From Simon

Writing
IELTS

2018FuSheng
Task1

1
 Gerneral Strategy
Last week a student said that he didn’t understand why his most recent writing
test score was so low. He wanted my advice on how to improve his writing task
2 essays.Before giving any advice, I asked the student whether he thought he
had done well or badly in writing task 1. His answer surprised me: he hadn’t
written anything at all for task 1; he had spent the whole hour in the test doing
task 2.Hopefully you can guess what my advice was! I think students often
worry so much about task 2 that they really neglect task 1. If you’re not getting
the score you need, it might be that task 1 is the problem.

You need a short introduction to explain what the graph, chart or diagram
shows. The easiest way to write this is by paraphrasing the question. The
examiner will be impressed if you can paraphrase effectively.
You need an overview of the information. This means that you need to look at
the "big picture", not the individual details. I recommend writing a short
paragraph with two sentences that summarise two main things that you can
see on the chart. If you forget the overview, you'll get a lower score.
Finally, you need to describe some specific details. This is where you select,
describe and compare individual pieces of information (usually numbers). I try
to separate this description of details into two paragraphs.
Here's my preparation checklist for writing task 1. Can you put a tick next to
each point on the list?

Know what the six types of question are (e.g. line graph...).
Try several real test examples of each type.
Know the 4-paragraph method suggested in lessons on this site.
Practise paraphrasing the question to write introductions.
Understand why we don't write a conclusion for task 1.
Know how to write an 'overview', and what to include in this paragraph.
Practise selecting key information, rather than describing everything.
Be able to write good 'comparing' sentences.
Be able to describe changes and trends (e.g. increase, decrease).
Be able to use the passive to describe steps in a process.
Note: I shared this checklist a couple of years ago, but I think it's worth looking
at again (if you've seen it before).

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Here are some study ideas for task 1:
1) Print a collection of questions
Before you start writing any task 1 reports, it's a good idea to have an overview
of the different types of questions that you might face. Try to get paper copies
(printed) of around 10 different questions - it's useful to be able to see them all
in one place. Your 'pack' of questions should include: a line graph, bar chart,
pie chart, table, 2 different charts, 3 or more similar charts, process diagram,
comparison diagram, life cycle, map.
2) Practise parts of reports
Instead of writing a full report, try writing 10 introductions - one for each of the
questions in your 'pack' (see point 1 above). The next time you are studying,
just focus on writing overviews. On a different day, practise describing
percentages, or comparing numbers etc...
3) Use model answers
If you look through my task 1 lessons on this site, you'll find examples of the 10
question types mentioned in point 1. Use my answers as models, and try to
copy my way of writing as closely as you can.

Time Management
You have 20 minutes for task 1, so try spending 5 minutes on each paragraph.
This might help you to organise your time better.
First 5 minutes
Read the question, make sure you understand the chart, highlight key
information, then write your introduction by paraphrasing the question.
Second 5 minutes
Look at the chart and try to find 2 general points. Don't look at specific details;
look for "the big picture". Write 2 sentences summarising the information.
Final 10 minutes
Describe specific details. Try to break this part into 2 paragraphs because it
looks better. You could spend 5 minutes on each paragraph. Aim to write 3
sentences for each paragraph.

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 All Types
make sure you have prepared for all of the following question types:
1. Line graph
2. Bar chart
3. Pie chart
4. Table
5. Comparison diagram (a diagram or map that compares things)
6. Process diagram (a diagram or map that shows steps in a
process)
It should be possible to understand any chart, graph or diagram without reading
the question. So today's tip is: look at the chart (graph, diagram etc.) first. Make
sure you understand what it shows, and put a circle around some of the key
things that you can see.
I tried this with my students, and we found it very easy to understand the chart.
Also, as we already knew what the chart was about, it was easier to understand
the question statement.

People sometimes ask me to teach them "the language for pie charts" or "the
language for tables". I tell them that they already know it. The language for the
following 4 types of chart is the same:

 Line graphs
 Bar charts
 Pie charts
 Tables

These 4 types of chart all show the same thing: numbers. You can usually take
the same set of numbers and present them in either of these 4 ways. The
language you use to describe them will not change.
So what type of language are you going to use? You need to be able to 1)
describe numbers 2) compare different numbers 3) describe changes in
numbers (increase, decrease etc.). Easy!

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When I'm writing a task 1 report, either for this blog or with my students, I never
worry about 'grammatical range'. Here's why:

 First, how many different 'grammatical structures' can we really use in

the space of only 8 or 9 sentences?
 Second, do we have time to think about including an example of a
passive, a conditional, various types of clause etc.?
 Third, will these different structures be relevant? Will they work in the
context of the description?

I think it's much more important to spend the 20 minutes thinking about how
best to describe the information on the chart in a clear and logical way.
In other words, I suggest that you focus on task response, coherence and
accuracy. This is what examiners are really looking for in task 1.

Remember below is just my approach, and it's what I tell my students to

aim for (some reports might contain 8, 10 or 11 sentences, which is fine).
task 1 report, I aim for 9 sentences:
So, my suggested structure for task 1 looks like this:

1. Introduction: what does the chart show? 1 sentence

2. Overview / summary: what are the most noticeable features?

2 sentences

3. Specific details: try to write 2 paragraphs.

First 'details' paragraph: 3 sentences

.Second 'details' paragraph: 3 sentences

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 If you read any of my task 1 answers, you will see that I always write 4
paragraphs, and I use a "general to specific" essay structure.

 The introduction is the most general part of the report; it tells the reader
what the chart is about.
 Then I write a short paragraph about the main / general points.
 Finally, I write 2 paragraphs describing specific facts or figures.
 I don't write a conclusion because I have already summarised the
information in paragraph 2.

One reason why I prefer to put the overview / summary near the beginning
(rather than at the end) is because I think it's easier to describe general things
first, then specific things later.
1) Phrases to begin main paragraphs
These phrases aid coherence by telling us what each paragraph is about:
 It is clear that... (overview)
 Looking first at the older age groups,...
 At the other end of the age scale,...

2) Paraphrasing of "attendances at hospital emergency care

departments"

 visits made to hospital emergency wards

 visitors to A&E (accident and emergency) departments
 emergency care attendances
 attended A&E wards
 require emergency treatment
 figures for A&E visits

3) Language for comparisons

 the most frequent visitors

 less than half as likely to
 made the fewest visits
 almost no difference in the figures for

4) Language for describing changes

 there was a slight increase in

 and this rose to almost... one year later

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  rose marginally from... to...

5) Giving the figures

 roughly 65 out of every 1000 people

 almost 70 attendances per 1000-population
 around 30 attendances per 1000-population
 from around 50 to approximately 52 per 1000-population
 just over 20 per 1000-population

6) Easy verbs, but 'big' noun phrases

If you look closely at the answer, you'll see that the verbs are easy (e.g. were,
was, rose, attended, made). However, there are lots of big noun phrases (e.g.
hospital emergency wards, emergency care attendances, those aged 65 to 74).
This is quite typical in IELTS writing task 1 answers.

Introduction→keep simple
The introduction to an IELTS writing task 1 essay should explain what the
chart/graph shows. To do this, just paraphrase the question (rewrite it in your
own words).
Here is an example description from an IELTS Task 1 question:
The graph below shows the proportion of the population aged 65 and
over between 1940 and 2040 in three different countries.
By rewriting this description with a few changes, I can quickly create a good
introduction:
The line graph compares the percentage of people aged 65 or more in
three countries over a period of 100 years.
If you practise this technique, you will be able to write task 1 introductions very
quickly. You will be able to start the writing test quickly and confidently.

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 I've noticed that a lot of people use the word "given" in their writing task 1
introductions. For example:

 Given is a chart showing...

 The given chart shows...
 The chart given shows...

Although it isn't grammatically wrong, I don't like this use of "given". It's
completely unnecessary, and it seems forced (like you're trying too hard).

Don't try to do anything 'less common' in the first few words of your task 1
introduction. Just keep it simple and clear: The chart shows... (or compares or
illustrates).

Look at the following statement from a question in Cambridge IELTS book 10.
The charts below show what UK graduate and postgraduate students
who did not go into full-time work did after leaving college in 2008.
Now read an introduction written by a student (below). There are several
problems in this introduction sentence - not only grammatical problems.

Introduction sentences
The bar graphs give information and compare between the kinds of jobs opted
by UK's undergraduate and postgraduate students who did not go for a full time
job after completing their degrees in 2008.
The bar graphs give information and compare between the kinds of jobs opted
by UK's undergraduate and postgraduate students who did not go for a full time
job after completing their degrees in 2008.

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Here are some things that you might have noticed:

 give information and compare between: We don't need two verbs at

the beginning of the introduction, and "between" doesn't work with
either of them. Either write "give information about" or "compare"
(without the word "between").
 kinds of jobs: The charts show activities like "further study", so we
can't write about "jobs" here.
 opted by: We say "opt for" in English, so we would need to write "opted
for by" in this case, which seems awkward to me. It would be easier to
use "chosen by". However, as one of the categories on the chart is
"unemployment", maybe it isn't accurate to write about this as a
choice.
 UK's: using a possessive with the country seems strange in this
situation. Instead, we can use "UK" as an adjective (e.g. UK
graduates), or simply write "in the UK".
 go for a job seems a bit informal in this situation.

Here's a simplified and corrected version of the introduction:

The bar charts give information about the career paths of UK undergraduate
and postgraduate students who were not in full-time employment after
completing their degrees in 2008.
Can you find and correct the mistakes in each of the introductions below? Why
do you think people make mistakes in their introductions?

1. The bar chart illustrates that the trend of call types in the united
kingdom for 8 years from 1995 to 2002.
2. The bar chart compares the figures in terms of minutes spent on
telephone calls, splitted into three types.
3. The bar chart gives information about telephone calls. It is in three
types Local, National & International and Mobile call minutes from year
1995 to 2002 in UK.
4. The graph compares the total using time of 3 call types in the UK over
a 7-year period from 1995.
5. The bar chart presents the amount of phone calls in billion of minutes
make in the UK over a period of seven years into the categories of
local, national/international and mobile phone calls.

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 To avoid mistakes, keep your introduction simple, like mine:
The bar chart compares the amount of time spent by people in the UK on three
different types of phone call between 1995 and 2002.
The main problem seems to be that people are making the sentence too
'difficult'. If you read my introduction (at the bottom of the lesson), it's easier
and clearer than the students' sentences. Just keep your introduction as simple
as possible!

Here are the problems:

1. The main problem is the use of the word "that". Just write "The bar chart
illustrates the amount of time / the trend" etc.
2. The main mistake is the word "splitted". The past and past participle are
"split" and "split".
3. The main problem is the phrase "It is in three types Local..." I don't know
what the word "it" refers to.
4. The phrase "the total using time of 3 call types" isn't right.
5. Problems with "make" and "into the categories.
FROM SIMON (continued):
Here are my suggestions:
1) The bar chart illustrates trends in different types of phone call in the United
Kingdom over 8 years from 1995 to 2002.
2) The bar chart compares figures for UK phone calls in terms of minutes spent
on three types of call (between 1995 and 2002).
3) The bar chart gives information about three types of telephone call, namely
local, national/international and mobile calls, in the UK between 1995 and
2002.
4) The chart compares the total number of minutes of three types of phone call
made in the UK over a 7-year period from 1995.
5) The bar chart shows the amount of time spent on three types of phone call,
in billions of minutes, in the UK over a period of seven years.

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Task 1 introductions should be fast and easy. Just paraphrase the question
statement (rewrite it in your own words). If you practise this technique, you will
be able to start the writing test with confidence.

The table below shows the proportion of different categories of families

living in poverty in Australia in 1999.

(Cambridge IELTS 4, page 31)

Here are 3 introductions that paraphrase the question in different ways. Notice
that I sometimes use words from the table to help me.
1) The chart compares percentages of Australians from six different family
types who were classed as poor in 1999.
2) The table gives information about poverty rates among six types of
household in Australia in the year 1999.
3) The table compares different categories of Australian families in terms of the
proportion of people living below the poverty line in each one.

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 Overview
You should not write a conclusion for IELTS writing task 1. You should write an
"overview" of the information.
But why shouldn't you write a conclusion? What's the difference between a
conclusion and an overview?

First, a conclusion is a final judgement, decision or opinion. This is perfect

for the task 2 essay, but task 1 asks you to write a description without analysis
or opinions. On the other hand, an "overview" is a simple description of
the main points. It is a summary of the information shown on the graph or
chart.
Second, a conclusion should be at the end of a piece of writing. An overview or
general summary could go either at the end or near the beginning. Personally, I
think it's a good idea to describe the main features of the graph or chart near
the beginning of your report.

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 twomain
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.

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 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.

People often ask me why I put the overview (summary) after the introduction
instead of at the end of my task 1 reports.
I tell my students that they can choose where to put the overview. It's fine to put
it after the introduction, and it's fine to put it at the end - your score will be the
same either way.

However, there are 2 reasons why I personally prefer to put the overview
after the introduction, rather than at the end:

1. I find it easier and more logical to begin with the general information
and main features before I describe specific details.
2. The overview is very important, so I think we should prioritise it. If you
want a high score, your overview / summary needs to be good, not
something that you write in a hurry when your time is running out.

In my experience, not many people are able to write a good overview /

summary paragraph under exam conditions. They can see specific information,
but they find it difficult to see the "big picture".

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 Let's try looking for the "big picture" in some data. We can then write a good
overview or summary.
Percentage of students able to speak languages other than English:
30% - Spanish
15% - French
10% - German
15% - another language (not Spanish, French or German)
10% - two other languages
20% - no other language
(adapted from Cambridge IELTS book 11)

Writing your overview / summary paragraph:

I'm sure you noticed the biggest number straight away (30% - Spanish), and we
could certainly mention this in our overview. Many people then look for the
smallest number, but I wouldn't do that in this case. I think there is something
better that we can mention: the 80% of students who are able to speak at least
one foreign language. Did you notice the 80%?

Here's my 2-sentence overview / summary:

It is noticeable that the vast majority of students are able to speak at least one
foreign language, as well as English. We can also see that Spanish is the most
widely spoken second language among the surveyed group of students.
PS. I don't usually include numbers in my summary, so I wrote 'vast majority'
instead of 80%, and 'most widely spoken second language' instead of 30%. We
can add the figures in our "details" paragraphs.
A current examiner recently told me that the most common mistake in students'
task 1 answers is that there is no overview. This was also true when I was an
examiner.

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So what makes a good overview? Here are a few tips:

 An overview is simply a summary of the main things you can see.

 Because the overview is so important, I recommend putting it at the
beginning of your report, just after the introduction sentence.
 I write two overview sentences. A one-sentence overview isn't really
enough.
 Try not to include specific numbers in the overview. Save the specifics
for later paragraphs.
 Look at the 'big picture' e.g. the overall change from the first year to the
last year (if years are shown on the chart), the differences between
whole categories rather than single numbers, or the total number of
stages in a process.

Have another look at the overview paragraphs (paragraph 2) in the task 1

answers that I've written here on the site. Analyse them carefully, and practise
writing your own overviews in the same way.

Figure
Let's compare some sentences with figures in different positions.
1) Figures at the beginning of sentences:

 10 million people voted in the election.

 A quarter of the population voted.
 25% of people voted in the election.

2) Figures at the end of sentences:

 The number of people who voted in the election was 10 million.

 The proportion of the population that voted was a quarter.
 The figure for people who voted in the election was 25%.

For me, the sentences in the first group (with figures at the beginning) seem
clearer and more natural. While it's good to vary your sentence structure, it's
probably best to have the "figure at the beginning" structure as your first
choice.

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 While
I often write 'while' sentences in my task 2 introductions and conclusions (see
yesterday's lesson for example). I also like using 'while' in writing task 1 to
make comparisons.
In the following example sentences, notice the position of 'while' and where I
put the comma that separates the items being compared.
1) 'while' at the beginning of the sentence:
While the number of people who travelled by train increased gradually, the
number of bus passengers fell steadily.
2) 'while' in the middle of the sentence:
In 1970, around 5 million UK commuters travelled by car on a daily basis, while
the bus and train were used by about 4 million and 2 million people
respectively.

Develop A Overview
A good way to write the main body (paragraphs 3 and 4) in your task 1 answer
is by developing the two ideas that you wrote in the overview (paragraph 2).
To show you what I mean, I've highlighted parts of the answer below.
..........
The diagrams illustrate some proposed changes to the central area of the town
of Islip.
It is clear that the principal change to the town will be the construction of a ring
road around the centre. Various other developments with regard to shops and
housing will accompany the building of this road.
Looking at the map of Islip as it is now, we can see that a main road runs
through its centre from east to west. The second map shows the planned
pedestrianisation of this road. Traffic will be diverted on to a dual carriageway
that will form a ring around the town centre.

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Currently there is a row of shops along either side of the main road. However, it
appears that the shops along the north side of the new pedestrian street will be
demolished to make way for a bus station, shopping centre, car park and new
housing area. The shops along the south side of the street will remain, but it
seems that the town’s park will be reduced in size so that more new houses
can be built within the ring road.
..........
Can you see what I've done? The first sentence of the overview (green) is
developed in paragraph 3, and the second sentence of the overview (blue) is
described in more detail in paragraph 4.
Tip: Try reading all of the 'green' sentences together, then read the 'blue'
sentences separately. This should help you to see how the overview and main
paragraphs are connected.

Sentences
Build a Good Sentence
basic fact→Number→When→Exactly the number→Add an adverb→
Rephrase with a noun→whether to begin with a noun

One easy way to describe the information on a graph or chart is by writing a

sentence that lists three related figures. For example:

 In school A, 30% of students chose to study languages, 40% selected

an art or music course, and 50% chose a science option.
 In the year 2010, over 5 million people bought product A, around 7
million bought product B, and nearly 10 million consumers purchased
product C.

Notice that I tried to vary the vocabulary in each list:

chose = selected, course = option, people = consumers, bought = purchased

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 The sentence below comes from a UK government website. It's a good
example of how statistics are described by native speakers in the 'real world'.
The number of live births in the UK in 2014 was 776,352, a decrease of 0.3%
since 2013, when there were 778,803 live births.
Let's try to use this sentence as a model. Can you write a similar sentence with
the following information?

 In 2014, 80,000 UK students chose to study history

 In 2013, 100,000 UK students chose to study history

Make sure that you use the same sentence order, the same tense, and the
same punctuation. Try to include the percentage decrease too.
I think you've all got the right idea, but here's my sentence anyway:

The number of students who chose to study history in the UK in 2014 was
80,000, a decrease of 20% since 2013, when there were 100,000 history
students.
Here is an exercise that I often do with my students: I choose some information
from a graph or chart, and I ask the students to write one correct sentence to
describe that information.
Take this information for example (from a question in Cambridge book 10):

 year 1999
 Switzerland
 highest sales of Fairtrade coffee and bananas
 Fairtrade coffee sales: 3 million Euros
 Fairtrade banana sales: 15 million Euros

Can you write one correct sentence that contains this information? This isn't as
easy as it looks. When my students try it, I usually find mistakes!
FROM SIMON:
Here's the sentence that I wrote with my students:
In 1999, Switzerland had the highest figures for sales of both Fairtrade
coffee and Fairtrade bananas, with 3 million and 15 million Euros of sales
for the two respective products.

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Here are some sentences that my students wrote. Can you correct them? Each
sentence refers to a graph showing complaints about noise.

1. The graph shows how many complaints gave to the Environmental

Health Organisation.
2. Complaints due to domestic noise were at the top in 1996, by 1200
complaints.
3. The complaints of roadworks finished the period decreasing.
4. The domestic household is the most problem that causes noise.
5. The number of complaints to roadworks was remained static.

First, I'll try to explain the problems:

1. We don't say "give a complaint", we say "make a complaint".
2. Don't use "at the top". We also need "at" instead of "by" before the number.
3. We don't say "complaints of", we say "complaints about". I would also
change the phrase "finished the period".
4. "the most problem" is grammatically incorrect.
5. "was remained" is wrong - it shouldn't be in the passive.

FROM SIMON (continued):

Here are my sentences:
1. The graph shows how many complaints WERE MADE to the Environmental
Health Organisation.
2. Complaints due to domestic noise PEAKED in 1996, AT 1200.
3. The number of complaints ABOUT roadworks DECREASED TOWARDS
THE END OF THE PERIOD.
4. Domestic household noise caused the highest number of complaints.
5. The number of complaints ABOUT roadworks remained stable.

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 Here are three 'sentence types' that I like using:

1. while sentence
2. respectively sentence
3. saw sentence

Try using 'while' at the beginning of a sentence when you want to make a
contrast between two numbers or trends. Use 'respectively' at the end of a
sentence that compares two or three numbers. Use 'saw' to say what
happened in a country (e.g. the UK saw an increase in...).
Probably the most important skill for task 1 is to be able to describe numbers
correctly. Look at the table below.

It's useful to think about how to start your sentences. For example, here are
some sentences about the year 1970:

1) 60 million tonnes of goods were transported by road.

2) The amount of goods transported by road totalled 60 million tonnes.
3) Road vehicles were used to transport 60 million tonnes of goods.

You should notice that it's much easier to begin with the number (sentence 1).
This is how I usually prefer to write sentences for task 1.

Number 2 is good, but you might find that you repeat "the amount of goods" too
many times if you only use this type of sentence.

Number 3 is the most difficult. You can't say "Road was used", so you have to
add the word "vehicles". Most students make a mistake here.

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Here are 3 useful techniques for describing percentages:

1. English speakers usually put the percentage at the start of the

sentence.
2. Use while, whereas or compared to (after a comma) to add a
comparison.
3. Use "the figure for" to add another comparison in the next sentence.

Use these examples as models for your own sentences:

In 1999, 35% of British people went abroad for their holidays, while only 28% of
Australians spent their holidays in a different country. The figure for the USA
stood at 31%.
Around 40% of women in the UK had an undergraduate qualification in 1999,
compared to 37% of men. The figures for the year 2000 rose slightly to 42%
and 38% respectively.

Students often worry about repeating the same words in writing task 1. For
example, in last week's lesson I repeated the phrase average weekly
spending maybe three times. Is this a big problem?
No! Repeating a keyword or phrase a few times is not a problem; sometimes it
is necessary to show that you are consistently talking about the same thing. If
you try to use too much variety, there is a danger that you will confuse the
reader or write something that does not mean what you want it to mean.
It's fine to either repeat the key words or make small changes. Look at these
examples of small changes I made to the phrase average weekly spending:

 spent on average
 average expenditure
 weekly spending figures
 levels of spending
 spent per week
 expenditure per week

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 Comparison
You can use "compared to", "compared with" and "in comparison with" in the
same way. For example:

 Prices in the UK are high compared to / with / in comparison with(prices

in) Canada and Australia.
 Compared to / with / in comparison with (prices in) Canada and
Australia, prices in the UK are high.

When writing about numbers or changes, I find it easier to use "while" or

"whereas":

 There are 5 million smokers in the UK, while / whereas only 2 million
Canadians and 1 million Australians smoke.
 Between 1990 and 2000, the number of smokers in the UK decreased
dramatically, while / whereas the figures for Canada and Australia
remained the same.

Please note:
We don't say "comparing to". We say "2 million" not "2 millions".

Let's look at where to put the number in sentences that describe percentages.

...
You could put the percentage at the beginning of the sentence (example 1), or
at the end of the sentence (example 2):

1. 6% of single aged people were living in poverty.

2. The level of poverty among single aged people stood at 6%.

22
You could also add a comparison:

1. 6% of single aged people were living in poverty, compared to only 4%

of aged couples.
2. The level of poverty among single aged people stood at 6%, whereas
the figure for aged couples was only 4%.

I followed some easy steps to build the following sentence:

The number of Japanese tourists who travelled abroad increased dramatically
from just under 5 million to around 15 million between 1985 and 1995, a rise of
about 10 million in 10 years.
The next step after writing this sentence about Japanese tourists would be to
add a comparison with tourists from the other countries shown on the graph or
chart. Let's use the chart below as an example (numbers represent millions of
tourists who travelled abroad).

Here's my original sentence about Japan, with a comparison sentence about

Australia and Canada. Look carefully at how I construct the comparison
sentence. If you want a good score in writing task 1, these are the kinds of
sentences that you need to be able to write!

The number of Japanese tourists who travelled abroad increased dramatically

from just under 5 million to around 15 million between 1985 and 1995, a rise of
about 10 million in 10 years. By contrast, the number of Australians who visited
other countries remained stable, at just over 7 million, and the figure for
Canada fell slightly, from 6 million travellers in 1985 to 5.5 million in 1995.

