THE WRITING MODULE

In IELTS exam, Writing is the First part and it is of 60 minutes.

It consists of 2 tasks.

ACADEMIC GENERAL DURATION WORD LIMIT

TASK 1 GRAPH DESCRIBING LETTER WRITING 20 MINUTES MIN 150 WORDS

(REPORT WRITING)
TASK 2 ESSAY WRIITNG ESSAY WIRITING 40 MINUTES MIN 250 WORDS

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

Types of Graph
 Line graph
 Bar graph
 Pie chart
 Table
 Map
 Process
 Flow Chart
 Lifecycle
 Picture.
A candidate is required to write at least 150 words to describe the graphs. This task checks
the ability of the candidate to select and report the main features and give comparisons
where relevant.

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 SKILLS ASSESSED

 Task Response
The criterion examines the overview and
information that is by the candidate, details of
the content and the accuracy with features and
illustrations The candidate is supposed to write
150 words for Task 1.
Else there will be Penalty for under word
count.

 Coherence & Cohesion

Information should be organized, the structure of the paragraphs and
use of lexical resources such as connectors (linking words) is
determined.
Number of paragraphs are also taken into consideration.

 Lexical Resource
The use of sufficient range of vocabulary, proper spellings, correct
implementation of collocations and word formation are taken care of
while scoring this criterion.
You must avoid using wrong words and informal language.

 Grammatical Range & Accuracy

Sentence structure, proper use of tenses, using right punctuations, use of simple as well
as complex sentences with clear idea and control over grammar need to be taken into
consideration to score this criterion.

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 PARAGRAPH 1: INTRODUCTION

 One sentence is enough for the introduction. Paraphrase the general statement from the
question using synonyms

 The general statement should include What + Where + When. For example: The graph
provides the information on the percentage of the energy produced from different sources in a
European country between 1985 and 2003.
 What – the percentage of the energy produced…..
 Where – in a European country
 When – from 1985 and 2003.

VOCABULARY FOR THE INTRODUCTION PART:

Starting Presentation Verb Description
Type

The/ the given / diagram / table / shows /

the comparison of…
the supplied / figure / represents /
the presented / illustration / depicts / the differences…
the shown / the graph / chart / enumerates /
the changes...
provided flow chart / illustrates /
picture/ presents/ gives / the number of…
presentation/ provides /
information on…
pie chart / bar delineates/
graph/ column outlines/ data on…
graph / line describes / the proportion of…
graph / table delineates/
data/ data / expresses/ the amount of…
information / denotes/ information on...
pictorial/ compares/
process shows contrast / data about...
diagram/ map/ indicates / comparative data...
pie chart and figures / gives
table/ bar graph data on / gives the trend of...
and pie chart information on/ the percentages of...
presents
information the ratio of...
about/ shows how the...
data about/
demonstrates/
sketch out/
summarises...

Examples of various ways of writing task 1 :

1. The diagram shows employment rates among adults in four European countries from 1925 to 1985.

2. The chart gives information about consumer expenditures on six products in four countries namely
Germany, Italy, Britain and France.

3. The supplied bar graph compares the number of male and female graduates in three developing
countries while the table data presents the overall literacy rate in these countries.

4. The bar graph and the table data depict the water consumption in different sectors in five regions.

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 PARAGRAPH 2: SUMMARY WRITING

Use appropriate synonyms

Trends Verb form Noun Form

Increase rise / increase / go up / uplift / a rise / an increase / an
rocket(ed) / climb / upsurge / upward trend / a growth
soar/ shot up/ improve/ jump/ / a leap / a jump / an
leap/ move upward/ skyrocket/ improvement/ a climb.
soar/ surge.
Decrease fall / decrease / decline / a fall / a decrease / a
plummet / plunge / drop / reduce reduction / a downward
/ collapse / deteriorate/ dip / dive trends /a downward
/ go down / take a nosedive / tendency / a decline/ a
slum / slide / go into free-fall. drop / a slide / a
collapse / a downfall.
Steadiness unchanged / level out / remain a steadiness/ a plateau /
constant / remain steady / a stability/ a static
plateau / remain the same /
remain stable / remain static
Gradual an upward trend / an
increase ------------ upward tendency / a
ceiling trend
Gradual a downward trend / a
decrease ------------ downward tendency / a
descending trend
Standability/ level(ed) off / remain(ed) No change, a flat, a
Flat constant / remain(ed) unchanged plateau.
/ remain(ed) stable / prevail(ed)
consistency / plateaued /
reach(ed) a plateau / stay(ed)
uniform /immutable / level(ed)
out/ stabilise/ remain(ed) the
same.

