document in the download
section below.

Task

After all that vocabulary, it’s time to get some practice using it! In the next step, you’ll use
this language to describe graphs and charts. But for now we’d like you to use some of the
language above to complete these three sentences about you:

1. Since starting this course, my knowledge of the IELTS Writing test has ……………….

2. There has been ………………. in my understanding of how the test is assessed.

3. My hopes of achieving the band score that I need have ……………….

Things to remember
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Sally introduces the next step in the course - reviewing what we’ve done so far and then
completing a full Task 1 question.

In the following steps we’ll look again at the different kinds of graphs, charts, tables,
diagrams and maps that you may get in your test. We’ll also look at some of the key points to
remember for each task type.

Some key points to remember for all task types are:

 Write a clear introduction paraphrasing the question and describing exactly what

you will be reporting on. Imagine that the person who is reading your report cannot
see the chart or diagram at all. The first thing they need to know is what you are
describing.

 Write an overview. No matter what type of data you are given, you must summarise
the main points in one or two sentences, called the overview. If you do not include an
overview you will reduce your score for task achievement.

 Follow the instructions exactly. You are asked to summarise the

information, report the main features and make comparisons. You are not asked
to analyse the data, intepret it or explain it. Even if the reason for something seems
 obvious, e.g. ice cream sales going down in winter, do not say this could be because
of the cold weather in your answer. You should only report on the facts on the page or
screen in front of you, nothing more. If you try to explain reasons or speculate it may
affect your band score.

 Make sure you write enough. You have to write at least 150 words, so make sure
when you are practising and preparing that you always write a little more than that.

Describing static graphs, charts and

tables
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Key points to remember

So far we have looked at understanding and describing numbers,

writing your opening sentence and an overview and making
comparison. The other important thing to remember, which can help
you gain or lose points for grammar, is tense.

In this type of exercise, the tense will be the same all the way
through, and all you have to decide is if it should be present simple,
past simple or, if the data is describing something in the future, will.
Look at these two examples:
  
Smartphone and tablet use (Click to expand, click back to return to
this page)

As you can see, there is no date on these pie charts. That means
all your sentences will be in the present simple. Now look at the bar
graph:

 
Bar chart showing academic staff in 2012 (Click to expand, click
back to return to this page)

It describes the situation in 2012. So you must use the past simple
tense in the task. If you mix up your tenses and use, for example,
the present perfect, you will lose points for grammatical range and
accuracy.

Task

Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the verbs
below. Some may be passive.

be / dominate / have

Engineering (1) ………………… by male academics whereas

education (2) ………………… the highest percentage of female
academics. Notably, three quarters of the academic staff in
education (3) ………………… women, with just 25% males.

Describing dynamic graphs, charts and

tables
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Key points to remember

With dynamic graphs, charts and tables you also have to think
about the time period covered. If the x-axis shows a number of
years, like the example below covering the period from 1982 to
2010, it is very clear.
Other graphs may show times of the day, days of the week, months
or other periods. In those cases you need to check if there is a year
included in the information. If there is, then you will use the past
simple to describe the data. If there is not, then it is describing daily,
weekly or monthly figures in general and you would use the present
simple. It is also possible that you could get a forecast of the future,
and have to use ‘will’.

Task

Complete the following extract from a Task 1 answer using the

correct form of the verbs below. Remember, some verbs may
be passive.

fluctuate / recycle / rise / decrease

In 1982, about 65% of paper and cardboard (1) ………………… .

This figure (2) ………………… before (3) ………………… steeply to
reach a peak of 80% in 1994. From then on, however, it (4)
………………… steadily to a level of 70% in 2010.

Describing processes and maps

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In this step, we will look at some of the most important
differences between these two task types and the others we
have looked at so far.

Key points to remember for describing processes.

Describing processes is slightly different from the other task types.

