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irLanguage.com The Key to IELTS Writing Task I (Academic) ‫ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻧﻘﻮى‬:‫ﺗﺎﻟﯿﻒ‬

The Key to IELTS Writing Task 1

(AC)
1

Mohammad Naghavi, IELTS instructor, author

Gholamreza Hoseini, editor
Hojjat Hajizadeh, coordinator

‫اﯾﻦ ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋﻪ ﺑﺎ ﻟﻮﮔﻮى ﻣﺮﺟﻊ زﺑﺎن اﯾﺮاﻧﯿﺎ ن‬

. ‫ﺑﻪ ﺻﻮرت ﻧﺸﺮ ﺑﺮﺧﻂ و ﺣﺎﻣﻞ ﺑﻪ ﺛﺒﺖ رﺳﯿﺪه اﺳﺖ‬
.‫ ﺷﺮع و اﺧﻼق اﺳﺖ و ﺷﺎﻣﻞ ﭘﯿﮕﺮد ﺧﻮاﻫﺪ ﺷﺪ‬،‫ﮐﭙﻰ ﺑﺮدارى از آن ﺧﻼف ﻗﺎﻧﻮن‬
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A friendly note to readers and users:

This page is to appreciate you for purchasing “The Key to IELTS Writing Task 1”. I hope
it helps you with your IELTS test, especially writing Task 1 (AC).
It is crucial that you double your practice by trying to use some of the tips and strategies that you
will be illustrated here. This is the way to improve your writing score. Of course, everybody has
a different learning style and some students are more comfortable with applying their own
learning style.
You will be shown various strategies and techniques, but do not feel that you have to
do everything the way it has been explained in this book – if you like some strategies
or techniques, then use them practically. If there are hints which do not suit you, you can do
them your own way or another way that you have been taught.
You will always hear different pieces of advice on ways to approach the IELTS writing Task 1
(AC) test as teachers have different methods – there is not always a right or wrong way, so it is
important to be flexible – choose what works for you. For sure, whatever you do, you must
ensure that you are meeting the criteria as set out in the band descriptors (Appendix 2).
Finally, as I hope you will understand, a lot of work has gone into creating and writing this work,
2
so please do not share it on the Internet or post it anywhere as a free download.
Mohammad Naghavi
Summer 2016
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To my brother 3
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Acknowledgements:
I would like to extend my appreciation to a group of my colleagues who assisted me compiling
and shaping the overall framework of this piece of work. First and foremost, I would like to
appreciate Mr. Hoseini to bear the responsibility of editing this book. Second, my dear friend,
Mr. Hajizadeh, must not be forgotten as he provided me with all the images, pictures and
samples in the book.

4
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CHAPTER I 5

INTRODUCTION
(Theoretical Issues)
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What is the aim of the IELTS writing?

As always, to fully understand what you must do on the test, we must begin by looking at what
the test is designed for. The IELTS writing test aims to find out whether or not you have the
writing skills needed for academic study and professional life. Above band 6, we could say that it
aims to measure how advanced or developed these skills are. Academic and professional writing
involve describing and summarizing facts objectively, and clearly explaining your own ideas
about serious topics. These skills are assessed in Task 1 and Task 2, respectively.

It is important to note again that you are not being tested on your ability to write an academic
article. So, it is more accurate to think of the writing tasks as reflecting the general aim, which is
often described as explaining the world around us.

How is the writing test assessed?

IELTS examiners will assess your two writing tasks using 4 criteria. Looking at these in detail
helps us understand what the examiners are looking for at each level. Each criterion has 9
descriptors, which broadly describe the answers typically found at that band. The criteria that
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help us understand what you must always include in your answer are called Task
Achievement (for task 1) and Task Response (for task 2). Your writing Task 2 is more important
than your writing Task 1 answer; in fact, it is worth double the marks. To understand how this
works, double your writing Task 2 score, add it to your writing Task 1 score and then divide the
total by 3. So, if your Task 1 answer is band 7.5 and your Task 2 answer is band 6, your score
would be 6.5 (7.5 + 6 + 6 = 19 / 3 = 6.5) (see appendix 1).