Examples:
1. The overall sale of the company increased by 20% at the end of the year.
2. The expenditure of the office remained constant for the last 6 months but the profit rose by
almost 25%.
3. There was a drop in the ratio of student enrollment in this University.
4. The population of the country remained almost the same as it was 2 years ago.
5. The population of these two cities increased significantly in the last two decades and it is
expected that it will remain stable during the next 5 years.

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  Vocabulary to represent changes in graphs:

Type of Change Adverb form Adjective form

Rapid change dramatically / rapidly / sharply dramatic / rapid / sharp /

/ quickly / hurriedly / speedily / quick / hurried / speedy /
swiftly / significantly/ swift / significant /
considerably / substantially / considerable / substantial
noticably. / noticable.

Moderate change moderately / gradually / moderate / gradual /

progressively / sequentially. progressive / sequential.

Steady change steadily/ ceaselessly. steady/ ceaseless.

Slight change slightly / slowly / mildly / slight / slow / mild /

tediously. tedious.

Example:
1. The economic inflation of the country increased sharply by 20% in 2008.
2. There was a sharp drop in the industrial production in the year 2009.
3. The demand for new houses dramatically increased in 2002.
4. The population of the country dramatically increased in the last decade.
5. The price of the oil moderately increased in last quarter but as a consequence, the price of
daily necessity rapidly went up.

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 Vocabulary to represent frequent changes in graphs:

Type of Verb form Noun form

Change
Rapid ups wave / fluctuate / oscillate / waves / fluctuations /
and downs vacillate / palpitate oscillations /
vacillations
/ palpitations

Example:
1. The price of the goods fluctuated during the first three months in 2017.
2. The graph shows the oscillations of the price from 1998 to 2002.
3. The passenger number in this station oscillates throughout the day and in early morning and
evening, it remains busy.
4. The changes of car production in Japan shows a palpitation for the second quarter of the
year.
5. The number of students in debate clubs fluctuated in different months of the year and rapid
ups and downs could be observed in the last three months of this year.

Add Specific information and examples:

- Increasing) from…… to ……
- Between …… and……..
- With an increase from……… to …….
- …….followed by …… to add more information

Add time phrases

- between….. and…….
- From…….. to……..
- At…./by……/in……
- In the year (2001)…
- During/over the period ….. to …..
- Over the latter half of the year/century/decade/period
- Over the next past/previous five days/ months/years/ decades

For making comparisons and contrast

- Use conjunctions like: while/whilst/whereas/but.
- Use linkers: however/in contrast/ by comparison/meanwhile/ on the other hand.

Focusing on one item in the graph:

- As regards (sales), it………
- With regard to/turning to/regarding/…..
- Where______ is/are concerned/it/…..
- When it comes to _____

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  There are various kind of sentence structures which can be used to avoid
repetition.

1. There + be + adj. + noun + in + noun phrase

Example:

 There was a gradual rise in the price of oil.

 There has been a sharp drop in the price of oil.

2. Noun phrase + verb + adverb

Example:

 The price of oil rose gradually.

 The price of oil has risen dramatically.

 Some special words for numbers, fractions and percentages.

Look at the following table which shows a number in different years (1990-1995) :

You could describe the above table using numbers, fractions or percentages:
 The number went up by 600, from 1200 to 800. (Number)
 The number went up by half, from 1200 to 1800. (Fraction)
 The figure went up by 50%, from 1200 to 1800. Percentage)
 The figure went up 50%, to 1800. (Percentage)

Percentage, Portion and Numbers:

Percentages:
10% increase, 25 percent decrease, increased by 15%, dropped by 10 per cent, fall at 50%,
reached to 75%, tripled,
doubled, one-fourth, three-quarters, half, double fold, treble, 5 times higher, 3 timers lower,
declined to about 49%,
stood exactly at 43%.

Fractions:
4% = A tiny fraction.
24% = Almost a quarter.
25% Exactly a quarter.
26% = Roughly one quarter.
32% Nearly one-third, nearly a third.
49% = Around a half, just under a half.
50% Exactly a half.
51% = Just over a half.
73% = Nearly three quarters.
77% = Approximately three quarter, more than three-quarter.
79% = Well over three quarter.

Proportions:
2% = A tiny portion, a very small proportion.
4% = An insignificant minority, an insignificant proportion.
16% = A small minority, a small portion.
70% = A large proportion.
72% = A significant majority, A significant proportion.
89% = A very large proportion.

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 Words/ Phrases of Approximation - Vocabulary:
» Approximately
» Nearly
» Roughly
» Almost
» About
» Around
» More or less
» Just over
» Just under
» Just around
» Just about
» Just below
» A little more than
» A little less than.

