IELTS Writing Task 1

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IELTS Writing Task 1: rise or raise?

These two words are often confused by students. Here is the main difference:

• something rises (e.g. the price rose)
• somebody raises something (e.g. the company raised the price)

"Rise" (rose, risen) can be a verb or a noun. I often use it for IELTS writing task 1:

• The price of cigarettes rises every year. (verb, present)
• In 2008, the number of customers rose from 100 to 200. (verb, past)
• There has been a dramatic rise in Internet usage in the UK. (noun)
• In 2008, the UK saw a rise in the divorce rate. (noun)

"Raise" (raised) is almost always a verb. You probably won't use it for task 1:

• The Government raises the price of cigarettes every year.
• Charities work to raise the standard of living in developing countries.

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Thursday, April 11, 2013

IELTS Writing Task 1: pie charts essay

Here's my full essay for the 3 pie charts question that we've been looking at over the last two weeks:
The pie charts compare the expenditure of a school in the UK in three different years over a 20-year period.
It is clear that teachers’ salaries made up the largest proportion of the school’s spending in all three years (1981, 1991 and 2001). By contrast, insurance was the smallest cost in each year.
In 1981, 40% of the school’s budget went on teachers’ salaries. This figure rose to 50% in 1991, but fell again by 5% in 2001. The proportion of spending on other workers’ wages fell steadily over the 20-year period, from 28% of the budget in 1981 to only 15% in 2001.
Expenditure on insurance stood at only 2% of the total in 1981, but reached 8% in 2001. Finally, the percentages for resources and furniture/equipment fluctuated. The figure for resources was highest in 1991, at 20%, and the proportion of spending on furniture and equipment reached its peak in 2001, at 23%.
(158 words, band 9)

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Thursday, April 04, 2013

IELTS Writing Task 1: 'details' paragraphs

Last week I asked you to think about how to divide the information from 3 pie charts into 2 groups in order to write 2 'details' paragraphs (click here to see the pie charts again).
Here are two paragraphs that I wrote with my students:
In 1981, 40% of the school’s budget went on teachers’ salaries. This figure rose to 50% in 1991, but fell again by 5% in 2001. The proportion of spending on other workers’ wages fell steadily over the 20-year period, from 28% of the budget in 1981 to only 15% in 2001.
Expenditure on insurance stood at only 2% of the total in 1981, but reached 8% in 2001. Finally, the percentages for resources and furniture/equipment fluctuated. The figure for resources was highest in 1991, at 20%, and the proportion of spending on furniture and equipment reached its peak in 2001, at 23%.
Analysis:
You can see that I chose to put the two types of salaries together in one paragraph, and the other three categories together in the second paragraph. There are other ways to divide the information, but this seemed the most obvious way to me.

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Thursday, March 28, 2013

IELTS Writing Task 1: 'details' paragraphs

If you've read my task 1 lessons, you'll know that I always write 4 paragraphs:
1. Introduction - paraphrase the question
2. Overview - describe 2 main or general things
3. Details
4. Details
Let's forget the introduction and overview for the moment, and focus on the two 'details' paragraphs. Why do we need two paragraphs?
The answer is that this encourages you to divide the information into 2 groups, and hopefully this means that your essay will be better organised and you'll make some useful comparisons.
Click here to see 3 pie charts (taken from Cambridge book 8). Thinking about the 'details' paragraphs only, how would you divide the information into 2 groups?

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Thursday, March 21, 2013

IELTS Writing Task 1: the most common mistake

The most common mistake in IELTS writing task 1 is not a grammar mistake.
Find the 2 big mistakes in the sentences below:
The unemployment rate in the UK rose by 2% between 2008 and 2009, whereas Canada decreased by about 1%. The USA was the highest, at just over 4%.

