2
Some advice to help you avoid common mistakes in IELTS writing
task 1:
1. Don't copy the question for your introduction. You
should
paraphrase
the question (i.e.
rewrite it using some
different words).
2. Don't forget to separate your paragraphs clearly.
3. Don't forget to write a good summary/overview of the information.
A quick one-sentence conclusion is not good enough. I prefer
to put the overview straight after the introduction, and I try to
write 2 sentences describing the information in general. You
won't get a high score if you don't write a good overview.
4. Don't describe items separately (e.g. 2 lines on a graph). You
should always try to
compare
things if it is possible to do so.
Instead of describing 2 lines separately, compare the 2 lines at
key points.
5. Don't try to describe every number on a chart or graph (unless
there are only a few numbers). A key skill in task 1 is being able
to
select
the key information and describe or compare it well. I
usually mention around 6 or 7 numbers in my main paragraphs.
6. Don't spend longer than 20 minutes on task 1. Practise spending
5 minutes on each of your 4 paragraphs. Stop yourself after 20
minutes; remember that task 2 is worth more marks.
3
The overview / summary is a very important part of your task 1 report.
Many people have no trouble describing specific details, but they find it
difficult to describe the
general features
of a graph, chart or diagram. So
here are my tips on how to write a good overview:
1. Always try to write two sentences.
This forces you to
describe
two
main or general features
of the graph,
chart or
diagram.
2. Don't put any numbers in your overview. Save specific numbers
for the 'details' paragraphs.
3. If the graph or chart shows a time period (e.g. years), look for the
overall change from the beginning to the end of the period (e.g.
from the first year to the last year).
4. Look for overall trends, and ignore individual figures that don't fit
the trend. For example, if a graph shows a rising trend overall,
you can ignore a specific year when the figures decreased -
save that year for your 'details' paragraphs.
5. If no time period is shown, you can't look for trends. Instead, look
for
differences and similarities
between items.
6. Don't look for individual 'highest' or 'lowest'
figures such as a
'peak' on a line graph. Instead, describe the highest and lowest
items overall (e.g. which line on the graph was the highest for
the
whole
or most of the period?).
7. Start your overview with a simple phrase that clearly shows the
examiner that this is your summary paragraph e.g. It is clear
that... , It is noticeable that... , Overall we can see that...
8. If there are two
different
charts,
write one overview sentence
about each chart.
9. If there are more than two charts, they must be connected in
some way, so look for two main features overall.
10. If the task is to describe a diagram or map that compares things,
you can mention the main differences and maybe the number
of differences and / or similarities between the two diagrams.
11. If the task is to describe a process diagram, you can mention
the total number of stages in the process and say where or how
the process begins and ends.
4
The first chart below gives information about the money spent by
British parents on their children’s sports between 2008 and 2014.
The second chart shows the number of children who participated in
three sports in Britain over the same time period.
Here's my full answer:
The line graphs show the average monthly amount that parents in Britain
spent on their children’s sporting activities
and the number of British
children who took part in three different sports from 2008 to 2014.
It is clear that parents spent more money each year on their children’s