Use of “trebled,” “-fold,” and “times:”

• The number doubled between 1992 and 1994.
• The number trebled between 1994 and 1996.
• The figure quadrupled from 1996 to 1998
• There was a twofold increase between 1992 and 1994.
• The figure went up six fold between 1992 and 1996.
• The figure in 1996 was three times the 1992 figure.
• The figure in 1998 was four times the 1996 figure.

Use of Fractions:
 Between 1992 and 1994, the figure fell by one-fifth.
• Between 1994 and 1996, the number dropped by a half.
The figure in 1998 was one-tenth the 1992 total.

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 GRAPH WITH TRENDS (BASED ON PAST YEARS)
1. The line graph below shows the population size, birth rate and the death rate of
England and Wales from 1700 to 2000. Summarise the information by selecting and
reporting the main features and make
comparisons where relavant.

Model Answer:
The supplied line graph provides data on the birth rate, death rate and total population of
England and Wales over the span of three centuries, from 1700 to 2000.

As a general trend, the population in England and Wales increased overwhelmingly after
the 19th century and the death rate declined while the birth rate after 1950 went upward.

As the diagram suggests, the population of England and Wales at the beginning of the 18th
century was only 3 million which went as high as 10 million in 50 years. During the next
50 years, the population remained unchanged at 10 million. However, a rapid population
growth could be observed and it soared in the following centuries before reaching to 50
million
in 2000.

The birth rate per 1000 people, in England and Wales was 30 in the year 1700, which grew
to 40 after 50 years. The death rate, number of mortality per 1000 people, followed a similar
trend and reached to almost 38 in 1750. Afterwards, both the birth and death rates sank
steadily and reached to just over 20 in 1950 with some fluctuations in the preceding
decades. After that, the birth rate sharply increased and skyrocketed while the death
rate stabilized. In 2000, the birth rate in the UK and Wales was as high as 34 while the
death rate was 20.

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2. The diagram below shows the number of marriages and divorces in the UK between
1950 and 2000. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main
features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The given line graph illustrates data about the number of first marriages, second marriages,
total number of marriages and divorces from 1950 to 2000. It is manifest from the graph
that the divorce rate showed a dramatic escalation after 1980.

Approximately 350,000 first marriages were solemnized in 1950. This number grew
gradually and reached a peak of 430,000 marriages in 1980, after which it fell
moderately and again reached 350,000 mark by 2000.

The total number of marriages showed a similar trend to the number of first marriages,
as it was just the sum total of first marriages and remarriages. As the number of remarriages
fluctuated between 90,000 and 120,000 between the years of 1950 and 2000, the line
depicting the total number of marriages was almost parallel to that portraying the first
marriages.

Divorce rates increased minimally from approximately 15000 to 20,000 between 1950
and 1980, but after that increased exponentially and touched the number of 300,000 by
2000.

Overall, it is clear that the year 1980 witnessed the maximum number of marriages and
remarriages, and that was also the year when divorce rates started seeing a sharp upswing.

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3. The graph below shows the different modes of transport used to travel to
and from work in one European city in 1960, 1980 and 2000. Write a
report for a university lecturer describing the information below.

[Figure: Transportation used in Percentages.]

Model Answer:
The column graph represents information on travellers’ commuting preference to reach
office and return home in a European city in three different years- 1960, 1980 and 2000.
overall, the car gained its popularity and the number of people who used to walk
gradually decreased.

In 1960, almost 20 percent people used buses to and from workplaces and this percentage
grew to almost 28% after 20 years. In 2000, bus users fell to less than 20%. On the
contrary, in the case of private cars, the users were only about 7% in 1960, which was the
lowest among the 4 categories, and this increased sharply in 1980 amounting 25%, and
in 2000, more than 38%, making it the most used form of the transportation system.

Besides, more than 27% people used bikes in 1960 and in 1980 the number decreased by
5% but in 2000 it dramatically fell to somewhat 7%. Finally, 35% people used to walk to
go to work and to return from there. But this foot-walkers' number declined significantly
in the 80s and in 2000 one out of ten office goers walked.

To summarise, more people used to walk to travel to and from workplaces in 1960 but with
the popularity of private cars, this ratio declined.

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 4. The charts below show the percentage of time working adults spent on different
activities in a particular country in 1958 and 2008. Summarize the information
by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where
relevant.

MODEL ANSWER:

The two pie charts show the daily schedule of working adults in one
country in two specific years: 1958 and 2008. Overall, people spent
more time on working than on sleeping, and the time spent on
relaxing at home increased, whereas that on going out decreased
over the years.

In 1958, almost one third of the day was spent on working (33%),
and marginally less time on sleeping (32%). Going out with friends
and family was then a common pastime, taking up 19%. All the
other activities combined such as travel to work, other hobbies or
playing sports and relaxing at home, just accounted for 16%.