Task Achievement (TA) in Task 1

Task Achievement tells us that, a band 9 candidate will produce an answer that fully satisfies all
the requirements of the task. So, we need to examine both the task and the Task Achievement
criterion to understand what is required for the test. If we look at the instructions of every
IELTS Writing Task 1 question, we can see that you must summarize the information by
selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. We are
also told that you must write at least 150 words. Looking at the descriptors for Task
Achievement, gives us an even more detailed idea of what you must include in your answer. One
word that appears several times is overview.
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What language should I use in Task 1?

A further note I will make here is that people often think of writing Task 1 in terms of describing
data, a map, a diagram, or a process. However, every writing task has a topic, and it is your
ability to report on that topic in an impersonal way (DO NOT write about your personal
ideas). You may need to do this using the language of data and numbers, or by explaining how
something is made, or how something has changed over time. But, the same problems related to
vocabulary, and the need to study a wide variety of general topics is true in both Task 1 and Task
2.

Is it ok to repeat the same vocabularies and grammatical structures in Task

1?
In Task 1, you are given a lot of information on the test question. For your introductory sentence
and throughout your answer, it important not to simply copy the information or the exact words
from the question. Nevertheless, some keywords do not have commonly used synonyms. For
example, if you are given information about a hospital, then you would need to use that same
word in your answer. Similarly, you should not try to replace words like pie chart or table, and 7
even the verb show, which often appears in the question because it is the most natural verb to
use. Rather than trying to replace every word in the question, it is often better to simply try to
rephrase it. You can do this by changing some of the words, or the word order, by making
changes such as replacing a verb with a noun. Look at the following extract from one of the 8
practice tests at the end of The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS (p.283):

The maps below show the village of Stokeford in 1930 and in 2010.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and making
comparisons where relevant.

We cannot rewrite this without using some of the same words, but we can make sure that it is
different, like this:
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The two maps show how a village called Stokeford changed between 1930 and 2010.
As I mentioned earlier, a common problem is some students try very hard to avoid using the
verb show, but this is often the most natural or accurate verb to use. If you look for synonyms for
the verb show, you will find a long list of verbs, but a list of words cannot give you enough
information (see page 9).

How can I make sure that my answer is not repetitive?

Your writing will also be assessed based on the language that you use in your answer. If your
language is repetitive, both in terms of the vocabulary you use, and the structures you use, then
this will lower your score. Authentic IELTS writing tasks have several different elements that
force you to use a variety of structures and vocabulary in your summary.

However, many of the free IELTS test questions you can find online force you to write in a
repetitive way, because they are too narrow in their focus and do not contain enough variety. For
example, a task that compares the number of books borrowed from four different libraries will
8
force you to only write sentences about how many books were borrowed. There are not many
synonyms for books, libraries, or borrowing that can be used naturally. Thus, your answer to a
question like this will force you to practice being repetitive. The same as all parts of the test, it is
important to look for authentic, well-written IELTS test materials when it comes to useful and
beneficial test practice.

Two key problems in IELTS writing

In my view, as well as causing the most anxiety, the writing test also attracts the widest range of
opinions, theories, and advice. While many test writers attempt to write their own versions of
IELTS reading tests, with the writing test this number is much greater. Such materials often do
not reflect the real test questions, and in my view, a great deal of the myths and bad advice for
IELTS writing stem from examples like this.

A further problem comes from the fact that writing is a very personal skill that requires us to
explain what we think and how we feel. For some people this feels unnatural, and can make them
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feel confusing; others even describe it as a painful process. As a way of solving this, perhaps
people develop more coping strategies for writing than for other skills - ways of easing
something they see as a problem task rather than an enjoyable one. As a result, people prefer to
accept any existing ideas they have about the writing test, which may be why it takes a long time
to convince people to try a new method and strategy.

Key idea 1:
You may find it difficult to let go of old ideas and beliefs about the writing test. Try to keep
an open mind.

Why do I only have 20 minutes for Task 1?

