Lesson 1: Describing a Graph Over Time

When you get a chart or graph to describe, it is always important to check whether
there is a time frame or not. If there is, you will need to use the language of
change.
However, it is not enough just to describe the changes of each element (ActiveX,
Java and Net in this case) on their own and ignore how they relate to each other.
you are asked to compare the data as well. So you must also compare the elements
where relevant in your IELTS task 1.
You must also group data together to make sure you have a well organized and
coherent answer.
To do this, you need to look for similarities and differences when you first analyze the
graph for IELTS task 1, and decide what can be logically put together or not.
The bar chart shows the number of times per week (in 1000s), over five weeks,
that three computer packages were downloaded from the internet.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and
make comparisons where relevant.

Model Answer
The bar chart illustrates the
download rate per week of
ActiveX, Java and Net
computer packages over a
period of five weeks. It can
clearly be seen that ActiveX
was the most popular
computer package to
download, whilst Net was the
least popular of the three.
To begin, downloads of ActiveX and Java showed similar patterns, with
both gradually increasing from week 1 to week 5. However, the purchases
of Active X remained significantly higher than for the other product over
this time frame. In week 1, purchases of ActiveX stood at around 75,000,
while those for Java were about 30,000 lower. With the exception of a
slight fall in week 4, downloading of ActiveX kept increasing until it
reached a peak in the final week of just over 120,000. Java downloads also
increased at a steady rate, finishing the period at 80,000.
The product that was downloaded the least was Net. This began at slightly
under 40,000, and, in contrast to the other two products, fell over the next
two weeks to reach a low of approximately 25,000. It then increased
sharply over the following two weeks to finish at about 50,000, which was
well below that of ActiveX.

Language of Change

gradually kept rising increased at a steady

increasing reached a peak rate
a slight fall fell

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increased sharply finish at finishing the period at
a low of stood at

Lesson 2: Describing a pie chart

The pie charts show the main reasons for migration to and from the UK in
2007.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features
and make comparisons where relevant. TIP: Write about the pie charts
together, comparing each of the reasons What tense should you use to
write about the IELTS pie chart in PastPresent

Model Answer
The pie charts illustrate
the primary reasons that
people came to and left
the UK in 2007. At first
glance it is clear that the
main factor influencing
this decision was
employment.
Having a definite job
accounted for 30 per
cent of immigration to
the UK, and this figure was very similar for emigration, at 29%. A large
number of people, 22%, also emigrated because they were looking for a
job, though the proportion of people entering the UK for this purpose was
noticeably lower at less than a fifth.
Another major factor influencing a move to the UK was for formal study,
with over a quarter of people immigrating for this reason. However,
interestingly, only a small minority, 4%, left for this.
The proportions of those moving to join a family member were quite
similar for immigration and emigration, at 15% and 13% respectively.
Although a significant number of people (32%) gave other reasons or did
not give a reason why they emigrated, this accounted for only 17% with
regards to immigration.

Choose the most important points to write about first

These will be the largest ones. As you can see in the model answer,
definite job, looking for work, and formal study were all written
about first, in order of importance, as these are the main reasons that
were chosen for moving. Items such as other are usually less important
and account for small amounts, so can be left till the end.

Make it easy to read

When you write a task 1, you should always group information in a
logical way to make it easy to follow and read.

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With an IELTS pie chart, the most logical thing to do is usually to compare
categories together across the charts, focusing on similarities and
differences, rather than writing about each chart separately.
If you write about each one separately, the person reading it will have to
keep looking between the paragraphs in order to see how each category
differs.

Vary your language

As with any task 1, this is important. You should not keep repeating the
same structures. The key language when you write about pie charts is
proportions and percentages.
Common phrases to see are "the proportion of" or "the percentage
of"
However, you can also use other words and fractions. These are some
examples from the model answer:
A large number of peopleover a quarter of peoplea small minorityA
significant number of people

Percentage Fraction
80% four-fifths
75% three-quarters
70% seven in ten
65% two-thirds
60% three-fifths
55% more than half
50% half
45% more than two fifths
40% two-fifths
35% more than a third
30% less than a third
25% a quarter
20% a fifth
15% less than a fifth
10% one in ten
5% one in twenty

If the percentages are not exact as above, then you can use qualifiers to
make sure your description remains accurate. Here are some examples:
Percentage Qualifier
77% just over three quarters

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 77% approximately three quarters
49% just under a half
49% nearly a half
32% almost a third
This table presents some examples of how you can change percentages to
other phrases:
proportion / number / amount /
Percentage
majority / minority
75% - 85% a very large majority
65% - 75% a significant proportion
10% - 15% a minority
5% a very small number

Lesson 3: Describing a process diagram to

describe.
This should follow the same format as any task 1:
Introduce the diagram
Give an overview of the main point/s
Give the detail

What is an IELTS Process Diagram?