In 2008, the time spent on working increased by 9%, whereas the

time spent on sleeping decreased by 7%. The time spent on
travelling to work increased fourfold from 2% to 8%. There was a
significant decline in the time spent on going out with friends
and family. It dropped from 19% to 6%. In contrast, the time spent
relaxing at home increased from 8% to 13%. Time spent on playing
sports or pursuing other hobbies did not show any change and
stood at 6% in both the given years.

Overall, working took more time of the day and relaxing at home also
became more popular.

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5. The table shows the percentage of young people who were employed in
different sectors in one country in 2005 and 2010. Summarize the information
by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant.

MODEL ANSWER:
The given table illustrates the percentage of young employees in
various employment sectors in a particular country in 2005 and 2010.

It is clear that some sectors became more popular in 2010 and in

some the percentage of employees reduced.

Agriculture and transport sector were the least popular in both

2005 and 2010, with only 5% employed in each sector in 2005.
However, in 2010, 8% were employed in agriculture, an increase
of 3%, whereas only 4% got jobs in transport, a decrease of 1% from
the figure of 2005 has been noticed. In manufacturing and in
shops, restaurants and hotels, almost equal proportion of
young people worked (21% and 20% respectively).

But in 2010, the percentage fell to 14% in manufacturing,

whereas it rose to 32% in shops, restaurants and hotels, making
it the most sought after sector to work in 2010. Social services was
the most popular area among the young people in 2005, and almost
a third (34%) worked in this sector, but this percentage declined to
22% in 2010. In business and other sectors (not mentioned in the
graph), almost equal number worked in both the given years, with 7-
8% working in 2005 and 10% each working in 2010.

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6. The table below describes percentages of homeschooled students in Some
Country in 1999-2004.
Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown.

Model Answer:
The table presents data on the percentages of pupils who got their education at home in a
few countries for a span of 5 years, commencing from 1999.

As is obvious, the percentages of students who received home education gradually

increased except for grade 1 to 4 in 2000.

As can be seen from the given information, about 9% students in some countries went
through homeschooling in 1999. Among them, the highest percentage (2.4%) were
kindergarten children. All other students who were taught at home from grade 1 to grade 8
were classified in four categories. The ratio of homeschooled children in kindergarten
slightly increased in every year and reached to 2.9% in 2004.

The ratio of homeschooled pupils from grade 1 to grade 2 was 1.5% in 1999 which was
exactly the same as it was for grade 5-6 students. Similarly, 1.6% students, both in
grade 3 to 4 and grade 7-8 got homeschooling and this ratio showed an upward trend in
5 years’ time. While almost 1 out of 11 students in 1999 received education at home, this
ratio became 1 out of 8 in 2004.

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 GRAPHS WITHOUT TRENDS (MAKE COMPARISON)
Compare and Contrast
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce you to compare and contrast language which is
needed to write about graphs.

To begin, take a look at the graph below.

 Which country has the highest level of pollution?

 Which country has the lowest?

6Save

The country with the highest level of pollution is USA and the country with the lowest is
New Zealand.

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Being able to compare and contrast data is an essential skill for IELTS writing, especially in
Task 1. Comparatives and superlatives are one common way to do this.

Comparatives are used to compare two things:

Leopards are faster than tigers.

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 Example
Comparative Superlative
Word

Words with one high higher The highest

syllable

Words with Productive More The most

three syllables productive productive
or more

Words ending wealthy wealthier The wealthiest

in –y

Short words hot hotter The hottest

ending with a
consonant/vow
el/consonant

Irregular good better The best

Superlatives are used to compare one thing against a group of others:

The leopard is the largest of the four big cats.

Here are the basics of how they are formed:

Other Important Language

Comparatives and superlatives are useful to compare and contrast, but they won't be
enough.

Here are some other useful words and structures:

Transitions

1. The Middle East produces high levels of oil; however, Japan produces none.
2. The USA produces large amounts of natural gas. In contrast, South Korea produces
none.
3. European countries make great use of solar power. On the other hand, most Asian
countries us this method of power generation very little.

Subordinating Conjunctions

1. The Middle East produces high levels of oil, whereas / while Japan produces none.
2. Whereas / While the Middle East produces high levels of oil, Japan produces none.
3. Although the Middle East produced 100 tons oil, Japan produced none.

Other Structures

1. Developing countries are more reliant on alternative energy

production than developed countries.
2. Solar power accounts for far less of the total energy production than gas or coal
does.
3. Hydropower is not as efficient as wind power.
4. Like Japan, South Korea does not produce any natural gas.
5. The Middle East produces twice as much oil as Europe.
6. Western countries consume three times more oil than the Middle East.
7. Russia consumes slightly more oil than Germany.
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 8. The UAE produced the same amount of oil as Saudi Arabia.