23
 Several people have asked me how to write about future years on a graph or
chart. For example, what tense should you use if the graph shows the year
2025?
Try this exercise: take a description of past years, and rewrite it with future
years.
Past:
In 1999, the proportion of people using the Internet in the USA was about 20%.
The figures for Canada and Mexico were lower, at about 10% and 5%
respectively. In 2005, Internet usage in both the USA and Canada rose to
around 70% of the population, while the figure for Mexico reached just over
25%.
Future (I've changed the years and the verbs):
In 2015, the proportion of people using the Internet in the USA is expected to
beabout 20%. The figures for Canada and Mexico are likely to be lower, at
about 10% and 5% respectively. In 2025, it is predicted that Internet usage in
both the USA and Canada will rise to around 70% of the population, while the
figure for Mexico should reach just over 25%.

Including Countries
A few things to remember when the graph or chart shows countries:

If the question doesn't name the countries (e.g. "in three countries"), you could
name them in your introduction (e.g. "in Britain, France and Germany"). You
could even write "in three countries, namely Britain, France and Germany".
Don't forget the word "the" when writing about "the USA" and "the UK".
Always compare the countries; never describe the figures for each country in
separate paragraphs.
Finally, try to vary the way you write about countries. For example:

The number of elderly people in the USA rose.

The USA saw a rise in the number of elderly people.
The figure for the USA rose.

24
Examples In Real Life
It's a fantastic real-life example of the kind of language that I often use in my
task 1 reports.
Here's part of the article with some useful language highlighted:
The UK unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest level since 2009, official
figures show. At 7.4%, this is the lowest rate since the February-to-April period
in 2009. The number of people out of work fell by 99,000 to 2.39 million in the
three months to October.
In Northern Ireland the unemployment rate was slightly higher at 7.5%, while
Scotland's figure was 7.1.%. The North East of England had the highest
unemployment rate, at 10.1%, while the lowest rate was 5.6% in the East of
England.

Warning
Here's 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.

25
 In the first comment below last week's lesson, a student called Beyonce tried
describing the three lines on this graph separately. Here are Beyonce's main
paragraphs:
..........
In 1997, the top spending category (at $260) was business visitors. It rose by
about a third to peak in 2002/3, and then dropped by nearly half. In the decade
to 2015, it fluctuated wildly but the trend remained flat.
Spending by those visiting friends or relatives began much lower and also
peaked in the early 2000s and then, after falling back to around its original
figure, recovered slowly but comparatively steadily, to end the period as the
highest spending category at $250 per day, significantly more than its original
value, and $40 above the final business figure.
The last cohort, people visiting friends or relatives, remained in third place
throughout, and, apart from doubling early on, showed much less variability in
general, trailing away in from its peak to a $140 endpoint.
..........
Analysis:
In a later comment below last week's lesson, Beyonce agreed that her
description seemed "mechanical": most of her sentences seem to follow an "It
did this, then it did this" format. And of course, the main problem is that there
aren't any truecomparisons between the three categories in her paragraphs.
Looking at Beyonce's writing, I can see that her level of English is very good.
But if she experiments like this in her test, she's likely to get a lower score than
she deserves. There's no need to experiment; just follow my advice and try to
write like this.
IELTS line graphs always have two or more lines, and your job is to compare
the lines; don't describe each one separately.This also means that it is
pointless to practise sentences like this:
"The percentage of x rose gradually between 2005 and 2008, and then
remained stable for the following two years, before dropping again in 2011 and
reaching its lowest point in 2012."

26
It's unlikely that you'll ever write such a long sentence about only one line on a
graph. Hopefully you'll be too busy comparing figures for more than one line!
every careful when using the words (labels) that you see on the graph or chart.
You may need to change them when writing full sentences.
Look at this chart for example:

You can't just use the words in the table like this:
- Nuclear was 30% of energy used.
- Thermal produced 20% of energy used.

You need to write something like this:

- Nuclear power was used to produce 30% of the country's energy.
- Thermal power stations produced 20% of the energy used in... (year /
country).

Can you see why we need to add words when writing full sentences?
FROM SIMON:
I asked:
"Can you see why we need to add words when writing full sentences?"
The simple answer "Nuclear" and "Thermal" are adjectives and need to
describe a noun (e.g. thermal POWER).

Charts and tables usually show nouns rather than verbs. However, you need to
find the right verb in order to write a good sentence. Example:

27
 Don't write:
- Walking was 255 miles per person in 1985.
- Car was the highest form of transport.
Do write:
- The average person walked 255 miles in 1985.
- People travelled more miles by car than by any other form of transport.
(Table taken from Cambridge IELTS 6, page 52)

students often make simple mistakes with singular and plural forms, especially
in Writing Task 1. The problem is that the words used on graphs, charts and
tables are usually singular.
So, the labels on a chart could be:

 single parent
 graduate
 only child
 laptop computer

But when you write a sentence, you might need to use a plural:

 The number of single parents increased.

 In 1999 nearly 55% of graduates were female.
 The UK has the highest number of only children.
 More laptop computers were sold in the UK than any other country.

Don't just copy the words from the graph or chart. Think first about how to use
them correctly.

28
Don’t Use These Phrases
Can you see what's wrong with the phrases below? Try to explain the problem
with each phrase, and suggest a better alternative.

1. The bar chart displays the percentage of...

2. A glance at the bar chart provided reveals...
3. From an overall perspective, it is clear from the evidence that...
4. Looking at the pie chart, it is noticed that...
5. As can be seen, the figures show that...

First, it's important to point out that there were no grammar mistakes in
the phrases. In each case, the problem is that there is something 'unnatural',
unnecessary, or inappropriate in the phrase. Here are my suggestions.
1. I wouldn't use "displays". "The bar chart displays" seems strange to me as a
native speaker. Just stick with "shows", "compares" or "illustrates".
2. "A glance at the bar chart reveals" is very strange - no native speaker would
write this. Although the meaning of "glance" is to look quickly, this word isn't
appropriate in this context. Just use: "It is clear that" or "it is noticeable that".
3. Just write: "Overall, it is clear that...". Adding the words "perspective" and
"evidence" just make the phrase seem forced and unnatural. The examiner
won't be impressed.
4. Don't write "it is noticed that". Change it to "it is noticeable that".
5. "As can be seen" and "the figures show" seems like unnecessary repetition
to me - too many words for such a simple job. Just write "we can see that..." OR
"the chart shows". Don't write both phrases together.
NOTE:
The overall problem that I'm highlighting in this lesson is that so many students
think that "difficult" linking phrases are the key to a high score. They are not!
Remember: the examiner wants to read your description of the
information shown on the chart. Use short, simple linking phrases, and
spend more time describing the information in detail. This is the key to a high
score. Look through my task 1 lessons to see how I focus on the information
rather than the linking.

29
 Mistakes May Be Made
Many students make a big mistake when describing numbers. For example,
look at the graph below.

Now look at these four sentences:

1. In 1985, Canada was about 19 million tonnes.

2. Australia was lower, at 15 million tonnes of wheat exports.
3. In 1988, Canada increased by about 5 million tonnes of wheat exports.
4. Australia exported about 11 million tonnes of wheat in 1990.

Only one of these sentences is written correctly. Can you say which one is
correct, and explain the big mistake in the other three?
Sorry, I made a mistake myself! I've changed it now.
Number 4 is the correct sentence, but my original plan was to put a mistake in
all 4 sentences, so I wrote "11 millions of tonnes", which is wrong. When I
changed the lesson to focus on "the big mistake", I forgot to change the small
mistake in number 4. It should be "11 million tonnes".
So, sentence 4 is the correct one, but what is the "big mistake" in the other 3
sentences?

30
Here's the big mistake in the other 3 sentences:
You can't say that a country is a number (Canada was 19 million tonnes), or
that a country was lower, or that a country increased.
In other words, the subject of the first 3 sentences should not be the country.
here's one of the most typical mistakes that I see people making in their writing
task 1 answers:
They write things like "Canada decreased" or "the USA was the highest".
These phrases don't make sense. Canada, the country, didn't decrease! You
must remember to describe the topic properly. For example:
- Unemployment in Canada decreased.
- The USA had the highest rate of unemployment.
Remember: saying that a country increases or decreases sounds very strange!

The most common mistake in IELTS writing task 1 is not a grammar

mistake.
Find the 2 big mistakes in the sentences below:
The unemployment rate in the UK rose by 2% between 2008 and 2009,
whereas Canada decreased by about 1%. The USA was the highest, at just
over 4%.
Here's the big mistake:
You can't write "Canada decreased" or "the USA was the highest".
These phrases don't make sense. Canada, the country, didn't decrease! We
need to describe the thing that decreased properly - in this case it's the
"unemployment rate".
So, instead of saying that countries decreased or were highest, describe the
topic properly. For example:
- Unemployment in Canada decreased.
- The USA had the highest rate of unemployment.
Remember: saying that a country increases or decreases is very strange!

31
 Student Questions
1) Can I write "A glance at the graph shows..." in my overview paragraph?
No, I don't recommend using this phrase. It's not normal to use the word
"glance" when describing graphs or charts, and it seems strange to me as a
native speaker. If you try too hard to use 'original' words, your writing will
probably seem forced, unnatural or inappropriate to the examiner.
2) Can I write "the rate of" instead of "the figure for"?
In many cases, no you can't. I like the phrase "the figure for" because it can be
used instead of "the number of" e.g. "the number of people who live in cities"
could be "the figure for people who live in cities". But I wouldn't write "the rate of
people who live in cities". You have to be careful with the word "rate" - look it up
on Google to find common uses e.g. unemployment rate, birth rate, crime rate,
rate of change. Here's my tip: if you're not sure, don't use it.
3) Can we use "the data of" instead of "the number of"?
No. I would only use "data" instead of the word "information" e.g. "the chart
gives/shows information about..." could be "the chart gives/shows data
about...".
4) why she isn't getting band 7 in writing task 1.
When I looked at one of her reports, the main problem was clear:
She was trying too hard to use 'difficult' vocabulary or sentence constructions,
and she was making mistakes that could easily be avoided.
Here are some examples, with problems underlined:
1) The highest number of people residence in Australia are those living in
cities.
2) The highest population of birth are those born within Australia.
3) This figure was over 50% of those given birth to outside Australia.
Can you suggest 'easier' versions of these sentences, without any mistakes?
I'll show you my suggestions in next Thursday's lesson. For now, my tip is to be
as simple as possible:
1. Try using the verb "live" instead of the word "residence".
2. Try using "Most Australians..."
3. Try making a phrase with the word "born"

32
5)Question: How should you structure your task 1 report if the question
shows two different charts (e.g. a line graph and a pie chart)?
It's easy. Just follow the 4-paragraph structure below:
1. Introduction - say what each chart shows (one or two sentences)
2. Overview - write one sentence about each chart, describing it's main
feature
3. Describe the first chart in detail
4. Describe the second chart in detail
6) Can I start my introduction like this: "It is on a line graph playing out
over a 60 year time period that one sees..."?
No. That sentence looks very strange to me as a native speaker, and it won't
impress the examiner. Just stick to the simple approach that I recommend in
my task 1 lessons here on the website.
7) What will happen if my overview paragraph is different from what the
examiner would write for an overview?
I tell my students to choose two main or general points for their overview
(summary) paragraph. There are usually more than two main points to choose
from, so don't worry about whether the examiner would choose something
different. If your overview sentences summarise the information well, you'll be
fine.
8) Is writing task 1 less important than task 2?
Yes. Task 1 is worth one third of your writing score. Task 2 is worth two thirds.
9) Is every word counted, even words like "a"?
Yes. All words are counted, even small words like "a" and "of".
10)In line graph essay I repeated the word "expenditure" four times. Is
this a problem?
The answer is no! If you look at the graph, you can see that the whole essay
must be about expenditure. In fact, I needed to mention the idea of expenditure
eleven times! Does the examiner really expect you to think of eleven synonyms
for "expenditure"? Of course not.
It's impossible to avoid repeating some of the key words in writing task 1. Try to
add variety where you can (I also used "spending", "spent" and "paid out"), but
don't become obsessed with this. The important thing is to describe a

33
 Bar chart(Tips)
Introduction
You should start your answer by writing an introduction. The
introduction is 1 or 2 sentences, where you paraphrase the information from
your question. You should mention two things in your introduction:

 what your graph shows

 for what period of time

General Overview
The second paragraph of your answer is a general overview, where you
briefly describe major trends on your graph. Ideally, you should describe 2-4
key features.To make major trends easier to notice
Use word overall to start your general overview.

Specific details
After we’ve written the introduction and general overview, it’s time
to give the specific details. You should describe the specific features in 2 or
3 (sometimes more) paragraphs.
When giving specific features, you have to write exact numbers/percentages
and include as much details as you can.

Tips:
 When analyzing a bar-chart, we cannot always give exact details (due to
inaccuracies of the chart), so use words around, about and
approximately when giving inexact data.
 Give data for each year shown on the chart

34
 Bar chart(A)
Overview
In every year: what can we say was true in all three years on the chart? One
possible answer: most Americans ate in fast food restaurants between once a
week and once a month (the two middle categories have the highest bars in
all three years).

Across the years: is there a change or trend across the 10-year period? One
possible answer: Americans ate in fast food restaurants less frequently in
2013 (once or twice a month instead of once a week).

Here's an overview paragraph using the

ideas above:
It is clear that the majority of Americans ate
in fast food restaurants between once a
week and once a month in all three years
shown on the chart. We can also see that
there was a shift towards eating in these
restaurants less frequently by the end of
the 10-year period.
When writing your task 1 introduction,
there are two types of paraphrasing that
you can use:

1. "Word by word" paraphrasing: Use the task statement (from the

question paper) as your template. Change the main words but keep
the same sentence structure.
2. "Loose" paraphrasing: Rewrite the task statement in a completely
different way, making sure that the overall message is still correct.

Both methods are equally acceptable. Which one would you use? Or is there a
way to blend the two methods?

35
 Sampla Essay
The bar chart illustrates the frequency with ______ Americans ate in fast food
establishments from 2003 to 2013.
It is clear that the majority of Americans ate in fast food restaurants between
once a week and once a month in all three years. We can also see a shift
______ eating in these restaurants less frequently by the end of the 10-year
period.
In each of the years shown on the chart, ______ to 60% of people in the US ate
in fast food restaurants between once and four times a month. Roughly 15 to
20% of Americans ______ eating in fast food outlets several times per week,
while 3 to 4% of people ate in these outlets daily. At the other ______ of the
scale, around 4% of people avoided fast food restaurants completely.
Between 2006 and 2013, the total proportion of Americans who ate in fast food
establishments either once a week or several times a week ______ by almost
10%. At the same time, there was an ______ of around 8% in the ‘once or
twice a month’ category. In other words, the weekly fast food habit that was
______ in 2003 and 2006 became a monthly or twice monthly habit in 2013.
Use the following words:
end, close, increase, which, reported, common, towards, fell

36
 Bar Chart(B)
The chart below shows the total number of minutes (in billions) of
telephone calls in the UK, divided into three categories, from 1995-2002.

Here's my suggested outline for a 4-paragraph report:

1. Introduction: rewrite the question statement in your own words.

2. Overview: point out which category was highest in each year, which
was lowest, and which saw the biggest changes.
3. Details: compare the 3 categories in 1995, then say what happened
up until 1999.
4. Details: notice what happened to local calls from 1999 onwards, and
contrast this with the other 2 categories. Finish with a comparison of
the figures in 2002.

Here's the first half of my report about the chart.

The bar chart compares the amount of time spent by people in the UK on three
different types of phone call between 1995 and 2002.
It is clear that calls made via local, fixed lines were the most popular type, in
terms of overall usage, throughout the period shown. The lowest figures on the
chart are for mobile calls, but this category also saw the most dramatic
increase in user minutes.

37
 Sample Essay(197 words, band 9)
The bar chart compares the amount of time spent by people in the UK on three
different types of phone call between 1995 and 2002.
It is clear that calls made via local, fixed lines were the most popular type, in
terms of overall usage, throughout the period shown. The lowest figures on the
chart are for mobile calls, but this category also saw the most dramatic
increase in user minutes.
In 1995, people in the UK used fixed lines for a total of just over 70 billion
minutes for local calls, and about half of that amount of time for national or
international calls. By contrast, mobile phones were only used for around 4
billion minutes. Over the following four years, the figures for all three types of
phone call increased steadily.
By 1999, the amount of time spent on local calls using landlines had reached a
peak at 90 billion minutes. Subsequently, the figure for this category fell, but
the rise in the other two types of phone call continued. In 2002, the number of
minutes of national / international landline calls passed 60 billion, while the
figure for mobiles rose to around 45 billion minutes.

38
 Bar Chart(C)

The chart below shows the amount of time that 10 to 15-year-olds spend
chatting on the Internet and playing on games consoles on an average
school day in the UK....
Before we write a description of this chart, here are a few quick questions:

1. Which activity is most popular overall?

2. What differences can you see between boys' and girls' habits?
3. What is the total figure for boys who play on games consoles?
4. What proportion of girls chat on the Internet for 4 hours or more?

Introduction
The bar chart compares the time spent by 10 to 15-year-olds in the UK on two
activities, namely chatting online and playing computer games.
Overview
Overall, we can see that playing computer games is marginally more popular
than chatting on the Internet. However, completely different trends can be seen
if we look at the specific figures for boys and girls.

39
 Sample Essay
The bar chart compares the time spent by 10 to 15-year-olds in the UK on two
activities, namely chatting online and playing computer games.

Overall, we can see that playing computer games is marginally more popular
than chatting on the Internet. However, completely different trends can be seen
if we look at the specific figures for boys and girls.

Boys aged between 10 and 15 clearly favour playing on games consoles over
chatting online. According to the chart, while 85% of boys play computer
games every day, only 55% chat online daily. Furthermore, the majority of boys
play on their consoles for more than one hour each day, and 10% do this
activity for four hours or more.

By contrast, girls prefer chatting online. Close to 70% of 10 to 15-year-old girls

engage in online conversation each day, compared to about 50% of this cohort
who play computer games. Of the girls who do play on consoles, most of them
play for less than an hour, whereas most girls who chat online do so for more
than one hour, and nearly 10% chat for four hours or more.

Note:
I decided to write about boys in one paragraph and girls in the other. However,
it would also be fine to write paragraphs about chatting on the Internet and
playing on consoles.

40
 Bar Chart(D)
The bar graph shows the global sales (in billions of dollars) of different
types of digital games between 2000 and 2006.
...

Here's the first half of my model answer, the introduction and overview:
The bar chart compares the turnover in dollars from sales of video games for
four different platforms, namely mobile phones, online, consoles and handheld
devices, from 2000 to 2006.
It is clear that sales of games for three out of the four platforms rose each year,
leading to a significant rise in total global turnover over the 7-year period. Sales
figures for handheld games were at least twice as high as those for any other
platform in almost every year.

Note:
What examples of paraphrasing can you see in my introduction? Which two
main points did I choose for my overview?

41
 Sample Essay
The bar chart compares the turnover in dollars from sales of video games for
four different platforms, namely mobile phones, online, consoles and handheld
devices, from 2000 to 2006.
It is clear that sales of games for three out of the four platforms rose each year,
leading to a significant rise in total global turnover over the 7-year period. Sales
figures for handheld games were at least twice as high as those for any other
platform in almost every year.
In 2000, worldwide sales of handheld games stood at around $11 billion, while
console games earned just under $6 billion. No figures are given for mobile or
online games in that year. Over the next 3 years, sales of handheld video
games rose by about $4 billion, but the figure for consoles decreased by $2
billion. Mobile phone and online games started to become popular, with sales
reaching around $3 billion in 2003.
In 2006, sales of handheld, online and mobile games reached peaks of 17, 9
and 7 billion dollars respectively. By contrast, turnover from console games
dropped to its lowest point, at around $2.5 billion.

Did you analyse the bar chart essay?

For example, did you highlight the paraphrasing used in the introduction, or the
two main points in the overview paragraph? Did you note the words and
phrases used to compare numbers or to describe changes in numbers?
It's not enough to simply read a model answer and understand it. You need to
analyse it carefully, and use as much of it as you can in your own work.

42
 Bar Chart (Examples)

The bar chart shows the number of

hot dogs and buns eaten in 15
minutes by the winners of
‘Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest’
in Brooklyn, USA between 1980
and 2010.
It is noticeable that the number of
hot dogs and buns eaten by
winners of the contest increased
dramatically over the period shown.
The majority of winners were
American or Japanese, and only
one woman had ever won the
contest.

Americans dominated the contest from 1980 to 1996, and the winning number
of hot dogs and buns consumed rose from only 8 to around 21 during that time.
1983 and 1984 were notable exceptions to the trend for American winners. In
1983 a Mexican won the contest after eating 19.5 hot dogs, almost double the
amount that any previous winner had eaten, and 1984 saw the only female
winner, Birgit Felden from Germany.
A Japanese contestant, Takeru Kobayashi, reigned as hot dog eating
championfor six years from 2001 to 2006. Kobayashi’s winning totals of around
50 hot dogs were roughly double the amount that any previous winner had
managed. However, the current champion, American Joey Chestnut, took hot
dog eating to new heights in 2009 when he consumed an incredible 68 hot
dogs and buns in the allotted 15 minutes.

43
 The chart below shows the total number of Olympic medals won by
twelve different countries.

The bar chart compares twelve countries in terms of the overall number of
medals that they have won at the Olympic Games.
It is clear that the USA is by far the most successful Olympic medal winning
nation. It is also noticeable that the figures for gold, silver and bronze medals
won by any particular country tend to be fairly similar.
The USA has won a total of around 2,300 Olympic medals, including
approximately 900 gold medals, 750 silver and 650 bronze. In second place on
the all-time medals chart is the Soviet Union, with just over 1,000 medals.
Again, the number of gold medals won by this country is slightly higher than the
number of silver or bronze medals.
Only four other countries - the UK, France, Germany and Italy - have won more
than 500 Olympic medals, all with similar proportions of each medal colour.
Apart from the USA and the Soviet Union, China is the only other country with a
noticeably higher proportion of gold medals (about 200) compared to silver and
bronze (about 100 each).
(178 words, band 9)

44
 Average weekly household expenditure, by region, 2007-09

Sample Essay(178 words band 9)

The bar chart shows average weekly spending by households in different

areas of England between 2007 and 2009.
Households in the south of the country spent more on average than those in
the north.

Average weekly spending by households was highest in London and lowest in

the North East.English households spent on average around £470 per week.
The average expenditure for households in London was about £560 per week,
almost £100 more than the overall figure for England.
Households in the South East, East and South West also spent more than the
national average.Weekly household spending figures for those three regions
were approximately £520, £490 and £480 respectively.

Similar levels of household spending were seen in the West Midlands, the
North West and the East Midlands, at about £430 to £450 per week.
In the region of Yorkshire and the Humber, households spent approximately
£400 per week, while expenditure in the North East was around £10 per week
lower than this.
It is noticeable that average weekly expenditure by households in the North
East was around £80 less than the national average, and around £170 less
than the London average.

45
 The chart below shows numbers of incidents and injuries per 100 million
passenger miles travelled (PMT) by transportation type in 2002.

The bar chart compares the number of incidents and injuries for every 100
million passenger miles travelled on five different types of public transport in
2002.
It is clear that the most incidents and injuries took place on demand-response
vehicles. By contrast, commuter rail services recorded by far the lowest figures.
A total of 225 incidents and 173 injuries, per 100 million passenger miles
travelled, took place on demand-response transport services. These figures
were nearly three times as high as those for the second highest category, bus
services. There were 76 incidents and 66 people were injured on buses.
Rail services experienced fewer problems. The number of incidents on light rail
trains equalled the figure recorded for buses, but there were significantly fewer
injuries, at only 39. Heavy rail services saw lower numbers of such events than
light rail services, but commuter rail passengers were even less likely to
experience problems. In fact, only 20 incidents and 17 injuries occurred on
commuter trains.
(165 words, band 9)

46
The chart below shows information about changes in average house
prices in five different cities between 1990 and 2002 compared with the
average house prices in 1989.

The bar chart compares the cost of an average house in five major cities over a
period of 13 years from 1989.
We can see that house prices fell overall between 1990 and 1995, but most of
the cities saw rising prices between 1996 and 2002. London experienced by far
the greatest changes in house prices over the 13-year period.
Over the 5 years after 1989, the cost of average homes in Tokyo and London
dropped by around 7%, while New York house prices went down by 5%. By
contrast, prices rose by approximately 2% in both Madrid and Frankfurt.
Between 1996 and 2002, London house prices jumped to around 12% above
the 1989 average. Homebuyers in New York also had to pay significantly more,
with prices rising to 5% above the 1989 average, but homes in Tokyo remained
cheaper than they were in 1989. The cost of an average home in Madrid rose
by a further 2%, while prices in Frankfurt remained stable.
(165 words band 9)

47
 The bar chart compares
consumer spending on six
different items in Germany,
Italy, France and Britain.
It is clear that British
people spent significantly
more money than people
in the other three
countries on all six goods.
Of the six items,
consumers spent the most
money on photographic
film.
People in Britain spent just
over £170,000 on
photographic film, which is
the highest figure shown
on the chart. By contrast,
Germans were the lowest
overall spenders, with roughly the same figures (just under £150,000) for each
of the six products.
The figures for spending on toys were the same in both France and Italy, at
nearly £160,000. However, while French people spent more than Italians on
photographic film and CDs, Italians paid out more for personal stereos, tennis
racquets and perfumes. The amount spent by French people on tennis
racquets, around £145,000, is the lowest figure shown on the chart.

