Types of tasks Task one of the IELTS writing exam includes different types of tasks. The most common ones are: tables, pie charts, bar charts, line graphs, process diagrams, flow charts, maps and floor plans, which should all be looked at to be well prepared. Then, task one of the IELTS writing exam can be separated into two key types. Get IELTS Band 9 Task One Writing Data, Charts and Graphs. It is accepted that this book acts as a supplement to the student's repertoire of IELTS writing resources and not the student's sole source of guidance for their studies in essay writing. Although valuable, reading up on the subject of IELTS essay writing alone will not ascertain. IELTS Writing Task 1: Question. You might see a line graph like this one in Task 1. The ability to describe changes over time is a key skill in line graph tasks. The diagram shows the consumption of renewable energy in the USA from 1949-2008. Here's a full IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Band 9 sample essay. The task contains two charts, a bar chart and a pie chart or graph, and was reported on one. IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 How to Describe a Graph. On the following pages there are lessons to teach you how to write an academic IELTS writing task 1. There are examples of all the different types of task which include line graphs, pie charts, tables, processes, diagrams and maps.
- Band 9 Solved Line Graph For Writing Task 1 Ielts Documentation
- Band 9 Solved Line Graph For Writing Task 1 Ielts Documents
Below are sample IELTS charts to practise writing task 1 at home. In the IELTS writing task 1 (academic paper), you will be given one of the following and will have 20 mins to write a full report:
- bar chart
- line graph
- table
- pie chart
- diagram or process
- map
- combination of the above (multiple tasks)
This collection of IELTS charts represents the main types of charts that you can be given in writing task 1, including tasks with two or three charts combined. Please remember that writing task 1 is not an essay, it is a report.
Use the sample practice charts, tables and diagrams below to practise and develop your IELTS writing task 1. Some charts below have links to model answers. Charts not created by myself have the known source stated when possible.
Practice Charts for IELTS Writing Task 1
You must write a report of over 150 words
You have 20 mins for this task
The bar chart below shows the percentage of people who ate five portions of fruit and vegetables per day in the UK from 2001 to 2008.
- Source: IELTS Liz, Reported by IELTS Candidate
- Download: IELTS Writing task 1 October 2018
- Model Answer: Answer
The bar chart below shows the hours per week that teenagers spend doing certain activities in Chester from 2002 to 2007.
- Source: English-in-Chester
- Model Answer: Answer
The chart below shows the global sales of different kinds of digital games from 2000 to 2006.
- Source: Chart not by IELTS Liz. Source unknown.
The graph below shows the population figures for different type of turtles in India from 1980 to 2012.
- Source: Graph not designed by IELTS Liz. Source unknown.
The graph below shows the amount of goods transported in the UK from 1974 to 2002.
- Source: IELTS Cambridge English Test Books
- Useful Tips: Tips
The line graph below shows the consumption of 4 kinds of meat in a European country from 1979 to 2004.
- Source: IELTS Cambridge English Test Books
- Source: IELTS Liz, Reported by IELTS Candidate
- Model Answer: Answer
The table below shows the proportion of income spent on 4 common items in the UK in 1998.
- Source: Table not designed by IELTS Liz. Source unknown
- Source: IELTS Liz, Reported by IELTS candidate
- Model Answer: Answer
The table below gives information about the underground railway systems in 6 countries.
- Source: IELTS Cambridge English Test Books
The table below shows consumer spending on different items in 5 countries in 2002.
- Source: IELTS Cambridge English Test Books
- Model Answer: Answer
Band 9 Solved Line Graph For Writing Task 1 Ielts Documentation
The table below gives information about the employment sectors in which people from 3 age groups worked.
- Source: Table not designed by IELTS Liz. Source unknown
The pie charts below show the average household expenditures in a county in 1950 and 2010.
- Source: Charts not designed by IELTS Liz. Source unknown.
The charts below show the percentage of students joining North West University.
