CHAPTER
1
ACADEMIC WRITING
There are two tasks in Academic Writing test: Task 1 and Task 2. In Academic IELTS
Writing Task 1, all candidates are asked to describe information presented in a
graph, table, chart or diagram etc. and to present the description in their own
words. Candidates are required to write at least 150 words in task 1. Writing Task
2 requires the candidates to formulate and develop a position in relation to a given
prompt in the form of a question or statement. Ideas should be supported by
evidence, and examples may be drawn from the candidates’ own experience.
Responses must be at least 250 words in length
1.1 ACADEMIC WRITING TASK 1
In Task 1, the task types can be in the form of a line graph, bar graph, pie chart,
table, map, and process. The candidates are assessed on their ability to organise,
present and possibly compare data; to describe the stages of a process or
procedure; to describe an object or event or sequence of events; to explain how
something works.
The general format for Academic Writing Task 1 consists of Introduction, General
Overview, and Detailed Information.
1.1.1 How to Write an Introduction Part
In introduction part, the information above the chart should be paraphrased.
Example:
• The line graph shows the incidence of X disease in Someland from 1960
to 1995.
The information above the chart can be paraphrased as follows:
• The graph enumerates the number of cases of X disease in Someland over
three decades, from 1960 to 1995.
• The diagram illustrates the data on X disease case in Someland from 1960
to 1995.
a. The table below shows the useful vocabularies commonly used in the
introduction part
Presentation Type Verb Description
the comparison of…
shows / represents / depicts the differences…
diagram / table / figure / / enumerates / illustrates / the changes...
illustration / graph / presents/ gives / provides / the number of…
chart / flow chart / delineates/ outlines/ information on…
picture/ presentation/ describes / delineates/ data on…
pie chart / bar graph/ expresses/ denotes/ the proportion of…
column graph / line compares/ shows contrast / the amount of…
graph / table data/ data indicates / figures / gives information on...
/ information / pictorial/ data on / gives information data about...
process diagram/ map/ on/ presents information comparative data...
pie chart and table/ bar about/ shows data about/ the trend of...
graph and pie chart ... demonstrates/ sketches out/ the percentages of...
summarises... the ratio of...
how the...
(The list of words in the table can be found on www.IELTS-mentor.com)
Example:
1. The diagram shows the rates of unemployment between males and
females in four European countries from 1925 to 1985.
2. The given pie charts represent the proportion of male and female
employees in 6 broad categories, dividing into manual and non-manual
occupations in Australia, between 2010 and 2015.
3. The chart gives information about consumer expenditures on six products
in four countries namely Germany, Italy, Britain and France.
4. The supplied bar graph compares the number of male and female
graduates in three developing countries while the table data presents the
overall literacy rate in these countries.
5. The bar graph enumerates the money spent on different research projects
while the column graph demonstrates the fund sources over a decade,
commencing from 1981.
b. Exercise
Paraphrase the information above the charts.
Example:
• The graph below shows US consumers' average annual expenditures on
the cell phone and residential phone services between 2001 and 2010.
(The picture can be found on www.testbig.com)
The information above the chart can be paraphrased as follows:
• The chart illustrates the amount of money spent for mobile phone and
fixed line services by US citizens in a decade, from 2001 to 2010.
• The line graph depicts the rate of expenses for mobile phone and fixed-line
services by US citizens from 2001 to 2010.
The chart illustrates thelevel of emissions from several sources
in UK in millions oftonnes 1990 to 2007 from
1. The graph below shows UK acid rain emissions, measured in millions of tones,
from four different sectors between 1990 and 2007.
3,5
2,5
Million tonnes
1,5
0,5
0
1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007
Transport and communication Electricity, Gas, and Water Supply
Domesti c Other Industri es
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. The graph and table below give information about water use worldwide and
water consumption in two different countries from 1900 to 2000.
Global Water Use by Sector
3500
Agriculture
3000
2500
2000
km 3
1500 Industrial Use
1000
500 Domestic Use
0
1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Water Consumption in Brazil and Congo in 2000
Water
Country Population Irrigated Land Consumption per
Person
Brazil 176 million 26,500 km2 359 m3
Democratic
Republic of 5.2 million 100 km2 8 m3
Congo
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. The graph below gives information about car ownership in Britain from 1971
to 2007.
Households with regular use of a car, Great Britain
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1971 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007
On e Car No Car Two Cars Three or More Cars
__________________________________________________________________
The line graph presents the comparison of car user in Britain
__________________________________________________________________
from__________________________________________________________________
1971 to 2007
__________________________________________________________________
The chart
illustrates the percentages of the number of
Britain residents having a car for almost 4 decades, from
1971 to 2007
4. The charts below show the levels of participation in education and science in
developing and industrialised countries in 1980 and 1990.
Scientists and Technicians per 1000
Average years of schooling
people
12 80
10 70
60
8 50
40
6
30
4 20
10
2 0
0 1980 1990
1980 1990
Developing Countries
Developing Countries Indu strialised Coun tries Indu strialised Coun tries
Spending on Research and Development
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
1980 1990
Developing Countries
Indu strialised Coun tries
__________________________________________________________________
The __________________________________________________________________
bar chart shows data about the ratio of 3 different level of
combination in education and science in developing and industrialised
__________________________________________________________________
countries in 1980 and 1990
__________________________________________________________________
The diagram compares the average years of schooling, scientist and
technicians per 1000 people, and spending research and development in
developing and industrialised countries in 1980 and 1990
5. The pie chart below shows the proportion of different categories of families
living in poverty in the UK in 2002.
Proportion of People from Each Household Type Living in Poverty
9%
24% Single Aged P ers ons
26% Aged Couple
Single with out Children
Cou ple without Children
Sole Parents
5% Cou ple with Children
All Hou seholds
7%
15%
14%
The__________________________________________________________________
diagram provides the ratio of different level of families in UK
living in financial hardship condition in 2002.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
The__________________________________________________________________
figure outlines the percentages of people from each
household level in UK living in lacking financial in 2002.