Note:
- I tried to keep the essay short (154 words) by selecting carefully.(band 9)
- It's difficult to change spend, but I used spending, spenders and paid out.

48
The charts below show the levels of participation in education and
science in developing and industrialised countries in 1980 and 1990.

Advice for band 7 or

higher:
You must give an overview
of the information. This
means that you need to find
an overall trend that
connects all 3 charts.
The three bar charts show
average years of schooling,
numbers of scientists and
technicians, and research
and development spending
in developing and
developed countries.
Figures are given for 1980
and 1990.
It is clear from the charts
that the figures for developed countries are much higher than those for
developing nations. Also, the charts show an overall increase in participation in
education and science from 1980 to 1990.
People in developing nations attended school for an average of around 3 years,
with only a slight increase in years of schooling from 1980 to 1990. On the
other hand, the figure for industrialised countries rose from nearly 9 years of
schooling in 1980 to nearly 11 years in 1990.
From 1980 to 1990, the number of scientists and technicians in industrialised
countries almost doubled to about 70 per 1000 people. Spending on research
and development also saw rapid growth in these countries, reaching $350
billion in 1990. By contrast, the number of science workers in developing
countries remained below 20 per 1000 people, and research spending fell from
about $50 billion to only $25 billion.
(187 words)

49
 Line Graph(Tips)
Line graphs always show changes over time. Here's some advice about how to
describe them:

 Try to write 4 paragraphs - introduction, summary of main points, 2

detail paragraphs.

 For your summary paragraph, look at the "big picture" - what changes
happened to all of the lines from the beginning to the end of the period
shown (i.e. from the first year to the last). Is there a trend that all of the
lines follow (e.g. an overall increase)?

 You don't need to give numbers in your summary paragraph. Numbers

are specific details. Just mention general things like 'overall change',
'highest' and 'lowest', without giving specific figures.

 Never describe each line separately. The examiner wants to see

comparisons.

 If the graph shows years, you won't have time to mention all of them.
The key years to describe are the first year and the last year. You
should also mention any 'special' years (e.g. a peak or a significant
rise/fall).

 Start describing details (paragraph 3) with a comparison of the lines for

the first year shown on the graph (e.g. In 1990, the number of...).

 Use the past simple (increased, fell) for past years, and 'will' or 'is
expected/predicted to' for future years.

 Don't use the passive (e.g. the number was increased), continuous (e.g.
the number was increasing), or perfect tenses (e.g. the number has
increased).

50
 Line Graph (A)
On the line graph below, I've labelled the two main points or general trends
that I'll describe in my overview. Look at the big red numbers 1 and 2.
An easy way to paraphrase this sentence (for our introduction) is to change its
order. I'll try to put the part about "visitors to New Zealand from 1997 to 2017"
before the part about "the average daily spend".
Here's my introduction:
The line graph compares three types of traveller visiting New Zealand between
1997 and 2017 in terms of the average amount of money that they spent each
day during their trips.

Point 1 refers to the years when all three lines were at their highest points.
Point 2 refers to the line for "business visitors", who appear to have spent the
most overall.

51
 So here's my overview paragraph:
It is noticeable that overall spending by international visitors to New Zealand
was at its highest between the years 2000 and 2003. Also, over the 20-year
period shown, business travellers spent the most per day, on average, while
people visiting friends or relatives spent the least.
Are two points always enough for the overview? Can we add a third
point?
I believe that it's best to stick to just two main or general points, even if you can
see other general trends that could be mentioned. Here are four reasons: First,
I would rather describe two things well and then move on to the details.
Second, I think the overview loses its impact if it becomes too long - it stops
being a summary. Third, one of the requirements of task 1 is that you "select"
information; you are not expected to describe everything. Finally, I like to have
a method and stick to it, so I know what to do without having to think too much.
Is it better to put the overview after the introduction or at the end of the
report?
Both positions are fine. However, I prefer to write the overview straight after the
introduction for two reasons: First, I find it easier to describe general
information before looking at specific details. Second, I know that the overview
is very important. If you want a good score, you need to take the time to write a
good overview; when people write the overview at the end, they often find
themselves rushing and they do a bad job!
After you've written the introduction and overview, you should aim to write just
6 sentences describing specific information. For example, here's the graph task
that we've been looking at. We've already written the introduction and overview
in previous lessons. Now follow the instructions below to write 6 sentences to
describe details.

52
Paragraph 3
1) Compare all three lines in 1997.
2) Compare the trends between 1997 and 2002/3.
3) Say what happened in 2003 - 2005.
Paragraph 4
4) Compare the figures for ‘business’ and ‘holiday’ visitors from 2005 to 2015.
5) Contrast the above with the figures for ‘visiting friends or relatives’.
6) Compare all three lines in 2017.

Sample Essay(174 words)

The line graph compares three types of traveller to New Zealand between 1997
and 2017 in terms of their average daily expenditure.
It is noticeable that spending by these international visitors was at its highest
between the years 2000 and 2003. Overall, business travellers spent the most
per day, while people visiting friends or relatives spent the least.
In 1997, business visitors to New Zealand spent an average of almost $260 per
day, while holidaymakers spent around $190 and people visiting friends or
relatives spent less than $120. Over the following five years, spending by all
three types of traveller increased dramatically, to peaks of around $330, $270
and $220. However, visitor spending suddenly fell again between 2003 and
2005.
From 2005 to 2015, the daily expenditure of business travellers and tourists
fluctuated around the $200 mark, whereas people visiting relations or friends
spent roughly 60 to 80 dollars less per day. By 2017, daily spending had risen
to approximately $250, $210 and $140 respectively for vacationers, business
people and those visiting loved ones.

53
 Line Graph (B)
The graph below shows changes in global food and oil prices between
2000 and 2011.

Here are my first two paragraphs, the introduction and overview:

The line graph compares the average price of a barrel of oil with the food price
index over a period of 11 years.
It is clear that average global prices of both food and oil rose considerably
between 2000 and 2011, although many price fluctuations can be seen during
those 11 years. Furthermore, the trends for both commodities are very similar,
and so a strong correlation is suggested.
After writing your introduction and overview paragraphs, you need to describe
the information in detail. Here are my tips for describing line graph details:

1. Try to write two paragraphs. This isn't a 'rule', but it's a good idea
because it forces you to group the information, and this should
improve the organisation and coherence of your report. One big
paragraph full of numbers can look messy, whereas two separate
paragraphs will look neater and be easier to read.

54
 2. Aim for just two or three sentences in each 'details' paragraph. Some
of your sentences will be quite long, because you'll be comparing
several numbers, so two sentences can sometimes be enough.
3. Always compare the lines; never describe each line separately.
4. Select key numbers only. You won't have time to describe every
number in every year.
5. Start at the beginning, with the first year on the left of the x axis.
Compare the numbers (i.e. all lines) in that year.
6. Then choose an interesting point towards the middle of the graph, and
compare the figures at that point.
7. OR: Summarise the line trends over the first half of the period (to
somewhere around the middle of the graph).
8. Then start a new paragraph for the second half of the time period.
9. Compare the figures for all of the lines at any key points. Or
summarise the line trends over the second half of the period.
10. Finish at the end, with the last year shown. Compare the numbers (i.e.
all lines) in that year.

Here's a short version of the advice above:

Paragraph 3
Compare the lines (giving numbers) in the first year shown, then describe any
significant numbers or overall trends in the first half of the time period.
Paragraph 4
Describe any significant numbers or overall trends in the second half of the
time period, then compare the lines (giving numbers) in the last year shown.
Let's look at some sentences that you could use to describe the graph
below.
A sentence about the year 2000:
In the year 2000, the average global oil price was close to $25 per barrel, and
the food price index stood at just under 90 points.
A sentence about the years 2000 to 2007:
Over the following four years both prices remained relatively stable, in spite of
frequent small fluctuations, before rising steadily between 2004 and 2007.
A sentence about the year 2007:

55
 By 2007, the average oil price had more than doubled, to nearly $60 per barrel,
and food prices had risen by around 50 points.
A sentence about the years 2007 to 2008:
A dramatic increase in oil and food prices was seen from 2007 to 2008, with oil
prices reaching a peak of approximately $130 per barrel and the food price
index rising to 220 points.
A sentence about the year 2009:
By the beginning of 2009 the price of oil had dropped by roughly $90, and the
food price index was down by about 80 points.
A sentence about the year 2011
In 2011, the average oil price rose to nearly $100 per barrel, while the food
price index reached its peak, at almost 240 points.

Sample Essay (band 9)

The line graph compares the average price of a barrel of oil with the food price
index over a period of 11 years.
It is clear that average global prices of both oil and food rose considerably
between 2000 and 2011. Furthermore, the trends for both commodities were
very similar, and so a strong correlation (93.6%) is suggested.
In the year 2000, the average global oil price was close to $25 per barrel, and
the food price index stood at just under 90 points. Over the following four years
both prices remained relatively stable, before rising steadily between 2004 and
2007. By 2007, the average oil price had more than doubled, to nearly $60 per
barrel, and food prices had risen by around 50 points.
A dramatic increase in both commodity prices was seen from 2007 to 2008,
with oil prices reaching a peak of approximately $130 per barrel and the food
price index rising to 220 points. However, by the beginning of 2009 the price of
oil had dropped by roughly $90, and the food price index was down by about 80
points. Finally, in 2011, the average oil price rose once again, to nearly $100
per barrel, while the food price index reached its peak, at almost 240 points.

56
Line Graph(C)
The graph below shows changes in young adult unemployment rates in
England between 1993 and 2012.

(Click on the graph to make it bigger)

Introduction and overview paragraphs:

The line graph compares levels of unemployment among 16 to 24-year-olds
with overall unemployment figures over a period of 20 years in England.
It is clear that the proportion of young adults who were unemployed at any time
between 1993 and 2012 was significantly higher than the overall proportion of
adults without work. Unemployment rates for both groups of adults were
consistently higher in London than in the rest of England.
Analysis:
Can you see examples of paraphrasing in my introduction? Can you see which
two main points I chose for my overview?
Notice that I only mention three of the years, but I make lots of comparisons
between the four groups of people.

57
 Fill the gaps to complete my description:
The line graph compares levels of unemployment among 16 to 24-year-olds
with overall unemployment figures over a period of 20 years in England.
It is clear that the proportion of young adults who were unemployed at any time
between 1993 and 2012 was significantly higher than the overall proportion of
adults without work. Unemployment rates for both groups of adults were
consistently higher in London than in the rest of England.
In 1993, around 18% of English 16 to 24-year-olds living _____ London were
unemployed, but the figure for those living in the capital was 5% higher, at 22%.
Similarly, the overall adult unemployment rate in London, at 14%, was 4%
higher than the rate in the rest of England. While levels of joblessness fell
significantly over the _____ 10 years, the trend for higher levels in London and
among young adults _____.
Young adult unemployment in England rose _____ between 2002 and 2012,
from 12% to 21% outside London, and from around 15% to a _____ of 25% in
the capital. By contrast, the proportions of all adults without work _____ below
10%, both in London and in the rest of the country.

ANSWERS FROM SIMON

Here are the words that I used when I wrote the paragraphs:
1. outside 2. following 3. continued 4. dramatically 5. peak 6.
remained
I don't think anyone chose the same words as I did, so check my answers
carefully to see what you can learn!

58
 Line Graph(D)
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.
Introduction and overview:
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 participation
in sports over the 6-year
period. In terms of the
number of children taking
part, football was significantly more popular than athletics and swimming.

Remember:
You just need one sentence for the introduction, and you can write it by
paraphrasing the question statement (rewrite it in your own words). Try to write
two sentences for your overview paragraph; in this case we can describe one
main feature of each graph.

59
 Sample Essay(185 words, band 9)
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
participation in sports over the six-year period. In terms of the number of
children taking part, football was significantly more popular than athletics and
swimming.

In 2008, British parents spent an average of around £20 per month on their
children’s sporting activities. Parents’ spending on children’s sports increased
gradually over the following six years, and by 2014 the average monthly
amount had risen to just over £30.

Looking at participation numbers, in 2008 approximately 8 million British

children played football, while only 2 million children were enrolled in swimming
clubs and less than 1 million practised athletics. The figures for football
participation remained relatively stable over the following 6 years. By contrast,
participation in swimming almost doubled, to nearly 4 million children, and
there was a near fivefold increase in the number of children doing athletics.

60
 Line Graph(Examples)
The graph below shows trends in US meat and poultry consumption.

The line graph shows changes in the per capita consumption of beef, pork,
broilers and turkey in the United States between 1955 and 2012.
It is noticeable that beef was by far the most popular of the four types of meat
for the majority of the 57-year period. However, a considerable rise can be
seen in the consumption of broilers, with figures eventually surpassing those
for beef.
Between 1955 and 1976, US beef consumption rose from around 60 to a peak
of 90 pounds per person per year. During the same period, consumption of
broilers also rose, to nearly 30 pounds per person, while the figures for pork
fluctuated between 50 and 40 pounds per person. Turkey was by far the least
popular meat, with figures below 10 pounds per capita each year.
By 2012, the amount of beef consumed by the average American had
plummeted to around 50 pounds, but the consumption of broilers had doubled
since the 1970s, to approximately 55 pounds per capita. By contrast, there
were no significant changes in the trends for pork and turkey consumption over
the period as a whole.

61
 The graph below shows the average number of UK commuters travelling
each day by car, bus or train between 1970 and 2030.

The line graph compares figures for daily travel by workers in the UK using
three different forms of transport over a period of 60 years.
It is clear that the car is by far the most popular means of transport for UK
commuters throughout the period shown. Also, while the numbers of people
who use the car and train increase gradually, the number of bus users falls
steadily.
In 1970, around 5 million UK commuters travelled by car on a daily basis, while
the bus and train were used by about 4 million and 2 million people respectively.
In the year 2000, the number of those driving to work rose to 7 million and the
number of commuting rail passengers reached 3 million. However, there was a
small drop of approximately 0.5 million in the number of bus users.
By 2030, the number of people who commute by car is expected to reach
almost 9 million, and the number of train users is also predicted to rise, to
nearly 5 million. By contrast, buses are predicted to become a less popular
choice, with only 3 million daily users.

62
The graph below shows US consumers' average annual expenditures on
cell phone and residential phone services between 2001 and 2010.

Here's my full essay using last week's ideas:

The line graph compares average yearly spending by Americans on mobile
and landline phone services from 2001 to 2010.
It is clear that spending on landline phones fell steadily over the 10-year period,
while mobile phone expenditure rose quickly. The year 2006 marks the point at
which expenditure on mobile services overtook that for residential phone
services.
In 2001, US consumers spent an average of nearly $700 on residential phone
services, compared to only around $200 on cell phone services. Over the
following five years, average yearly spending on landlines dropped by nearly
$200. By contrast, expenditure on mobiles rose by approximately $300.
In the year 2006, the average American paid out the same amount of money on
both types of phone service, spending just over $500 on each. By 2010,
expenditure on mobile phones had reached around $750, while the figure for
spending on residential services had fallen to just over half this amount.
(162 words, band 9)

63
 The graph below shows the proportion of the population aged 65 and
over between 1940 and 2040 in three different countries.

The line graph compares the percentage of people aged 65 or more in three
countries over a period of 100 years.
It is clear that the proportion of elderly people increases in each country
between 1940 and 2040. Japan is expected to see the most dramatic changes
in its elderly population.
In 1940, around 9% of Americans were aged 65 or over, compared to about 7%
of Swedish people and 5% of Japanese people. The proportions of elderly
people in the USA and Sweden rose gradually over the next 50 years, reaching
just under 15% in 1990. By contrast, the figures for Japan remained below 5%
until the early 2000s.
Looking into the future, a sudden increase in the percentage of elderly people
is predicted for Japan, with a jump of over 15% in just 10 years from 2030 to
2040. By 2040, it is thought that around 27% of the Japanese population will be
65 years old or more, while the figures for Sweden and the USA will be slightly
lower, at about 25% and 23% respectively.
(178 words, band 9)

64
The graph below gives information about car ownership in Britain from
1971 to 2007.

The graph shows changes in the

number of cars ______ household
in Great Britain ______ a period of
36 years.
Overall, car ownership in Britain
increased ______ 1971 and 2007.
In particular, the percentage of
households with two cars rose,
while the figure for households
______ a car fell.
In 1971, ______ half of all British households did not have regular use of a car.
Around 44% of households had one car, but only about 7% had two cars. It
was uncommon for families to own three or more cars, ______ around 2% of
households falling into this category.
The one-car household was the most common type from the late 1970’s
______, although there was little change in the ______ for this category. The
biggest change was seen in the proportion of households without a car, which
fell steadily over the 36-year period ______ around 25% in 2007. In contrast,
the proportion of two-car families rose steadily, reaching about 26% in 2007,
and the proportion of households with more than two cars rose ______ around
5%.
Fill the gaps in the essay with the following words:
almost, to, figures, per, between, by, over, with, without, onwards
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
1. per 2. over 3. between 4. without 5. almost
6. with 7. onwards 8. figures 9. to 10. by

65
 The graph below shows UK acid rain emissions, measured in millions of
tonnes, from four different sectors between 1990 and 2007.

The line graph compares four sectors in ______ of the amount of acid rain
emissions that they produced over a period of 17 years in the UK.
It is clear that the total amount of acid rain emissions in the UK ______ ______
between 1990 and 2007. The most ______ decrease was seen in the electricity,
gas and water supply sector.
In 1990, around 3.3 million tonnes of acid rain emissions came from the
electricity, gas and water sector. The transport and communication sector was
______ for about 0.7 million tonnes of emissions, while the domestic sector
______ around 0.6 million tonnes. Just over 2 million tonnes of acid rain gases
came from other industries.
Emissions from electricity, gas and water supply fell dramatically to only 0.5
million tonnes in 2007, a ______ of almost 3 million tonnes. While acid rain
gases from the domestic sector and other industries fell gradually, the transport
sector ______ a small increase in emissions, ______ a peak of 1 million tonnes
in 2005.
Fill the gaps using these words:
produced, reaching, fell, responsible, saw, considerably, terms, drop, dramatic
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
terms / fell considerably / dramatic / responsible / produced /
drop / saw / reaching

66
The line graph compares the percentage of people in three countries who used
the Internet between 1999 and 2009.
It is clear that the proportion of the population who used the Internet increased
in each country over the period shown. Overall, a much larger percentage of
Canadians and Americans had access to the Internet in comparison with
Mexicans, and Canada experienced the fastest growth in Internet usage.
In 1999, the proportion of people using the Internet in the USA was about 20%.
The figures for Canada and Mexico were lower, at about 10% and 5%
respectively. In 2005, Internet usage in both the USA and Canada rose to
around 70% of the population, while the figure for Mexico reached just over
25%.
By 2009, the percentage of Internet users was highest in Canada. Almost
100% of Canadians used the Internet, compared to about 80% of Americans
and only 40% of Mexicans.
(151 words , band 9)

67
 Table(Tips)
Tables seem difficult when they contain a lot of numbers. Here's some advice:

 Try to write 4 paragraphs - introduction, summary of main points, 2

detail paragraphs.

 Before you start writing, highlight some key numbers. Choose the
biggest number in each category in the table (i.e. in each column and
row). If the table shows years, look for the biggest changes in numbers
over the time period. You could also mention the smallest numbers,
but you can ignore 'middle' numbers (neither biggest nor smallest).

 For your summary paragraph, try to compare whole categories

(columns or rows) rather than individual 'cells' in the table. If you can't
compare whole categories, compare the biggest and smallest number.
Write 2 sentences for the summary.

 In your two 'details' paragraphs, never describe each category (column

or row) separately. The examiner wants to see comparisons. Try to
organise the numbers you highlighted into 2 groups - one for each
paragraph (e.g. highest numbers for all categories together, and
lowest numbers together).

 Describe / compare the numbers you highlighted - include at least 3

numbers in each paragraph.

 Use the past simple for past years, and 'will' or 'is expected/predicted to'
for future years. If no time is shown, use the present simple.

68
 Table(A)
The table below gives information about the problems faced by children
in two primary schools in 2005 and 2015.

Introduction: paraphrase the question statement

The table compares two primary schools in terms of the proportions of their
pupils who experienced seven different educational problems in the years 2005
and 2015.
Overview: describe two main or general points
It is noticeable that school A had higher proportions of children with all seven
educational difficulties in both years. However, while school A managed to
reduce the incidence of most of the problems between 2005 and 2015, school
B saw an overall rise in the percentage of children who were struggling.

69
 Here are some sentences that people wrote below. Can you correct the
mistakes and/or change and improve the sentences?
1. In 2005, School A faced major problem in Following Instructions about
42%.
2. In comparison to 2005, spelling and following instructions have
doubled over 10 years.
3. For example, 6% students having troubles in spelling in 2005.
4. Handwriting accounted level off with 28% in two years, yet it was the
most percentage of the problem in 2015.
5. Followed by the same number 35% of students in listening skills and
verbal expression of ideas.

Here are corrections for the sentences that I showed

1) In 2005, 42% of children in school A had difficulty following instructions.

2) In school B, the proportion of pupils who struggled with spelling and

following instructions doubled over the 10-year period.

3) For example, 6% of students in school B had trouble with spelling in 2005.

4) Handwriting became school A’s most significant problem in 2015, although

the percentage of children experiencing handwriting difficulties at that school
was the same in both years.

5) In 2005, 35% of students in school A were struggling with listening skills and
verbal expression of ideas.

When the graph, chart or table shows a lot of information, it's difficult to decide
what to put in your main 'details' paragraphs.
Here's a method that I often use to help me with this decision: expand on the
two points that you made in your 'overview' paragraph.
For example, We can use the two points in the overview paragraph to guide our
decisions about what to put in paragraphs 3 and 4:

70
Paragraph 3
Expand on the sentence about school A having higher proportions of children
with educational problems. In other words, we can make some easy
comparisons between school A and B. Don't worry about changes in the
figures or comparing the two years.
Paragraph 4
Now expand on the sentence about changes i.e. falling percentages in school
A and rising figures in school B.

Sample essay
The table compares two primary schools in terms of the proportions of their
pupils who experienced seven different educational problems in the years 2005
and 2015.
It is noticeable that school A had higher proportions of children with all seven
educational difficulties in both years. However, while school A managed to
reduce the incidence of most of the problems between 2005 and 2015, school
B saw an overall rise in the percentage of children who were struggling.
In 2005, 42% of school A’s pupils found it difficult to follow instructions,
whereas only 6% of pupils in school B experienced this problem. Similarly,
between 30 and 40 percent of children attending school A had problems in the
areas of spelling, listening, verbal expression and concentration in lessons,
while the equivalent figures for school B stood at between 5 and 15 per cent.
In 2015, the difference between the two schools was less pronounced. Notably,
the proportion of children who struggled to follow instructions fell by 24% in
school A, and this school also saw falls of 22%, 15%, 14% and 5% in the
figures for children who had problems with concentration, listening, verbal
expression and spelling. In school B, however, the proportion of children who
struggled with spelling and following instructions doubled, to 10% and 12%
respectively, and there was almost no change in the incidence of listening,
verbal or concentration problems.

71
 Table (B)
The tables below give information about sales of Fairtrade*-labelled
coffee and bananas in 1999 and 2004 in five European countries.

As usual, this is what we need to do:

1. Write an introduction by paraphrasing the question statement.

2. Write a summary of the information (2 sentences). Look for overall
trends, not individual numbers.
3. Select the most important information to describe in detail (include
between 5 and 10 specific numbers from the table, for example). Try to
group this description of details into two paragraphs.

20 minutes is a very short amount of time, so you need to be very organised. I

suggest breaking the 20 minutes into four parts, each lasting 5 minutes.

72
Part 1
First five minutes: read the question, understand it, underline key figures or
trends, and write your one-sentence introduction.
Parts 2, 3 and 4
Five minutes for each paragraph: overview, details, details.
Let's start with the first 5 minutes. Read the question, underline key information,
and write your introduction by paraphrasing the question statement.
Here's my introduction:
The tables show the amount of money spent on Fairtrade coffee and bananas
in two separate years in the UK, Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium and Sweden.
I suggested taking 5 minutes to understand the question and to write your
one-sentence introduction.
Next, try to spend another 5 minutes on your 'overview' paragraph. Just choose
two main points, and write two sentences. Don't look at specific numbers; try to
find general trends.
Look again at the table below, and choose two main / general points. Can you
write a two-sentence summary in 5 minutes or less?
It took me less than 5 minutes to write the following overview:
It is clear that sales of Fairtrade coffee rose in all five European countries from
1999 to 2004, but sales of Fairtrade bananas only went up in three out of the
five countries. Overall, the UK saw by far the highest levels of spending on the
two products.
After writing your introduction and overview, you should try to write two more
paragraphs to describe the most important details that you can see on the
graph, chart or diagram.
Looking again at the table, one problem that we have is how to separate the
information into two groups, for paragraphs 3 and 4.

