WRITING IELTS

THE THREE “P”S

TASK ACHIEVEMENT

answered the question as RELEVANT as possible?

H

A summerized significant features of the graphic text? (task 1)

V included explanation and example (task 2) to support

and complete my writing?

E
used complete sentences and avoided using bullet points?

I written at least 150 words (task 1 ) and 250 words (task 2)?
 COHERENCE and COHESION

Cohesion refers to how words are linked to form sentences, and

how sentences are joined together logically to form the argument.
This is achieved in several ways:

Agreement between subject and verb; with number (singular and plural); etc.
Articles (a/an/the) assist the reader to follow the participants in a text.
Pronouns help the reader follow the participants and the arguments in a text.
Conjunctions are important for linking ideas, expressing causes and results,
giving reasons, presenting conditions, explaining, and clarifying statements.

Coherence refers to the organization of the whole text. This means the
structure of the response – the introduction, body paragraphs and the
concluding paragraph. It also means how paragraphs are organised – the
topic sentence, supporting, and developing sentences. The use of transition
signal is important as they signal the stages and sequence of processes and
procedures, narratives and the logical development of ideas.
 LEXICAL RESOURCE

THIS MEANS :
ØThe range of vocabulary across academic topic areas and
paraphrasing to easily and clearly summerize and describe a variety of
graphic texts with an appropriate tone and level of formality.
ØThe command of word forms (for example, machine, mechanic,
mechanisation, mechanical, mechanise, mechanically)
ØUsing the correct spelling.
ØWords related to the topics given are strongly suggested to put.

GRAMMATICAL RANGE AND ACCURACY

This refers to your command of the grammar of English and the rate of
error. How many mistakes do you make?
This also refers to the range of sentence types and the length of these
sentences. Do you use a mix of simple, compound and complex sentences
of varying lengths? When constructing complex sentences can you use
relative pronouns, subordinating conjunctions and participles correctly
and effectively?
TYPES OF DIAGRAM
Parts of the essay
— DO NOT directly COMPOSE

— ANALYZE and UNDERSTAND

the diagram FIRST
Sentence one
Use two standard opening sentences to introduce your report. Sentence
one should define what the graph is about; the date, location, what is
being described in the graph etc.

The graph shows the number of cases of X disease in Someland between the
years 1960 and 1995 …

Notice the tense used. Even though it describes information from the past,
the graph shows the information in the present time.

Notice that the sample opening sentence is using paraphrase

 ØThe graph shows ...
ØThe diagram illustrates...
ØThe bar chart compares ...
ØThe table describes ...
ØThe chart gives information about ...
ØThe line chart provides information about ..
ØThe diagram represents ...
Paraphrase you can make:

graph = line graph

chart = bar chart
diagram = figure / image
shows = illustrates (or 'compares' if the graph is comparing)
proportion = percentage
information = data
the number of = the figure for
the proportion of = the figure for
people in the USA = Americans / US citizens
from 1999 to 2009 = between 1999 and 2009
from 1999 to 2009 = over a period of 10 years / a decade
how to produce = the process of producing
in three countries = in the UK, France, and Spain (i.e. name
the countries)
Sentence two: overall

Sentence two might sum up the overall trend. You

may put overall in a separate paragraph. For
example:

As an overall trend, it is clear that the number of cases of

the disease increased fairly rapidly until the mid seventies,
remained constant for around a decade at 500 cases
before dropping to zero in the late 80s.

Notice the tense used. Here we are talking about

the occurrence of the disease in the past.
Use these things correctly
NUMBER
- Use "the number of + plural noun" e.g. the number of visitors.
- Don't use it to describe percentages or uncountable nouns e.g. money.

AMOUNT
- Use "the amount of + uncountable noun" e.g. the amount of money.
- Don't use it with countable nouns e.g. the amount of person/people.

PROPORTION
- Only use this to describe percentages (not numbers).
- Use "the proportion of + plural noun" e.g. the proportion of people.