As with reading, the time limit is an important factor on the test. When you have more time, you
would be likely to write a longer and more detailed answer. However, academic Task 1 is a short
task, and should aim to write a summary of only the main trends or patterns rather than a detailed
description. Those who spend too much time on Task 1 tend to write too much and include minor
details from the information in the question. Remember, the instructions tell you to select 9
information to include. Try to train yourself to use the time limit to help you focus on only the
most important information.

How can I practice for Task 1?

As usual, you should divide your time between free practice (to help you learn and develop
language skills) and timed practice (to be sure you can complete the task effectively within 20
minutes). When practicing for writing Task 1, many people focus on describing data and
numbers. However, it is also important to focus on tenses and how to accurately describe
changes over time. These might be changes in data, or changes in a geographical area or
building.

You can also practice writing about the main trends using the following technique:
Find a writing Task 1 question and record yourself describing only the main trends in no more
than two or three sentences. You must not give any specific details, such as a percentage or
number. Ask a friend to listen to the recording and to draw what you have described. If their
drawing shows the most important points or patterns, then you have done a good job of writing
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about the main trends. If you do not have a friend or partner who can do this, listen to the
recording yourself to see if you can recreate the main trends using only your description. If you
are not happy with the result, then repeat the exercise until you are.

You can use this same idea to help practice the specific language needed to describe visual
information. To do that, record yourself again, but this time describe the information in enough
detail to your partner or yourself in the future to recreate the information almost exactly. If they
are confused at any point, then perhaps your language is not precise enough. This can be a good
way to see what gaps there are in your language.

You can go on to write out your description completely. Then edit it and make any changes or
corrections. Work on it several days if necessary, so that you can practice being accurate and
precise rather than only practicing writing quickly and under exam conditions.

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CHAPTER II
PRINCIPLES of 11

WRITING TASK I
(AC)
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How to form the introduction?

If you want to avoid achieving Band 5 or 6 in your Task Achievement, you have to write a clear
and strong introduction. Introduction is the first part (paragraph) of both Task 1 and Task 2. To
form an intro; you need to present a 2-sentence-paragraph to introduce your report. This opening
sentence says what the graph is about; that is, the date, location, and what is being described in
the graph. For example,

Original sentence: The graph shows the number of cases of X disease in Someland between
the years 1960 and 1995.
Paraphrased opening sentence: The given line graph indicates individuals diagnosed by X
diseases in Someland over a period of 35 years.

Notice the tense used. Even though it describes information from the past, the graph shows
the information in the present time. Besides, the sample opening sentence does not simply copy
the words used on the graphic material.
12
Note 1: copied sentences will not be assessed by the examiner and so you waste your time
including them.
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 Words often misused in Task 1 as synonyms for the verb show:

13

Samples of paraphrased titles in the opening sentence:

 The bar chart features the number of children leaving school at the age of 16 between 1995
and 2000.
 The line graph provides a detailed statistical breakdown of expenditure by different age
groups in a selected European country in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.
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 The pie charts illustrate the number of children who left school after they reached 16 years
of age over a five year period, starting in 1995.
 The graph indicates the fluctuation in the number of people at a subway station over the
course of a day.
 The graph provides some statistical data concerning the changes in the amount of fast food
consumed in the UK in a twenty-year-period starting in 1985.
 The two line charts provide a general overview of divorce rates in different regions of the
world from 1950 to 2010.
 The chart below shows the amount spent on six consumer goods in four European
countries in 1990 and 2000.
 The charts represent what high school students in three selected schools in the UK spent
their money on in 2009.
 The table lists the average annual percentages of water pollution in four megacities
worldwide.
 The pie charts depict the proportion of waste produced by each sector in 3 particular
industrialized countries over the course of five years from the start of the new millennium.
14
 The bar chart shows the sleeping habits of the British by age throughout the course of a
decade, starting in 2000.
 The diagram illustrates the process of turning dirty water into drinking water.
 The graph illustrates how the sales of home appliances have undergone changes in England
between 2000 and 2012.
 The table draws a comparison between the Americans and the Japanese in terms of the
number of hours spent online in 2010.
 The table shows how people in different age groups spend their leisure time in Hong Kong
over the course of a year.
 The bar chart provides information about the weekly consumption of meat products in three
selected cities over a span of ten years.

