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IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic: Structure and Sample Answer
In IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 you describe a graph, chart, table, diagram or map in at least 150 words, in about 20 minutes. Write four short paragraphs: say what the visual shows, give an overview of the main trends, then describe the key details with figures. Do not give opinions or reasons. Task 1 counts for one third of your Writing band.
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- Time
- About 20 minutes of the 60-minute Writing test
- Length
- At least 150 words
- Weight
- One third of your Writing band (Task 2 counts double)
- Marked on
- Task achievement, coherence and cohesion, vocabulary, grammar
- General Training
- Task 1 is a letter instead (see samples)
What can come up in Academic Task 1?
| Type | What to focus on |
|---|---|
| Line graph | Changes over time: rises, falls, peaks, and where lines cross. |
| Bar chart | Comparisons between categories, and changes over time if years are shown. |
| Pie chart | Proportions: the largest and smallest shares, and how they changed if there are two pies. |
| Table | The highest and lowest figures and the biggest differences. Don't list every number. |
| Process diagram | The stages in order, from first to last, usually in the passive voice. |
| Map | What changed between two dates: what was built, removed, extended or replaced. |
Some tasks combine two visuals, such as a bar chart and a table. Treat them as one report and compare them where you can.
The four-paragraph structure
- Introduction (one sentence). Say what the visual shows, in your own words. Don't copy the task.
- Overview (one or two sentences). The two or three main features: the biggest trend, the highest and lowest, or the main change. No detailed numbers here.
- Details, part 1. The first group of key features, with figures.
- Details, part 2. The second group, with figures and comparisons.
You don't need a conclusion. The overview does that job. You can put it at the end instead, but writing it second makes sure you don't run out of time before you write it.
Why the overview matters most
For Band 7 in Task Achievement, the public IELTS band descriptors expect a clear overview of the main trends, differences or stages. A report that lists accurate numbers but never says what they add up to will struggle to get there.
A simple pattern works: Overall, [main trend 1], while [main trend 2]. Add a second sentence for the highest or lowest point if it matters.
Sample task: line graph
The graph below shows the percentage of households in one country that owned a desktop computer, a laptop and a tablet from 2000 to 2020. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
Sample answer (163 words)
The line graph compares the percentage of households in one country that owned a desktop computer, a laptop and a tablet between 2000 and 2020.
Overall, laptops and tablets became far more common over the period, while desktop ownership peaked early and then fell. By 2020, laptops were the most widely owned of the three devices, and desktops were the least.
In 2000, 45% of households had a desktop computer, compared with only 5% for laptops. Desktop ownership rose to a peak of 55% in 2005, but then declined steadily, reaching 25% in 2020, less than half of its peak.
Laptop ownership, by contrast, grew throughout the period. It climbed to 40% in 2010, overtook desktops between 2010 and 2015, and reached 72% by 2020. Tablets appeared later. None were recorded until 2010, when 10% of homes had one, but the figure rose sharply to 45% in 2015 and reached just over half of all households (52%) by the end of the period.
Why this answer works
- The introduction rewrites the task in new words instead of copying it.
- The overview gives the two big trends without any numbers.
- The details are grouped (desktops first, then laptops and tablets) instead of going year by year.
- The figures are accurate, and the answer compares them: "less than half of its peak", "overtook desktops".
- There are no opinions or guesses about why ownership changed.
Useful language for Task 1
| Purpose | Words and phrases |
|---|---|
| Going up | rise, increase, grow, climb, jump (sudden), peak at |
| Going down | fall, decline, drop, decrease, plunge (sudden), reach a low of |
| No change | remain stable, stay at, level off |
| Up and down | fluctuate, vary |
| How much | sharply, dramatically, significantly, steadily, gradually, slightly |
| Comparing | while, whereas, by contrast, compared with, twice as many as, just over half |
| Approximating | about, around, roughly, just under, just over, nearly |
Use the past tense for past dates, and phrases like "is expected to" or "is projected to" for future figures.
Process diagrams and maps
Process: in the overview, say how many stages there are and where the process starts and ends. Then describe the stages in order with the passive voice and sequence words: First, the beans are picked. They are then dried in the sun before being roasted.
Maps: in the overview, give the biggest change, such as an area becoming more residential. Then describe what changed and where: the trees were cleared, a car park was built to the north of the school, the old market was replaced by apartments.
Mistakes that hold Task 1 scores down
- No overview, or an overview hidden among the details.
- Copying the task sentence word for word instead of rewriting it.
- Listing every number instead of choosing the key ones.
- Giving reasons or opinions, such as "this is because people prefer laptops".
- Writing fewer than 150 words, or spending 30 minutes on Task 1 and rushing Task 2, which counts double.
- Mixing up units, such as "the number of households rose to 72%" when the graph shows percentages.
Check before you move on to Task 2
- Does the introduction say what the visual shows, in your own words?
- Is there a clear overview with no detailed numbers?
- Are the key figures correct, with the right units?
- Have you compared, not just listed?
- Is it over 150 words, with no opinions?
More on the Writing test: how to score 7 in IELTS Writing, Task 2 topics and a sample essay and, for General Training, letter samples.
Frequently asked questions
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