73
 Sample Essay
The tables show the amount of money spent on Fairtrade coffee and bananas
in two separate years in the UK, Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium and Sweden.

It is clear that sales of Fairtrade coffee rose in all five European countries from
1999 to 2004, but sales of Fairtrade bananas only went up in three out of the
five countries. Overall, the UK saw by far the highest levels of spending on the
two products.

In 1999, Switzerland had the highest sales of Fairtrade coffee, at €3 million,

while revenue from Fairtrade bananas was highest in the UK, at €15 million. By
2004, however, sales of Fairtrade coffee in the UK had risen to €20 million, and
this was over three times higher than Switzerland’s sales figure for Fairtrade
coffee in that year. The year 2004 also saw dramatic increases in the money
spent on Fairtrade bananas in the UK and Switzerland, with revenues rising by
€32 million and €4.5 million respectively.

Sales of the two Fairtrade products were far lower in Denmark, Belgium and
Sweden. Small increases in sales of Fairtrade coffee can be seen, but revenue
remained at €2 million or below in all three countries in both years. Finally, it is
noticeable that the money spent on Fairtrade bananas actually fell in Belgium
and Sweden.

Note:
This report is a bit longer (216 words) than necessary, but I think it's a useful
model answer in terms of its structure and the language used.

74
 Table (C)
The table below shows changes in the numbers of residents cycling to
work in different areas of the UK between 2001 and 2011.

Here are my choices:

Introduction
Don't mention any numbers here.
Overview
Don't mention any numbers; just describe the main features / overall trend.
Paragraph 3
A description (and comparison) of the figures for Inner London and Outer
London would probably be enough for this paragraph.
Paragraph 4
Maybe mention Brighton and Hove as the only area outside Inner London with
a percentage change above 100%. We could also highlight Bristol as the
second city in terms of cycling numbers. Finish with a general statement about
the other areas (e.g. all below 10,000 residents cycling to work).

75
 Sample Essay(172 words, band 9)
The table compares the numbers of people who cycled to work in twelve areas
of the UK in the years 2001 and 2011.
Overall, the number of UK commuters who travelled to work by bicycle rose
considerably over the 10-year period. Inner London had by far the highest
number of cycling commuters in both years.
In 2001, well over 43 thousand residents of inner London commuted by bicycle,
and this figure rose to more than 106 thousand in 2011, an increase of 144%.
By contrast, although outer London had the second highest number of cycling
commuters in each year, the percentage change, at only 45%, was the lowest
of the twelve areas shown in the table.
Brighton and Hove saw the second biggest increase (109%) in the number of
residents cycling to work, but Bristol was the UK’s second city in terms of total
numbers of cycling commuters, with 8,108 in 2001 and 15,768 in 2011. Figures
for the other eight areas were below the 10 thousand mark in both years.

76
 Table (Examples)

The table compares the percentages of people using different functions of their
mobile phones between 2006 and 2010.
Throughout the period shown, the main reason why people used their mobile
phones was to make calls. However, there was a marked increase in the
popularity of other mobile phone features, particularly the Internet search
feature.
In 2006, 100% of mobile phone owners used their phones to make calls, while
the next most popular functions were text messaging (73%) and taking photos
(66%). By contrast, less than 20% of owners played games or music on their
phones, and there were no figures for users doing Internet searches or
recording video.
Over the following 4 years, there was relatively little change in the figures for
the top three mobile phone features. However, the percentage of people using
their phones to access the Internet jumped to 41% in 2008 and then to 73% in
2010. There was also a significant rise in the use of mobiles to play games and
to record video, with figures reaching 41% and 35% respectively in 2010.
Note:
The above essay isn't perfect, but it's still good enough for a band 9. You are
not expected to write a masterpiece in only 20 minutes.

77
 The table below gives information on consumer spending on different
items in five different countries in 2002.
Percentage of national consumer expenditure by category - 2002

The table shows percentages of consumer expenditure for three categories of

products and services in five countries in 2002.
It is clear that the largest proportion of consumer spending in each country
went on food, drinks and tobacco. On the other hand, the leisure/education
category has the lowest percentages in the table.
Out of the five countries, consumer spending on food, drinks, and tobacco was
noticeably higher in Turkey, at 32.14%, and Ireland, at nearly 29%. The
proportion of spending on leisure and education was also highest in Turkey, at
4.35%, while expenditure on clothing and footwear was significantly higher in
Italy, at 9% than in any of the other countries.
It can be seen that Sweden had the lowest percentages of national consumer
expenditure for food/drinks/tobacco and for clothing/footwear, at nearly 16%
and just over 5% respectively. Spain had slightly higher figures for these
categories, but the lowest figure for leisure/education, at only 1.98%.
(172 words, band 9)

78
The chart below shows average hours and minutes spent by UK males
and females on different daily activities.

Fill the gaps using these words:

doing, up, over, spent, while,
sleeping, sleep, twice, amount, takes

I've made the following essay into a gap-fill exercise.

The table compares the average ______ of time per day that men and women
in the UK spend ______ different activities.
It is clear that people in the UK spend more time ______ than doing any other
daily activity. Also, there are significant differences between the time ______
by men and women on employment/study and housework.
On average, men and women in the UK ______ for about 8 hours per day.
Leisure ______ ______ the second largest proportion of their time. Men spend
5 hours and 25 minutes doing various leisure activities, such as watching TV or
doing sport, ______ women have 4 hours and 53 minutes of leisure time.
It is noticeable that men work or study for an average of 79 minutes more than
women every day. By contrast, women spend 79 minutes more than men doing
housework, and they spend ______ ______ as much time looking after
children.
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
1. amount 2. doing 3. sleeping 4. spent 5. sleep 6. takes 7. up 8.
while 9. over 10. twice

79
 The table below shows the proportion of different categories of families
living in poverty in Australia in 1999.

The table gives information about poverty rates among six types of household
in Australia in the year 1999.
It is noticeable that levels of poverty were higher for single people than for
couples, and people with children were more likely to be poor than those
without. Poverty rates were considerably lower among elderly people.
Overall, 11% of Australians, or 1,837,000 people, were living in poverty in 1999.
Aged people were the least likely to be poor, with poverty levels of 6% and 4%
for single aged people and aged couples respectively.
Just over one fifth of single parents were living in poverty, whereas only 12% of
parents living with a partner were classed as poor. The same pattern can be
seen for people with no children: while 19% of single people in this group were
living below the poverty line, the figure for couples was much lower, at only 7%.
(150 words, band 9)

80
The table below gives information about the underground railway
systems in six cities.

The table shows data about the underground rail networks in six major cities.
The table compares the six networks in terms of their age, size and the number
of people who use them each year. It is clear that the three oldest underground
systems are larger and serve significantly more passengers than the newer
systems.
The London underground is the oldest system, having opened in 1863. It is
also the largest system, with 394 kilometres of route. The second largest
system, in Paris, is only about half the size of the London underground, with
199 kilometres of route. However, it serves more people per year. While only
third in terms of size, the Tokyo system is easily the most used, with 1927
million passengers per year.
Of the three newer networks, the Washington DC underground is the most
extensive, with 126 kilometres of route, compared to only 11 kilometres and 28
kilometres for the Kyoto and Los Angeles systems. The Los Angeles network is
the newest, having opened in 2001, while the Kyoto network is the smallest
and serves only 45 million passengers per year.
(185 words band 9)

81
 Pie Chart(Tips)

A lot of people seem to be worried about pie charts. Here are some questions
to get you thinking about how to describe them:

1. What does a pie chart always show?

2. Are pie charts used for comparing?
3. Do pie charts show changes (increase, decrease)?
4. What verb tense would you use to describe pie charts?

FROM SIMON:
1. Yes, pie charts always show you percentages because the whole "pie" is
always 100%.
2. Yes, you can compare the percentages/numbers within a pie chart, or you
might have to compare between 2 or more pie charts. "Comparing" will be the
main focus of a pie chart task.
3. You can only write about increases and decreases if there are 2 or more
pie charts and they show percentages for different years (changes over time).
4. Yes, past simple when past years are shown, or present simple if no years
are shown.

82
Somebody asked me: What should I do if the question contains a pie chart
without numbers on it? Well, let's look at a simple example.
The chart below shows the proportions of adults in Canada who own one
car, two cars, more than two cars, or who do not own a car.

Would it still be possible to describe the pie chart above, even though the
figures are missing? (Note: this is just a quick example, not a real question)
As several people commented below last week's lesson, we can describe a pie
chart even if the numbers are not shown. Here are some example sentences:

 Just over half of all adults in Canada own one car.

 Roughly 50% of Canadian adults own one car, while approximately 25%
of adults in Canada own two cars.
 Less than a quarter of Canadians do not own a car.
 Only a very small percentage (under 5%) of Canadian adults own more
than two cars.

Remember: the full pie is always 100%, so it's easy for us to guess
approximate proportions.

83
 Pie Chart(A)

Sample Essay(181 words, band 9)

The pie chart compares figures for visitors to four categories of tourist attraction
and to five different theme parks in Britain in 1999.
It is clear that theme parks and museums / galleries were the two most popular
types of tourist attraction in that year. Blackpool Pleasure Beach received by
far the highest proportion of visitors in the theme park sector.
Looking at the information in more detail, we can see that 38% of the surveyed
visitors went to a theme park, and 37% of them went to a museum or gallery.
By contrast, historic houses and monuments were visited by only 16% of the
sample, while wildlife parks and zoos were the least popular of the four types of
tourist attraction, with only 9% of visitors.
In the theme park sector, almost half of the people surveyed (47%) had been to
Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Alton Towers was the second most popular
amusement park, with 17% of the sample, followed by Pleasureland in
Southport, with 16%. Finally, Chessington World of Adventures and Legoland
Windsor had each welcomed 10% of the surveyed visitors.

84
Pie Chart (B)
The charts below show the results of a questionnaire that asked visitors
to the Parkway Hotel how they rated the hotel's customer service. The
same questionnaire was given to 100 guests in the years 2005 and 2010.

Introduction and overview /

summary:
The pie charts compare
visitors’ responses to a survey
about customer service at the
Parkway Hotel in 2005 and in
2010.
It is clear that overall
customer satisfaction
increased considerably from
2005 to 2010. While more than half of the hotel guests surveyed rated
customer service as satisfactory or poor in 2005, a clear majority described the
hotel’s service as good or excellent in 2010.
Which verbs would you use to fill the gaps?

1. In 2005, only 5% of the hotel visitors _____ the customer service as

excellent, but this figure _____ to 28% in 2010.
2. The proportion of guests who _____ the hotel’s customer service to be
poor _____ from 21% in 2005 to only 12% in 2010.
3. While only 14% of guests _____ customer service in the hotel as good
in 2005, almost three times as many people _____ this rating five
years later.:

1. rated, rose (we need a verb that is followed by "as", so "rated as" is my
choice)
2. considered, fell (we need to choose "considered" because it is followed by
"to be" e.g. it is considered to be...)

85
 3. described / rated, gave (we can say "described as" or "rated as", and we
need to write "gave this rating" - in English you can "give" a rating)

sample Essay(193 words, band 9)

The pie charts compare visitors’ responses to a survey about customer service
at the Parkway Hotel in 2005 and in 2010.
It is clear that overall customer satisfaction increased considerably from 2005
to 2010. While most hotel guests rated customer service as satisfactory or poor
in 2005, a clear majority described the hotel’s service as good or excellent in
2010.
Looking at the positive responses first, in 2005 only 5% of the hotel’s visitors
rated its customer service as excellent, but this figure rose to 28% in 2010.
Furthermore, while only 14% of guests described customer service in the hotel
as good in 2005, almost three times as many people gave this rating five years
later.
With regard to negative feedback, the proportion of guests who considered the
hotel’s customer service to be poor fell from 21% in 2005 to only 12% in 2010.
Similarly, the proportion of people who thought customer service was very poor
dropped from 15% to only 4% over the 5-year period. Finally, a fall in the
number of ‘satisfactory’ ratings in 2010 reflects the fact that more people gave
positive responses to the survey in that year.

86
 Pie Chart (D)
The pie charts below compare water usage in San Diego, California and
the rest of the world.
mm

Introduction (just paraphrase the question):

The pie charts give information about the water used for residential, industrial
and agricultural purposes in San Diego County, California, and the world as a
whole.
Overview (describe two main, general features):
It is noticeable that more water is consumed by homes than by industry or
agriculture in the two American regions. By contrast, agriculture accounts for
the vast majority of water used worldwide.
Can you correct the mistakes in each sentence?
1. Worldwide had spend water for agriculture almost 69%.
2. The world's proportion of water consumption go to agriculture by 69%.
3. There are same percentage in water usage in industry between San
Diego and worldwide by 23%.
4. San Diego and worldwide consumptions had had same percentage
which reached 23%.
Note:
Each of the sentences above is trying to describe one number. This is the most
basic skill that you need when describing graphs and charts. If you want a good
score in task 1, you must be able to describe one number clearly and correctly.

87
 ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
First, I'll explain some of the problems:
Sentence 1
- We need to use the present simple, not the past perfect.
- The past perfect is also used wrongly. It would be "had spent".
- We don't "spend" water.
Sentence 2
- "go to agriculture" is wrong.
- We can't use "by 69%" in this case. Only use "by + %" when you are
describing a change e.g. "prices increased by 10%".
Sentence 3
- "There are same percentage" is wrong.
- We can't use "by" with the percentage.
Sentence 4
- "consumptions" of what?
- Don't try to use the past perfect "had had" - this seems very strange here. We
just need the present simple.
- "reached" implies that this percentage was lower in the past and has now
increased. There is no information about past years, so we can't use "reached".
Here are my suggestions:
1. Agriculture accounts for 69% of the world's water consumption.
2. The proportion of water used for agricultural purposes globally is 69%.
3. Worldwide and in San Diego County, industry accounts for 23% of water
consumption.
4. The figure for water use by industry (23%) is the same for both San Diego
County and the world as a whole.
Can you guess which words I used in the spaces shown?

1. In San Diego County and California State, residential water

consumption _____ for 60% and 39% of total water usage _____.
2. In both US regions, the _____ for agricultural water use is significantly
_____, at 17% and 28%.
3. By contrast, a _____ 8% of the water used globally goes to homes,
and a massive 69% is required for agriculture.

Here are the words that I used:

1. accounts, respectively 2. figure, lower 3. mere

88
 Sample Essay(168 words, band 9)

The pie charts give information about the water used for residential, industrial
and agricultural purposes in San Diego County, California, and the world as a
whole.
It is noticeable that more water is consumed by homes than by industry or
agriculture in the two American regions. By contrast, agriculture accounts for
the vast majority of water used worldwide.
In San Diego County and California State, residential water consumption
accounts for 60% and 39% of total water usage. By contrast, a mere 8% of the
water used globally goes to homes. The opposite trend can be seen when we
look at water consumption for agriculture. This accounts for a massive 69% of
global water use, but only 17% and 28% of water usage in San Diego and
California respectively.
Such dramatic differences are not seen when we compare the figures for
industrial water use. The same proportion of water (23%) is used by industry in
San Diego and worldwide, while the figure for California is 10% higher, at 33%.

89
 Pie Chart (Examples)
Fill the gaps with these words:
constitutes, drops, amount, fifth, higher, make, one, relative, figure, up
The pie charts compare
the proportion of
carbohydrates, protein
and fat in three different
diets, namely an
average diet, a healthy
diet, and a healthy diet
for sport.
It is noticeable that
sportspeople require a
diet comprising a
significantly higher
proportion of
carbohydrates than an average diet or a healthy diet. The average diet
contains the lowest percentage of carbohydrates but the highest proportion of
protein.
Carbohydrates ______ ______ 60% of the healthy diet for sport. This is 10%
______ than the proportion of carbohydrates in a normal healthy diet, and 20%
more than the proportion in an average diet. On the other hand, people who eat
an average diet consume a greater ______ ______ of protein (40%) than those
who eat a healthy diet (30%) and sportspeople (25%).
The third compound shown in the charts is fat. Fat ______ exactly ______
______ of both the average diet and the healthy diet, but the ______ ______ to
only 15% for the healthy sports diet.
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:

1. make 2. up 3. higher 4. relative 5. amount 6. constitutes 7. one 8. fifth 9. figure 10.

drops

90
 Charts Combination(Tips)
Sometimes you are given two different charts e.g. a line graph and a bar chart,
or a bar chart and a pie chart.
How to describe two different charts in 4 paragraphs:

1. Mention each chart in the introduction. Sometimes it's easier to write a

sentence for each.
2. Describe the main feature of each chart. If there is a connection
between the charts, describe it.
3. Describe the first chart.
4. Describe the second chart.

Here are some tips for writing about 2 charts, graphs or tables:

1. Introduction
Write one sentence, but introduce each chart separately e.g. "The first bar
chart shows..., and the second chart illustrates..."

2. Summary of main points

Write 2 sentences. If the information in the charts is not connected, find one
main point or general trend for each chart. If the charts are connected, try to
make comparisons.

3. Main body paragraphs(Including 2 paragraph)

write a separate paragraph about each.
I still prefer to write 2 paragraphs because it makes the essay look more
organised.

91
 Charts Combination(A)
The charts below show reasons for travel and the main issues for the
travelling public in the US in 2009.
mm
When you are given two
different charts, the
overview paragraph is
quite easy: just write one
sentence about each
chart, describing a main
feature of each.
And here's my
2-sentence overview
paragraph:
It is clear that the principal
reason why Americans
travelled in 2009 was to
commute to and from
work. In the same year,
the primary concern of
Americans, with regard to the trips they made, was the cost of travelling.
Note:
I've used several examples of paraphrasing in the paragraph above (when you
compare it to the question statement)

I wrote the following sentence in my overview paragraph:

It is clear that the principal reason why Americans travelled in 2009 was
to commute to and from work.
Moving on to the 'details' paragraphs, it's fine to repeat this point because we're
now going to include the number or statistic. For example:
In 2009, 49% of the trips made by Americans.....

92
When the task is to describe two completely different charts, there's no need to
compare them; we can simply write a separate paragraph about each one.
So here's the paragraph structure that we can use for this question:

1. Introduction: paraphrase the question statement

2. Overview: write one general sentence about each chart
3. First chart: describe the details (2 to 4 sentences)
4. Second chart: describe the details (2 to 4 sentences)

Sample Essay(201 words, band 9)

The bar chart and pie chart give information about why US residents travelled
and what travel problems they experienced in the year 2009.
It is clear that the principal reason why Americans travelled in 2009 was to
commute to and from work. In the same year, the primary concern of
Americans, with regard to the trips they made, was the cost of travelling.
Looking more closely at the bar chart, we can see that 49% of the trips made
by Americans in 2009 were for the purpose of commuting. By contrast, only 6%
of trips were visits to friends or relatives, and one in ten trips were for social or
recreation reasons. Shopping was cited as the reason for 16% of all travel,
while unspecific ‘personal reasons’ accounted for the remaining 19%.
According to the pie chart, price was the key consideration for 36% of
American travellers. Almost one in five people cited safety as their foremost
travel concern, while aggressive driving and highway congestion were the main
issues for 17% and 14% of the travelling public. Finally, a total of 14% of those
surveyed thought that access to public transport or space for pedestrians were
the most important travel issues.

93
 Charts Combination(B)
The bar chart below shows the proportions of English men and women of
different ages who were living alone in 2011. The pie chart compares the
numbers of bedrooms in these one-person households....
Living alone in England by age and gender, 2011

Number of bedrooms in one-person households (England, 2011)

My normal advice for task 1 introductions is to write one sentence that

paraphrases the question statement. However, there's nothing wrong with
writing a two-sentence introduction if there's a lot of different information to
introduce.
Last week's question contains a lot of information, so I found it easier to write a
two-sentence introduction.

94
Here's the question statement again:
The bar chart below shows the proportions of English men and women of
different ages who were living alone in 2011. The pie chart compares the
numbers of bedrooms in these one-person households.

And here's my introduction:

The two charts give information about single-occupant households in England
in the year 2011. The bar chart compares figures for occupants' age and
gender, and the pie chart shows data about the number of bedrooms in these
homes.
If the question shows two different charts, we can summarise each one
separately. After the introduction, we can write a 2-sentence 'overview' of the
information, with one sentence to summarise each chart.

Overview / summary paragraph:

Overall, females made up a higher proportion of people living alone than males,
and this difference is particularly noticeable in the older age categories. We can
also see that the most common number of bedrooms in a single-occupant
home was two.

95
 Sample Essay(189 words, band 9)
The two charts give information about single-occupant households in England
in the year 2011. The bar chart compares figures for occupants' age and
gender, and the pie chart shows data about the number of bedrooms in these
homes.
Overall, females made up a higher proportion of people living alone than males,
and this difference is particularly noticeable in the older age categories. We can
also see that the most common number of bedrooms in a single-occupant
home was two.
A significant majority of the people aged 65 or over who were living alone in
England in 2011 were female. Women made up around 72% of single
occupants aged 75 to 84, and 76% of those aged 85 or over. By contrast,
among younger adults the figures for males were higher. For example, in the
35-49 age category, men accounted for nearly 65% of people living alone.
In the same year, 35.4% of one-person households in England had two
bedrooms, while one-bedroom and three-bedroom homes accounted for 28%
and 29.8% of the total. Under 7% of single-occupant homes had four or more
bedrooms.

Tip:
Notice that I was forced to leave out some of the information from the bar chart.
This is normal when you only have 20 minutes; examiners expect you to select
some key figures, not to try to include everything.

96
 Chart
Combination(Examples)
The climograph below shows average monthly temperatures and rainfall
in the city of Kolkata.

The chart compares

average figures for
temperature and
precipitation over the
course of a calendar
year in Kolkata.
It is noticeable that
monthly figures for
precipitation in Kolkata
vary considerably,
whereas monthly
temperatures remain
relatively stable.
Rainfall is highest from
July to August, while temperatures are highest in April and May.
Between the months of January and May, average temperatures in Kolkata rise
from their lowest point at around 20°C to a peak of just over 30°C. Average
rainfall in the city also rises over the same period, from approximately 20mm of
rain in January to 100mm in May.
While temperatures stay roughly the same for the next four months, the amount
of rainfall more than doubles between May and June. Figures for precipitation
remain above 250mm from June to September, peaking at around 330mm in
July. The final three months of the year see a dramatic fall in precipitation, to a
low of about 10mm in December, and a steady drop in temperatures back to
the January average.
(173 words, band 9

97
 The graph and table below give information about water use worldwide
and water consumption in two different countries.

The charts compare the amount of water used for agriculture, industry, and
homes around the world, and water use in Brazil and the Democratic Republic
of Congo.
It is clear that global water needs rose significantly between 1900 and 2000,
and that agriculture accounted for the largest proportion of water used. We can
also see that water consumption was considerably higher in Brazil than in the
Congo.
In 1900, around 500km³ of water was used by the agriculture sector worldwide.
The figures for industrial and domestic water consumption stood at around
one-fifth of that amount. By 2000, global water use for agriculture had
increased to around 3000km³, industrial water use had risen to just under half
that amount, and domestic consumption had reached approximately 500km³.
In the year 2000, the populations of Brazil and the Congo were 176 million and
5.2 million respectively. Water consumption per person in Brazil, at 359m³, was
much higher than that in the Congo, at only 8m³, and this could be explained by
the fact that Brazil had 265 times more irrigated land.
(184 words, band 9)

98
 Sample essay (159 words):(band 9)
The chart gives information about UK immigration, emigration and net
migration between 1999 and 2008.
Both immigration and emigration rates rose over the period shown, but the
figures for immigration were significantly higher. Net migration peaked in 2004
and 2007.
In 1999, over 450,000 people came to live in the UK, while the number of
people who emigrated stood at just under 300,000. The figure for net migration
was around 160,000, and it remained at a similar level until 2003. From 1999 to
2004, the immigration rate rose by nearly 150,000 people, but there was a
much smaller rise in emigration. Net migration peaked at almost 250,000
people in 2004.
After 2004, the rate of immigration remained high, but the number of people
emigrating fluctuated. Emigration fell suddenly in 2007, before peaking at about
420,000 people in 2008. As a result, the net migration figure rose to around
240,000 in 2007, but fell back to around 160,000 in 2008.

CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:

1. make 2. up 3. higher 4. relative 5. amount 6. constitutes 7. one
8. fifth 9. figure 10. drops

99
 Diagram(Tips)
The following paragraph describes the process of making cement.
At the first stage in the cement production process, limestone and clay are
crushed to form a powder. This powder is then mixed and passed through a
rotating heater. The resulting mixture is ground, and finally the end product,
cement, is packed into large bags.
There are 2 things that make process descriptions special:

1. Phrases that order the process and link the steps (underlined)
2. Passive verbs (highlighted)

After the introduction, I tell my students to write an overview of the information

shown on the chart. When the chart shows numbers, we look for the highest,
lowest, biggest change, overall trend etc.
But how do you write an overview of a diagram that doesn't show
numbers?
 The total number of steps in the process.
 Where the process begins and ends.
 The total number of changes or differences.
 The main changes or differences.
 The main similarities or what doesn't change.
Advice:
1. Introduction: paraphrase the question (one sentence).
2. Summary paragraph: write how many steps there are. You could also
mention the first step and the last step (two sentences).
3. Details: describe each step in the diagrams.

Introduction and summary paragraphs:

The figures illustrate the stages in the life of a silkworm and the process of
producing silk cloth.
There are four main stages in the life cycle of the silkworm, from eggs to adult
moth. The process of silk cloth production involves six steps, from silkworm
cocoon to silk material.

100
 Diagram(A)
The diagrams below show the site of a school in 2004 and the plan for
changes to the school site in 2024.

(Source: Official IELTS Practice Materials 2)

Introduction - paraphrase the question statement

The two pictures compare the layout of a school as it was in the year 2004 with
a proposed site design for the year 2024.
Overview - summarise the information (look for 2 main points)
It is clear that the main change for 2024 involves the addition of a new school
building. The school will then be able to accommodate a considerably larger
number of students.

101
 Sample Essay(183 words, band 9)
The two pictures compare the layout of a school as it was in the year 2004 with
a proposed site design for the year 2024.

It is clear that the main change for 2024 involves the addition of a new school
building. The school will then be able to accommodate a considerably larger
number of students.

In 2004, there were 600 pupils attending the school, and the two school
buildings were separated by a path running from the main entrance to the
sports field. By 2024, it is expected that there will be 1000 pupils, and a third
building will have been constructed. Furthermore, the plan is to join the two
original buildings together, creating a shorter path that links the buildings only.

As the third building and a second car park will be built on the site of the
original sports field, a new, smaller sports field will need to be laid. A new road
will also be built from the main entrance to the second car park. Finally, no
changes will be made to the main entrance and original car park.

102
 Diagram(B)
Try writing a task 1 report for the following diagram question.
The diagrams below show how houses can be protected in areas which
are prone to flooding.

Note:
Freeboard = the height of the underside of a structure above a given level
or water
Berm = a bank of earth
(Source: www.waikatoregion.govt.nz)
The full report will contain 4 paragraphs. Let's start with the introduction and
overview.
Introduction - paraphrase the question
The diagrams compare two different methods of defence for homes which are
at risk of being flooded.
Overview - mention two main things
The key difference between the diagrams is that they show flood protection
with and without a stopbank. In either case, the at-risk home must be raised on
stilts above ground level.

103
 Sample Essay(band 9)
The diagrams compare two different methods of defence for homes which are
at risk of being flooded.
The key difference between the diagrams is that they show flood protection
with and without a stopbank. In either case, the at-risk home is raised on stilts
above ground level.
The first diagram shows how a stopbank acts as a flood barrier to stop river
water from flooding homes. The stopbank is a small mound of land next to the
river that is higher than the 100-year flood level, and prevents the river from
bursting its banks. Nearby houses can be built on stilts to prevent flooding from
rainwater, and a floodgate beneath the stopbank can be opened to allow this
‘ponding’ to drain off into the river.
When there is no stopbank, as shown in the second diagram, there will be
nothing to stop the river from flooding. In this case, the solution is to put
buildings on stilts. The height of the stilts is measured so that the floor of the
house is 300mm above the 100-year flood level. This measurement is called
the ‘freeboard’.

Did you analyse the diagram report that I wrote?

1. What paraphrasing can you see in the introduction?

2. Which two features did I choose as 'main points' in paragraph 2?
3. How did I divide the description of detail into two paragraphs (3 and
4)?
4. What good vocabulary did you notice in the report?

Analyse sample answers in this way, and use them as models when writing
your own task 1 reports.

104
 Diagram(C)
The diagram below shows how solar panels can be used to provide
electricity for domestic use.

(Click on image to enlarge. Source:

http://www.easyassolar.com.au/solar-power-2/)
Let's start by writing the first two paragraphs: the introduction and overview.
We'll look at the 'details' paragraphs next week.
Introduction: paraphrase the question as usual
The picture illustrates the process of producing electricity in a home using solar
panels.
Overview: say two general things about the diagram
It is clear that there are five distinct stages in this process, beginning with the
capture of energy from sunlight. The final two steps show how domestic
electricity is connected to the external power supply.

105
 Sample Essay
The picture illustrates the process of producing electricity in a home using solar
panels.
It is clear that there are five distinct stages in this process, beginning with the
capture of energy from sunlight. The final two steps show how domestic
electricity is connected to the external power supply.
At the first stage in the process, solar panels on the roof of a normal house take
energy from the sun and convert it into DC current. Next, this current is passed
to an inverter, which changes it to AC current and regulates the supply of
electricity. At stage three, electricity is supplied to the home from an electrical
panel.
At the fourth step shown on the diagram, a utility meter in the home is
responsible for sending any extra electric power outside the house into the grid.
Finally, if the solar panels do not provide enough energy for the household,
electricity will flow from the utility grid into the home through the meter.

Note:
I've underlined examples of the two language features that make process
diagram descriptions special: 'steps' language, and passive verbs.

106
 Diagraam(Examples)
The diagram below shows how coffee is produced and prepared for sale
in supermarkets and shops.
The picture illustrates the process of
coffee manufacture and preparation
for sale on the market.
It is clear that there are 11 stages in
the production of coffee. The process
begins with the picking of coffee beans
and ends at the packing stage.
Looking at the coffee production
process in detail, coffee beans must
first be picked in the fields. These
beans are then dried, roasted, and
cooled before being put in a grinding
machine, which turns the beans into
coffee granules.
At the sixth stage in the process, the
ground coffee is mixed with hot water, and the resulting mixture is strained.
Next, the mixture is frozen and then passed once again through the grinder.
After that, the ground, the frozen liquid is dried in a vacuum so that the water
evaporates, leaving the coffee granules. Finally, these granules are packed
into coffee jars for delivery to shops.
Did you notice the passives and sequencing phrases?
- Passives: must be picked; are dried, roasted and cooled; is mixed...
- Sequencing: then; and; at the sixth stage; next; after that; finally...

107
 The diagrams below show some principles of house design for cool and
for warm climates. (162 words, band 9)

The diagrams show how house designs differ according to climate.

The most noticeable difference between houses designed for cool and warm
climates is in the shape of the roof. The designs also differ with regard to the
windows and the use of insulation.
We can see that the cool climate house has a high-angled roof, which allows
sunlight to enter through the window. By contrast, the roof of the warm climate
house has a peak in the middle and roof overhangs to shade the windows.
Insulation and thermal building materials are used in cool climates to reduce
heat loss, whereas insulation and reflective materials are used to keep the heat
out in warm climates.
Finally, the cool climate house has one window which faces the direction of the
sun, while the warm climate house has windows on two sides which are
shaded from the sun. By opening the two windows at night, the house designed
for warm climates can be ventilated.

108
The diagram below shows the water cycle, which is the continuous
movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth.

The picture illustrates the way in which water passes from ocean to air to land
during the natural process known as the water cycle.
Three main stages are shown on the diagram. Ocean water evaporates, falls
as rain, and eventually runs back into the oceans again.
Beginning at the evaporation stage, we can see that 80% of water vapour in the
air comes from the oceans. Heat from the sun causes water to evaporate, and
water vapour condenses to form clouds. At the second stage, labelled
‘precipitation’ on the diagram, water falls as rain or snow.
At the third stage in the cycle, rainwater may take various paths. Some of it
may fall into lakes or return to the oceans via ‘surface runoff’. Otherwise,
rainwater may filter through the ground, reaching the impervious layer of the
earth. Salt water intrusion is shown to take place just before groundwater
passes into the oceans to complete the cycle.
(156 words, band 9)

109
 The diagrams below are existing and proposed floor plans for the
redevelopment of an art gallery. (178 words, band 9)

The first picture shows the layout of an art gallery, and the second shows some
proposed changes to the gallery space.
It is clear that significant changes will be made in terms of the use of floor
space in the gallery. There will be a completely new entrance and more space
for exhibitions.
At present, visitors enter the gallery through doors which lead into a lobby.
However, the plan is to move the entrance to the Parkinson Court side of the
building, and visitors will walk straight into the exhibition area. In place of the
lobby and office areas, which are shown on the existing plan, the new gallery
plan shows an education area and a small storage area.
The permanent exhibition space in the redeveloped gallery will be about twice
as large as it is now because it will occupy the area that is now used for
temporary exhibitions. There will also be a new room for special exhibitions.
This room is shown in red on the existing plan and is not currently part of the
gallery.

110
Flow Chart(Processes Tips)
Process diagrams show how something is done or made. They always show
steps/stages. Here's some advice about how to describe them:

 Try to write 4 paragraphs - introduction, summary of main points, 2

detail paragraphs.

 Write the introduction by paraphrasing the question (rewrite it by

changing some of the words).

 For your summary, first say how many steps there are in the process.
Then say where/how the process begins and ends (look at the first and
last stages).

 In paragraphs 3 and 4, describe the process step by step. Include the

first and last steps that you mentioned in the summary, but try to
describe them in more detail or in a different way.

 You could describe the steps in one paragraph, but it looks more
organised if you break the description into two paragraphs. Just start
paragraph 4 somewhere in the middle of the process.

 Mention every stage in the process.

 Use 'sequencing' language e.g. at the first / second / following / final

stage of the process, next, after that, then, finally etc.

 Times (e.g. past dates) are not usually shown, so use the present
simple tense.

 It's usually a good idea to use the passive e.g. 'At the final stage, the
product is delivered to shops' (because we don't need to know who
delivered the product)

111
 Flow Chart(Life Cycle)
The diagram below shows the life cycle of a salmon, from egg to adult
fish.

(Source: http://www.5counties.org/salmoncycle.htm)
spawning = laying eggs
estuary = the mouth of a river, where it meets the sea / ocean
How do you write an overview or summary about a 'life cycle' diagram? Here
are two things that I always do:
1. Count the number of stages in the life cycle.
2. Decide on a beginning and an end point in the cycle.

112
So here's a possible overview paragraph for last week's task:
According to the diagram, there are eight main stages as the salmon develops
from egg to mature adult. Salmon travel to three different places during the
cycle, moving from river to estuary to ocean and back.

Can you correct the mistakes in the following six sentences?

1. Salmon begin their lives from eggs that laid in a river.

2. After emerged from eggs they reared to freshwater.
3. Before they merge to sea they stay in estuary, where sea and river
meet.
4. During their time in the ocean, young salmons develop gradually into
mature salmons.
5. The adult fishes travel to spawning areas where the salmon incubation
can be done.
6. Their cycle completes when the spawning process starts and as some
research, adult salmon die right after that due to exhaustion.

First I'll try to explain the problems.

1. The main problem is "that laid". We need to write "that ARE laid". I would
also change "from eggs" to "as eggs" or "when they hatch from eggs".
2. Remember to use "after + ing" - "after emerging". There is also another
passive problem: we need to write "ARE reared" and we should write "IN
freshwater areas".
3. "merge" is the wrong word here. Also, we need the article "the" with "sea"
and "estuary".
4. The plural of "salmon" is "salmon", not "salmons".
5. The normal plural of "fish" is "fish". I would also change "incubation can be
done" - get rid of the verb "done" and use "they incubate their eggs".
6. This was a trick question because the main problem is not a grammar
problem. You should never add ideas that are not shown on the graph, chart or
diagram, so we can't use the part about salmon dying due to exhaustion.

113
 Now here are my correct sentences:
1. Salmon begin their lives when they hatch from eggs that are laid in rivers.
2. After emerging from (their) eggs they are reared in freshwater areas.
3. Before they migrate to the sea, they travel to estuaries, where river and sea
meet.
4. During their time in the ocean, young salmon develop gradually into mature
salmon.
5. The adult fish travel to spawning areas where they incubate their eggs.
6. The cycle is completed when the next generation of salmon hatch from their
eggs.

Sample Essay(154 words, band 9)

The diagram illustrates the stages in the life of the salmon, from birth to
maturity.
It is clear that there are six* main stages as the salmon develops from egg to
mature adult. We can also see that salmon spend time in three distinct
locations during the cycle, moving from river to estuary to ocean and then back
upstream.
Salmon begin their lives in rivers where the adult fish lay and incubate their
eggs. After emerging from eggs, the young salmon spend the next stage of
their lives being reared in freshwater areas. Then, at some point in their
development, the fish swim downstream to river estuaries where rearing
continues.
Following the estuary rearing period, the maturing salmon migrate to the ocean,
where they eventually become fully grown adults. Finally, the adult fish travel
back upstream to spawning areas of rivers; here they reproduce and lay their
eggs, and the life cycle begins anew.

114
nymph = immature form of an insect
moult = shed or lose old feathers, hair or skin to allow for new growth

Sample Essay(169 words, band 9)

The diagram illustrates the various stages in the life of a honey bee. We can
see that the complete life cycle lasts between 34 and 36 days. It is also
noticeable that there are five main stages in the development of the honey bee,
from egg to mature adult insect.
The life cycle of the honey bee begins when the female adult lays an egg; the
female typically lays one or two eggs every 3 days. Between 9 and 10 days
later, each egg hatches and the immature insect, or nymph, appears.
During the third stage of the life cycle, the nymph grows in size and sheds its
skin three times. This moulting first takes place 5 days after the egg hatches,
then 7 days later, and again another 9 days later. After a total of 30 to 31 days
from the start of the cycle, the young adult honey bee emerges from its final
moulting stage, and in the space of only 4 days it reaches full maturity.

115
 Flow Chart(Examples)
The chart below shows the process of waste paper recycling. (160 words,
band 9)

The flow chart shows how waste paper is recycled. It is clear that there are six
distinct stages in this process, from the initial collection of waste paper to the
eventual production of usable paper.
At the first stage in the paper recycling process, waste paper is collected either
from paper banks, where members of the public leave their used paper, or
directly from businesses. This paper is then sorted by hand and separated
according to its grade, with any paper that is not suitable for recycling being
removed. Next, the graded paper is transported to a paper mill.
Stages four and five of the process both involve cleaning. The paper is cleaned
and pulped, and foreign objects such as staples are taken out. Following this,
all remnants of ink and glue are removed from the paper at the de-inking stage.
Finally, the pulp can be processed in a paper making machine, which makes
the end product: usable paper.

The essay was good enough for a band 9, but why? Apart from being well
organised and covering all of the necessary points, the essay contains some
phrases that would ensure high vocabulary and grammar scores:
Vocabulary

116
  there are six distinct stages
 from the initial collection... to the eventual production
 members of the public
 directly from businesses
 separated according to its grade
 Stages four and five both involve cleaning
 foreign objects are taken out
 remnants of ink and glue
 the end product

Grammar

 six distinct stages, from... to... (good use of 'from-to' after comma)
 where members of the public... (inclusion of extra information between
commas)
 This paper (use of 'this' to refer back to an idea in the previous
sentence)
 with any paper... being (use of with + ing to add extra information)
 cleaned, pulped, taken out, removed (use of passive verb forms instead
of nouns shown on the diagram)
 which makes the end product (use of relative pronoun 'which' to connect
ideas)

117
 The diagram below shows how the Australian Bureau of Meteorology
collects up-to-the-minute information on the weather in order to produce
reliable forecasts. (170 words)
The figure illustrates the
process used by the
Australian Bureau of
Meteorology to forecast the
weather.
There are four stages in the
process, beginning with the
collection of information about
the weather. This information
is then analysed, prepared for
presentation, and finally
broadcast to the public.
Looking at the first and
second stages of the process,
there are three ways of
collecting weather data and
three ways of analysing it. Firstly, incoming information can be received by
satellite and presented for analysis as a satellite photo. The same data can
also be passed to a radar station and presented on a radar screen or synoptic
chart. Secondly, incoming information may be collected directly by radar and
analysed on a radar screen or synoptic chart. Finally, drifting buoys also
receive data which can be shown on a synoptic chart.
At the third stage of the process, the weather broadcast is prepared on
computers. Finally, it is delivered to the public on television, on the radio, or as
a recorded telephone announcement.

118
 Recycling Chart
The chart below compares levels of recycling, as well as some less
environmentally friendly forms of waste management, in fifteen European
countries.

Here are some suggestions for paraphrasing:

 The chart compares = The bar chart shows

 levels of recycling = the percentage of waste that is recycled
 less environmentally friendly forms of waste management = put into
landfill, incinerated, or disposed of in other ways
 in fifteen European countries = in various EU countries

Overview
Here's a tip:
I normally suggest that you look for something very general, like an overall
trend, for the overview. However, if you're stuck, it's ok to choose the highest
and lowest. In this case, I would choose the highest and lowest figures for
recycling (i.e. Austria and Greece).

119
 Here's a 2-sentence overview using the tip above:
It is noticeable that Austria is the most environmentally friendly country, in the
sense that it recycles the largest percentage of waste. By contrast, Greece
stands out as the country that recycles the least and puts the highest
proportion of its waste into landfill.

I've realised that I should add some extra advice or some warnings about this:

 First, it's important to remember that the best type of overview is one
that describes overall trends, rather than specific details. The highest
and lowest figures on a chart are normally considered to be specific
details, so they shouldn't be your first choice for the overview.
 If you can't see a clear general trend, it's ok to describe the highest and
lowest, but don't mention any numbers.
 Look for the highest and lowest category overall, rather than a single
highest or lowest point. For example, if you're writing an overview
about a line graph, it's fine to say that one of the lines was highest for
most of the period, but don't describe any specific peaks (save them
for the 'details' paragraphs).

The overview that I wrote on Thursday was fine because the main aim of the
chart was not to show trends. Picking out the most and least environmentally
friendly country made sense in this particular case, and I didn't mention specific
numbers.
However, I want to make it clear that describing the highest and lowest should
not be your first choice method for writing the overview. Look for overall trends
first.
Instead of writing about the "highest and lowest" figures, let's describe
something more general. For example, landfill seems to be the most popular
form of waste management overall, and only two countries (Austria and
Belgium) recycle at least 50% of their waste.

120
So, here's an overview using the observations above:
If we look at the fifteen EU countries as a whole, it is clear that more waste
goes to landfill sites than to any other refuse management facility. In fact, while
around half of the countries put the majority of their waste into landfill sites, only
two countries recycle at least half of the waste that they produce.
1) Figures for the two countries that recycle the most
Austria and Belgium are the most environmentally friendly of the fifteen
countries, recycling around 60% and 50% of their waste.
2) Figures for recycling and landfill in Greece
By contrast, Greece only recycles 10% of its waste and is the country that puts
the highest proportion of refuse (90%)* into landfill.
3) Figures for incineration in Denmark and Luxembourg
Only two countries, Denmark and Luxembourg, incinerate over half of the
waste that they produce; more precisely, figures for incineration are almost
60% and roughly 55% in the two countries respectively.
*It's ok to put numbers in brackets, but don't do this more than once or twice in
your answer.
Here are some sentences from a BBC article about the UK population:

 The UK population was estimated to stand at 65.6 million in 2016.

 2016 saw the biggest UK population rise for 70 years.
 Over the decade from mid-2016, projected growth in England's
population is put at 5.9%, for Northern Ireland the figure is 4.2%,
while for Scotland and Wales the percentages are 3.2% and 3.1%
respectively.
 The study puts projected UK population growth between 2015 and 2040
at 16%, compared with 10% growth for France and 4% for Germany.
 The study also says that the number of people aged 85 and over will
have doubled from 1.6m in 2016 to 3.2m in 2041.

The reason why I wanted to share these sentences is that they are written in a
very similar style to the style that I use in my model answers here on the blog.
You'll see that I've highlighted some typical task 1 vocabulary.

121
 Sample Essay(184 words, band 9)
The bar chart shows the percentage of waste that is recycled, put into landfill or
incinerated in various EU countries.
If we look at the fifteen EU countries as a whole, it is clear that more waste
goes to landfill sites than to any other refuse management facility. In fact, while
around half of the countries put the majority of their waste into landfill sites, only
two countries recycle at least 50% of the waste that they produce.
Austria and Belgium are the most environmentally friendly of the fifteen
countries, recycling around 60% and 50% of their waste respectively. Germany,
Sweden and Belgium also appear to have effective recycling programmes,
resulting in roughly 40% of waste being processed in this way in each country.
Other EU countries recycle far less. Greece, Ireland and the UK, for example,
only recycle around 10% of refuse, and put between 80 and 90 per cent of their
waste into landfill. Finally, while most non-recycled waste in the EU area goes
to landfill, four countries, namely Luxembourg, Sweden, the Netherlands and
Denmark, incinerate more waste than they bury.

122
 Map(Tips)
According to some students, 'map' questions have been popular in recent
IELTS exams. There are 2 types of map:
1. A map that shows a comparison
2. A map that shows development of an area.
Introduction - Just paraphrase the question
(instead of 'two possible sites' you could write
'two potential locations').
Summary - The main point is that the first site
(S1) is outside the town, whereas the second
site is in the town centre. Also, you could
mention that the map shows the position of
both sites relative to a railway and three roads
which lead to three smaller towns.
Details (2 paragraphs) - Don't write a
separate paragraph about each site; it's much better to compare the
sites. I'd write one paragraph comparing the position of each site
relative to Garlsdon (mention the different areas of the town), and
another paragraph about the positions relative to transport links with
the other three towns.

For a good example of the second type of map

To help you think about how to describe the map, answer these questions:

1)How could you paraphrase "the map

shows the development of the village"?
2)How many periods of development are
shown, and which period saw the most
development?
3)What is the relationship between transport
and the growth of the village?
4)How could you group the information in
order to write two 'specific details'
paragraphs?

123
 Map(Examples)
The maps below show the centre of a small town called Islip as it is now,
and plans for its development.

Sample essay(187 words, band 9)

The diagrams illustrate some proposed changes to the central area of the town
of Islip.
It is clear that the principal change to the town will be the construction of a ring
road around the centre. Various other developments with regard to shops and
housing will accompany the building of this road.
Looking at the map of Islip as it is now, we can see that a main road runs
through its centre from east to west. The second map shows the planned
pedestrianisation of this road. Traffic will be diverted on to a dual carriageway
that will form a ring around the town centre.
Currently there is a row of shops along either side of the main road. However, it
appears that the shops along the north side of the new pedestrian street will be
demolished to make way for a bus station, shopping centre, car park and new
housing area. The shops along the south side of the street will remain, but it
seems that the town’s park will be reduced in size so that more new houses
can be built within the ring road.

124
The diagrams illustrate some changes to a small island which has been
developed for tourism.
It is clear that the island has changed considerably with the introduction of
tourism, and six new features can be seen in the second diagram. The main
developments are that the island is accessible and visitors have somewhere to
stay.
Looking at the maps in more detail, we can see that small huts have been built
to accommodate visitors to the island. The other physical structures that have
been added are a reception building, in the middle of the island, and a
restaurant to the north of the reception. Before these developments, the island
was completely bare apart from a few trees.
As well as the buildings mentioned above, the new facilities on the island
include a pier, where boats can dock. There is also a short road linking the pier
with the reception and restaurant, and footpaths connect the huts. Finally, there
is a designated swimming area for tourists off a beach on the western tip of the
island.
(175 words, band 9)

125
 The map below is of the town of Garlsdon. A new supermarket (S) is
planned for the town. The map shows two possible sites for the
supermarket. (191 words, band 9)

The map shows two potential locations (S1 and S2) for a new supermarket in a
town called Garlsdon.

The main difference between the two sites is that S1 is outside the town,
whereas S2 is in the town centre. The sites can also be compared in terms of
access by road or rail, and their positions relative to three smaller towns.

Looking at the information in more detail, S1 is in the countryside to the north

west of Garlsdon, but it is close to the residential area of the town. S2 is also
close to the housing area, which surrounds the town centre.

There are main roads from Hindon, Bransdon and Cransdon to Garlsdon town
centre, but this is a no traffic zone, so there would be no access to S2 by car.
By contrast, S1 lies on the main road to Hindon, but it would be more difficult to
reach from Bransdon and Cransdon. Both supermarket sites are close to the
railway that runs through Garlsdon from Hindon to Cransdon.