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Thursday, March 14, 2013

IELTS Writing Task 1: repeating words

In last week's line graph essay I repeated the word "expenditure" four times. Is this a problem?
The answer is no! If you look at the graph, you can see that the whole essay must be about expenditure. In fact, I needed to mention the idea of expenditure eleven times! Does the examiner really expect you to think of eleven synonyms for "expenditure"? Of course not.
It's impossible to avoid repeating some of the key words in writing task 1. Try to add variety where you can (I also used "spending", "spent" and "paid out"), but don't become obsessed with this. The important thing is to describe and compare the data.

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Thursday, March 07, 2013

IELTS Writing Task 1: line graph essay

Here's my full essay using last week's ideas:
The line graph compares average yearly spending by Americans on mobile and landline phone services from 2001 to 2010.
It is clear that spending on landline phones fell steadily over the 10-year period, while mobile phone expenditure rose quickly. The year 2006 marks the point at which expenditure on mobile services overtook that for residential phone services.
In 2001, US consumers spent an average of nearly $700 on residential phone services, compared to only around $200 on cell phone services. Over the following five years, average yearly spending on landlines dropped by nearly $200. By contrast, expenditure on mobiles rose by approximately $300.
In the year 2006, the average American paid out the same amount of money on both types of phone service, spending just over $500 on each. By 2010, expenditure on mobile phones had reached around $750, while the figure for spending on residential services had fallen to just over half this amount.
(162 words, band 9)

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Thursday, February 28, 2013

IELTS Writing Task 1: line graph ideas

The graph below shows US consumers' average annual expenditures on cell phone and residential phone services between 2001 and 2010.

Some paraphrasing that you could use in your introduction:
- annual expenditures = yearly spending
- cell phone services = mobile phones
- residential services = landline phones
Two possible main points for your overview / summary:
- compare the two trends over the whole period
- say what happened in 2006
Select key details:
- compare the figures for 2001
- describe the changes in expenditure over the following 5 years
- give the figures for 2006 (where the two lines meet)
- finish with a comparison of spending in 2010

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Thursday, February 21, 2013

IELTS Writing Task 1: make your own questions

Yesterday I suggested making your own questions for writing task 2. To make a task 1 question, just do a Google image search for graphs, charts etc. Choose something simple, and try describing it.
For example, here's a line graph that I found:

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Thursday, February 14, 2013

IELTS Writing Task 1: charts showing countries

A few things to remember when the graph or chart shows countries:

1. If the question doesn't name the countries (e.g. "in three countries"), you could name them in your introduction (e.g. "in Britain, France and Germany"). You could even write "in three countries, namely Britain, France and Germany".
2. Don't forget the word "the" when writing about "the USA" and "the UK".
3. Always compare the countries; never describe the figures for each country in separate paragraphs.

Finally, try to vary the way you write about countries. For example:

• The number of elderly people in the USA rose.
• Canada also saw a rise in the number of elderly people.
• However, the figure for Australia fell.

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Thursday, February 07, 2013

IELTS Writing Task 1: ways to prepare

Yesterday I suggested some good ways to prepare for writing task 2, instead of just writing full essays. Here are some study ideas for task 1:
1) Print a collection of questions
Before you start writing any task 1 essays, it's a good idea to have an overview of the different types of questions that you might face. Try to get paper copies (printed) of around 10 different questions - it's useful to be able to see them all in one place. Your 'pack' of questions should include: a line graph, bar chart, pie chart, table, 2 different charts, 3 or more similar charts, process diagram, comparison diagram, life cycle, map.
2) Practise parts of essays
Instead of writing a full essay, try writing 10 introductions - one for each of the questions in your 'pack' (see point 1 above). 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
In last week's lesson I showed you some model sentences for describing percentages. If you look through my task 1 essays in the lessons on this site, you'll find all the sentence structures you need for the 10 question types mentioned in point 1. Use my sentences as models, and simply change the content according to the topic.

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Thursday, January 31, 2013

IELTS Writing Task 1: describing percentages

Here are 3 useful 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.