Key idea 2: Use general words for introduction: information, breakdown, data,
difference(s), similarities, trends, results, proportion, figures, statistics, and numbers.
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 Here are some simple changes you can make:

 graph = line graph

 chart = bar chart
 diagram = figure
 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
 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)
15
Tip 1: The figure for / figures for is a great phrase that not many people use (e.g. the graph

shows figures for unemployment in three countries).

What is an overview?
In Task Achievement, an overview is mentioned at several key points in the scale. In fact, we
can see that a key difference between bands 5, 6, and 7 relates to whether an answer provides an
overview (band 6) or not (band 5), and whether the overview is clear, and consists of the main
trends (band 7). Clearly, it is important to learn about writing an overview when it comes to
preparing for the test. The Free Cambridge Online Dictionary defines a summary as a short, clear
description that gives the main facts.
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While an overview is defined as:

Thus, if you need to score band 7 or above, then your summary must contain a clear overview
of the main trends which contains no details. You can see examples of overviews in the next
pages. Also you can find more help with identifying the main ideas and writing your overview, at
the end of this book and on pages 97-99 of The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS.

Key idea 3:
To score band 7 or above in writing task 1, your summary must contain a clear overview
of the main trends, which contains no details.
16

Should my overview come at the end or at the beginning?

This is most frequent question students ask about writing Task 1. To answer, there is no rule
about where to write your overview – it is only important that you make your overview clear. It
may help to see this as a sentence that explains the main idea of your summary. It can come after
your introduction or at the very end.

How to from an overview?

Sentence two (and possibly three) might sum up the overall trend.
Example:
It can be clearly seen that X disease increased rapidly to 500 cases around the 1980s and then
dropped to zero before 1999, while Y disease fell consistently from a high point of nearly 600
cases in 1960 to less than 100 cases in 1995.
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Note 2: Notice the tense used. Here we are talking about the occurrence of the disease in the
past.

Expressions to start overviews:

 Overall, the numbers are significantly lower in the later years of the study.
 As a general overview, team sports are among the most popular activities in all age groups.
 In general terms, the biggest share of students' budget was spent on the entertainment in both
years.
 It can be clearly seen that the amount of leisure time available varies considerably across the
age groups and that people of different age levels have very different ways of spending their
leisure time.
 At first glance we see that classical music is far less popular than pop or rock music.
 As an overall trend, it can be seen that there was an unprecedented rise in the number of the
Internet users at the start of the new century.

Tip 2:
17
Do not use the phrase according to the graph. This is because such phrase generally means

that the information comes from another person or source, and not from our own

knowledge. (For example, According to title Handbook, you cannot take the exam more

than once in three months. According to my friend, the essay question as not too difficult).

When a graph or table is shown, the information is right in front of you, and so you both

the writer and the reader can understand it. That is, it does not come from another source.

Tip 3:
Do not use the word present(s), since it needs a sophisticated summarizing noun to follow.
For example: the graph presents an overview of the population growth of Seattle in the last
20 years.
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 Time expressions:
 (in) the period from ……… to ……….
 (in) the period between ……….. and ……….
 in the first/last ………. months of the year
 over the period ………. to …………
 over the next years/ decades/ quarter of a century etc.
 over a/an ………. period
 throughout the ……….. century
 from ……… to ……….
 between ……… and ………
 in the ……….s (decade)
 in ………..
 before/after ………
 around/about ……….
 since ………. 18
 for ………
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Samples of overviews

19

Overall, Germany spent the most amount of money on reading materials during the entire
period. It is also clear that despite some fluctuations, spending on books increased in all four
places over the 10 years.
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20

As it is evident, we can see that heating both the home and water make up the vast bulk of
power consumption, but this is different when it comes to emissions with other devices and water
heating giving off the biggest emissions.
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21
As it is clear from the bar chart, the financial and business sector saw a remarkable rise, the
manufacturing sector witnessed a dramatic decline and agricultural fluctuated throughout the
century.