- Source: Charts not designed by IELTS Liz. Source unknown.
The charts below give information about the electricity generation in two countries in 2009.
- Source: Charts not designed by IELTS Liz. Source unknown.
The pie charts below show the spending of a school in the UK from 1981 to 2001.
- Source: IELTS Cambridge English Test Books
The diagram below shows how rainwater is collected for the use of drinking water in an Australian town.
- Source: IELTS Liz, Reported by IELTS Candidate
- Download:
- Model Answer: Answer
The diagram below shows the water supply in Australia at present and in the future.
- Source: IELTS Liz, Reported by IELTS Candidate
- Model Answer: Answer
The diagram below shows how the water cycle works.
- Source: New Insight into IELTS
- Although this book was published years ago, I still recommend it for practise at home.
The diagram shows the process of making coffee.
- Source: Diagram not designed by IELTS Liz. Source unknown.
The diagram below shows how coal is used to generate electricity.
- Source: mstworkbooks.co.za, natural sciences.
The maps below show an island, before and after the constructions of some tourist facilities.
- Source: IELTS Cambridge English Test Books
Two Bar Charts
- Source: IELTS Liz, Reported by IELTS Candidate
- Download PDF: IELTS 2017 Writing Task 1
- Model Answer: Answer
Bar Chart & Two Pie Charts
The charts below give information about levels of education in Glasgow, a city in Scotland, in 2010.
- Source: IELTS Liz, Reported by IELTS Candidate
- Model Answer: Answer
Table & 3 Pie Charts
- Source: IELTS Liz, Reported by IELTS Candidate
- Model Answer: Answer
Two Pie Charts & Bar Chart
- Source: IELTS Liz, Reported by IELTS Candidate
- Model Answer: Answer
Useful Links for Free IELTS Preparatio
IELTS Writing Task 1: Tips, Answers, Vocabulary & Videos
IELTS Writing Task 2: Model Essays, Linking Words & Videos
All the best
Liz
Do you need to master English to a certain standard? Perhaps you're going to be entering an English-speaking university, or maybe you're hoping to emigrate to an English-speaking country.
If so, there's a good chance you'll be taking the IELTS exam.
If you're preparing to take the IELTS exam, you may already know the basics of what to expect – but in case not, let's quickly recap.
What is the IELTS Exam and Who Uses It?
The IELTS exam is an international standardised test. IELTS stands for 'International English Language Testing System'.
You receive a score between 0 and 9, where 0 is the lowest and 9 is the highest.
The grades are used by more than 10,000 colleges (plus agencies and other institutions) in over 140 countries. You may need to achieve a certain score for a work visa or for immigration purposes, or for entry to an academic course.
How Does the IELTS Exam Work?
The IELTS exam consists of several different sub-tests or sections, in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. It takes 2 hrs 45 minutes in total.
You can opt to take the 'Academic Module' or 'General Training Module', depending on what you're going to be using English for.
The listening and speaking sections of the exam are the same for everyone, but there are different reading and writing tasks depending on whether you opt for the Academic or General modules.
In this article, we're going to be looking at Writing Task 1 for both the General and Academic versions of the exam. (There are two writing tasks for each of these.)
What Does Writing Task 1 Involve?
Academic Route
If you've chosen the Academic route, Writing Task 1 asks you to write at least 150 words summarising a graph, table, chart, or process.
You will normally be told to 'summarise the information below by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant'.
General Route
If you've chosen the General route, Writing Task 1 asks you to write at least 150 words in the form of a letter, responding to a given situation or problem. You'll normally be given three bullet points of things that you should include.
How is Writing Task 1 Graded?
You'll be assessed in four areas for Writing Task 1. Each one is worth 25% of your marks for that section:
- Task Achievement
- Coherence and Cohesion
- Lexical Resource
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Finding Sample Questions and Answers
One of the best things you can do to prepare for the IELTS Writing Task 1 is to review some sample questions, have a go at writing your own answer for each, and then look at model answers.