Compare and Contrast Language Practice

Look at the table below. What is being compared?

Natural Gas Consumption and Production, 2001

Consumption* Production*
Country
The USA 588.9 500.0

The United Kingdom 86.1 97.3

The Former Soviet 7.1 0.4

Union

The UAE 30.0 35.9

Australia 19.1 28.0

Japan 68.6 0

New Zealand 4.9 5.1

South Korea 18.9 0

China 24.3 25.0

*in millions of tonnes

Look at the compare and contrast language and choose the correct word to
complete the sentences. (times more, nearly the same, lowest, however, biggest,
while, least, far more, just under, than)

1. New Zealand consumed the ______ gas at approximately 5 million tons. (times more,
nearly the same, lowest, however, biggest, while, least, far more, just under, than)

2. The former Soviet Union produced the ________ amount at 0.4 million tons.

3. The USA was the ________ consumer and producer of gas at 600 million tons and 500
respectively.

4. The USA consumed and produced ________ natural gas than any other country.

5. South Korea consumed 18.9 millions tons of gas; ________ , it produced none.

6. China’s consumption and production of oil were ________ at 24.3 and 25.0
respectively.

7. The USA, the Former Soviet Union, Japan and South Korea all consumed more gas
________ they produced.

8. Australia consumed four ________ gas than New Zealand.

9. choose one times more ________ Zealand produced 5.1 million tons of gas, South
Korea produced none.

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10. New Zealand consumed ________ 5 million tons of gas.

1. The graph below gives information about the preferred leisure activities of
Australian children. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the
information shown.

Model answer:
The bar chart illustrates how Australian children, between 5 and 14, spend their free time.
Their leisure activities are categorised into five different pursuits (Skateboarding, Bike riding,
Watching TV, Computer games, and Art), and compared by the participation of boys and
girls.

Overall, it is noticeable that watching TV or videos is by far the most popular activity
among Australian adolescents and rollerblading is the least common venture among
them.

According to the diagram, all Australian boys and girls are fascinated to watch videos or
TV programs and this is the most typical leisure activity among them. The second
most favored activity among these youths is playing computer games and 80% boys are
engaged in this pastime compared to 20% fewer girls.

In terms of riding a bike, more than 75% of boys do it in their free time while this ratio
among girls is less than 60%. 'Art & craft' as an activity is more favorite among Australian
girls than boys. The participation of girls in arts and crafts is somewhat double than that
of boy's participation. Finally, skateboarding is the least traditional recreation activity
among Australian children. Just over 20% of girls and less than 40% of boys take part in it.

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2. The graph below show the different reasons of two groups of students to
choose Dorriford University. Summarise the information by selecting and
reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Model answer:

The given pie charts compare the reasons of choosing Dorriford

University by two different age groups which are 18-24 year olds and
those above 25 years old.

It is clear from the graph that proximity to home is the main reason
chosen by over a third of both age groups. Course offered is the
second reason given by 35% of 18-24 year olds and just under a
quarter of the 25+ age group. Reputation of the faculty and relation
to industry is given importance by 12 % and 20% of the older age
group, whereas only a small minority (2% and 4%) of the younger age
group choose the university for these two reasons. In contrast,
facilities to study abroad and facilities on campus are valued more by
the 18-24 year age group, than those aged 25 and over. Under 5% of
the 25 year plus age group enroll in the university for these two
reasons.

Overall both age groups have some similarities and some differences
in their reasons for opting to study in the given university.

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3. The graph below shows the number of people of five European nations
living in each other's countries in 2001. Summarise the information by
selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

MODEL ANSWER:

The given table presents the data about how many Europeans from
five European countries lived in other European nations in 2001.
A quick glance is enough to make it clear that the maximum polish,
but the minimum Spanish immigrated to other countries.

Britain was the most preferred destination, with 1173000

immigrants in all. A majority of the Polish (550000) immigrated to
Britain. The number of Germans, Italians and the Spanish, who
immigrated to Britain was 362000, 240000 and 21000 respectively.

Germany was the second most liked country for immigrating.

One million and thirty six thousand total people immigrated to
Germany out of which again a major chunk was of the Polish,
which was 430000. 356000 Spanish, 206000 British and only 44000
Italians chose to live in Germany.

Spain and Italy had almost equal number (almost 9 lakh) of total
immigrants. It is interesting to note that while Italy was the
preferred destination of the British, Spain had almost similar
numbers of Italians immigrating to it. The number was slightly over
400000 in both cases. 86500 Polish immigrated to Spain and an
almost double number immigrated to Italy.