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Thursday, January 24, 2013

IELTS Writing Task 1: life cycle essay

Here's my full essay for the life cycle question:
The diagram illustrates the various stages in the life of a honey bee. We can see that the complete life cycle lasts between 34 and 36 days. It is also noticeable that there are five main stages in the development of the honey bee, from egg to mature adult insect.
The life cycle of the honey bee begins when the female adult lays an egg; the female typically lays one or two eggs every 3 days. Between 9 and 10 days later, each egg hatches and the immature insect, or nymph, appears.
During the third stage of the life cycle, the nymph grows in size and sheds its skin three times. This moulting first takes place 5 days after the egg hatches, then 7 days later, and again another 9 days later. After a total of 30 to 31 days from the start of the cycle, the young adult honey bee emerges from its final moulting stage, and in the space of only 4 days it reaches full maturity.
(169 words, band 9)

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

IELTS Writing Task 1: introduction and overview

As I've explained before, we don't write a conclusion for task 1, we write an overview. You can put this at the end of your essay, but I prefer to put it straight after the introduction. Let's return to last week's life cycle question.

Example introduction and overview:
The diagram illustrates the various stages in the life of a honey bee. We can see that the complete life cycle lasts between 34 and 36 days. It is also noticeable that there are five main stages in the development of the honey bee, from egg to mature adult insect.
Note: I often separate the introduction and overview, but in this case I've put them together in the same paragraph. Both ways are fine.

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Thursday, January 10, 2013

IELTS Writing Task 1: life cycle diagram

The diagram shows the life cycle of the honey bee. Two things to consider are:

1. how to summarise the diagram before describing the stages in detail
2. whether to use active or passive verb forms
   ...

...
nymph = immature form of an insect
moult = shed or lose old feathers, hair or skin to allow for new growth

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Thursday, January 03, 2013

IELTS Writing Task 1: using the passive

In which of the following sentences is the passive used appropriately? Which sentences should be changed to the active?
1) The number of marriages was decreased between 1999 and 2009.
2) First, the raw materials are mixed together.
3) The figure for residents with no children has been increased this year.
4) The final product is packaged and delivered to shops.

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Thursday, December 20, 2012

IELTS Writing Task 1: a real process description

You might find it useful to read a real process description from this website about insulation manufacturing. The extract below looks very similar to a paragraph from an IELTS essay!
For glass wool, the raw materials are sand, limestone and soda ash, as well as recycled off-cuts from the production process. The raw materials are melted in a furnace at very high temperatures, typically between 1,300°C to 1,500°C. The smoke created during this process is filtered and flue gases are cleaned to minimise any environmental impact. The droplets of melt exiting the furnace are spun into fibres. Small quantities of binding agents are added to the fibres. The mineral wool is then hardened in a curing oven at around 200°C. The mineral wool is cut to the required size and shape.
Task:
Can you find the passive verbs in the paragraph above? Can you improve the paragraph by adding some sequencing words (firstly, then etc.)?

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Thursday, December 13, 2012

IELTS Writing Task 1: diagram overview

After the introduction, I tell my students to write an overview of the information shown on the chart. When the chart shows numbers, we look for the highest, lowest, biggest change, overall trend etc.
But how do you write an overview of a diagram that doesn't show numbers?
Here are some things you could put in a process diagram overview:

• The total number of steps in the process.
• Where the process begins and ends.

And this is what you could write about for a comparing diagram:

• The total number of changes or differences.
• The main changes or differences.
• The main similarities or what doesn't change.

