Writing Task 1 Structure
What is Task 1 in IELTS Academic Writing?
You are given a visual (graph, chart, table, process, or map) and must summarize the information in your own words in at least 150 words.
You need to describe trends, compare data, or explain a process/map, not give opinions.
General Structure (4 Paragraphs)
Introduction
-Purpose: Paraphrase the question statement.
–How: Use synonyms and change sentence structure.
Example:
The chart illustrates the percentage of households in different income groups that had access to the internet between 2010 and 2020.
Overview (Key trends)
–Purpose: Give a general summary of what you see.
-Don’t include numbers.
-Mention overall trends, highs/lows, or major changes.
Example:
Overall, internet access increased in all income groups over the decade, with high-income households maintaining the greatest access throughout the period.
Body Paragraph 1
-Purpose: Describe the first main feature or trend.
-Include data and comparisons.
Example:
In 2010, only 25% of low-income households had internet access, compared to nearly 80% of high-income households. However, by 2020, this figure rose sharply to around 70% for the former and 95% for the latter.
Body Paragraph 2
-Purpose: Describe the second key trend or group of data.
-Continue comparing and highlighting changes.
Writing Task 1 Structure
Example:
Middle-income families also saw a steady rise, from 55% in 2010 to 85% in 2020. The gap between income groups narrowed considerably by the end of the period.
Language Tips
Vocabulary for Trends
| Trend | Verbs | Nouns |
| Increase | rise, grow, climb, go up | an increase, a growth, a rise |
| Decrease | fall, drop, decline, go down | a fall, a drop, a decrease |
| Stability | remain steady, stay constant | stability, plateau |
| Fluctuation | fluctuate, vary | fluctuation, variation |
Examples:
-Sales rose steadily from 2000 to 2010.
-The number of students remained stable throughout the period.
Comparisons
… was higher/lower than …
… outnumbered/exceeded …
There was a significant difference between …
Cohesive Devices (Linking Words)
–For trends: while, whereas, in contrast, compared to
–For sequencing: first of all, next, then, finally
–For summarizing: overall, in general, on the whole
Band 7+ Tips
Always include an overview paragraph
Use data to support your comparisons
Avoid opinions or predictions
Use a variety of sentence structures
Keep grammar accurate and punctuation clean
Writing Task 1 Structure