IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Useful Tips and Vocabulary to Describe a Graph or Chart

Useful tips and vocabulary to describe a graph or chart in IELTS Writing Task 1

1. How to write the introduction

• One sentence is enough for the introduction.
• Replace words in the general statement with synonyms or paraphrases where you can.
• If you cannot quickly write your introduction in your own words, do not waste time.
  Write out the words in the rubric, but remember to change them later.
• Use one of the following four prompts to help you write an introduction:

–  The graph shows/illustrates the trends in … between .. and…

– The graph gives/provides/reveals/presents information about (the differences/changes …)

– The graph shows that (there is a number of differences between…)

– The graph shows/illustrates how the sales have differed/changed…

• Vary noun phrases, e.g. sales/purchases of different cars: sales/purchases of private vehicles, the number of various types of cars sold/purchased, the number of various types of cars sold/purchased, car sales/purchases.
• Use general words for the introduction: information, data, difference(s), similarities,
  changes, trends, results, numbers, percentages, figures, statistics, breakdown.

2. How to write the main part of the text

• Divide your text into 3-4 paragraphs, including the introduction.
• Divide the information into broad/general groups/categories or trends.
• Describe the main or most striking/significant/noticeable/outstanding/remarkable
  feature(s)/charateristics differences/trends/changes. Avoid writing lists of detail. Write about general trends and support what you say with specific data.
• Describe the three general trends: is/was upwards/downwards/flat or say what happened: …(sales) rose/fell/remained flat/fluctuated…

Use appropriate synonyms:

– rise (vb): climb, go up, increase, improve, jump, leap, move upward, rocket, skyrocket, soar, shoot up. pick up. surge, recover

– rise (n): increase, climb, jump, leap, pick up, surge (in)

– fall (vb): collapse, decline, decrease, deteriorate: dip, dive, drop, fall (back), go down, go into free-fall, plummet plunge, reduce (only in the passive) slide, slip (back), slump, take a nosedive

– fall (n): decline, decrease, deterioration, dip. drop, plunge, free-fall, slide, slip, dive, reduction, slump

– fluctuate: (noun: fluctuations) be erratic, be fitful, vary, rise and fall erratically

– flat: no change, constant

Add suitable adverbs: dramatically, erratically, gradually, markedly, significantly, slightly, slowly, steadily.

Add specific information or examples:

– (increasing, decreasing, etc) from … to …
(eg: The oil price experienced a period of sharp rise, increasing from 120$ to 320$ over a decade. )

– between…and…

– with an increase from … to… /to… from …

Use: …followed by… to add more information

(eg: The oil price increased  dramatically to 120$ in 2001, followed by a slight drop to 100$ over the next year)

Add time phrases

– between … and…

– from … to… (inclusive) 

~ in the year (1994)…

– during/over the period… to…

– over the latter half of the year/century/decade/period

– over the next past/previous five days/weeks/months/years/decades

3. How to compare and contrast

• Repeat the process for each general point, but vary the sentence structure, grammar and vocabulary
• Compare and contrast the other items. Use some of the following:– more/less than…– (bigger) than…– (not) as big as…– twice as big/much as…– rather than. ..– as against/as opposed to/compared with/in comparison with– in (sharp) contrast to the biggest/smallest (change)…– more (women) dted/achieved/participated/took part in/were involved in … than .– there were more (men) than (women) who …
• To quote from the results of the survey, you can use:– … percent quoted/cited/mentioned/considered …as important ..-…was quoted/cited/mentioned/considered as the most/least important factor by…– … came top/bottom/second/next, followed (closely) by…..at… and…. respectively.
• Use conjunctions like: while/whilst/whereas/but
• Use linkers: however/in contrast/by comparison/meanwhile/on the other hand
• Focus on an item in the graph:

–  As regards (sales), they …

–  With regard to/Regarding/ln the case of/As for/ Turning to (sales), they…..

–  Where is/are concerned/it/they…

–  When it comes to………, it/they…

• Use these words and phrases to describe predictions:

• It is predicted/forecast(ed)/estimated/expected/projected/anticipated that …..will…

-… will have… by…

-The projection is for… to…

-… is/are predicted/forecast(ed)/estimated/expected/projected/anticipated to

–  … is/are set to

• Use the present perfect to describe the recent past to the present: …has risen, etc.
• Write a conclusion. One sentence is enough. You can use the following phrases:
  Generally. …; All in all. ; On average. …; Overall, It is clear/evident/obvious that,…
• Other verb sequences stages you can use:

– … rose from … to …

–  …    rose… and increased… from… to…

–  …    rose…., increasing from … to…

–  … rose…., overtaking… in…. and outstripping…. in   …

–  Rising from … to… (sales) overtook… and outstripped.

–  .. rose … overtaking … in …» and reaching a peak    …  in …

–  … rose     … before leveling off…

– ….fell…, before rising….

– …..fell…, after rising.. /after rising   fell…

– …..rose/fell.. from … to…. while/whilst/whereas/… rose/fell…                                 

Also check : 

• IELTS Writing Task 1
• IELTS Writing Task 1 Bar chart
• IELTS Pie chart
• IELTS Table chart
• IELTS Writing task 1 line graph
• IELTS Writing task 1 Map
• Tips to Improve IELTS Writing Skills
• IELTS Writing recent actual test
• IELTS Writing Answer sheet
• IELTS map vocabulary
• IELTS Writing Task 1 Connectors