You might want to purchase a book with sample questions and answers: alternatively, there are lots of websites with free help available, and you can find plenty of sample questions and answers here:
General route:
IELTS Sample Letters (from IELTS-exam.net)
IELTS Writing Task 1 (from IELTS Advantage)
Band 9 Solved Line Graph For Writing Task 1 Ielts Documents
Academic route:
IELTS Sample Charts (from IELTS-exam.net)
IELTS Writing Task 1 (from IELTS Advantage)
Two Sample Questions and Four Answers
Here are some sample questions, with two model answers for each, so you can get an idea of what's required of you in Writing Task 1:
Academic Writing
Question:
The chart below shows the total number of minutes (in billions) of telephone calls in the UK, divided into three categories, from 1995-2002.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Source: Cambridge English IELTS Past Papers
Answer #1:
This is an example of a Band 9 answer, from the IELTS Advantage website:
'The bar graph shows the combined time spent in billions of minutes, on three different kinds of phone call in the United Kingdom, from 1995-2002.
Overall, local calls were the most popular over the whole period, with national and international calls and calls on mobiles second and third respectively. However, the number of minutes spent on international and national calls and mobiles both increased over the period; with mobile minutes increasing dramatically, thus narrowing the gap between the three categories by 2002.
Minutes spent on local calls fluctuated over the time period, with just over 70 billion minutes in 1995, peaking at approximately 90 billion in 1999 and then steadily decreasing to just over 70 billion minutes in 2002.
National and international calls increased steadily year on year, from just under 40 billion minutes in 1995 to a peak of just over 60 billion in 2002. Mobile minutes increased at a very rapid pace from approximately 3 billion in 1995 to around 45 billion in 2002. Mobile phone usage nearly doubled from approximately 22 billion minutes in 2000 to 40 billion in 2001.'
(183 words)
Answer #2:
Here's another answer to the same question (also a Band 9 answer) by Harry (Phuc Coi):
'The bar chart compares the amount of time spent by people in the UK on three different types of phone call between 1995 and 2002.
It is clear that calls made via local, fixed lines were the most popular type, in terms of overall usage, throughout the period shown. The lowest figures on the chart are for mobile calls, but this category also saw the most dramatic increase in user minutes.
In 1995, people in the UK used fixed lines for a total of just over 70 billion minutes for local calls, and about half of that amount of time for national or international calls. By contrast, mobile phones were only used for around 4 billion minutes. Over the following four years, the figures for all three types of phone call increased steadily.
By 1999, the amount of time spent on local calls using landlines had reached a peak at 90 billion minutes. Subsequently, the figure for this category fell, but the rise in the other two types of phone call continued. In 2002, the number of minutes of national / international landline calls passed 60 billion, while the figure for mobiles rose to around 45 billion minutes.'
(197 words)
General Writing
This question is taken from the IELTS Advantage website:
Question:
On a recent holiday you lost a valuable item. Fortunately, you have travel insurance to cover the cost of anything lost.
Write a letter to the manager of your insurance company. In your letter
- describe the item you lost
- explain how you lost it
- tell the insurance company what you would like them to do
Answer #1:
This is an example of a Band 9 answer from the IELTS Advantage website:
'Dear Sir/Madam
I am writing to inform you that I recently lost my digital camera while on holiday in Vietnam.
The camera is a black Canon 70d and cost $1550 when I bought it new last month. It has a resolution of 20 megapixels, a Canon 67 millimeter lens and was in a brown leather case with my name on it.
I lost it when I was having coffee with my husband in the backpacker area of Ho Chi Minh City. I believe the coffee shop was called Highlands Coffee and it was on Pham Ngu Lao Street. We had been at the coffee shop for around 45 minutes when I noticed it was missing.