The diagram illustrates the process that is used to manufacture bricks for
the building industry.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features
and make comparisons where relevant.

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Model Answer
A process will have a
number of stages that
are in time order. So
you should start at
the beginning, and
describe each stage
through to the last
one.
In the example above,
this is fairly clear. It
begins with the
digging of the clay,
and ends with
delivery.
Processes are not
always this clear, and
you may have to look
more carefully to spot the beginning, and there may also be two things
happening at the same time.
So it is important that you look at other sample processes to get a good
understanding of how they can vary.

Introduce the Diagram

As with any task 1, you can begin by paraphrasing the rubric: The
diagram explains the way in which bricks are made for the building
industry.

Highlight the Main Points

An IELTS process diagram is different to a line, bar, pie chart or table in
that there are not usually key changes or trends to identify. However, you
should still give an overview of what is taking place.
The public band descriptors state that to achieve a band 6 or more
for task response the student must provide an overview in a task 1.
As there are no trends to comment on, you can make a comment on, for
example, the number of stages in the process and how it begins and
ends:
Overall, there are eight stages in the process, beginning with the digging
up of clay and culminating in delivery.

Give the Detail

Now you need to explain the IELTS process diagram, and there are two key
aspects of language associated with this:
1) Time Connectors
A process is a series of events, one taking place after the other.
Therefore, to connect your stages, you should use time connectors.
(notice that you simply go from the beginning to the end of the process):
To begin This clay is then Following this, . Next In the subsequent
stage, then, followed by . Finally

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These connectors are the same you would use to write a graph over
time when you explain a series of changes.
These are some common IELTS process diagram connectors:
To begin Then Before**
Following this After Subsequently
Next After that Finally

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** If you use before, this means that you will be mentioning a later stage
before an earlier stage, so you need to use it carefully. If you can use it
properly though, it will get noticed.
Here is an example using stages four and five:
Before being dried in the oven, the mixture is turned into bricks by either
placing it into a mould or using a wire cutter.

2) The Passive
When we describe an IELTS process, the focus is on the activities, NOT
the person doing them. When this is the case, we use the passive voice,
not the active.
Most sentences use this structure:
Subject + Verb + Object
A large digger digs up the clay in the ground.
In the active voice (as above), the digger is doing the verb i.e. the digger
is doing the digging.
When we use the passive voice, we make the object (the clay) the subject,
and make the subject (the digger) the object. We also add in the verb to
be and the past participle (or Verb 3).
(S) The clay in the ground (V) is dug up (O) by the digger.
So throughout most of your description for your IELTS process diagram,
you should be using the passive voice.
This is difficult as some verbs cannot take the passive. For example, 'to
go' cannot be passive, so it is kept in the active voice:
...the bricks go through a heating and cooling process.
This is why you need to make sure you practice the passive so you know
exactly how to use it.
Also, as you will see from the description, it is more usual to comment on
who or what is doing the action so the 'by...." phrase is excluded.
Here is the same example description with uses of the passive
highlighted:
To begin, the clay (which) is used to make the bricks is dug up from the
ground by a large digger. This clay is then placed onto a metal grid, onto
a metal grid, which is used to break up the clay into smaller pieces. A
roller assists in this process.

Varying your Language

Sometimes it may be appropriate just to use the same language that you
are given in the IELTS process diagram to describe it, but you should try to
vary it.
You may be able to use nouns from the diagram as your verbs. For
example, the noun packaging in stage seven becomes:
Finally, the bricks are packed
Lesson 4: Bar and Line Graph
This is an example of an IELTS bar and line graph together. It is not
uncommon to get two graphs to describe at the same time in the IELTS
test.
It can look a bit scary at first. However, when you look more closely, you'll
see it is probably no more difficult than having one graph.
The line graph shows visits to and from the UK from 1979 to
1999, and the bar graph shows the most popular countries visited
by UK residents in 1999.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main
features and make comparisons where relevant.
These are the steps you need to take to describe a bar and line graph
together (or any two
graphs) that may differ
slightly from when you
describe one graph.

