In the IELTS writing task 1, you will be provided with a graph/chart/diagram for which you would have to write a 150-word essay. Do not go beyond 20 minutes on it as you would need around 40 minutes to complete Writing Task 2. Writing task 1 calculates to only 33% of marks and these marks are given based on Task achievement, coherence, and cohesion, vocabulary and grammar.

Before you begin your IELTS writing task 1, you should be conscious about the following:

• Read the question and instructions carefully before you begin the essay.
• Look at the chart/diagram/graph carefully and process the information.
• Start planning on how to write the essay.
• Recall what you know about the structure of the essay (which is given further down this page) and be mindful of the information that has to go into each paragraph.
• Pay attention to spellings, grammar, sentence types, lexical resources, coherence and cohesion, fillers, etc.

Different Sections of Task 1

The basic structure of IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

There is a particular structure in which you need to write the essay in IELTS academic writing task 1. You can follow the below structure for the 150+ word essay. 

Introduction

Like every other essay, this essay too needs an introduction.

Points to remember when you write an introduction:

• This paragraph should focus on the components of the graph/bar chart/ table/ process/map etc.
• To write this paragraph, you should read and understand the question given.
• Do not use the exact words given in the question, instead paraphrase the question.
• Using synonyms for the important words given in the question could get you extra points!
• If there is a time frame mentioned, do not forget to mention the time frame in your paragraph.

Question

Chart

Introduction paragraph

The charts compare four retail sectors which are Electronics & Appliance, Food & Beverage, Home Furnishings and Video Games in Canada in terms of the proportion of their internet sales in two years, 2005 and 2010.

Overview: 

The overview paragraph stands true to its name. In general terms, you must be able to identify what the main features are in the essay and need to focus more on them so that you can score high band.

Points to remember when you write an overview:

• This is the most important paragraph.
• Identify the key features of the graph (highest point, lowest point, etc.)
• Focus on the features that stand out in comparison to the other features.

Example of an Overview paragraph

Overall, the proportion of online sales for each of the four sectors changed significantly from 2005 to 2010. While the figures for food and beverages and also video games increased, the figures for the other two sectors fell.

Paragraph

The body paragraph has to provide information explaining the features that are identified. If there are more than 1 graph, you can add the paragraphs accordingly.

COMMON TYPES OF QUESTION IN IELTS WRITING TASK 1

• Line graph
• Bar chart
• Pie chart
• Table
• Map
• Process
• Multiple charts