126
 Vocabulary
To get a band 7, you don't need to learn "big" or "difficult" words. You need to
learn how to use words together. You need to use good collocations.
Collocations are groups of words that often go together. For example,
collocations like "increase significantly" are used in IELTS Writing Task 1.
Look for collocations in the speaking and writing lessons on this website. Here
are some examples:
 Health topic: a major cause, poor health, manual jobs, physical activity,
outdoor sports.
 Writing Task 1: noticeable feature, significantly higher, a dramatic
increase in.
 Describe a person: a major influence, a good role model, inherit traits,
set an example, a positive outlook.
Most learner dictionaries now show examples of how words are used in
common collocations and phrases. If you read a lot of English, you will see
collocations everywhere.

Tips
If you can use "less common" vocabulary correctly, that's great. However,
using "difficult" words or grammar often leads to lots of mistakes. It would be
better to choose "easy but accurate" language instead.
Here are the sentences with problems underlined:
1) The highest number of people residence in Australia are those living in
cities.
2) The highest population of birth are those born within Australia.
3) This figure was over 50% of those given birth to outside Australia.
Let's rewrite these sentences in an "easy but accurate" way:
1) The majority of Australians live in cities.
2) Most of the people who live in Australia were born there.
3) This was over 50% higher than the figure for people born outside Australia.
Task:
Can you rewrite sentence 1 using residence, resident(s) or reside correctly?
FROM SIMON:
You could write:
- The majority of Australians are residents of cities.
- The majority of Australians reside in cities.

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 Collocations
I'm sure you already know several common collocations for writing task 1 (e.g.
a significant rise, reach a peak), but why not make a list of as many as
possible? Let's start the list by looking through my recent task 1 lessons.
Collocations for any topic:

 distinct stages
 final steps
 at the... stage
 a significant rise
 over a/the period

Collocations for specific topics:

 produce electricity
 the capture of energy
 take energy, convert energy
 global turnover
 sales figures, worldwide sales

See if you can add to the list. I'll give you some more advice about
collocations this weekend.

LIst
proposed changes central area the principal change
ring road main road runs through
the planned pedestrianisation diverted traffic / to divert traffic
dual carriageway form a ring town centre
row of shops along either side of to make way for
bus station shopping centre car park housing area pedestrian street
reduced in size amount of time the time spent on
in terms of throughout the period the period shown
a dramatic increase in increased steadily
reached a peak the figure for the rise in
local calls
national calls international calls fixed line / landline calls
mobile calls overall usage user minutes

128
 Exercise
Emigration from the UK
The number of people leaving the UK for 12 months or more ______ ______
record ______ in 2008, ______ an estimated 427,000 people emigrating. This
______ ______ from 341,000 in 2007.
There has been a large ______ ______ the number of people emigrating for
work related reasons, particularly those with a definite job to go to. In 2008 an
estimated 136,000 people emigrated from the UK to take up a definite job,
______ ______ 100,000 in 2007.
- in - high - increase - up - reached - with (x2) -a -
compared - was
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
- REACHED A record HIGH... WITH - This WAS UP from
- a large INCREASE IN - COMPARED WITH

UK Household Expenditure in 2009

Household ______ ______ highest in the transport category, ______ £63 a
week. This included £21.10 per week ______ purchase of vehicles, £31.80 on
the operation of personal transport (such as petrol, diesel, repairs and
servicing) and £10.50 on transport services such as rail, tube and bus fares.
Food and non-alcoholic drink purchases ______ £51 to weekly household
expenditure - £13.10 of which ______ ______ on meat and fish, £3.70 on
fresh vegetables, and £3.00 on fresh fruit. Non-alcoholic drinks ______
______ £4.00 ______ weekly expenditure, and £2.10 per week was spent on
chocolate and confectionery.
Fill the gaps with the following words:
spent, spending, for, on, at, of, accounted, contributed, was (x2)
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
spending was / at / on / contributed / was spent / accounted for
/ of

129
 find one word to fill each gap below.
1) something is _____ risk _____ happening
2) the stopbank acts _____ a flood barrier
3) to stop something _____ happening
4) to prevent something _____ happening
5) _____ shown in the second diagram, there will be...
Note:
Some people would call this a grammar exercise. I prefer to see it as a
vocabulary (collocations) task.
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
1. at, of 2. as 3. from 4. from 5. As

Fill the gaps in the sentences below using the word 'with' or the word 'at'.

1. The figure for resources peaked in 1991 ______ 20%.

2. Bristol was the UK’s second city in terms of the number of cyclists,
______ 8,108 in 2001.
3. It is uncommon for families to own three or more cars, ______ only 2%
of households falling into this category.
4. The percentage change, ______ only 45%, was the lowest of the
twelve areas shown in the table.
5. The North East of England had the highest unemployment rate,
______ 10.1%.
6. France’s population was more evenly distributed across the age
ranges, ______ similar figures for each five-year cohort.

CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:

1. at 2. with 3. with 4. at 5. at 6. with

130
 Can you fill the gaps without checking my answer?
Use these words: at, in, on, to, for, by

1. the amount of time spent _____ people in the UK _____ three different
types of phone call
2. calls made via local, fixed lines were the most popular type, _____
terms of overall usage
3. the figures _____ all three types of phone call increased
4. the amount of time spent _____ local calls using landlines had
reached a peak _____ 90 billion minutes
5. the rise _____ the other two types of phone call continued
6. the figure _____ mobiles rose _____ around 45 billion minutes

1. by, on 2. in 3. for 4. on, at 5. in 6.

for, to

find one word to fill each gap below.

1. The US produced more waste than the other countries _____.

2. Rising _____ were seen in five out of the six countries.
3. Korea was the only country that _____ a fall in waste output.
4. In Ireland, waste production increased more than _____.
5. Korea managed to _____ its waste production between 1990 and
2000.
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
1. combined 2. trends 3. SAW 4. eightfold 5. cut /
reduce
Note: most people didn't get "saw" for number 3. Check that sentence if you
got it wrong.

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 Missing words:
risen, created, recorded, is, produced (x2), managed, given, had (x2), stood,
were, increased
The US, Japan and Korea ______ by far the most waste. In 1980, the US
______ 131 million tonnes of waste, while the figure for Japan ______ at 28
million tonnes. No figure ______ ______ for Korea in 1980, but in 1990, 31
million tonnes of waste ______ ______ in that country. By 2000, waste
production in the USA ______ ______ to 192 million tonnes, while Japan’s
figure ______ ______ to 53 million tonnes. However, Korea ______ to reduce
its output to 19 million tonnes. Ireland, Poland and Portugal only ______ a
total of around 30 million tonnes of waste between them, adding the figures
for all three years together.
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
1. produced (or created) 2. created (or produced) 3. stood
4.is given
5. were recorded 6. had increased (or risen) 7. had risen
(or increased)
8. managed 9. produced (or created)

What words would you use to fill the gaps?

1. The chart compares the _____ of hours of free time that men and
women had between 1998 and 1999.
2. It is _____ that men enjoyed more leisure time than women.
3. Unemployed males had just _____ 80 hours of leisure time per week.
4. The figures for retired men and women were exactly the same as
_____ for the unemployed.
5. Housewives enjoyed the next highest _____ of spare time.
6. Part-time working women enjoyed only 3 extra hours of leisure _____
to those who worked full-time.

CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:

1. number 2. clear 3. over / under (it depends whether you
have seen the chart or not)
4. THOSE 5. amount 6. COMPARED
*Look carefully at numbers 4 and 6!

132
Can you work out what the missing words in the paragraph below are?
In 1970, around 5 million people travelled to work by car each day, _____
_____ about 4 million who used the bus _____ _____ 2 million who
commuted by train. Over the next 30 years there was a significant increase in
the number of car users, to almost 7 million, _____ a steady rise in rail
passengers, to 3 million. _____ _____, the number of bus commuters
decreased slightly.
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
1. compared to (with) 2. and only (about / around) 3. and 4.
By contrast (In contrast)

Adverbs
The advice that I gave yesterday, about considering alternatives to adverbs,
doesn't apply to IELTS writing task 1. For example, look at these verb-adverb
phrases:

 increase dramatically
 rise steadily
 decrease significantly
 fall gradually

These phrases are fine, and I use them all the time.
If you avoid adverbs in task 1, you'll end up using words like this: soar, rocket,
shoot up, creep up, dive, plummet. These words are not appropriate for an
academic-style report, so I recommend that you avoid them.
Remember that you can also use adjective-noun phrases:

 a dramatic increase
 a steady rise
 a significant decrease
 a gradual fall

133
 Range and flexibility
If you look at the band 7 description for 'lexical resource' (vocabulary), you'll
see the words 'range' and 'flexibility'. You need to use a range of vocabulary in
a flexible way.
But how can we demonstrate 'range' in such a short piece of writing? And
what does 'flexibility' really mean in this context?
Let's look at two aspects of my most recent line graph answer.
1) Paraphrasing:

 average daily expenditure / daily spending / spent... per day

 types of traveller / international visitors / travellers / people visiting /
those visiting
 holidaymakers / tourists / vacationers
 friends or relatives / relations or friends / loved ones

2) Repetition:

 spent the most

 spent the least
 spent an average of
 spent around
 spent less than
 spent roughly
 spending was at its highest
 spending increased dramatically
 spending suddenly fell
 spending had risen to approximately

For me, paraphrasing is probably the best way to demonstrate 'range' and
'flexibility'. You are using a range of vocabulary items and your English is
'flexible' because you are able to describe the same thing in a number of
different ways.
Repetition is interesting, especially because most IELTS students see it as a
bad thing. This is not always true!
If you're describing a graph that shows spending, it's almost impossible to
avoid repetition of the words 'spent', 'spending' and 'expenditure'. However, if

134
you use these key words in a variety of contexts (i.e. with different words
around them), I think you are demonstrating 'flexible use'. You are showing
that you are able to use the same word in a number of different ways. I would
also argue that you are demonstrating 'control' or 'precision' if you can do this
without making mistakes; repetition is not necessarily as easy as it looks!

Paraphrasing
Projected growth in England's population is put at 5.9%, while the predicted
figures for Northern Ireland and Scotland are 4.2% and 3.2%.
And here are two easy ways to paraphrase it:
1) Put all three figures together and use 'respectively':
The populations of England, Northern Ireland and Scotland are expected to
grow by 5.9%, 4.2% and 3.2% respectively.
2) Divide the information between two sentences:
It is predicted that England will see a 5.9% increase in its population. By
contrast, lower population growth rates are projected for Northern Ireland, at
4.2%, and Scotland, at only 3.2%.

show = give information about

public in the US = US residents, Americans, those surveyed

reasons for travel = why... travelled, trips were for the purpose of, for...
reasons, was cited as the reason for... , accounted for...

travel to and from work = to commute, commuting

price = cost

main issue(s) = problems, primary concern, key consideration, foremost

concern, most important issue

135
 Did you notice the paraphrasing that I used in Thursday's lesson?

 the amount of time = the time spent

 10 to 15-year-olds = aged between 10 and 15
 chatting on the Internet = chatting online = chat online = engage in
online conversation
 playing on games consoles = playing computer games = play on their
consoles
 more popular = boys favour = girls prefer
 the majority of = most of them = most girls

and the comparisons that I made

 ...is more popular than...

 Boys favour... / By contrast, girls prefer...
 while 85% of boys..., only 55%...
 close to 70% of girls..., compared to about 50% of this cohort who...
 most of them..., whereas most…

Instead of the phrase "the numbers of residents cycling to work", I wrote:

 the numbers of people who cycled to work

 the number of UK commuters who travelled to work by bicycle
 the number of cycling commuters
 ...residents commuted by bicycle
 this figure
 total numbers of cycling commuters
 figures for

It doesn't matter that I often repeated the word 'number' (it's normal to repeat
this word in English). What the examiner will notice is that I am able to
express "residents cycling to work" in a variety of ways. Doing this is harder
than it looks!

136
A good idea would be to go through all of my sample task 1 reports, and
make a list of paraphrased items.

Working back from my most recent lesson, here's some paraphrasing that I
used in my introductions:
graph = line graph
trends in = changes in
US consumption = consumption in the United States
chart = flow chart (also: bar chart, pie chart, table)
the process of paper recycling = how paper is recycled
the diagram = the figure
shows = illustrates
to produce forecasts = to forecast
shows = compares
the total number = the overall number
various mobile phone features = different functions of mobile phones
maps show = diagrams illustrate
an island before and after = some changes to an island
proportion = percentage
information = data
the number of = the figure for
the proportion of = the figure for
people in the USA = Americans
from 1999 to 2009 = between 1999 and 2009
from 1999 to 2009 = over a period of 10 years
how to produce = the process of producing
in three countries = in the UK, France and Spain (i.e. name the countries)

137
 Good to use
 The line graph compares..... in terms of.....
 waste output / waste produced / amount of waste / waste material /
waste production
 there were significant changes in
 company A produced....., while companies B and C produced..... and.....
respectively
 the respective amounts of waste from companies A and B
 around / approximately / roughly
 saw + noun + noun: saw an increase in waste production
 saw + noun + verb: saw waste output fall
 past perfect after "by": By 2015..... had risen / had dropped
 cut waste production
 reduced its waste production
 over the following 5 years
 over the same 10-year period

One person:

 He is 10 years old.
 He is a 10-year-old.
 He is aged 10.

More than one person:

 The children in the class are all 10 years old.

 It is a class of 10-year-olds (or "10-year-old children").
 The children in the class are all aged 10.

Age groups with more than one person:

 The chart shows the preferred hobbies of children (who are) between 10
and 12 years old.
 The chart shows the preferred hobbies of 10- to 12-year-olds (or "10- to
12-year-old children").
 The chart shows the preferred hobbies of children aged 10 to 12.

Note: If you miss the hyphens (-), it's not a big problem. It won't affect your
score.

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Words(Including Comparison)
A few students have asked me about how to use 'double', 'twice as', 'three
times', 'twofold', 'threefold' etc. Compare how each word/phrase is used in the
following examples:

1. 'double' (verb)
The number of unemployed people doubled between 2005 and 2009.

2. 'twice as...as/compared to', 'three times as...as/compared to'

There were twice as many unemployed people in 2009 as in 2005.
Twice as many people were unemployed in 2009 compared to 2005.

3. 'twofold', 'threefold' (adjective or adverb)

There was a twofold increase in the number of unemployed people between
2005 and 2009. (adjective with the noun 'increase')
The number of unemployed people increased twofold between 2005 and
2009. (adverb with the verb 'increase')

A few people have asked me about using 'see' to describe numbers on a

graph or chart. Look at the following sentence:

 In Britain, CD sales increased dramatically in the 1980s.

We can write the same sentence in various ways using 'see':

 Britain saw a dramatic increase in CD sales in the 1980s.

 The 1980s saw a dramatic increase in CD sales in Britain.
 British shops saw CD sales increase dramatically in the 1980s.

139
 Don't describe items on a graph or chart in terms of coming first, second or
last. This makes it seem like you're describing a competition!
For example, don't write:

 Theme parks were first.

 Theme parks came first, and museums were in second place.
 In last place were wildlife parks and zoos.

Instead, you should write:

 Theme parks were the most popular type of tourist attraction.

 Theme parks attracted the highest proportion of visitors, and museums
were the second most visited attraction.
 Wildlife parks and zoos were the least popular of the four types of tourist
attraction.

To & By
In IELTS writing task 1, you might need to use verbs like increase, decrease,
rise and fall. These verbs can be followed by the words 'to' and 'by', but what's
the difference?
Let's use these figures:
- Company profit in 2005 = £20,000
- Company profit in 2010 = £25,000
Now compare these sentences:
- Company profit rose to £25,000 in 2010.
- Company profit rose by £5,000 between 2005 and 2010.
It's easy: 'to' is used before the new figure, and 'by' is used to show the
change. It's the same when you are talking about a fall.

140
Several people have asked me to explain how to use to, by, with and at
when describing numbers. Here are some examples to give you a basic idea
of the differences:
1) Use to when describing what happened to the number:
In 2008, the rate of unemployment rose to 10%.
2) Use by when describing the amount of change between two numbers:
In 2009, the rate of unemployment fell by 2% (from 10% to 8%).
3) Use with to give the idea of 'having' the number:
Obama won the election with 52% of the vote.
4) Use at to add the number on the end of a sentence:
Unemployment reached its highest level in 2008, at 10%.

Increasing
When describing changes I prefer to avoid words like soar, rocket and
plummet because they are too "sensationalist" - they exaggerate too much,
and are more journalistic than academic in style.
Instead, we can demonstrate good control of grammar by using words like
increase, rise and fall as both nouns and verbs:
- London saw a significant increase in the cost of homes. (noun)
- The cost of homes in London increased significantly. (verb)
- There was a rise in house prices between 1990 and 1995. (noun)
- House prices rose between 1990 and 1995. (verb)
- There was a 7% fall in the average house price in Tokyo. (noun)
- The average Tokyo house price fell by 7%. (verb)
I suggested that you should avoid using words like soar, rocket and plummet
when describing changes on a graph or chart. I explained that these words
exaggerate too much, and that they are not 'academic'.
But someone asked this sensible question:

141
 How can we get a high score for lexical resource (vocabulary) if we only use
common words like 'increase', 'rise' and 'fall'?
The quick answer is that it's better to use 'less common vocabulary' for other
aspects of your description. If you analyse this band 9 essay, you'll see that I
used common words like rose, decreased, reaching and dropped to describe
changes, but I managed to use 'less common vocabulary' for other aspects of
my description e.g. global turnover, devices, namely, platform.
In Thursday's lesson I told you not to use words like soar, rocket, shoot up,
creep up, dive and plummet in IELTS writing task 1.
But what's wrong with those words?
The problem with those words is that they are too figurative for writing task 1.
Think about the normal use of these verbs (e.g. the bird soared into the air,
the climber plummeted to his death). If you use these words to describe
figures on a graph, it seems too sensational or exaggerated. This is why I
prefer to stick with increase, decrease, rise and fall.
So can we ever use these words to describe figures?
If you're writing for a newspaper, yes you can! You'll often see phrases like
this in newspapers: house prices soared, share prices plummeted, the price
of petrol crept up. Newspapers and magazines love idiomatic and descriptive
language, but this style does not suit academic graph descriptions.

Million
Students often make mistakes with thousands, millions and billions. It might
seem strange, but you should say "10 million" not "10 millions". It's the same
with hundred, thousand and billion. Try to avoid this mistake in writing task 1 -
examiners notice it!
Correct: 10 million people
Wrong: 10 millions people, 10 millions of people, 10 million of people
Note:
When there is no number, we do write "millions of".
e.g. Millions of people travel abroad each year.

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With & At
few people told me that they were still confused about the difference. The best
way to see the difference is by trying to present the same information using
both words. For example:
AT:
Petrol prices were particularly high in January, at £1.30 per litre.
WITH:
Petrol prices were particularly high in January, with a litre costing £1.30.
Rise & Raise
These two words are often confused by students. Here is the main difference:
 something rises (e.g. the price rose)
 somebody raises something (e.g. the company raised the price)
"Rise" (rose, risen) can be a verb or a noun. I often use it for IELTS writing
task 1:
 The price of cigarettes rises every year. (verb, present)
 In 2008, the number of customers rose from 100 to 200. (verb, past)
 There has been a dramatic rise in Internet usage in the UK. (noun)
 In 2008, the UK saw a rise in the divorce rate. (noun)
"Raise" (raised) is almost always a verb. You probably won't use it for task 1:
 The Government raises the price of cigarettes every year.
 Charities work to raise the standard of living in developing countries.

Highest V.S. The Highest

Most grammar books will tell you that you need "the" before a superlative like
"highest" or "lowest", but this is not always true.

 We use "the" when there is a noun after the adjective e.g. the highest
number, the highest proportion.
 When we put the noun before, we don't need "the" e.g. the number was
highest, the proportion was highest.

So, compare these 2 sentences:

- The UK had the highest rate of unemployment.
- The unemployment rate was highest in the UK.

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 Active V.S. Passive
Active verbs for a natural process:

 the moth lays its eggs

 silkworm larvae hatch from the eggs
 these larvae feed on mulberry leaves

Passive verbs for a production process:

 a cocoon is selected and then boiled in water

 the silk thread is unwound
 strands of thread are twisted together
 the thread can be dyed
 it can be woven

Symnonyms
Some students learn 10 different ways to write the word "shows" (e.g. the
graph shows). They find words like depicts, indicates, reveals, displays,
exhibits etc. But none of these words are really appropriate for the kind of
essay we are writing.
I advise my students to keep it simple and avoid making mistakes. Just learn
one or two different ways to write the same thing. For example:

 shows = illustrates / compares

 graph = line graph
 chart = bar chart / pie chart
 the number of = the figure for
 increased = rose / saw an increase / there was a rise

144
Show
I explained why I only recommend using shows, illustrates and compares
in your task 1 introduction. There are plenty of other synonyms for the word
"shows", but almost all of them will look strange in the context of a description
of a graph or chart.
One other possibility that I also occasionally use is the phrase "gives
information about". Look at the introduction below, for example.
I often meet students who have learnt ten different ways to paraphrase "the
graph shows". If you look in a dictionary, you'll find many synonyms for the
word "show" (e.g. display, exhibit, parade, depict, convey). But is it a good
idea to use these synonyms?
The answer is no.
First, most synonyms of the word "show" are not appropriate for descriptions
of a graph or chart. The phrase "the graph exhibits" will look very strange to
the examiner. Second, if you learn ten synonyms, you'll probably waste time
deciding which one to use.
I tell my students to remember just two synonyms for "shows": compares and
illustrates (e.g. the bar chart compares; the diagram illustrates). It won't help
your score if you use a strange synonym that you found in a dictionary.

Hyphen(no ‘s before noun)

Look at the following (correct) phrases:

 over the 10-year period

 the charts show three 10-year periods

Now compare those phrases with two more:

 over the period of 10 years

 the charts show three periods of 10 years

145
 Variety and Repetition
In my answer, I did try to add some variety where I felt that an alternative word
or phrase worked well. For example, instead of "participation in" I also wrote:
- took part in taking part
- played were enrolled in
- practised doing
But repetition can also be positive
I wasn't too worried about repeating the key ideas (spending and participation)
a few times. I wrote "parents spent" three times and I used the word
"participation" four times. It can help the coherence of your writing if a key
word or phrase is repeated, because this helps the reader to make
connections between ideas in different sentences. Too much variety can
confuse the reader. For example, it will seem very strange if you use 10
different synonyms for a word like "spending".
Remember: variety is good, but repetition is also normal.

Statistical Term
Here's a useful question that someone asked me:
Is it a good idea to use statistical terms such as linear / exponential growth
instead of more general phrases like gradual / significant increase?
My answer is no. I don't advise you to write about linear or exponential growth
in writing task 1. You are not expected to have any technical knowledge of
statistics in this task, and so this kind of "statistics language" seems a little
forced and inappropriate to me.
Just use the 'normal' phrases that I use in my example answers here on the
blog. Don't try to write like a professional statistician, and don't use the
exaggerated language

146
Form
A good way to vary the language you use is by learning different word forms.
For example:
Verbs and nouns
- the number increased
- there was an increase in the number
- UK house prices fell
- the UK saw a fall in house prices
Adverbs and adjectives
- sales rose dramatically
- there was a dramatic rise in sales
- with sales reaching €3 million and €15 million respectively
- with sales of the two respective products reaching €3 million and €15 million
Tip:
Use a dictionary to find some different forms of words that you already know.
This is a good way to improve your English in general, not only for writing task
1.

Verbs and Nouns for trends

In the following sentences the verbs are underlined. Can you rewrite the same
sentences using nouns (e.g. a rise) instead of verbs?
1. In 2013, UK house prices rose by 10%.
2. The number of university applicants fell by 5% from 1999 to 2009.
3. The price of petrol increased significantly in 2009.
There are several possibilities for each sentence, but here are three that
seem 'natural' to me:
1. In 2013, there was a 10% rise in UK house prices.
2. There was a 5% fall in the number of university applicants between 1999
and 2009.
3. There was a significant increase in the price of petrol in 2009.
Notice that it's very common to use "there was" with nouns that show change.
An interesting alternative when describing a change in a particular country is
to use "see". For example:
1. In 2013, the UK saw a 10% rise in house prices.

147
 Grammar
exercise
Fill each gap with one word.

1. the amount of money spent _____ coffee

2. sales of coffee _____ up in 2004
3. the UK saw by _____ the highest levels of spending
4. revenue _____ bananas was highest in the UK, _____ €15 million
5. the year 2004 _____ dramatic increases _____ the money spent

CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:

1. on 2. went 3. far 4. from, at 5. saw, in

With
Look at the following sentence from one of my task 1 answers:
A dramatic increase in both commodity prices was seen from 2007 to 2008,
withoil prices reaching a peak of approximately $130 per barrel and the food
price index rising to 220 points.
Notice how this sentence is written: first I state the overall trend, then there is a
comma, then I add the statistics using "with + ing".