FIGURE
- Use "the figure for + plural noun" e.g. the figure for visitors to the UK.
- Use it with uncountable nouns e.g. the figure for unemployment.
- Use it with countries e.g. the figure for Canada.
- Use it with percentages e.g. the figure (for...) rose to 10%.
Comparing
•The graph compares the number of males and
females...
•10% of males were unemployed, compared to only 8%
of females.
•The unemployment rate was high in 2008 compared
with previous years.
•The unemployment rate was high in 2008 in
comparison with...
•By/in comparison, the unemployment rate in 2008
increased to...
•Figures for the USA were comparable with/to those
for the UK.
•The figure for females was comparatively low, at
only 8%.
 How to begin your body paragraph

ØAs it is illustrated by the graph,

ØFrom the graph, it can be seen that
ØAs it is described by the diagram that
ØThe first thing to note is that
LANGUAGE OF
CHANGE
Building a variety of sentences

ADJECTIVE NOUN

There was an abrupt rise in the amount of money

spent for local charity in 1999.

In 1999 the amount of money spent for local

charity rose abruptly.

VERB ADVERB
The amount of money spent for local charity
experienced an abrupt rise in 1999.

adjective noun
saw
enjoyed article ‘a/an’ is
necessary if
suffered followed by a
singular noun ...

NOTE : ‘ENJOY’ IS USED FOR INCREASING.

‘SUFFER’ IS USED FOR DECREASING.
‘SEE’ & ‘EXPERIENCE’ ARE USED FOR BOTH.
Describing the difference between two levels

OF BY

FROM - TO

BETWEEN - AND

The number of children in X orphanage has dropped by 1200

from 1975 to 1985.

Between 1975 and 1985, there was a fall of 1200 in children in X

orphanage number.
Describing
the end point

TO

The number of children in X orphanage has fallen to 200

in 1985.

This year there has been a fall in the number of children

in X orphanage to 200.
 Expressing Approximation

We use words to express approximation when the

point we are trying to describe is between milestones
on the graph.

- just under
- just over
- well under
- well over
- roughly
- nearly
- approximately
- around
- about
Begin your sentence with ØIn Korea, ...
Ø a slight difference ...
ØAround 151 ...
ØIn 2000, ... ØIt is clear that for most of the
Ø only slightly over year, ...
a half of the ØA gradual rise ...
proportion of people ØBetween 1980 and 1990, ...
ØThere were ØThe figure fell ...
approximately ... ØNumbers picked up ...
 LANGUAGE
OF
COMPARISON

To begin, take a look at the graph above.

Which country has the highest level of

pollution?
Which country has the lowest?
 The structures
Developing countries are more reliant on alternative energy production than
developed countries.
Solar power accounts for far less of the total energy production than gas or
coal does.
Hydropower is not as efficient as wind power.
Like Japan, South Korea does not produce any natural gas.
The Middle East produces twice as much oil as Europe.
Western countries consume three times more oil than the Middle East.
Russia consumes slightly more oil than Germany.
The UAE produced the same amount of oil as Saudi Arabia.
There was a twofold/threefold increase in the number of unemployed people
between 2005 and 2009.
The number of unemployed people doubled between 2005 and 2009.
 Fractions
How about these
percentages ....
25 % à a quarter
50 % à a half 77 % 90 %
75% à three quarters
20 % à a fifth 5% 40%
10 % à a tenth
33 % à a third
Accounting for ...
Amounting to ...

Less than a tenth the vast majority

Nearly a half over a third

Slightly more than three quarters

— while a conclusion is not mandatory in IELTS
Writing Task 1, including one can enhance the
coherence and completeness of your response. If
you do:

In conclusion, To sum up,

In summary, To conclude,
In brief, Taking everything into account,
In essence, All in all.
Sample Essays
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Write a report for a
university lecturer describing the information in the graph below. You
should write at least 150 words

The graph shows the number of cases of X disease in Someland between the
years 1960 and 1995. As an overall trend, it is clear that the number of cases of
the disease increased fairly rapidly until the mid seventies, remained constant
for around a decade at 500 cases before dropping to zero in the late 80s.

In 1960, the number of cases stood at

approximately 100. That number rose
steadily to 200 by 1970 and then more
sharply to 500 in 1975. The figure remained
stable until 1980 before plummeting to zero
by 1990. From 1990 to 1995 Someland was
free of the disease.

