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IELTS Writing · Task 1

Task 1: Visual report (Academic)

You are given one visual and asked to summarise its main features and compare relevant data. It is not an essay: no opinions, no personal conclusions. The key to your score is the overview, the paragraph that names the most striking trends or features.

Suggested time
About 20 minutes
Minimum
150 words
Weighting
1/3 of Writing

How it runs

  1. 1Read the prompt and work out what is measured: units, time period and categories.
  2. 2Pick 2–3 key features: the biggest trend, the highest or lowest values, or the sharpest change.
  3. 3Write the intro and overview, then two detail paragraphs with supporting figures.
  4. 4Leave 2 minutes to check figures, tenses and word count.

Question types

  • Line graph
  • Bar chart
  • Pie chart
  • Table
  • Process diagram
  • Map (changes to an area)
  • Two visuals combined

Sample prompts

  • The chart shows the percentage of households with internet access from 2000 to 2020, by area.
  • The table compares the number of international students in five countries in 2010 and 2020.
  • The diagram illustrates how olive oil is produced.
  • The maps show changes to a town centre between 1990 and today.

Answer structure

  1. 01

    Intro

    Paraphrase the prompt in one sentence. Don't copy it.

  2. 02

    Overview

    The two most striking features, without detailed figures.

  3. 03

    Detail 1

    Group similar data and compare it with figures.

  4. 04

    Detail 2

    The next group of data, including any notable exceptions.

Sample answer

Question

The chart below shows the percentage of households in a country with internet access from 2000 to 2020, by area (urban and rural). Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Answer

The line graph compares the proportion of urban and rural households that had internet access over a twenty-year period starting in 2000.

Overall, internet access rose sharply in both areas, but urban households were consistently better connected, although the gap narrowed considerably by the end of the period.

In 2000, roughly 20% of urban homes were online, compared with only 5% in rural areas. Over the next decade, the urban figure climbed steadily to about 65%, while rural access grew more slowly, reaching around 30% in 2010...

Why this works

The intro paraphrases the prompt, the overview names two key features without numbers, and the detail paragraph compares data with varied trend vocabulary.

Tips

  • Put the overview in the second paragraph so the examiner finds it straight away.
  • Vary your trend language: rose sharply, a gradual decline, peaked at, remained stable.
  • Group data rather than going through every figure one by one.
  • For process diagrams, use the passive voice and sequencing words (first, after that, finally).

Common mistakes

  • Leaving out the overview. Task Achievement gets stuck at band 5.
  • Listing every number without choosing the important ones.
  • Giving opinions or guessing the causes of a trend.
  • Wrong tense: past data needs the past tense.

Other parts