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Thursday, December 06, 2012

IELTS Writing Task 1: process diagrams

The following paragraph describes the process of making cement.
At the first stage in the cement production process, limestone and clay are crushed to form a powder. This powder is then mixed and passed through a rotating heater. The resulting mixture is ground, and finally the end product, cement, is packed into large bags.
There are 2 things that make process descriptions special:

1. Phrases that order the process and link the steps (underlined)
2. Passive verbs (highlighted)

(See Cambridge IELTS book 8 for the full question)

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

IELTS Writing Task 1: articles

Correct or natural use of articles (the, a, an) is probably one of the most difficult things for learners of English to master. For example, why did I write "temperatures are highest" instead of "temperatures are the highest" in the essay I wrote last week? Click here to read an explanation.
There are many other complex 'rules' about article use in English, which grammar books and websites do their best to explain. I also recommend using Google in the way described below.
Task: try Googling the phrases "temperatures were highest" and "temperatures were the highest" (make sure you put the quotation marks so that Google searches for the whole phrase). Compare the number of search results to see which is more common, then look through the results to find good examples of full sentences for each phrase. You might find that good examples help you more than grammar rules do.

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Thursday, November 22, 2012

IELTS Writing Task 1: climate essay

The climograph below shows average monthly temperatures and rainfall in the city of Kolkata.

The chart compares average figures for temperature and precipitation over the course of a calendar year in Kolkata.
It is noticeable that monthly figures for precipitation in Kolkata vary considerably, whereas monthly temperatures remain relatively stable. Rainfall is highest from July to August, while temperatures are highest in April and May.
Between the months of January and May, average temperatures in Kolkata rise from their lowest point at around 20°C to a peak of just over 30°C. Average rainfall in the city also rises over the same period, from approximately 20mm of rain in January to 100mm in May.
While temperatures stay roughly the same for the next four months, the amount of rainfall more than doubles between May and June. Figures for precipitation remain above 250mm from June to September, peaking at around 330mm in July. The final three months of the year see a dramatic fall in precipitation, to a low of about 10mm in December, and a steady drop in temperatures back to the January average.
(173 words, band 9)

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Thursday, November 15, 2012

IELTS Writing Task 1: 'to' or 'by'

In IELTS writing task 1, you might need to use verbs like increase, decrease, rise and fall. These verbs can be followed by the words 'to' and 'by', but what's the difference?
Let's use these figures:
- Company profit in 2005 = £20,000
- Company profit in 2010 = £25,000
Now compare these sentences:
- Company profit rose to £25,000 in 2010.
- Company profit rose by £5,000 between 2005 and 2010.
It's easy: 'to' is used before the new figure, and 'by' is used to show the change. It's the same when you are talking about a fall.

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Thursday, November 08, 2012

IELTS Writing Task 1: introduction technique

The task 1 introduction should be fast and easy to do. Just write one sentence in which you paraphrase the question statement.
Here's the question statement from a previous lesson:
The climograph below shows average monthly temperatures and rainfall in the city of Kolkata.
Here's my one-sentence introduction:
The chart compares average figures for temperature and precipitation over the course of a calendar year in Kolkata.

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Thursday, November 01, 2012

IELTS Writing Task 1: double, twice as, twofold

A few students have asked me about how to use 'double', 'twice as', 'three times', 'twofold', 'threefold' etc. Compare how each word/phrase is used in the following examples:
1. 'double' (verb)
The number of unemployed people doubled between 2005 and 2009.
2. 'twice as...as/compared to', 'three times as...as/compared to'
There were twice as many unemployed people in 2009 as in 2005.
Twice as many people were unemployed in 2009 compared to 2005.
3. 'twofold', 'threefold' (adjective or adverb)
There was a twofold increase in the number of unemployed people between 2005 and 2009. (adjective with the noun 'increase')
The number of unemployed people increased twofold between 2005 and 2009. (adverb with the verb 'increase')
Try using these forms in your own sentences. Make sure you follow the patterns.

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Thursday, October 25, 2012

IELTS Writing Task 1: climate graph

Here are my answers to last week's questions:

1. Monthly figures for precipitation in Kolkata vary considerably, but monthly temperatures remain relatively stable.
2. Temperatures are highest between April and June, at around 30°C, and lowest in December and January, at approximately 20°C.
3. Average rainfall reaches around 330mm in the months of July and August.
4. It is noticeable that Kolkata experiences both its lowest temperatures and its lowest rainfall in January and December.