By
A student asked me about the two uses of the word "by" in these sentences:
Korea was the only country that managed to reduce its waste output by the
year 2000. Korea cut its waste output by 12 million tonnes between 1990 and
2000.
Questions:
1. Can you explain how "by" is used in the two cases above?
2. What is the difference between "by the year 2000" and "in the year 2000"?

148
Tenses
Present simple - to describe what the graph shows us now

 the line graph compares

 a strong correlation is suggested (passive)

Past simple - to describe past years e.g. 2000 to 2011

 prices of both oil and food rose

 the trends for both commodities were very similar
 the average global oil price was close to $25
 the food price index stood at just under 90 points
 both prices remained relatively stable
 the average oil price rose once again
 the food price index reached its peak
 a dramatic increase in both commodity prices was seen (passive)

Past perfect - to describe what happened before and up to a past time

 By 2007, the average oil price had more than doubled

 and (by 2007) food prices had risen by around 50 points

Past perfect and past simple in the same sentence

 By the beginning of 2009 the price of oil had dropped by roughly $90,
and the food price index was down by about 80 points.

Several people have asked me to explain how the past perfect tense can be
used in writing task 1. The example below might help.
Look at the following description:
In 2002, the cost of an average house in the UK was £130,000. By 2007, the
average house price had risen to almost £190,000.
Notice the verbs used with "in" and "by":

 I used "in" with the past simple "was" to talk about what happened in
one year only (2002).
 I used "by" with the past perfect "had risen" to talk about an increase
that happened in the years before 2007 (from 2002 to 2007).

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 Passive for Processes
When describing a graph or chart, you almost never need to use the passive.
However, you probably will use the passive when describing a process
diagram.
Imagine we have a diagram that shows the process of recycling used glass.
One step in the process is labelled "grinding machine" (to grind means to
crush or reduce into small particles).

Do you know the past participle of the verb grind? If you don't, you won't be
able to make a passive sentence. But don't worry; there are various ways to
describe this step.
Using a different verb:
1. Next, the glass passes through a grinding machine. (active form of 'pass')
2. Next, the glass is passed through a grinding machine. (passive form of
'pass')
3. Next, a grinding machine is used to crush the glass. (passive form of 'use')
If you know the verb 'grind' and its past participle 'ground':
1. Next, a machine grinds the glass. (active)
2. Next, the glass is ground in a machine. (passive)
I would probably use the last sentence above in my report, but the others are
all acceptable.

150
Task2

151
 Preparation for Task 2
Purpose
If you are aiming for band 5, 5.5 or 6:

You can reach band 6 with fairly 'easy' language if your essay structure is good,
your ideas are relevant to the question topic, and you write at least 250 words.
Look through the writing task 2 lessons on this website to learn how to write
introductions, main paragraphs and conclusions, and work on writing short,
simple sentences to express your ideas.
When people get band 5 or below, it is often because they don't finish their
essays, they go off-topic, they have no idea about good essay structure, or
they try to use 'difficult' language and therefore make lots of mistakes. For
bands 5 to 6, keep your essays simple and clear.

If you are aiming for band 7 or higher:

First, you need to do everything that I mentioned above: you need relevant
ideas, a good essay structure, and you must write at least 250 words.
But to reach the higher scores, your essays need more 'depth'. You need to
explain your ideas in more detail, using a wider range of vocabulary. At this
level, good essay structure is not enough, and memorised linking phrases
won't help either. Your focus should be on real content.

Many people who need band 7 seem to get stuck at band 6.5, especially in the
writing test. I've written about this here and here, but a student asked me to
give a bit more advice about how to move from 6.5 to 7.
As I said in the lessons linked above, band 6.5 in writing is very close to band 7,
so you only need to make a small improvement in the quality of your essays.

But where will this small improvement come from? Here are some tips:

First, if you want to make this small improvement quickly, I don't recommend
that you focus on grammar. Improving your grammatical accuracy is probably
going to be a slow and gradual process.

152
So that leaves us with 3 possible areas for improvement: task response,
coherence and cohesion, and vocabulary.

In my experience, the secret to improving in all three areas is planning. A good

plan will ensure that you answer the question, and that your answer is coherent
and well structured. Hopefully it will also contain some good ideas (i.e.
vocabulary).
Without a good plan, I find it very difficult to "improvise" a coherent essay, so
I'm sure that you do too. Give yourself more planning time (around 10 minutes),
and you'll write better essays.

The examiners' band descriptor sheet states that a band 7 essay "presents a
clear position throughout the response".

A "clear position" means that your opinion must be clear (if the question asks
for it), and "throughout the response" means from the beginning to the end of
your essay.
For this reason, it's a bad idea to save your opinion for the conclusion. We don't
like 'surprise conclusions' in English academic writing. Instead, you should
state your position in the introduction, support it in your main paragraphs, and
repeat or summarise it in the conclusion.

Many students only do one thing to prepare for writing task 2: they write lots of
full essays. Although it's obviously important to practise writing full essays,
there are other things that I think you should be doing.

Here are some study ideas for writing task 2:

1) Break the task into parts

Instead of writing a full essay today, why not try writing 5 different introductions
using my 2-sentence technique? Or challenge yourself to write 3 different
main-body paragraphs about "advantages" (e.g. advantages of mobile phones,
homeschooling and immigration) - use this lesson to help you. Or write 5
different conclusions - just one sentence each, summarising your response to 5
different questions.

153
 2) Do some research
Instead of worrying about one particular question, try to find 10 recent exam
questions (maybe using this page). Write the questions on a piece of paper,
decide what the general topic is for each one (e.g. advertising, prisons, life
expectancy) and do some research about those topics. Don't worry about the
exact question, just try to "collect" good ideas and vocabulary for the overall
topic. A quick search on Google or Wikipedia should give you what you need.
3) What do you believe?
A big problem for some students is that they don't have well-formed opinions.
They're not sure what to write about topics like homeschooling, immigration or
gun control. The good news is that there is no 'correct' opinion - the examiner is
only looking at how well you express your opinions in English. So, after doing
some research (see point 2 above), make sure you have an opinion of your
own.

How to write faster

The first step is to write better, not faster. If you can't get the score you need
when it takes you 2 hours to write an essay, you won't be able to write a good
essay in 40 minutes.

The next step is to break the 40 minutes into smaller parts.

For example, you could practise writing introductions in only 5 minutes. Don't
work on full essays yet; just practise the parts according to my advice in this
lesson.
Separate the 'thinking' from the 'writing'. I do all my thinking (planning or
brainstorming) in the first 10 minutes. When I'm happy with my essay plan, I
start writing. I try to stick to my plan so that I can focus on writing rather than
more thinking.

Finally, remember that improvements happen gradually. You have to be

prepared to do the hard work: practising lots of essays and parts of essays,
preparing ideas and opinions for topics, building your vocabulary repertoire,
and learning from mistakes. Do the work and you'll get better and faster!

154
Rules
Examiners are not looking for "academic" words. There is nothing in the
scoring criteria that tells examiners to do this. Instead, examiners are told to
look for a wide range of vocabulary, collocations, and some less common
vocabulary.
IELTS writing (especially task 2) is more like a high school writing task, rather
than a university assignment. At university you are expected to use research as
the basis of your writing, but in the IELTS test you only have your own ideas
and opinions. You are even told that you can use examples from your own
personal experience in IELTS writing task 2. This isn't very "academic"!
So, it's best to ignore the word "academic". Ignore any advice that relates to
university academic writing; IELTS writing has its own 'rules' and requirements,
and I do my best to explain these here on the blog.
You'll waste time that you could have spent on your main body paragraphs. Or
you could finish your essay and spend time checking it.

Recognize the questions

Do the following questions ask for your opinion or not?

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Is this a positive or negative development?
What are the benefits and drawbacks?

Answers:
- Numbers 2 and 6 are discussion questions. Discuss both sides of the issue,
but don't give an opinion about which side you agree with.
- Numbers 1 and 5 are opinion questions. Give your opinion and support it. If
you have a strong opinion, you don't need to mention the other side of the
argument.
- Numbers 3 and 4 can be called discussion + opinion questions. Discuss both
sides and make your opinion clear too.

155
 Specific study order
1. Essay structure and paragraphs
The first thing to do is find an essay structure that works for you. You probably
know that I prefer to write 4 paragraphs, and maybe you've seen how I write
2-sentence introductions, 5-sentence main paragraphs and 1-sentence
conclusions. Try this: take some essays that you have already written, and
rewrite them so that they all have the same number of paragraphs and
sentences.

2. Question types
You need to see examples of the four question types, and make sure you know
how to answer each type using your preferred essay structure.

3. Planning, and isolated paragraph practice

Take several different questions, and practise planning ideas. Then spend
some time focusing only on introductions e.g. write an introduction for five
different questions. Then do the same with conclusions. Then try writing
different types of main paragraph e.g. an 'advantages' paragraph, an 'opinion'
paragraph, a 'problem' paragraph etc.

4. Topic ideas
When you are confident that you know how to write an essay, it's time to start
working through as many common IELTS writing topics as possible. Even if
you don't write a full essay for each topic, you should at least plan some ideas
and opinions.

5. Mistakes, corrections and improvements

Try to find someone who can check your writing, highlight and explain your
mistakes, and show you how to improve your essays.

156
Keypoint
Task repsonse
answer the question very clearly. Then, within the body paragraphs there are
well-developed ideas to support my answer.The essay fully addresses the task;
it is "on topic" at all times, and it definitely answers the question.
The position (opinion / overall answer) is clear throughout the essay. It is
presented in the introduction, and then supported in the rest of the essay (with
no surprises in the conclusion!). Ideas are "fully extended" (explained in depth)
and well supported.

Coherence and cohesion

4 paragraphs containing 13 sentences in total. The essay is easy to read
because it is well organised and the ideas are developed in a very clear, logical
way. Linking words (e.g. and, similarly, this, for example, mentioned above,
firstly, secondly, finally, while, which) are used to connect ideas, but the linking
doesn't distract the reader from the content.
Ideas are presented in a logical and organised way.
There is definitely a good "flow" to the essay, so that the argument builds and
develops. Paragraphing is well managed, and each paragraph is well
constructed.
Cohesive devices (linking) are used in an effective but subtle way - they help
with the development of ideas, but do not overshadow those ideas.

Lexical resource (vocabulary)

A wide range of vocabulary is used.
Remember that your vocabulary score comes from your use of 'topic
vocabulary', not linking words or phrases.

Grammatical range and accuracy

A wide range of structures is used.
There are no mistakes!
The essay contains a mix of long and short sentences, and there are no
mistakes. Remember: as soon as you use connecting words like, and, while or
which, you will automatically create compound or complex sentences, so
there's no need to worry about "complex grammatical structures".

157
 Words from the questions
While it's important to show that you can paraphrase the question and explain
your ideas in a variety of ways, I believe that you should use words from the
question somewhere in your essays. But why? Here are 3 reasons:

The first reason is easy: some words/phrases are difficult to paraphrase.

For example, in my essay about 'living alone' I found it difficult to avoid using
the phrase 'live alone'. Almost every sentence refers to this topic, and nobody
expects you to find ten or more different synonyms.

The second reason is more interesting: repeating certain key words or

phrases helps to hold your essay together. The reader cannot miss the
connection between ideas (whereas he/she might miss the connection if you
use too many synonyms). Politicians often use this technique in their speeches
e.g. Barack Obama's famous "Yes we can" speech.

The third reason is equally important: repeating words from the question
helps to keep you "on topic". Refer to the question to show the examiner that
you are answering it. This can help your 'task response' score.
Idea:

Take one of my sample essays, or a sample essay from an IELTS book.

Underline key words in the question, then highlight those words in the essay. If
the writer used words from the question, it was probably for one of the 3
reasons above. A good essay is likely to have a nice balance between words
that are taken from the question and the use of synonyms or paraphrasing.

158
Analyzing the Essays
There are lots of sample answers for writing task 2. If you analyse them
carefully, you'll learn about planning or selecting ideas, paragraph building and
sentence structure; you'll also find some good vocabulary ideas that you can
'steal' from me.

Another thing you'll notice is that my answers are not perfect (although they are
good enough for a band 9). There is always something that could be added, or
an idea that could be better developed. But this is normal when you have a
time limit, and when you're only expected to write 150 or 250 words.

You can learn a lot by analysing a well-written essay. Here's a quick analysis of
the essay:

Method
As usual, I wrote 4 paragraphs containing 13 sentences in total. If you always
follow the same writing method, you'll feel confident that you know exactly how
to write your essay in the exam. If you have time, look at my 13 sentences
again and analyse what each one is doing.

Style
I consider task 2 essays (like the one I wrote) to be "high school style" essays,
rather than "university level" essays. This is because we're writing about our
own ideas and opinions; we don't have access to any research. Task 2 essays
should be clear and easy to read, with a focus on relevant ideas and good
'topic vocabulary'. You won't have time to develop the kind of detailed
arguments that a university teacher would expect, so imagine that you're
writing for your high school teacher!

159
 Choose one method
Imagine a tennis player who decides to change her / his serving action, or a
guitarist who experiments with a new way of holding the instrument, or an artist
who decides to paint in a new style. In each case, the person's performance
will probably get worse before it gets better.
But this is what I see happening with many IELTS students. Some of them keep
trying new ways of writing, while others haven't thought about having a
'method' at all - they write each essay in a different way without realising it.
Consequently, their scores either fluctuate or stay the same.

The only way to hone your writing skill is to choose a method or way of writing
and then practise it as much as possible.

If you look at the official band descriptors for writing task 2, you'll find this
phrase in the band 9 description for 'coherence and cohesion':

"uses cohesion in such a way that it attracts no attention"

So how do you connect your ideas (cohesion) without attracting too much
attention? I think there are 2 possible ways:

Explain your ideas in a logical order so that you don't need many linking words.
This is probably what you do when writing in your own language.
Use easy linking words like and, but, also, firstly, secondly, finally, for example.
These are so common that they attract almost no attention.
If you read the essay in this lesson, you'll notice that I don't "show off" with long
linking phrases. The linking is subtle, and the focus is on answering the
question with good ideas.

160
About the practice
Most people don't like rewriting essays because it seems boring. And the
people who do rewrite essays usually only do this because they need to correct
grammar mistakes.

But good rewriting is about more than just grammar corrections; there are
many other things that you could improve, such as:

How well you address the question.

Clarity of your position sentences or phrases that are vague or irrelevant.

Level of detail in your explanations, overall paragraph structure,paragraph
movement.

Coherence between neighbouring sentences

Repetition and variety of vocabulary

Use of connectives to link sentence clauses, anything else that 'tightens up'
your writing

Imagine how much you could learn if you rewrote one essay five times (or
more!) to address all of these areas.

Warning 1:
You'll need help from a teacher to do this properly. Show him or her this lesson
so that you both understand what you're aiming to do.

Warning 2:
This is the kind of hard work that most people aren't prepared to do. But it's the
kind of work that yields real results!

161
 Structure Task 2
Problem & Solution Essay:
An 'opinion' question asks for your view, not the views of other people, and you
don't have to give both sides of the argument. Just make your opinion clear in
the introduction, then explain it in the rest of the essay.
1. Introduction (2 sentences): keep your introduction short and simple
First introduce the topic. I often begin with the phrase "People have different
views about...".

In the second sentence, gives a short, general answer to the question

mention both views and your own opinion. I often use the word "although" in
this sentence e.g. Although there are good arguments in favour of..., I
personally believe that...

Sample
It is true that children's behaviour seems to be getting worse. There are various
reasons for this, and both schools and parents need to work together to
improve the situation.

2. The first view(Problem)

Summarise the main problems of inactive lifestyle.Sentences 2-3 - state
and explain the first problem (you can also give an example). It’s very important
to expand your opinion! Imagine that your examiner doesn’t know this subject
at all and you have to explain everything in detail.Sentences 4-5 - describe the
second problem (as usual, expand your opinion). You can give an example and
use linking words ‘moreover’, ’what’s more’or ‘also’ to start
3. The second view(solutions)
Briefly state the main solutions. Sentences 2-3 - write the first
solution and explain it. Sentences 4-5 - describe the second solution
(don’t forget to expand your opinion!)
4. Conclusion:
Write your conclusion in 2 sentences by summing up the problems
and solutions you’ve written in your body paragraphs

162
Discussion (& Opinion) Essay:
A 'discussion' question requires you to write about both sides of the argument,
and you should write a similar amount for each view. If the question also asks
for your opinion, you don't need an extra paragraph. Just make it clear in the
introduction and conclusion which of the two views you agree with.

1. Introduction (2 sentences): keep your introduction short and simple

First introduce the topic. I often begin with the phrase "People have different
views about...".

In the second sentence, gives a short, general answer to the question

mention both views and your own opinion. I often use the word "although" in
this sentence e.g. Although there are good arguments in favour of..., I
personally believe that...

Sample
People have different views about how children should be taught. While there
are some good arguments in favour of teaching children to be competitive, I
believe that it is better to encourage cooperation.

2. The first view

State first viewpoint.

3. The second view

State first viewpoint.

4. Conclusion
State which one is better.

Some IELTS writing task 2 questions ask: "Do the advantages outweigh the
disadvantages?" or "Do the benefits outweigh the drawbacks?"

My advice for these questions is to write a paragraph about each side, and
make it clear in the introduction and conclusion which side outweighs the other
(i.e. your opinion about whether there are more advantages or disadvantages).

163
 Opinion (Agree / Disagree) Essay:
Simply write a paragraph explaining the problem(s) and a paragraph explaining
the solution(s). Some questions ask about 'causes' or 'effects': these would be
part of the 'problem' paragraph.

Strong answer, two supporting ideas

1. Introduce the topic, then state a strong opinion (e.g. I completely agree)
2. Main paragraph: explain one reason for your opinion
3. Main paragraph: explain another reason for your opinion
4. Conclusion: repeat / summarise your view

Strong answer, refute the opposite view

1. Introduce the topic, then state a strong opinion (e.g. I completely agree)
2. Main paragraph: explain your opinion
3. Main paragraph: explain why you think the opposite view is wrong
4. Conclusion: repeat / summarise your view

Balanced opinion
1. Introduce the topic, then explain that you have a balanced view
2. Main paragraph: explain your views on one side of the argument
3. Main paragraph: explain why you also recognise the opposite view
4. Conclusion: repeat / summarise your views

Almost balanced opinion, but favouring one side

1. Introduce the topic, then use a "while" sentence (while I accept A, I believe B)
2. Main paragraph: explain why you accept one side of the argument
3. Main paragraph: but explain why you still favour the opposite view
4. Conclusion: repeat / summarise your views

Task:
I have used all four of the 'systems' above in different essays here on the blog.
Can you find and link to an example essay for each system?

164
For 'agree or disagree' essays, do you think you should give both sides of the
argument or just one side? The answer is that you can do either.

A) Essay structure for one side of the argument:

Introduction: topic + your opinion (either agree or disagree)
First idea to support your opinion
Second idea to support your opinion
Conclusion: repeat your opinion

B) Essay structure for giving both sides:

Introduction: topic + say that you 'partly agree'
On the one hand,...
On the other hand,...
Conclusion: repeat that you accept elements of both arguments
Remember: it's very important to get the introduction right. This tells the
examiner whether you are going to give one side of the argument or both sides.
For 'agree or disagree' essays, do you think you should give both sides of the
argument or just one side? The answer is that you can do either.

A) Essay structure for one side of the argument:

Introduction: topic + your opinion (either agree or disagree)
First idea to support your opinion
Second idea to support your opinion
Conclusion: repeat your opinion

B) Essay structure for giving both sides:

Introduction: topic + say that you 'partly agree'
On the one hand,...
On the other hand,...
Conclusion: repeat that you accept elements of both arguments
Remember: it's very important to get the introduction right. This tells the
examiner whether you are going to give one side of the argument or both sides.

165
 2-Part Question Essay:
they are direct questions. This means that it is less likely you will stray off-topic
while writing.
1. Introduction (2 sentences): keep your introduction short and simple
Introduce the topic and briefly answer both questions.
First introduce the topic. I often begin with the phrase "People have different
views about...".

In the second sentence, gives a short, general answer to the question

mention both views and your own opinion. I often use the word "although" in
this sentence e.g. Although there are good arguments in favour of..., I
personally believe that...

Sample
It is true that some people are hard-working and diligent while others prefer not
to push themselves, and there could be various reasons for these different
attitudes. In my view, a positive work ethic is desirable up to a point, but too
much hard work can be counterproductive and even unhealthy.

2. The first view

Answer the first question.

3. The second view (I make it clear that I agree with this view)
Answer the second quesiton.

4. Conclusion:
summarise both answers and your own opinion

166
Key to high Score
If you want to get the highest score possible with your current level of English:

Focus on answering the question well

This means that you need good ideas (which is why planning is important).
Explain your ideas in detail in the main body paragraphs.

Work on topic vocabulary rather than 'any essay vocabulary'

Forget about 'complex structures' and 'difficult words'. When you try too hard to
make your writing look difficult, it usually just seems strange or wrong.

Keep your essay structure simple

a short introduction and conclusion, and two well-developed main body
paragraphs.

Write 13 sentences for writing task 2

Introduction: 2 sentences
First main body paragraph: 5 sentences
Second main body paragraph: 5 sentences
Conclusion: 1 sentence

it seems a lot less scary if you think that your task is to write just 13 sentences!
Please note: It is not a 'rule' that you must write 13 sentences. This is just my
approach or method.

Write two sentences to introduce the topic, then give a general answer
In those two sentences you should briefly mention everything that the question
mentions.Demonstrate that you can paraphrase the ideas in the question.

Don't save any surprises for the conclusion

Give your opinion in the introduction if the question asks for it.

167
 Overall Review

If you're using my 4-paragraph essay approach, your essays only need to

contain two main ideas - one for each main body paragraph.

But there is a difference between the main idea and the supporting points. For
example, the main idea could be "there are several advantages", and each
advantage is a supporting point. Start a new paragraph for each main idea, but
not for each supporting point.

Express your main idea for each paragraph in a 'topic sentence' at the
beginning of the paragraph. Then explain that idea with either one, two or three
supporting points.

Your real opinion isn't always the best opinion to give when answering an
IELTS question. I tell my students to brainstorm ideas before they decide which
opinion to give. You might find that there are more (or better) arguments for a
view that you wouldn't agree with in the 'real world'.

If the question asks whether you agree or disagree, it is asking for your opinion.
You should express your opinion in the introduction, and support it in the rest of
the essay.

168
 Writing Strategies
If you start writing your essay straight away, without preparing some ideas first,
you will probably get stuck and start to panic!

Time Plan
My advice would be to spend about 10 minutes planning. Follow these steps
before you start writing:

Take a couple of minutes to read and understand the question.

Decide what each of your 4 paragraphs should contain.
Spend around 6 minutes noting down ideas for the two points of view.

You have 40 minutes for task 2, so try organising your time in the following way.
Please note that these are suggestions, not rules.

First 10 minutes
Read the question and make sure you understand what it is asking you to do.
Write a plan for a 4-paragraph essay (introduction, 2 main paragraphs,
conclusion) and spend most of the 10 minutes thinking of ideas for the 2 main
paragraphs.

5 minutes
Write your introduction: 2 sentences are enough.

20 minutes
Spend 10 minutes on each of your main body paragraphs. These are they most
important part of your essay, and the key to a high score.

Last 5 minutes
Write a quick conclusion then check your work.

169
 Thinking Steps
I read the question very carefully, maybe three times. I ask myself "What's the
topic? What is the question asking me to write about?"

I underline the key things that must be included in the essay. I always answer
every part of the question.

Now I think about my 4 paragraph structure. I can write any type of essay in 4
paragraphs; I just need to decide what to put in each paragraph.

If I need to give my opinion, I think "What is the easiest opinion to explain?

What good vocabulary could I use?"

Then I write down some vocabulary ideas that are related to the topic.

I try to write 2 sentences for the introduction: I introduce the topic, then give a
simple answer (including my opinion if the question asks for it).

I write short 'topic sentences' to start each paragraph, then develop my ideas
by explaining and supporting with examples.

I look at the question from time to time in order to check that I'm answering
every part of it.

I know that I write about 10 words per line; I can quickly check the approximate
number of words that I've written.

If I need more words (to reach 250), I expand one of my examples in the main
body paragraphs. If necessary, I draw an arrow to show where I want to add
the extra words.

170
Faced with difficult question
Have a strong opinion (e.g. I completely agree that people can achieve more in
egalitarian societies.) You can ignore the other view.

Focus on the last line of the question (What is your view of...?). This line sums
up the whole question very clearly. Just answer this question.

Use examples as the basis of your argument e.g. free university education
ensures equality of opportunity, and therefore allows individuals to achieve
more.

First, think about how you could write 2 main body paragraphs. What would be
the main idea/topic of each one?

Then make some notes for the first main paragraph. Your notes could follow
this formula: Idea, Explain, Example.