Introduction
When you state what the
graph shows, mention
both of them.:
The line graph
illustrates the number of
visitors in millions from
the UK who went abroad
and those that came to
the UK between 1979 and
1999, while the bar
chart shows which
countries were the most
popular for UK residents to
visit in 1999. Remember
to write this in your own words and not to copy from the question.
Next you need to mention the key points from the graph. When you do
this, mention the most interesting things from each:
Overall, it can be seen that visits to and from the UK increased, and
that France was the most popular country to go to.

Body Paragraphs
If there are two graphs and a lot of information, you will have to be careful
not to describe everything as you may then have too much
information.
Also, the examiner is looking to see that you can select the important
things and not describe every single detail.
So the key skill when you have two graphs is being able to pick out the
important information or summarize things in a concise way, otherwise
you will end up writing too much and probably run out of time.
Here is an example description for the bar and line graph:
To begin, the number of visits abroad by UK residents was higher than for
those that came to the UK, and this remained so throughout the period.
The figures started at a similar amount, around 10 million, but visits
abroad increased significantly to over 50 million, whereas the number of
overseas residents rose steadily to reach just under 30 million.
By far the most popular countries to visit in 1999 were France at
approximately 11 million visitors, followed by Spain at 9 million. The USA,
Greece, and Turkey were far less popular at around 4, 3 and 2 million
visitors respectively.
As you can see, the first paragraph discusses the line graph, and the
second the bar chart.
You will not usually need to mix up the descriptions. This will only make
things complicated and difficult to follow. Writing about the first one and
then the second one is ok.
As with any task 1, you will need to make sure you use the right language,
make comparisons, and group data appropriately.

Lesson 5: Describing Graph Trends

This exercise introduces some common vocabulary and grammar needed
for describing graph trends. The language that can be used for describing
graphs in IELTS is extensive.

Vocabulary for Describing Graph Trends

Word Part of Speech Example Sentence
verb: to increase, is Total expenditure increased
increasing, has increased, from $33,611m to $39,165m
increased from 1995 to 1996.
increase noun: an increase of
From 1995 to 1996 there was
$5,554m
an increase in expenditure of
an increase in spending
$5,554m.
of $5,554m
Expenditure on primary
verb: to decrease, is
education decreased from
decreasing, has
22.2% to 21.5% from 1995 to
decreased, decreased
decrease 1996.
noun: a decrease of 0.7% From 1995 to 1996 there was
a decrease in spending of a decrease in expenditure of
0.7% 0.7%.
rise Total expenditure rose from
verb: to rise, is rising, has
$33,611m to $39,165m from
risen, rose
1995 to 1996.
noun: a rise of $5,554m From 1995 to 1996 there was
a rise in spending of a rise in expenditure of
 $5,554m $5,554m.
Expenditure on primary
verb: to fall, is falling, has
education fell from 22.2% to
fallen, fell
fall 21.5% from 1995 to 1996.
noun: a fall of 0.7% From 1995 to 1996 there was
a fall in spending of 0.7% a fall in expenditure of 0.7%.
Expenditure on primary
verb: to drop, is dropping, education dropped from
has dropped, dropped 22.2% to 21.5% from 1995 to
drop 1996.
noun: a drop of 0.7% From 1995 to 1996 there was
a drop in spending of a drop in expenditure of
0.7% 0.7%.
After an introductory
clause that includes some Spending rose in all three
analysis; e.g. 'Spending years, increasing from 17.6%
-ing forms rose in all three years', an to 18% from 1995 to 1996,
'_ing' form can be used to and then rising again to
describe numbers and 18.2% in 1997-8.
dates.