I am entitled to make a claim for the value of the above mentioned item and request that you send me details on what I need to do in order to proceed.
I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
Yours faithfully
John Smith'
The table below shows consumer spending on different items in 5 countries in 2002.
- Source: IELTS Cambridge English Test Books
- Model Answer: Answer
Band 9 Solved Line Graph For Writing Task 1 Ielts Documentation
The table below gives information about the employment sectors in which people from 3 age groups worked.
- Source: Table not designed by IELTS Liz. Source unknown
The pie charts below show the average household expenditures in a county in 1950 and 2010.
- Source: Charts not designed by IELTS Liz. Source unknown.
The charts below show the percentage of students joining North West University.
- Source: Charts not designed by IELTS Liz. Source unknown.
The charts below give information about the electricity generation in two countries in 2009.
- Source: Charts not designed by IELTS Liz. Source unknown.
The pie charts below show the spending of a school in the UK from 1981 to 2001.
- Source: IELTS Cambridge English Test Books
The diagram below shows how rainwater is collected for the use of drinking water in an Australian town.
- Source: IELTS Liz, Reported by IELTS Candidate
- Download:
- Model Answer: Answer
The diagram below shows the water supply in Australia at present and in the future.
- Source: IELTS Liz, Reported by IELTS Candidate
- Model Answer: Answer
The diagram below shows how the water cycle works.
- Source: New Insight into IELTS
- Although this book was published years ago, I still recommend it for practise at home.
The diagram shows the process of making coffee.
- Source: Diagram not designed by IELTS Liz. Source unknown.
The diagram below shows how coal is used to generate electricity.
- Source: mstworkbooks.co.za, natural sciences.
The maps below show an island, before and after the constructions of some tourist facilities.
- Source: IELTS Cambridge English Test Books
Two Bar Charts
- Source: IELTS Liz, Reported by IELTS Candidate
- Download PDF: IELTS 2017 Writing Task 1
- Model Answer: Answer
Bar Chart & Two Pie Charts
The charts below give information about levels of education in Glasgow, a city in Scotland, in 2010.
- Source: IELTS Liz, Reported by IELTS Candidate
- Model Answer: Answer
Table & 3 Pie Charts
- Source: IELTS Liz, Reported by IELTS Candidate
- Model Answer: Answer
Two Pie Charts & Bar Chart
- Source: IELTS Liz, Reported by IELTS Candidate
- Model Answer: Answer
Useful Links for Free IELTS Preparatio
IELTS Writing Task 1: Tips, Answers, Vocabulary & Videos
IELTS Writing Task 2: Model Essays, Linking Words & Videos
All the best
Liz
Do you need to master English to a certain standard? Perhaps you're going to be entering an English-speaking university, or maybe you're hoping to emigrate to an English-speaking country.
If so, there's a good chance you'll be taking the IELTS exam.
If you're preparing to take the IELTS exam, you may already know the basics of what to expect – but in case not, let's quickly recap.
What is the IELTS Exam and Who Uses It?
The IELTS exam is an international standardised test. IELTS stands for 'International English Language Testing System'.
You receive a score between 0 and 9, where 0 is the lowest and 9 is the highest.
The grades are used by more than 10,000 colleges (plus agencies and other institutions) in over 140 countries. You may need to achieve a certain score for a work visa or for immigration purposes, or for entry to an academic course.
How Does the IELTS Exam Work?
The IELTS exam consists of several different sub-tests or sections, in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. It takes 2 hrs 45 minutes in total.
You can opt to take the 'Academic Module' or 'General Training Module', depending on what you're going to be using English for.
The listening and speaking sections of the exam are the same for everyone, but there are different reading and writing tasks depending on whether you opt for the Academic or General modules.
In this article, we're going to be looking at Writing Task 1 for both the General and Academic versions of the exam. (There are two writing tasks for each of these.)
What Does Writing Task 1 Involve?
