IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic – Sample Graphs, Vocabulary, and Tips

In IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, you have to describe and sum up data that is shown in graphs, charts, tables, maps, or diagrams. It’s not your job to give your opinion; it’s to report on the key points, compare, and find trends.

You’ll learn the following from this guide:

Things that can be seen in Task 1
A practice answer for Band 8 with an explanation
Important words and sentence patterns
How to get good scores and avoid making these mistakes

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What Is Task 1 (Academic) of the IELTS Writing Test

Needs for the Task:
Type at least 150 words
Twenty minutes is suggested time
Gather information from:

• Graphs with lines
• Bar graphs
• Pie charts
• Tables
• Maps
• Process charts

Write about what you see, not what you think.

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How to Describe the Bands on IELTS Writing Task 1

Your grade is based on four things:

• Task Completion: Were all of the important details you described clear and correct
• Coherence and Cohesion: Is your report well-structured and made sense
• Lexical Resource: Did you correctly use a lot of different academic words
• Range and Accuracy of Grammar: Are your words correct and varied

To get a Band 7 or higher, you need to:

• Complete the whole job
• Rewrite and compare the information
• Keep from repeating
• Use different words and writing rules

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Example Answer for Task 1 Visual and Band 8

Task Question:
From 2000 to 2020, the number of foreign students in Australia is shown in the line graph below. Choose the most important parts of the information and report them. If necessary, make comparisons.

Answer:
The line graph shows how many foreign students have been enrolled in Australian universities over the last 20 years, from 2000 to 2020.

Overall, there was a big rise in the number of international students during that time. Notably, the number kept going up from 2000 to 2015, when it slowed down but still stayed positive.

There were about 80,000 foreign students in the United States in 2000. This number slowly went up until it reached about 160,000 by 2005. The trend kept going up more quickly from 2005 to 2015, when participation doubled to about 320,000. From 2015 to 2020, growth was slower but steady, and there were just under 400,000 students at the end of that time.

In conclusion, the number of foreign students studying in Australia grew very quickly, especially from the middle of the 2000s to the early 2010s. This growth continued slowly until 2020.

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Words You Need to Know to Talk About Graphs

Verbs That Show Trends:
Rise, climb, grow, soar, surge
Lessen, fall, decline, drop, dip, tumble
Change direction, level off, stay steady, peak, stop

Nouns That Mean “Data”:
There was a rise, a fall, a fluctuation, a rush, a peak

Adverbs and Adjectives That Mean “Change”:
Almost, slowly, steadily, sharply, significantly, dramatically, quickly

Example:
“The number of students rose sharply from 200,000 to 350,000 in just five years.”

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Sentence Structures for Task 1 in School: An Example

The Beginning (Paraphrase): “The bar chart shows the percentage of…”
Summary (Main Trends): “In general, there was an increase in…”
Summary: “The number went up a lot from 2005 to 2010…”
Comparisons: “The UK saw a steady rise, but Canada’s growth was minimal”
Used to Talk About Time: “Between 2000 and 2010,” “Over the next five years,” “By 2020”

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Other Words for Rephrasing Common Phrases

• Shows, illustrates, presents, displays
• The amount of people who took part, responded, participated in the study
• Boost up: rise, climb, grow, surge
• Lower down: lessen, fall, drop, decline

Tip: When you start your paper, you should always rewrite the job prompt.

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The Right Way to Talk About Different Images

Line Graph: Use tense words. Pay attention to trends: up, down, and changes
Example: “From 2010 to 2020, the unemployment rate steadily fell from 7 percent to 4 percent”

Bar Chart: Compare the amounts of things in different groups or time periods
Use words like “highest” and “lowest” to describe things
Example: “In 2018, 68 percent of people in Germany recycled, while only 34 percent of people in the USA recycled”

Pie Chart: Talk about percentages and amounts
Mix numbers or use fractions
Example: “One-third of all the energy used came from renewable sources”

Table: Has the same structure as bar chart
Use detailed words to talk about increases and decreases

Map: Use the passive voice and wording that points
Example: “A new road was built to the north of the city centre in 1990”

Diagram of the Process:
Use “first,” “next,” “then,” and “after that” to connect sequences
Say things like, “The materials are processed…” in the passive voice

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Helpful Words for Linking

Type – Examples
Extra: Also, additionally
Contrast: However, on the other hand
Result: As a result, as a consequence, therefore
Sequence: First, second, third, last
Summary: Overall, to sum up, to come to a conclusion

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Common Mistakes People Make

• Giving their opinions → Task 1 is factual. Don’t write, “I believe this rise is because of rules about immigration”
• Ignoring the big picture → If you don’t include the “Overall” line, your score may go down
• Misusing words → Use “rose” (verb) not “rise” (noun) in: “The number went up by 20 percent”
• Overusing “increase” → Use words like rise, climb, grow, and increase instead
• Copying the question → Always rewrite it in your own words

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What You Need to Know to Practice Well

• Every other day, write a report on Task 1
• Get real questions from Cambridge IELTS books and use them
• Keep track of time (20 minutes at most)
• Sample band descriptions can be used to score yourself
• Ask a teacher, a peer, or an online group for comments

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Tools and Resources for Task 1: How to Use

Resource	Use
Cambridge IELTS 1–18	Official practice tests with pictures
IELTS Liz, IELTS Teacher	Answer examples and words by graph type
IELTS Writing Assistant	Guess your band and get feedback
Google Images	Search “IELTS Task 1 graph” for practice charts
Quillbot and Grammarly	Check spelling, language, and rewrite content

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Checklist for Task 1 (Before Turning In)

• At least 150 words
• The opening was paraphrased
• A clear summary sentence
• At least two bullet points with information
• Correct comparisons made
• Use of academic words
• Spelling and grammar checked

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A Practice Job

Explain the following chart:
The bars in the graph show how many hours of free time people of each age spend on average each week
Type at least 150 words
Keep track of time for 20 minutes

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Thoughts for Now

It might look hard to do IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, but you can get a Band 7 or better if you plan ahead, use the right words, and practise regularly.

Pay attention to explaining trends, emphasising important features, and using a variety of words. Don’t give your opinion, and don’t forget that organisation and clarity are just as important as vocabulary.

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