Note: the verbs used above are in the present simple (vary, remain, are, reaches, experiences) because the graph shows average figures, not particular years.

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Thursday, October 18, 2012

IELTS Writing Task 1: graph with temperatures

Somebody asked me to help with graphs or charts that show temperature. Let's look at the following graph, which I found on Wikipedia.
The climograph below shows average monthly temperatures and rainfall in the city of Kolkata (or Calcutta).

The following easy questions should help you to notice some key features:

1. Do temperatures and rainfall vary (change) significantly over the year?
2. In which months are temperatures highest and lowest? (include figures)
3. On average, how much rain falls in the months of July and August?
4. What is noticeable about January and December?

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Thursday, October 11, 2012

IELTS Writing Task 1: a common mistake

Students often make mistakes with thousands, millions and billions. It might seem strange, but you should say "10 million" not "10 millions". It's the same with hundred, thousand and billion. Try to avoid this mistake in writing task 1 - examiners notice it!
Correct: 10 million people
Wrong: 10 millions people, 10 millions of people, 10 million of people
Note:
When there is no number, we do write "millions of".
e.g. Millions of people travel abroad each year.

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Thursday, October 04, 2012

IELTS Writing Task 1: repeating key words

Students often worry about repeating the same words in writing task 1. For example, in last week's lesson I repeated the phrase average weekly spending maybe three times. Is this a big problem?
No! Repeating a key word or phrase a few times is not a problem; sometimes it is necessary to show that you are consistently talking about the same thing. If you try to use too much variety, there is a danger that you will confuse the reader or write something that does not mean what you want it to mean.
It's fine to either repeat the key words or make small changes. Look at these examples of small changes I made to the phrase average weekly spending:

• spent on average
• average expenditure
• weekly spending figures
• levels of spending
• spent per week
• expenditure per week

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Thursday, September 27, 2012

IELTS Writing Task 1: my 10 sentences

Last week I explained how to write 10 sentences about the chart below.

Average weekly household expenditure by region, 2007-09

Weekly expenditure (£)

Here are my 10 sentences:

1. The bar chart shows average weekly spending by households in different areas of England between 2007 and 2009.
2. Households in the south of the country spent more on average than those in the north.
3. Average weekly spending by households was highest in London and lowest in the North East.
4. English households spent on average around £470 per week.
5. The average expenditure for households in London was about £560 per week, almost £100 more than the overall figure for England.
6. Households in the South East, East and South West also spent more than the national average.
7. Weekly household spending figures for those three regions were approximately £520, £490 and £480 respectively.
8. Similar levels of household spending were seen in the West Midlands, the North West and the East Midlands, at about £430 to £450 per week.
9. In the region of Yorkshire and the Humber, households spent approximately £400 per week, while expenditure in the North East was around £10 per week lower than this.
10. It is noticeable that average weekly expenditure by households in the North East was around £80 less than the national average, and around £170 less than the London average.

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Thursday, September 20, 2012

IELTS Writing Task 1: ten sentences

One way to practise for writing task 1 is to think in terms of sentences rather than worrying about the full essay. Just take a chart or graph and try to write 10 sentences about it.
Try writing the ten sentences suggested below about last week's chart.

1. State what the chart shows.
2. Make a general comparison between the South and the North.
3. Contrast London with the North East (without giving the figures).
4. Give the overall figure for England.
5. Give the figure for London and compare it with the average for England.
6. Add that figures for the South East, East and South West were also higher than the country average.
7. Give approximate figures for the three regions above.
8. Describe the similar figures for the West Midlands, North West and East Midlands.
9. Give figures for the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber.
10. Compare figures for the North East, national average and London.

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Thursday, September 13, 2012

IELTS Writing Task 1: bar chart

The bar chart below is taken from the UK national statistics website that I mentioned in last week's lesson.

Average weekly household expenditure, by region, 2007-09

Weekly expenditure (£)