Poland was the least popular destination for people of other

European nations, with 600 immigrants in all out of which more than half
came from Italy alone.

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4. The tables below are the results of research, which examined the average
percentage marks scored by boys and girls of different ages in several
school subject. Write a report for a university lecturer.

Model Answer:

The tables show the average percentage of marks obtained in school

subjects of Maths, Science, Geography, Languages and Sports by children
aged 7,10,13 and 15 according to sex.

Boys scored the highest in sports (78%), whereas girls scored the
highest in languages (75%). Apart from these two subjects the
performance of boys and girls was comparatively similar. Boys
tended to score higher in Geography, with scores ranging from 63-
70%, while scores for girls ranged from 62-64%. However, at the age
of 15, both boys and girls alike averaged a score of 64% for this subject.
The differences between the sexes for scores for Maths and Science were
negligible.

Comparing the scores for different age groups, for both boys and
girls, children tended to improve as they got older. Boys improved
in all subjects till age 13, but the scores were less for age 15 for all
subjects except Sports. Among girls, the scores of all subjects grew
as age grew, but in Sports the scores fell with advancing age.

Overall, it is clear that males in this age range performed better in

sports, whereas females scored better in languages.

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 BASED ON PRESENT AND FUTURE YEARS
5. The given graph shows the past and projected figures of the government
spending as a percentage of GDP for
the years 2000 to 2025 in three years.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features
and make comparisons where relevant.

The given line graph elucidates the percentage of GDP spent by government on education,
health and roads and railways from 2000 to the present time and also gives projections up
to 2025. It can be clearly seen that the amount spent on education and health show
opposing trends up to the present time and are expected to continue that trend in future
also.

In 2000, the percentage of GDP spent on education accounted for 5%, which was the
maximum. The amount spent in this field decreased steadily over time and presently is
approximately 4.1% and in future also it is expected to decline and reach about 3.9% by
2025. In contrast, the percentage of gross domestic product spent on health stood at 4% in
2000. This figure grew moderately to 5.6 % by 2005 and after that there has been a slight
increase till today. This spending is expected to grow in future also and by 2025 it is
forecast to be about 7.5%.

From 2000 to 2005, the percentage of GDP spent on roadways and railways increased
minimally from 4 to 4.5% abut after that showed a dramatic fall till 2010 and reached
3% of the GDP. The spending on these public transports has picked up and is near about
3.6 %/o. This growth in expenditure is expected to continue till 2020 but after that is
predicted
to show a slight decrease.

Overall, health is one area in which the government spending was the least in 2000 and is
expected to be the most by 2025.
22
6. The charts below give information on the ages of the populations of Yemen and
Italy in 2000 and projections
for 2050.

Model answer:
The given pie charts show data on the population ages in Yemen and Italy in the year 2000
and also provide estimation for the year 2050.

According to the given data, more than half of the population of Yemen was below 14
years old in the year 2000. In this same year, their population from 15 to 59 years old was
just over 46% and only about 3% of their population was over 60 years old. In this year
there was one-fourth population in Italy over 60 years old and more than 60% of their
population was from 15 to 59 years old. The percentage of aged people in Italy was much
higher than Yemen in 2000. Finally, the percentage of the population up to 14 years in
Italy was less than 15% in this year was.

The pie charts also give the projection of the percentage of population based on age group
for the year 2050 and according to this projection, the percentage of younger people in
Yemen would decrease while the number of aged people over 60 years is expected to
increase only by 2%. On the contrary, the aged people in Italy in 2050 will be more than
40% while they would have less young people.

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 MAP
VOCABULARY FOR MAP

BUILDINGS
demolished, knocked-down, flattened, replaced, renovated, built, constructed, reconstructed,
developed, extended, expanded, relocated, converted and modernized.

Examples:
 The government demolished the industrial estate and developed a sports ground.
 They removed the shops and replaced it with a skyscraper.
 A port was constructed at the edge of the river.
 The factory in the city centre was demolished and relocated to the north of the city.
 The old warehouses were replaced with new hotels.
 The factory was converted into apartments.

TREES AND FORESTS
cleared, cut-down, chopped-down, removed, planted
Examples:
 The forest was cut-down and replaced with a shopping centre.
 The trees were cleared to make way for houses.

ROADS, BRIDGES AND RAILWAYS LINES

constructed, built, extended, contracted, reduced, expanded and removed
Examples:
 The main road was extended and a new bridge built over the river.

LEISURE FACILITIES
opened, set up, developed.

Examples:
 A skate park was set up next to the swimming pool.
 A park was developed beside the forest.