As you are describing how something works in general, then these
always use the present simple. Unlike with graphs, tables and
charts though, you will often need to use the passive. This is
because your focus is on the equipment or process. Look at the
diagram below:

Now look at these sentences from a model answer:

DC electricity is collected when the panel is exposed to sunlight. This
DC current travels from the panel to power a water pump, which is
suspended below the water level inside an underground well or bore.

As you can see, you need to use a mix of active and passive voice
and you need to decide which is appropriate for different stages of
the process.

Other important language includes sequencing expressions

- first, then, next, following that etc.

Another difference in process questions is the overview. You still

need to include one, but with processes this is a sentence or two
which summarises the whole process. It would normally go at the
start of the task, directly after the introductory sentence explaining
what the diagram shows. You then go through the process step by
step. You can find a model answer for this task in the Downloads
section below.

Key points to remember for describing maps

You will sometimes be given two maps, showing the same location
at different times. Your task will be to describe the changes. This is
often between the past and now, so the tense you would use is the
present perfect passive - a new hotel has been built. Sometimes it
will be for a future development, and in that case you would use the
future passive - a new hotel will be built. Infinitive forms such as the
plan is to… are also useful.

Look at the following example:

The diagrams below show the site of a school in 2004 and the
plan for changes to the school site in 2024.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the
main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
  
Map of proposed school development (Click to expand, click back to
return to this page)

As well as getting the tense correct, you also need to be familiar

with vocabulary to describe the location of key features and some
basic vocabulary connected with construction and development.

An answer to this question needs to include:

1. An introductory sentence paraphrasing what the maps show

and including important information - the years, and the
student numbers.
2. A brief description of the school property in 2004.
3. A description and comparison of the plans for 2024.
4. A summary/overview of the changes. Unlike other tasks,
where this overview could come close to the start, here it
should come at the end, after describing the changes.
Task

1. Write an introductory sentence for the map activity above.

2. Complete the following text using the verbs below in the correct
form:

relocate / reduce / convert / join

In 2024, the two existing buildings ……………. together. In addition
the sports field …………………. in size and …………………. south
of its original location. The area previously used for the sports field
……………….. into an additional car park, linked by a new road to
the existing car park.

Teacher tips for Task One

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To round up the week, watch some experienced British Council IELTS teachers give
their tips for Task 1.

There’s a lot to remember this week, but the teachers’ comments emphasise a lot of points
we’ve considered already in relation to Writing Task 1. Here’s a summary of some dos and
don’ts to help you remember.

Do:

 make sure you understand the task and that you’re sure about what the graph, table,
diagram or map shows before you start. Be prepared for all the different types of tasks
that you might find, as this will help
 write a clear introduction, paraphrasing the question and describing exactly what you
will be reporting on
 write an overview. You may find it easier to write it at the start before you go into the
details, or you may prefer to write the main paragraphs first, and then go back to the
overview at the end, as one of the teachers in the video says. It’s up to you.

Don’t:

 forget the distinction between static graphs and charts and those which show changes
and trends, and make sure you check the time period if there is one
 give your own opinion in this task. That’s something we’ll come to in Task 2
 forget that you only have 20 minutes!

Further resources
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This week we’ve looked at Task 1 and how to describe
information presented in a visual format. The following
resources will give you further advice and practice in the key
skills required to successfully compete this task.

The Academic Phrasebank from the University of Manchester has a

complete guide to the vocabulary needed to describe trends.

This useful video has more tips to remember when tackling IELTS

Task 1.

Check these grammar links for help with making comparisons

- comparatives and superlatives and comparing and contrasting:
modifying comparatives.

Practise your Task 1 Writing skills with these activities:

A summary of a line graph
Comparing two charts
Describing a table
Describing a bar chart
Describing a graph of trends over time

For help with describing processes, check this useful resource.

You can find more practice tests for Task 1 here:

Practice test 1 and model answer
Practice test 2
Practice test 3
Practice test 4
Sample scripts and examiner comments for tests 2-4