Lesson 8: Compare and Contrast Language for

Graphs:
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce you to compare and contrast
language which is needed to write about graphs.
To begin, take a look at the graph below.
Which country has the highest level of pollution?
Which country has the lowest?
The country with the higest level of pollution is USA and the country with
the lowest is New Zealand.
Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
Being able to compare
and contrast data is an
essential skill for IELTS
writing, especially in
Task 1. Comparatives
and superlatives are one
common way to do this.
Comparatives are used
to compare two things:
Leopards are faster than
tigers.
Superlatives are used to
compare one thing
against a group of
others:
The leopard is the largest of the four big cats.
Here are the basics of how they are formed:
Example Word Comparative Superlative
Words with one syllable high higher the highest
the most
Words with three syllables or more productive productive
productive
more less productive the least
productive
Words ending in y wealthy wealthier the wealthiest
Short words ending with a
hot hotter the hottest
consonant/vowel/consonant
Irregular good better the best

Other Important Language

Comparatives and superlatives are useful to compare and contrast, but
they won't be enough.
Here are some other useful words and structures:
Transitions
The Middle East produces high levels of oil; however, Japan
produces none.
The USA produces large amounts of natural gas. In contrast, South
Korea produces none.
European countries make great use of solar power. On the other
hand, most Asian countries us this method of power generation
very little.
Subordinating Conjunctions
The Middle East produces high levels of oil, whereas / while Japan
produces none.
Whereas / While the Middle East produces high levels of oil, Japan
produces none.
 Although the Middle East produced 100 tons oil, Japan produced
none.
Other Structures
Developing countries are more reliant on alternative energy
production than developed countries.
Solar power accounts for far less of the total energy production
than gas or coal does.
Hydropower is not as efficient as wind power.
Like Japan, South Korea does not produce any natural gas.
The Middle East produces twice as much oil as Europe.
Western countries consume three times more oil than the Middle
East.
Russia consumes slightly more oil than Germany.
The UAE produced the same amount of oil as Saudi Arabia.

Using Approximate Data

When you compare and contrast, you also need to learn phrases so you
can refer to data that is not exact.
For example:

just over 7 million tonnes

7.1 approximately 7 million tonnes

nearly 70 million tonnes

65.6 almost 70 million tonnes
Lesson 10: Table
Describing an IELTS table is similar to describing charts or graphs. The
same structures of comparison and contrast are used or language of
change if the table is over time.
For example, take a look at this table showing the quality of life in four
countries presented in a table: If we wanted, we could present this same
information as a bar chart:

Country GNP per Daily calorie Life expectancy Infant

head (1982: supply per at birth (years) mortality
US dollars) head (per 1000
live births
Bangladesh 140 1877 40 132
Bolivia 570 2086 50 124
Egypt 690 2950 56 97
Indonesia 580 2296 49 87
USA 13160 3653 74 12

However, as you'll
notice, it is better
presented as a
table because of
the huge difference
between the USA
and the others -
this is not very
clear on a bar
chart.
So a table looks
better, but they
would both be
described in
exactly the same way.

Analysing the IELTS Table

As with all graphs and charts, when describing tables:
1. Do not describe all the data presented - present the main points of
each feature (you should make sure you mention each feature
though)
2. Look for significant data; e.g. the highest, the lowest etc
3. Try and group the data. This may require you to use some general
knowledge about the world, such as recognising developed and
developing countries
The following table gives statistics showing the aspects of quality
of life in five countries.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main
features and make comparisons where relevant.
Table: The Quality of Life in Four Countries
Country GNP per Daily calorie Life expectancy Infant
head (1982: supply per at birth (years) mortality
US dollars) head (per 1000
live births
Bangladesh 140 1877 40 132
Bolivia 570 2086 50 124
Egypt 690 2950 56 97
Indonesia 580 2296 49 87
USA 13160 3653 74 12

Making a Plan
You should always ask yourself these kind of questions before you write
your task one. You can then use the answer to these questions to make
yourself a quick plan.
Here are some notes made by a student during the planning stage:
PLAN
Topic standard of living, 5 countries
Language comparison
Time / tense 1982 = past
Overview USA far higher
Groups
USA = highest
Egypt, Indo, Bol = similar
Bangladesh = very low

Now, take a look at this IELTS table model answer and notice how the
organization matches the plan. The groups chosen that are similar are
grouped together into paragraphs.
The language is focused on the language of comparison and contrast as
the table is not over time. The compare and contrast structures have been
highlighted so you can see how they are used.
Is it similar to the way you would have organized the information?