Academic Route
If you've chosen the Academic route, Writing Task 1 asks you to write at least 150 words summarising a graph, table, chart, or process.
You will normally be told to 'summarise the information below by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant'.
General Route
If you've chosen the General route, Writing Task 1 asks you to write at least 150 words in the form of a letter, responding to a given situation or problem. You'll normally be given three bullet points of things that you should include.
How is Writing Task 1 Graded?
You'll be assessed in four areas for Writing Task 1. Each one is worth 25% of your marks for that section:
- Task Achievement
- Coherence and Cohesion
- Lexical Resource
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Finding Sample Questions and Answers
One of the best things you can do to prepare for the IELTS Writing Task 1 is to review some sample questions, have a go at writing your own answer for each, and then look at model answers.
You might want to purchase a book with sample questions and answers: alternatively, there are lots of websites with free help available, and you can find plenty of sample questions and answers here:
General route:
IELTS Sample Letters (from IELTS-exam.net)
IELTS Writing Task 1 (from IELTS Advantage)
Band 9 Solved Line Graph For Writing Task 1 Ielts Documents
Academic route:
IELTS Sample Charts (from IELTS-exam.net)
IELTS Writing Task 1 (from IELTS Advantage)
Two Sample Questions and Four Answers
Here are some sample questions, with two model answers for each, so you can get an idea of what's required of you in Writing Task 1:
Academic Writing
Question:
The chart below shows the total number of minutes (in billions) of telephone calls in the UK, divided into three categories, from 1995-2002.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Source: Cambridge English IELTS Past Papers
Answer #1:
This is an example of a Band 9 answer, from the IELTS Advantage website:
'The bar graph shows the combined time spent in billions of minutes, on three different kinds of phone call in the United Kingdom, from 1995-2002.
Overall, local calls were the most popular over the whole period, with national and international calls and calls on mobiles second and third respectively. However, the number of minutes spent on international and national calls and mobiles both increased over the period; with mobile minutes increasing dramatically, thus narrowing the gap between the three categories by 2002.
Minutes spent on local calls fluctuated over the time period, with just over 70 billion minutes in 1995, peaking at approximately 90 billion in 1999 and then steadily decreasing to just over 70 billion minutes in 2002.
National and international calls increased steadily year on year, from just under 40 billion minutes in 1995 to a peak of just over 60 billion in 2002. Mobile minutes increased at a very rapid pace from approximately 3 billion in 1995 to around 45 billion in 2002. Mobile phone usage nearly doubled from approximately 22 billion minutes in 2000 to 40 billion in 2001.'
(183 words)
Answer #2:
Here's another answer to the same question (also a Band 9 answer) by Harry (Phuc Coi):
'The bar chart compares the amount of time spent by people in the UK on three different types of phone call between 1995 and 2002.
It is clear that calls made via local, fixed lines were the most popular type, in terms of overall usage, throughout the period shown. The lowest figures on the chart are for mobile calls, but this category also saw the most dramatic increase in user minutes.
In 1995, people in the UK used fixed lines for a total of just over 70 billion minutes for local calls, and about half of that amount of time for national or international calls. By contrast, mobile phones were only used for around 4 billion minutes. Over the following four years, the figures for all three types of phone call increased steadily.
By 1999, the amount of time spent on local calls using landlines had reached a peak at 90 billion minutes. Subsequently, the figure for this category fell, but the rise in the other two types of phone call continued. In 2002, the number of minutes of national / international landline calls passed 60 billion, while the figure for mobiles rose to around 45 billion minutes.'
(197 words)
General Writing
This question is taken from the IELTS Advantage website:
Question:
On a recent holiday you lost a valuable item. Fortunately, you have travel insurance to cover the cost of anything lost.
Write a letter to the manager of your insurance company. In your letter
- describe the item you lost
- explain how you lost it
- tell the insurance company what you would like them to do
Answer #1:
This is an example of a Band 9 answer from the IELTS Advantage website:
'Dear Sir/Madam
I am writing to inform you that I recently lost my digital camera while on holiday in Vietnam.