HOW TO DESCRIBE GENERAL CHANGES

As this is an IELTS writing task 1 question we must write an overview and this is where we
talk generally about the main changes that have occurred between the two maps.

Below are some examples of general statements we could use to

describe change in towns and cities.

1. Over the period, the area witnessed dramatic changes.

2. From 1995 to 2005, the city centre saw spectacular developments.
3. The village changed considerably over the time period.
4. During the 10 year period, the industrial area was totally transformed.
5. Over the past 20 years, the residential area was totally reconstructed.
6. Over the time period, the old docks were totally redeveloped.
7. Between 1995 and 2005, the old houses were rebuilt.
8. The central business district was completely modernised during the time period.

HOW TO DESCRIBE LOCATIONS

You will also be expected to describe where things are maps and describe where changes have
occurred.You can use ‘to the left’ and ‘to the right’, but a better way is to use ‘north’, ‘south’,
‘east’ and ‘west’. I normally advise my students to draw the symbols on the question paper if
they are not already there.
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 Examples:

 The forest to the south of the river was cut down.

 A golf course was constructed to the north of the airport.
 The houses in the south-west of the town were demolished.
 The green fields to the north-west of the city were redeveloped as a park.
 The airport in the center of the city was relocated to the north-east of the river.
 The school to the south-east was knocked down and a new one built to the east of
the forest.

Finally, you will also be expected to use prepositions of place, e.g.

at/in/on/by/beside/to/off/from, to describe
 where things are.
Examples:
 Dramatic changes took place in the city centre.
 To the south of the town, there is a golf course surrounded by trees.
 A new school was built next to the swimming pool.
 The old road running from north to south was replaced by a new motorway.
 A marina was built on the banks of the river.

1. The diagram below shows the changes, which took place in a coastal area
called Pentland from 1950 to 2007. Write a report for a university lecturer
describing the diagrams below.

Model Answer:

The given diagram shows the changes, which occurred in a coastal town, Pentland,
between 1950 and 2007. It can be seen that the area developed a lot in the given period
of 57 years.

Overall, Pentland developed into a busy commercial coastal town over a period of half
century.

In 1950, Pentland was located towards the south of the sea. There was a straight main
road bisecting the town into two. Two side roads were there, one to the left and the other
to the right. The left road led to an industrial area, whereas the right one led to the car
park. The rest of the area was mainly grassland.

57 years later, the sea was developed as a Yacht Marina, circled by a newly built road,
25
which was linked to the original straight road. Many apartments were built to the right.
The industrial area on the left, was replaced by a park, a swimming pool and a multi-
storey car park. The side roads were shifted further southwards. The car park on the right
was removed and many apartments were built in its place. On the south east corner of
Pentland, many houses were built, and a cinema was constructed in the corner between
the main road and the left side road. Many shops were opened along the northern side of
both side roads.

2. The picture below shows the plan of a new town. Write a

report for a university lecturer describing the information below.

The given map shows the plan of a new town. A cursory glance at the
layout is enough to make it clear that the town is planned to be well
connected and provide all facilities to people.

It has been planned that the centre of the town will have some bus stands
and parking lots. Four roads will emerge from the centre and lead to north,
south, west and southeast. A ring road is also planned to go around the
town. The housing areas are planned towards the inside and outside of
the ring road. Four recreational areas are intended to be constructed
towards the south and one towards the east. Two industrial areas have
also been planned, one on the southeast and one towards the northwest.
These would provide job opportunities to people.

Overall, the town is well designed as the transport facilities seem to provide
good connectivity and the recreational centres would be there for
entertainment. The industries in the suburbs would provide employment
to people.

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3. The graph below shows a conference hall built in 1981 and
planned for 2020. Summarise the information by selecting and
reporting the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant.

1985 Dahl Conference Hall

Planning for 2020

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Model Answer:
The given diagrams show the plan of a conference hall in 1985
and the proposed plan of the same hall for 2020. It is
evident that some parts of the hall are planned to remain
the same, where as some radical changes are planned for some
sections.

In 1985, the hall had gardens on the eastern side. The northern
side had a room, a small hall and a car park running from west
to east side. There was another room on the western wall just
in front of the room on the extreme northwest side. The
reception was in the centre and the whole southern side had
gardens.

Many changes have been proposed for 2020. The two rooms,
the small hall and the reception are proposed to remain in
the same place, but the car park and part of the garden on
the northern side are planned to be changed to a new block
for 20 rooms. The rest of the garden area of the east is
intended to be converted in the car park. The IT course will
be built on the south-west side. A canteen and kitchen are
proposed to be made by the side of the IT course room.
Three meeting rooms and a game room on the southern side
are also included in the plan for 2020.

Overall, it can be seen that the conference hall will have many
new rooms added in 2020, which would largely be at the expense
of the garden area.

