IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic: How to Describe a Chart in 20 Minutes
A guide to Academic Writing Task 1: the structure of a chart report, how to write the overview, trend and comparison vocabulary, and the mistakes that sink your score.
What Task 1 asks for
You are given one or more visuals: a line graph, bar chart, pie chart, table, process diagram or map. Your job is to write a report of at least 150 words in 20 minutes that summarises the main information.
The key word is summarise, not copy every number. The examiner wants to see whether you can select the main features and compare them.
The four-paragraph structure
| Paragraph | Content | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Paraphrase the chart title: what it shows, where, when | 1–2 sentences |
| Overview | The two or three most striking trends, without numbers | 2–3 sentences |
| Details 1 | The first group of data with supporting figures | 3–4 sentences |
| Details 2 | The second group of data with supporting figures | 3–4 sentences |
There is no conclusion in Task 1. The report describes; it does not give opinions.
The overview is the most important paragraph
Without a clear overview, Task Achievement will not pass band 5, no matter how good the rest of your report is.
A good overview answers: what is the big trend, which is highest and lowest, is there any dramatic change.
Overall, car ownership rose steadily in all four countries over the period, with Germany consistently recording the highest figures. Brazil, despite starting from the lowest base, showed the fastest growth.
Start with Overall so the examiner finds it immediately.
Trend vocabulary
| Direction | Verbs | Nouns |
|---|---|---|
| Up | rose, increased, climbed, grew | a rise, an increase, growth |
| Down | fell, dropped, declined, decreased | a fall, a drop, a decline |
| Stable | remained stable, plateaued, stayed constant | stability, a plateau |
| Fluctuating | fluctuated | fluctuation |
| Highs and lows | peaked at, hit a low of | a peak, a low |
Add adverbs of degree: sharply, dramatically, gradually, slightly, steadily.
Sales rose sharply from 20,000 units in 2015 to a peak of 65,000 in 2019, before declining gradually to 50,000 by 2022.
Comparison sentences
- Germany had twice as many cars per capita as Brazil.
- While exports grew, imports fell over the same period.
- The figure for France was slightly higher than that for Italy.
- In contrast to urban areas, rural regions saw little change.
Common mistakes
- No overview, or an overview full of detailed numbers.
- Copying the chart title word for word in the introduction.
- Writing every number. Pick the ones that show the trend, the start, the end, the peak.
- Giving opinions. "This is because the economy improved" is not your job.
- Under 150 words. It is counted and penalised.
Practise with real charts
Wono IELTS provides line, bar, pie, table and process charts that are freshly generated for every attempt, with a 20-minute timer. The AI examiner checks whether your overview is there, whether the figures you chose are the right ones, and gives a band 8 sample report for the same chart.
Keep reading
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