In conclusion, the graph shows that the

disease was increasingly prevalent until the
1980s when it was eradicated from
Someland.
The table below gives information about the underground
railway systems in six cities.
1
The table compares the underground rail networks in six major cities, 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.
(177 words)
2
The table compares the underground rail networks in six major cities, 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.
(177 words)
MORE THAN
ONE GRAPH
Some Task 1 questions ask you to describe more than one chart or
graph. If you are worried about this kind of question, follow these
simple steps:

1. Write your introduction in the usual way:

paraphrase the question. You might find some useful
words in the chart headings. Also, it's sometimes
easier to write 2 sentences i.e. "The first chart
illustrates... The second chart shows...“

2. Write a summary paragraph. If possible, you should

try to summarize all of the information, rather than
writing a separate summary for each chart.

3. Describe each chart separately. Just write a short

paragraph about each chart. Choose the most
important information from each chart.
 EXAMPLE

The three bar charts compare average years of

education, numbers of science workers, and money
spent on research in developed and developing
countries. Figures are given for 1980 and 1990.

It is clear that all of 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.
The line graph compares daily electricity
consumption in England during the winter and
summer, while the pie chart shows information
about the different uses of this electricity in an
average English household.

It is clear that English homes use around double

the amount of electricity in the winter compared
to the summer. Throughout the year, just over
half of the electricity consumed by English
households is used for heating rooms and water.
DESCRIBING
PROCESS
When describing stages in a process:

1.Start at the beginning. Use words that clearly

show the stages (e.g. firstly, at the first stage,
after that, next, following this, finally).

2.Use the present simple tense, because facts.

3.Use the 'active' when someone or something

does the action (e.g. the moth lays its eggs).

4.Use the 'passive' when it is not important to

say who or what does the action (e.g. the silk
cloth is dyed).
 EXAMPLE

•The life cycle of the silkworm begins when the

moth lays its eggs.

•After 10 days the silkworm larva is born, and 4 to

6 weeks later the larva produces silk thread.

•At the first stage in the production of silk cloth

the cocoon is boiled in water.

•Next, the silk thread is unwound and twisted.

•It is then dyed, colored, or woven to make cloth.

The diagram
shows how
the Australian
Bureau of
Meteorology
collects up-to-
the-minute
information
on the
weather in
order to
produce
reliable
forecasts.
Firstly, incoming information can be received by satellite
and presented for analysis as a satellite photo.

Secondly, incoming information may be collected directly by

radar and analysed on a radar screen or synoptic chart.

This information is then analysed, prepared for

presentation, and finally broadcast to the public.

At the third stage of the process, the weather

broadcast is prepared on computers.

The same data can also be passed to a radar station

and presented on a radar screen or synoptic chart.

Finally, it is delivered to the public on television, on the

radio, or as a recorded telephone announcement.
>> Initially >> At first
>> Firstly >> First of all
>> The next step >> Next
>> Then >> As soon as
>> Afterward >> Finally
>> Eventually
 EXAMPLE

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.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE There are four main stages in the production of
plastic paper clips from this small factory.

Two of these stages involve actual preparation

of the clips, while the other two consist of quality
control before the clips are sent out from the
factory to the retailers to be sold to the public.

To begin with, molten plastic is poured into three

different moulds depending on the color
required; the colors are red, blue and yellow.
Once these clips emerge from the moulds a
quality control machine checks them for strength.
Unsatisfactory clips are rejected.

In the third stage in the process the clips are

sorted by hand into two groups, mixed and
single colors. When this stage is complete, the
groups are checked a second time to ensure that
the color mixtures are divided correctly into
single colors and mixed color batches.

Finally, the clips are packed and dispatched to

the markets.
DESCRIBING
MAP
 There are 2 types of maps:
1. A map that shows a comparison
2. A map that shows development of an area.
Tips, think about these:
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 or

infrastructure and the growth of the village?

4. How could you group the information in order to write

two 'specific details' paragraphs?
comparison
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
Northwest 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
development of an area
The map shows the growth of a village called Chorleywood between 1868
and 1994.

It is clear that the village grew as the transport infrastructure was

improved. Four periods of development are shown on the map, and each of
the populated areas is near to the main roads, the railway or the
motorway.

From 1868 to 1883, Chorleywood covered a small area next to one of the
main roads. Chorleywood Park and Golf Course is now located next to this
original village area. The village grew along the main road to the south
between 1883 and 1922, and in 1909 a railway line was built crossing this
area from west to east. Chorleywood station is in this part of the village.

The expansion of Chorleywood continued to the east and west alongside

the railway line until 1970. At that time, a motorway was built to the east
of the village, and from 1970 to 1994, further development of the village
took place around motorway intersections with the railway and one of the
main roads.