Model Answer
The table uses four economic indicators to show the standard of living in
five selected countries in 1982. Overall, it can be seen that the quality of
life in the USA was far higher than the other four countries.
To begin, the USA, which is a developed country, had the highest GNP at
13,160 dollars per head. It also had a much higher daily calorie intake
and life expectancy, and the lowest rate of infant mortality.
The other developing countries had quality of life ratings that were
significantly lower. The range of indicators for Egypt, Indonesia and
Bolivia were similar, with Egypt having the highest quality of life
amongst the three. However, the infant mortality rate in Egypts was
slightly higher than Indonesias at 97 deaths per 1000 compared to 78
in Indonesia.
Bangladesh had by far the lowest quality of life in all the indicators. Its
GNP was one hundred times smaller than the USAs. Its calorie intake
and life expectancy were about half those of the USA, and its infant
mortality rate was 10 times greater.
Words 178

Lesson 11: Line graphs

In this lesson we'll look at an IELTS task 1 line graph in order to help you
understand how to deal with 'age groups' and to show you how it is
possible to organize an answer in different ways.
What is important when you plan a task one is to think about how you can
organize your graph in the most logical and clear way.
This often means grouping the information in some way, and you can
do this by looking for patterns - look for similarities and diffferences.
This sample IELTS task 1 line graph is divided up into age groups.
Although a graph like this is not over time as such, it can still be viewed in
this way as it is showing how something changes over different ages - in
this case, how certain factors in a neighbourhood when choosing a new
home vary over age.
Take a look at the following question, the graph below, and the model
answers.
The line graph shows the percentage of people of different age
groups and how they rate a set of factors in terms of importance
when buying a new home.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main
features and make comparisons where relevant.

Model Answer 1 -
Organizing by Factors
The line graph illustrates the
importance, measured in percentages, that
four ages groups place on five different factors
when they move to a new home. It is
immediately apparent that a low crime
rate is the most important variable across all
the age groups.
Of all the factors, the desire for a low crime
rate is by far the most important. Amongst the all the
age groups this figure stands at around 80%, with the middle aged and
elderly viewing it as slightly more important. Next, schools are seen as
very important by a significant proportion of 25 to 44 year olds although
the percentages drop markedly as people get older, with just under 25%
of 55 to 64 year olds viewing this as important.
Shopping facilities, being chosen by around 13%, are not viewed with such
importance as schools and crime by the younger age groups. However, as
people get older, this increases in importance to approximately 30%, and,
as would be expected, is actually more important than schools to those
over 55. Finally, although increasing in importance with age, neither parks
nor public transport are viewed to be as important as the other factors by
any of the groups.

Comments
As you can see in this answer to the IELTS task 1 line graph, the candidate
has organized the answer mainly around the 'factors'.
Each one is described in turn, starting with the most important, low crime.
Less is said about those that are not viewed as so important (parks and
public transport).
Notice that the graph does not talk about each factor in isolation, but
makes comparisons across the factors and groups. For example:
Of all the factors, the desire for a low crime rate is by far the most
important.
Shopping facilities are not viewed with such importance as schools
and crime by the younger age groups.
With an IELTS task 1 line graph you should always avoid simply discussing
each point on a graph with no reference of how it relates to the other
points.

Model Answer 2 - Organizing by Age Groups

The line graph illustrates the importance, measured in percentages, that
four ages groups place on five different factors when they move to a new
home. It is immediately apparent that a low crime rate is the most
important variable across all the age groups.
The factors that are very important when purchasing a new house are
very similar for the first two age groups. A low crime rate represents the
greatest percentage of these groups at around 80%, though it is slightly
higher for those aged 35 to 44. Schools as a factor is again very similar at
around 60% for the younger age group, but dropping to around 45-50%
for 35 to 44 year olds. A much lower percentage rate shopping, parks and
public transport as important.
Turning to those aged over 45, low crime accounted for the largest
proportion at approximately 80%, similar to those of a younger age. In
contrast to the younger groups though, schooling was far less important,
falling to below 25% for those aged over 55. This older group rated them
as less important than shopping facilities. In fact, shopping facilities, parks
and public transport all become more important factors as people get
older.
Comments
This IELTS task 1 line graph has been organized primarily around the age
groups.
The candidate has decided that the first two age groups are fairly similar
and so can be grouped together, and the second two age group have
similarities.
The differences between the under 44s and over 44s have also been
highlighted. For example:
Turning to those aged over 45, low crime accounted for the largest
proportion at approximately 80%, similar to those of a younger age.

Summary
This lesson has been about how to write about age groups and examples
of how answers may be organized differently.
Although this was about an IELTS task 1 line graph, it applies to any
graphs or charts in task 1, such as bar graphs or pie charts.
You need to make sure that you spend a few minutes analyzing the graph
and deciding on the best way to organize it so it will be easy to follow
when the examiner reads it.