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 4. The diagram below shows the changes that took
place in Liverton dock from 1980 to now. Write a
report for a university lecturer describing the
changes below.

Model Answer:
The picture illustrates how Liverton Dock developed between 1980
and now. It can be seen that radical changes have taken place in the
dock in the given four decades.

In 1980, Liverton was an active Dock built on either side of a river,

which flowed into the coast towards the east. The layout shows
four ships standing in the river in 1980. There were three
warehouses, two on the north of the river and one on the south
of the river. In addition, there were two cranes one on the north
between the two warehouses and the other to the west of the
warehouse on the south.

The present layout illustrates a ship museum on the river in place

of the ships. A flood barrier has been constructed on the river
towards the coast. However, Just west of the flood barrier is
a bridge. An education centre, and kids playing area have
replaced the warehouses and a sailing club has been
constructed in place of the crane on the north. The education centre
has been built towards the west and the kids playing area has
been developed towards the east. On the southern side, a
river walk has been made adjoining the river. The southern
side is mainly a residential area now. A hotel has been
constructed in place of the crane, apartments have replaced the
warehouse and a big parking lot has been made towards the east
of apartments.

Overall, Liverton Dock has transformed completely and is no more

used as a dock.

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PROCESSES (Process, Lifecycle, Typical
flow chart)
 In the introduction: the diagram/picture/chart shows/
illustrates/describes/depicts the process of/how……

 Find a starting point and write the process as a series of steps:

 Useful connecting words that can be used:

- Adverbs: first/firstly/first of all, secondly, thirdly,
then/next/after that/ following that/following on from this/
subsequently/subsequently to that, finally.
- Preposition: At the beginning of……..; At the end of…….

 Other linking words that can be used:

- The first/next/final step/ phrase/stage is/ involves……
- After this step…..
- Once this step is completed……
- Following this…..

1.The diagram below shows the stages of processing cocoa

beans. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the
process below.

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MODEL ANSWER:
The given flow chart illustrates how cocoa beans are
processed to obtain different products. It can be clearly seen
that there are three stages in the process, from the initial
whole beans to the final products in the market.

In the first stage, the whole beans are picked from the cocoa
tree. After being picked, their outer shells are removed and
they are dried for the next stage. Stage 2 consists of many
steps. Firstly, the dried beans are pressed. Some of these
pressed beans are further pressed to make cocoa cake,
whereas the rest are refined to make industrial chocolate to
which sugar is added.

In the third and final stage, the cocoa cake is ground to

make cocoa powder and liquor is also obtained. The cocoa
powder is sent to the market to be used by the consumer,
whereas the cocoa liquor is used in the industry to make
cakes and drinks. The industrial chocolate is sent for final
processing after which the finished chocolate products are
finally consumed by consumers.
Overall, there are three stages in the process of making
different products from cocoa beans.

2. The diagram below shows the life cycle of the honey bee
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main
features and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

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MODEL ANSWER

The life cycle of a honey bee in different stages is portrayed in the given
diagram.

Overall, it can be seen that the whole cycle involves three important
stages from laying eggs to attaining full maturity.

In the first stage, adult female bees, at appropriate season, lay their
eggs in the hive. Typically, an adult female bee lays one to two eggs,
and this happens in every three days. Approximately after 10 days, these
eggs hatch and ‘nymphs’ emerge. These immature forms of insects
undergo their first moulting five days after their emergence. This form
of transformation, when they shed their hair, feathers or skin to grow
further, progresses to its second stage in a week.

After the second moulting, in about nine days, young adult bees emerge.
It takes four more days for them to attain full maturity, and eventually
the cycle is complete. The approximate time taken for one such cycle to
complete is about 34 to 36 days.

3.The flowchart below compares three methods to recruit new

employees. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the
main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

32
MODEL ANSWER:
The flowcharts compare the three approaches of recruiting
employees for a particular company.

The first method of finding a suitable person for the

company is to publish announcements for relevant jobs.
Qualified workers would be added to the shortlist, and then
enter the next step of being interviewed by HR or managers.
Those who are eligible get the job in the end.

The second method is to place recruitment adverts in the

papers. Similarly, the names of suitable applicants could
be seen on the shortlist, and these applicants are divided
into two groups; the first would be interviewed directly
whereas the second group would have to sit for the exam.
As a result, candidates who pass the exam would get the
job they want as well as those who passed the interview.

Also, companies would use recruitment agencies for the

staffing strategy. The agencies not only cooperate with
headhunters, but also advertise the recruitment. The
following steps are similar to the first method.

Overall, these three approaches are quite simple and

similar in order to find qualified employees for the
company, but the first one may save more time and money.

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