The camera is a black Canon 70d and cost $1550 when I bought it new last month. It has a resolution of 20 megapixels, a Canon 67 millimeter lens and was in a brown leather case with my name on it.
I lost it when I was having coffee with my husband in the backpacker area of Ho Chi Minh City. I believe the coffee shop was called Highlands Coffee and it was on Pham Ngu Lao Street. We had been at the coffee shop for around 45 minutes when I noticed it was missing.
I am entitled to make a claim for the value of the above mentioned item and request that you send me details on what I need to do in order to proceed.
I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
Yours faithfully
John Smith'
(163 words)
Answer #2:
Here is another model answer for the same question, taken from the I talk English website:
'Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to make an insurance claim for an item that I lost while on holiday last week.
The item is a wristwatch that I inherited from my grandfather. Both the watch strap and the face are made of gold, and the watch is worth a considerable amount of money. It also has great sentimental value.
I believe that I must have left the watch on the beach in front of the hotel where I was staying. I did return to search for it, but I can only assume that it was either covered in sand or that it had been washed out to sea.
I took out comprehensive travel insurance with your company, and my contract states that all lost items are covered. I would therefore ask that you review the attached information regarding the estimated value of the watch, and that you process my claim as quickly as possible.
Please let me know if you require any further information.
Yours faithfully,
Paul Jones'
(170 words)
Do I Need to Get Band 9?
These sample answers would likely receive a Band 9 mark: that means they're pretty much perfect!
Don't worry if you're not quite at this standard.
For many academic courses, a Band 7 will be adequate; for immigration purposes, Band 8 is normally enough. (Of course, check with your specific institution or agency to be sure of the standard you need to reach.)
Tips for Doing Well at the IELTS Writing Task 1
#1: Plan your answer before you start writing.
Timings are tight, but you'll be more likely to cover everything well if you plan ahead. You have 20 minutes for Writing Task 1, so use it well. You might aim for 3 minutes planning, 15 minutes writing, and 2 minutes checking over what you've written for mistakes.
This is particularly important if you're taking the Academic route, as you won't be told what key information to look for. With the General route, you'll be given bullet points to cover, and these should form the main paragraphs of your letter.
#2: Practice, practice, practice.
Try out lots of sample questions so that you can get comfortable with the exam format. Even if your English is good, you still need to be able to meet specific exam requirements. For instance, you'll need to know what 150+ words looks like on the page (or on the screen) so you can be confident you've written enough.
If you don't have time to write out answers to lots of practice questions, write out full answers for a few questions, and write a plan of how you'd answer several others.
#3: Remember, 150 words is the minimum word limit. If you've written less than this, you'll receive a penalty (a lower score). There's no maximum, but since you only have 20 minutes, you won't be able to write pages and pages!
Aim for around 160 – 190 words, so that you can fully cover everything you need to write. If you write too much, you'll likely end up adding irrelevant information … which could penalise you.
#4: Try to vary your vocabulary where appropriate: for instance, if you're describing several different upward trends on a graph, you could use the words 'increased', 'rose', 'went up', or 'got higher' rather than using the same word or phrase each time.
Be careful, though: don't be tempted to use fancy vocabulary in your exam unless you're 100% sure that you're using it correctly.
#5: Give an overview in your first paragraph. With the Academic route, this overview can be a paraphrase of the information given about the chart/graph. For a letter in the General route, your overview should clearly state why you're writing the letter.
Don't simply copy the information given in the question for your overview though. Instead, paraphrase it by turning it into your own words (there's some good advice on this here). If you copy it, those words won't be counted toward your 150 word total.
Do your best to prepare well for the IELTS exam – but remember, you can take it as many times as you want, so if you don't quite get the result you want the first time, you can always take it again.
Good luck!
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