Do the same thing for the second main paragraph.

However, if you're still confused about question types, here's my advice:

Just make sure that you do what the question tells you to do.
As long as you cover everything that the question asks you to cover, you'll be
fine. Let the question / task guide you, and do your best to answer!

171
 Introduction
Writing long introductions, this approach is wrong. It's best to keep your
introduction short. Just introduce the topic and give an overall answer to the
question. For example:

Question:
As well as making money, businesses also have social responsibilities. To
what extent do you agree or disagree?

2-sentence introduction:
Businesses have always sought to make a profit, but it is becoming
increasingly common to hear people talk about the social obligations that
companies have. I completely agree with the idea that businesses should do
more for society than simply make money.

Here are 3 different introductions. Notice that the opinion is clear in each one.

Agree:
People have different views about what the main purpose of schools should be.
Personally, I agree that a school's role is to prepare children to be productive
members of society.

Disagree:
Many people argue that the main role of schools is to prepare children for their
future jobs. However, I believe that the purpose of education should be to help
children to grow as individuals.

Balanced view:
To a certain extent I agree that the role of schools is to prepare children to be
productive members of society. However, I also believe that the education
process has a positive impact on us as individuals.

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 Body Paragraphs
A good way to start a paragraph is with a short, simple sentence that
introduces the main idea of the paragraph. Teachers often call this a ‘topic
sentence’.

I normally write my topic sentences by thinking about how many points I want
to mention in the paragraph:

1. If I only have one point or idea, I usually state it straight away:

In my opinion, junk food is the main cause of childhood obesity.

(then explain this opinion and give examples in the rest of the paragraph)

2. If I have two or three points or ideas, I don’t usually mention them directly in
the topic sentence:

There are two main causes (or ‘several causes’) of childhood obesity.
(then explain using “firstly, secondly...” or something similar)

Have a look through the essays that you’ve written in the past, and compare
them with some of mine.
Whenever ourselves write a paragraph using 'firstly, secondly, finally', we
should think whether there are any better alternatives to these linking words.

173
 For example, here's a comment that someone wrote below last week's lesson:

You won't get a higher score by using bigger linking words that seem more
impressive. For example, there's nothing difficult or impressive about the word
'moreover'. Why waste your time looking for more original linking words if they
don't exist?

Instead of worrying about linking, spend your time working on 'topic vocabulary'
(like the list of phrases here). This is what will impress the examiner.

I always tell my students to choose a method and stick to it. For main
paragraphs, I teach them two easy ways to organise their ideas:

Idea, explain, example: If you have one main idea, this easy format will help
you to build a good paragraph. To see an example, look at paragraph 3 in this
essay.

Firstly, secondly, finally: If you have two or three ideas, just use this format.
Miss the "finally" if you only have two ideas, and remember that you can use
alternative words for the same structure (e.g. The main reason, another reason,
also, furthermore)

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 Conclution
The main body paragraphs are much more important, so don't worry too much
about the conclusion; make it short, simple and fast.

Here are some example conclusion phrases for different types of question:

1. Opinion

For the reasons mentioned above, I believe that... (+ repeat your opinion).

2. Discussion (+ Opinion)

In conclusion, there are convincing arguments both for and against... (topic),
but I believe that... (if the question asks for your opinion).

3. Advantages and Disadvantages

In conclusion, I would argue that the benefits of... (topic) outweigh the
drawbacks.

4. Problem and Solution

In conclusion, it is clear that there are various reasons for... (topic), and steps
need to be taken to tackle this problem.

When writing a conclusion for task 2, I always start with the words "In
conclusion". There's no reason why you should learn any alternatives.

Here are some phrases that I would not use:

All things considered / To sum up / In summary / To summarize / In short
In a nutshell / To put it in a nutshell
Note: Phrases 1 to 5 are acceptable, but I still wouldn't use them myself.
Don't use any phrase containing the word "nutshell". 6 and 7 are not
appropriate for an academic essay.

175
 It's nice to finish your essay with a conclusion, but I'd say that the conclusion is
the least important part of your essay. Don't worry too much if you don't have
time to write one; your main body paragraphs are much more important.

I advise people to write short, fast conclusions. Just paraphrase the overall
answer that you gave in your introduction.

For example:

My introduction from last week's lesson:

Businesses have always sought to make a profit, but it is becoming
increasingly common to hear people talk about the social obligations that
companies have. I completely agree with the idea that businesses should do
more for society than simply make money.

My short, fast conclusion:

In conclusion, I believe that companies should place as much importance on
their social responsibilities as they do on their financial objectives.

Some students learn to write two or three-sentence conclusions that contain

future predictions or recommendations. Personally I think this is an
unnecessary waste of time, and it may even have a negative effect on your
essay (if the question doesn't ask for a prediction or recommendation, you're
going "off topic").

I advise my students to write simple one-sentence conclusions, and spend

more time perfecting the main body paragraphs.

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 Advices & Warning
The problem with a lot of templates is that they contain too many memorised
words and phrases. This then lowers the amount of topic vocabulary. Simon
even uses a basic template (for example, he uses a five sentence body
paragraph with a clear topic sentence, and similar linkers).

However the key is that a template (or what I would call 'good organisation')
does not dominate the essay. I always say from an examiner's point of view
that candidates should keep memorised words and linkers to under 20% of the
total word count.
This made me think: Which words or phrases in some of my own essays could
we highlight as 'template language' or 'good organisation'?

Let's compare the 'template' language that I used to organise the ideas in these
two essays.

Essay 1
It is true that In my opinion, In my view,
I believe that Having + past participle (personal example)
The first and most obvious One consequence of
A second negative This may lead, for example, to
In conclusion, … should …, and I do not believe that…

Essay 2
People’s opinions differ as to whether or not
While there are some strong arguments against….., I still believe that
There are several reasons why people might argue that
Firstly, Secondly, Finally, The main benefit of For example,
In spite of the above arguments, I support the view that
In my view,
In conclusion, ….. certainly has its drawbacks, but I believe that the benefits
outweigh them in the long term.

Question:
What do you think we can learn by highlighting the 'template' language from my
essays in this way?

177
 Templates
Templates can certainly be useful, as they can help us to quickly organise our
ideas. Also, it is inevitable that we will need to use some 'linking' words and
phrases in our essays.

However, there is also a danger that people focus more on the template than
on answering the question with good ideas. Templates and linking are not the
secret to a high score in the writing test. They just do a simple job - they help
you to organise your ideas, that's all. In the end, your score will depend on the
quality of language that you use to express ideas, not simply to organise them.

So, learn some basic template / linking / organising language, but don't
become obsessed with it. Spend most of your time working on topic vocabulary
and your ability to express and develop "real" ideas.

these phrases don't impress

A student on Facebook asked me about the following phrases:

The concerns surrounding the problem of _____ have considerably escalated

increasing awareness of the general public towards the issue.
Notwithstanding the fact that attempts have been undertaken to tackle this
nuisance, there is still a lot to be done to exterminate the problem.
The most effective way in dealing with this situation is, first of all, through
turning urgent attention to the underlying causes of the problem.
I don't like phrases like these, and I never teach them to my students. But why?
Do you know why these phrases wouldn't impress an examiner?

Please DON'T use these phrases in your IELTS test. As a native speaker, I
would never use them, so I recommend that you don't either.
- considerably escalated increasing awareness
- Notwithstanding the fact that
- undertaken to tackle this nuisance
- exterminate the problem
- turning urgent attention to

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Difference
A) Explain the positives and negatives of this development.
B) Is this a positive or negative development?

and these two questions:

A) What are the advantages and disadvantages?

B) Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

and these two questions:

A) Discuss both views and give your opinion.

B) To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Answer:
The difference is that for all of the (A) questions you must explain both sides of
the argument, whereas the (B) questions can be answered by giving both sides
or by supporting only one side, depending on the view that you express in your
introduction.

This is still the most common confusion that students ask me about. Make sure
you understand the difference between the questions above.

I wrote that you should try to write 'perfect' essays when you are practising at
home.What I meant was that you should take as much time as you need, check
everything carefully, use a dictionary or the Internet to find better vocabulary,
and generally do your best to write an essay that you probably wouldn't be able
to write in an exam. You should be able to score at least one band higher when
you're practising like this, compared to the score you get in exam conditions.

Ask yourself: Am I pushing myself to write essays to the best of my ability when
I'm practising at home? Or am I simply testing myself or staying in my comfort
zone?

179
 Professional English writers
1) Sometimes the adverb is unnecessary. Compare these two phrases:
- It is true that
- It is certainly true that

I often use the second phrase in my essays, but you could argue that the word
"certainly" is redundant. If something is true, it's true! Do we really need to
emphasise it?

2) Sometimes a single word is more descriptive:

- This is very important = This is essential, vital, crucial
- This is really difficult = This is complicated, complex, problematic, challenging

For our purposes, I think the second point above is more useful, because it
encourages you to use a wider range of vocabulary to express ideas.

Remember: There's nothing wrong with using adverbs in the IELTS writing test.
I just think it's interesting to consider the alternatives.

If you want to become a better essay writer, I advise you to forget the idea of
learning lists of 'difficult' or 'academic' words.

Here's the alternative approach that I recommend:

Do more reading, and make a note of the 'natural' collocations and

phrases that native speakers use. You'll find many of these in the lessons on
this site.Also, instead of always learning new words

Try to become better at using the words you already know. For example,
did you know that we use the words 'shoulder' and 'responsibility' together ?
e.g. "It is true that parents shoulder a huge responsibility" from this essay.
Here's the simple way to understand the advice above: focus on phrases
instead of individual words. Communication is about using words together

180
 Questions
1) When writing about our planet, should we write: Earth, earth, the Earth
or the earth?
To be honest, this confuses native speakers and you'll see it written in different
ways. I wrote "life on Earth" and "the Earth's climate", and I've found plenty of
examples of both phrases written in this way, in publications such as National
Geographic. However, I've also found both phrases written with the lower case
"e" (earth). If you read the grammar rules on a website like this one, you'll
probably be even more confused. Either way, you won't lose any marks in the
IELTS test, so don't worry too much about this.

Note: After reading about the grammar rules myself, I'll probably follow the
convention of writing "Earth" without "the" when I'm using it as a proper noun
(name). Following this rule, I would write "Earth's climate" instead of "the
Earth's climate".

2) Does "Try to limit the contribution" mean "make every effort" or "make
little effort"?
It means "make every effort to limit the contribution".

3) Should we write "represents a threat" or "presents a threat"?

Both are possible, but "represents a threat" is a very common collocation, and
has more results on Google.

4) Is it possible to completely agree/disagree without mentioning the

other side?
Yes. I chose to completely agree, and I mentioned the negatives of the other
view. However, you don't have to mention the other side at all. You can simply
support your opinion in both main paragraphs.

5) Do we write "life on Earth" or "the life on Earth"?

It's normal in English to write "life on Earth". It's best to learn this as a fixed
phrase; don't worry about why we don't say "the life".

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 6)Do we need to write 3 main paragraphs: one view, the other view, my
own view?
The answer is no. I usually use the following essay structure:

Introduction: mention both views and my own view

Main paragraph: one view
Main paragraph: the opposite view (which is also my view)
Conclusion: repeat / summarise

7)In writing task 2, isn't it better to write about just one idea in each main
body paragraph?
Here's my answer to this question:
If we put two or three ideas in the same paragraph (e.g. firstly, secondly, finally),
we can't explain each idea in as much detail.

Some questions require you to put more than one idea in each main paragraph.
For example, if the question asks you to explain the advantages,
disadvantages, reasons, causes or solutions, you must give more than one.
Therefore a "firstly, secondly, finally" paragraph structure is perfect. If the
question doesn't contain a plural word, one idea per paragraph is fine.

8)What exactly are examiners looking for in terms of “grammatical range

and accuracy”? Are there any specific tenses or types of sentence that
should be included in the essay?
The main thing is to reduce the number of mistakes that you make. An essay
that contains no mistakes is likely to get a 9 for grammar, regardless of the
types of sentence that it may or may not contain.

There is nothing in the scoring criteria about including specific tenses or

sentence constructions. If there is a nice mix of long and short sentences in
your essay, you'll meet the grammar requirements. Remember: as soon as you
write a "long" sentence you are naturally going to use connectives (linking
words), which will make the sentence 'compound' or 'complex'. So, don't think
too much about the grammar - just aim to reduce the number of mistakes that
you make, and try to include a few longer sentences.

182
9)Is this a good idea that a teacher has advised them to include a "future
prediction" sentence in the conclusion for writing task 2.?
My short answer is no, but I'll explain in detail.

I used to give this advice myself when I first started teaching IELTS. A future
prediction seems like a nice way to end an essay, and it gives you the chance
to write a conditional sentence e.g. If more people do..... in the future, we will
all.....
However, I no longer give this advice. I now tell my students to write just one
sentence for the conclusion (click here to see an example), and there are two
main reasons for this:
Most questions don't ask for a future prediction, so there is a danger that the
examiner will see your "future prediction" sentence as irrelevant. In other words,
the examiner won't be impressed, and the sentence won't help your score.

10)If the question asks "To what extent do you agree or disagree?", can I
discuss the two views of other people and end with my opinion in the
conclusion?
I hope most of you know that the answer is NO. This is the big mistake that so
many people make - they write a "discussion" essay instead of an "opinion"
essay.
When the question asks "To what extent do you agree or disagree?", you
should state your view in the introduction, support it in the main body
paragraphs, and repeat or summarise it in the conclusion. The whole essay
needs to be about YOUR views, not the views of other people.
If you're still confused about how to answer questions that ask "to what extent
do you agree or disagree?", just to analyze more essays.
Notice that we never discuss the views of other people in this type of essay; the
question asks for your views.
11)Can I use proverbs and idioms in IELTS writing task 2?
My quick answer would be no. Proverbs are certainly not appropriate for an
academic-style essay, and the kind of idioms that many students learn (e.g. "In
a nutshell") should also be avoided. Click here to read a lesson about proverbs
and clichés, and make sure you don't use them.
On the other hand, some idioms are acceptable, and you probably use good
idiomatic phrases without realising it (e.g. the key to solving a problem). To
read a longer explanation about using idioms, click here. Read that lesson
carefully, and be very careful with the type of idioms that you use.

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 12)I've heard that examiners in China are lowering scores when
candidates use prepared writing templates. The linking words "firstly,
secondly, finally" are considered as 'template words' for writing task 2, so
how can we replace them to avoid getting a lower score?
First, there are a couple of problems with this question:

It assumes that examiners in one country have decided to create their own
rules about how tests should be marked. This is not true! All examiners are
trained to use the band descriptors in the same way.
It implies that the use of just three simple words (firstly, secondly, finally) will
automatically bring your score down. This is also wrong! Your score will not be
lowered on the basis of just three words.
Next, let's look at what the band descriptors say about this issue:

The band descriptors refer to "over-use of cohesive devices" at band 5 level. In

other words, if you use too many linking words or template phrases, you're in
danger of entering band 5 territory for "coherence and cohesion", which is
worth 25% of your score.
On the other hand, if we look at the descriptor for band 7, we can see the
phrase "uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately". This tells us that we
do need to use some linking words, but only where they help the flow of ideas.
No specific examples of good or bad linking or 'template' words are given in the
band descriptors, so there is nothing inherently wrong with using "firstly,
secondly, finally". Personally I dislike the word 'moreover', but I've never
lowered a candidate's score just because he/she used this word once or twice.
To sum up, here's a more direct answer to the student's question:

Examiners in every country (not only in China) want to read essays that are full
of 'real content'; they don't like essays that mainly consist of 'phrases for any
essay'. I think it's true that too many candidates rely on templates, and I believe
that people should focus on preparing topic ideas instead.

Having said that, you do need to link and organise your ideas, and simple
words like "firstly, secondly, finally" can help you to do that. These words will
only have a negative effect on your score if you overuse them, or if you use
them wrongly. But if you still want to avoid using "firstly, secondly, finally", there
are plenty of other ways to organise your ideas (click here and here to see
some examples).

184
13)Whats the difference between an 'argument' (opinion) essay and a
'discussion' essay.

Here's an easy way to think about the difference:

When you argue, you are trying to persuade the other person to agree with
your point of view. You might even get angry!
When you discuss, you consider different points of view, and nobody gets
angry.
The question should make it very clear what it wants you to do. If it asks you to
"discuss", you should write about both sides or two views.

If the question asks whether you "agree or disagree", it's asking for your view.
For this type of question, give your opinion in the introduction and support it in
the rest of the essay. Develop an argument that persuades the reader to agree
with you. Note: you can have a strong view or a balanced view - it's your
choice.

14)The IELTS-Simon approach to writing task 2 is very prescriptive (strict

and always the same): always 4 paragraphs, 13 sentences etc. But what
do you think about giving students a more flexible approach to IELTS
writing task 2? For example, might it sometimes be better to write 5
paragraphs instead of 4?
Here's a summary of my response:

The more you try to teach your students to be flexible, the more you risk
confusing them and making them less decisive and efficient when they find
themselves under pressure on test day. I've found that students perform better
if they know exactly what to do every time they write an essay. The prescriptive
approach seems to work better than a flexible approach.

15)whether writing a longer introduction could be the way to improve

their task 2 scores.
My answer is no! A longer introduction is more likely to harm your score, not
help it. The more time you spend on your introduction, the less time you have
to write good main body paragraphs. The main body is the key to a high score!

185
 16)How can we improve our main body paragraphs?
I think there are 3 easy steps you can take:

Spend more time planning the main paragraphs.

Spend less time on the introduction and conclusion.
Prepare ideas for common topics before you take the exam.

17)Is there another way to state firstly, secondly and finally? My teacher
told me these are already overused."
It's fine to change the linking words, but the paragraph style should stay the
same.

It is not true that examiners consider 'firstly, secondly, finally' to be "overused".

These are just simple linking words that do a useful job. Most linking words (e.g.
and, but, because, while, if) are very easy and very commonly used, but we still
need them.

186
 Vocabulary & Grammar
General Knowledge
Don't forget that a good English dictionary should be a key tool as you prepare
for the IELTS test. If you want to write at a band 7-9 level, vocabulary is the key!
Remember: if you want a high score in writing task 2, you need to use good
'topic vocabulary' like the examples above.

Individual words (e.g. big, difficult or unusual words) are not the secret to
getting a good vocabulary score in IELTS writing or speaking.
Instead, it's your ability to use groups of words (e.g. collocations and phrases)
that will impress the examiner.

IELTS students often worry too much about grammar; they think that they need
to fill their essays with passives, conditionals, compound sentences, complex
sentences etc. I tell my students not to think about those things. Instead, we
focus on vocabulary: expressing our ideas well and making sure that we
answer the question.

I've written before about students' overuse of the word 'Moreover' and why I
would ban it. But for some reason, many people still believe that 'Moreover' will
help them to get a high score.

Here’s a trick that I sometimes use to demonstrate to my students that

‘Morever’ isn’t the key to a high score:Teach me the word for ‘Moreover’ in your
language. If a beginner like me can learn it, it can’t be such a difficult word!

187
 Less common
"Less common" vocabulary means words and phrases that most students
wouldn't think to use in their essays. For example, in the first line of my essay, I
used the verb "to rival". You might know the noun "rival", but have you ever
used it as a verb? This is not an "advanced" word, but it is certainly less
commonly used by IELTS candidates, and the examiner would be impressed to
see it used in this way.

Here are the "less common" phrases from my essay:

the Internet is beginning to rival newspapers
the traditional press
vital source of information
the Internet age
traditional means of communicating
rural areas
the ability or opportunity to get online
trusted as reliable sources
employ professional journalists and editors
news in real time
gadgets and mobile devices
contribute with our own updates on social media
an explosion in the use of platforms

Note:
Although you probably understand the phrases above, most candidates would
not use them in their essays.

*I never use the terms "advanced vocabulary" or "difficult vocabulary". Anyone

can find a "big" word in the dictionary and translate it. The difficult skill is to use
words together in collocations and phrases.

188
Practice
Choose five of the phrases and put them into Google. It's interesting to see
some other examples of how those phrases have been used in non-IELTS
contexts.

For example, here are the results of Google search for the highlighted parts of
each sentence below.

1. Opinions differ as to whether Edward Snowden should be punished or

rewarded.

2. Is poverty a necessary aspect of capitalism?

3. More money does not lead to better educational outcomes.

4. Scientists say yoga is just as beneficial as cardio exercise and could fend off
heart disease.

5. You want your employees to be able to apply the knowledge acquired from
the training programs.

189
 Band 7-9 phrases
it is an abstract concept with no definite meaning

it can mean or represent

depending on a person's age, culture or background

a feeling of pleasure in a particular moment

a state of mind

adults equate happiness with...

health, security, financial stability or success

we seek contentment

in our own individual ways

household waste

new legislation

just one possible way to tackle the problem

a legal obligation

householders

fail to adhere to this law

prison sentences for repeat offenders

act as a deterrent

encourage people to obey

190
improved behaviour of homeowners

a clean, waste-free environment

put education at the centre of a recycling campaign

the environmental impact of household waste

Another tactic that governments could use

create stricter regulations

packaging for household products

recycling facilities and systems

waste is processed more effectively

dispose of their waste more responsibly

represents a major threat to

tackle this issue

reduce the human impact

to prevent, or at least mitigate, climate change

limit the carbon dioxide emissions

impose “green taxes” on drivers

other polluters

invest in renewable energy production

energy efficient

191
 voting for politicians who propose to tackle climate change

the consequences will be disastrous

not optimistic that we would be able to cope

rise in sea levels

people would be displaced

the means to safeguard low-lying areas

forced to migrate to nearby cities

the potential for human suffering would be huge

outbreaks of disease and famine

increased homelessness and poverty

technological developments

lead to the loss of

this assertion

it may be true in the case of

seem to be unaffected by

advances in technology that have driven industrialisation

contributed to the disappearance of

in pre-industrial Britain

generations of families grew up in small communities

192
a strong sense of identity

shared customs and beliefs

led to the dispersal of families

villages are inhabited by commuters

traditional cultures still thrive

have been completely untouched by

hunt and gather food

traditional skills are passed on to children by parents and elders

are embracing communications technologies

access to information

from weather predictions to market prices

helps them to prosper

have survived and even flourished

opinions differ as to whether or not

the setting of homework

a necessary aspect of

an unnecessary burden on

there is evidence to support the idea that

improve educational outcomes

193
 regularly top international educational league tables

countries where..... outperform nations where.....

setting homework is the norm

is just as beneficial as

from the perspective of

brain development

has an important role to play in

the schooling of children

encourages independent learning and problem solving

are challenged to work through tasks

at their own pace

In doing so, .....

apply the knowledge

consolidate their understanding

concepts taught by their teacher

develop an independent study habit

certainly has its drawbacks

the benefits outweigh them in the long term

194
video surveillance

has become commonplace

an invasion of privacy

reasons why people might disapprove of

The first objection is that

we are constantly being watched by the authorities

private security firms

intrusive

a form of state control

curtails their individual freedom

the proliferation of CCTV cameras

police officers patrolling the streets

to monitor public areas

to deter criminals

petty criminals like shoplifters and pickpockets

less likely to operate in parts of cities

video evidence to catch and prosecute offenders

offer valuable support to police officers

make cities safer for inhabitants, workers and visitors alike

195
 we gain more than we lose

the enhanced security that CCTV cameras bring

make a resolution

keep a resolution

achieve a resolution

draw a conclusion

slip or make a mistake

double your efforts

break a goal into smaller steps

give yourself a reward

map out your progress

experience various problems

considerable numbers of people

intense competition

oversupply of labour

an abundance of working-age adults

higher rates of poverty

falling living standards

meet the demand for

196
provision of housing and public services

rates of crime and antisocial behaviour

the needs of .......... are not met

poorer working conditions

bring wages down

exploit workers

forced to migrate abroad

in search of work

an exodus of well-qualified young graduates

brain drain

not a desirable outcome

a specific example of

it's thought to be

I'd probably say that

the most impressive .......... that I've ever seen

areas of woodland

commonly found in

it stands out from

has traditionally been used in

197
 a tourist attraction

to marvel at something

it symbolises history, strength and reliability

legendary or mythical status

the stories that are associated with it

overly permissive

tend to spoil their children

parenting style

a range of negative long-term consequences

to raise respectful and well-behaved children

a certain amount of discipline

Having worked with children myself,.....

clear expectations and boundaries

to push against these boundaries

to regulate their desires

develop self control

constantly give in to their children’s demands

doing more harm than good

failing their children

198
indulgent or lenient parents

negative personality traits

The first and most obvious danger

self-centred adults

show little consideration for the feelings or needs of others

One consequence of such an attitude

unable to work successfully in teams

impulsiveness

lack the patience

to carefully consider options

compulsive shopping

unwise financial decisions

criminal activity

I do not believe that..... supports this objective

199
 Band 9
Essays
200