TIPS AND STRATEGIES IELTS Writing Task 1 Describing

TIPS AND STRATEGIES IELTS Writing Task 1 Describing comparative graphs Designed by Aleksandr Maksin

Academic style of Writing Write in paragraphs (Intro – Overview (main trends) – Details) Word count: 150; Time limit”: 20 minutes Paraphrase the rubric with your own words (This is your Introduction) Overview: write a short paragraph summarizing main points – DON’T mention any details (figures, percentages, etc. ) Avoid contractions (e. g. it’s, can’t, doesn’t) Try to be impersonal (use Passive Voice and avoid the word “I” – use “one” instead) Make comparisons where relevant

Structure it properly Introduction (paraphrase the task); Overview – what the data observes in general (NB you can write it at the end, if you wish. Just try both ways and decide what is more convenient for you); Details (from bigger to smaller). NB If you have two charts, each of them should be described in separate paragraphs. Practice writing more than 150 words for 10 -15 minutes (Intro – 1 sentence, Overview – 2, Details – 8 -10).

Introduction. Paraphrasing the rubric The task: The graph show data about the average Saturday sales of two bakeries in London in 2012. You: The given bar chart illustrates how intensively the goods in two London bakeries were sold on a typical Saturday in 2012. OR The provided diagram reveals the number of goods, by category, which were usually sold by two London bakeries on Saturdays, data collected for 2012. Now try to paraphrase this: The chart shows information about Car sales in the USA, 2001 -2007. NB Use passive voice here.

Introduction with uncountable nouns We, basically, just substitute the words “many” and “number” with “much” and “amount”, respectively. The task: The graph shows information about how much money was earned by the three London bakeries, 2005 -2015. You: The provided graph highlights data about the amount of money that was earned by three bakeries in London, over a decade (a ten-year period) between 2005 and 2015. NB Note that we use a singular verb (“is/was”) with uncountable nouns Now try to paraphrase this: The graph shows data about Coffee production in Kenya, 1996 -2006

Overview. Highlighting the key points Make an assumption of what the data represents in general Use the words, such as “On the whole, what stands out from the graph is that …”, “The vast majority of”, “therefore, a trend may be observed that …”, “the most common”, etc. DO NOT include any details in the overview (figures, percent ‘s, etc. ) Example ( Task ): Overall, what stands out from the graph is that the most common class among students was Intermediate, while Proficiency and Advanced ones ranked as least appealing for students. Lexis to use

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Some useful language (comparisons)

Some useful language (comparisons) Say whether these words relate to small or big differences: - much; a lot; - slightly; - a bit; - considerably; - a little; - far. Finish the sentences with a comparative and you own idea: 1. Travelling by train is slightly …, 2. A night in a hotel costs much more … 3. London is considerably … -

Comparisons (not as ______ as) X is not as + adjective + as Y. Use it to rewrite this sentence: The Frat Road library was less busy than the one in Com Road in March. Use this structure to write sentences with these pairs: 1. hamburgers $2 / French fries $1. 90 2. Majorca 30 degrees / Castellon 35 degrees 3. southern trains 125 mph / northern trains 100 mph

Go Advanced You can also use more complex structures: “not + verb + as + noun phrase + as”: Crooners pls did not sell as many CDs as Monster Hits Records in 1990, with 225, 000 compared to 230, 000. Coffee in France does not cost as much as in the UK, at $2 and $2. 90 respectively.

Practice the linking words for comparisons

Describing numbers Use the words: - approximately #; - about / around / nearly / roughly #; - between # and #; just over / under #;

Respectively / in turn Example: Cookies and cakes are the next best sellers, with around 115 and 100 of these snacks sold respectively / in turn.

Numerical comparatives Use these words to complete the sentences: three times, half, twice: 1. Action movies are ………. as popular as comedies for men. 2. Thrillers are …………. as popular as romantic comedies. 3. Science-fiction films and westerns are only ………… as popular as comedies among men. Use same structures for these pairs: comedies/action movies; westerns/romantic comedies; comedies/science fiction

Three times bigger These are the structures that we use to indicate differences between numbers: The number of elementary students is three times higher than the number of students in the beginners’ classes, at 90 and 30 respectively. There are twice as many students in the upper-intermediate level as students in the advanced classes. Make more sentences about the chart below using the structure

Ranking information Complete the gaps in the list below using these words: list - list one - place Write a short paragraph about the information in the table on the left.

More than one graph Often, there could be two pie charts, a line graph and a table, a bar chart and pie chart or any other combination. Think, 1. What would you write in the introduction? 2. What information would you include in the overview? 3. How would you organize the rest of your answer? 4. Would you have time to write about everything in detail?

More than one graph-2

Practice Time

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