IELTS WRITING TASK 1 SAMPLE

Vocabulary for the Introduction Part:

Starting Presentation Type Verb Description

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

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

2.  The given pie charts represent the proportion of male and female employees in 6 broad
categories, dividing into manual and non-manual occupations in Australia, between 2010 and
2015. 

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

General Statement Part:

What + Where + When

Example: The diagram presents information on the percentages of teachers who have expressed
their views about the different problems they face when dealing with children in three Australian
schools from 2001 to 2005. 

- What = the percentages of teachers...

- Where = three Australian schools…
- When  = from 2001 to 2005...

Vocabulary for the General Trend Part:

1. In general...
2. In common...
3. Generally speaking...
4. Overall...
5. It is obvious...
6. As it is observed...
7. As a general trend...
8. As can be seen...
9. As an overall trend/ As overall trend...
10. As it is presented...
11. It can be clearly seen that...
12. At the first glance...
13. It is clear,
14. At the onset...
15. It is clear that...
16. A glance at the graph(s) reveals that...

Example:
- In general, the employment opportunities increased till 1970 and then declined
throughout the next decade.
- As can be seen, the highest number of passengers used the London Underground station
at 8:00 in the morning and at 6:00 in the evening.

Vocabulary to show the changes:

Trends Verb form Noun Form

Increase rise / increase / go up / uplift / rocket(ed) / a rise / an increase / an

 climb / upsurge / soar/ shot up/ improve/ upward trend / a
jump/ leap/ move upward/ skyrocket/ soar/ growth / a leap / a
surge. jump / an improvement/
a climb.

Decrease fall / decrease / decline / plummet / plunge / a fall / a decrease / a

drop / reduce / collapse / deterioriate/ dip / reduction / a downward
dive / go down / take a nosedive / slum / trends /a  downward
slide / go into free-fall. tendency /  a decline/ a
drop / a slide / a
collapse / a downfall.

Steadiness unchanged / level out / remain constant / a steadiness/ a plateau /

remain steady / plateau / remain the same / a stability/ a static
remain stable / remain static

Gradual increase   an upward trend / an

------------ upward tendency / a
ceiling trend

Gradual decrease   a downward trend / a

 ------------ downward tendency / a
descending trend

Standability/ Flat level(ed) off / remain(ed) constant /  

remain(ed) unchanged / remain(ed) stable /  No change, a flat, a
prevail(ed) consistency / plateaued / reach(ed) plateau.
a plateau / stay(ed) uniform /immutable /
 level(ed) out/ stabilise/ remain(ed) the same.

Examples:
- The overall sale of the company increased by 20% at the end of the year.
- The expenditure of the office remained constant for the last 6 months but the profit rose by
almost 25%.
- There was a 15% drop in the ratio of student enrollment at this University.
- The population of the country remained almost the same as it was 2 years ago.
- The population of these two cities increase significantly in the last two decades and it is
expected that it will remain stable during the next 5 years.

Do not use the same word/ phrase over and over again. You should not use a noun or verb
form to describe a trend/change more than twice; once is better!

Vocabulary to represent changes in graphs:

 Type of Change Adverb form Adjective form

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

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

Moderate change moderately / gradually / progressively / moderate / gradual /

sequentially.   progressive /  sequential.

Steady change  steadily/ ceaselessly. steady/ ceaseless.

Slight change slightly / slowly / mildly / tediously. slight / slow / mild / tedious.

Example:  
1.  The economic inflation of the country increased sharply by 20% in 2008.

2.  There was a sharp drop in 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 oil moderately increased during the last quarter but as a consequence, the price of
daily necessities rapidly went up.
 

Vocabulary to represent frequent changes in graphs:

 Type of Change Verb form Noun form

 Rapid ups and wave / fluctuate / oscillate / waves / fluctuations /

downs vacillate / palpitate oscillations / vacillations / 
palpitations

Example:  
1.  The price of the goods fluctuated during the first three months of 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 the early morning
and evening, it remains busy.

4.  The changes in 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.

Types of Changes/ Differences and Vocabulary to

present them:  
Great change / Huge difference: 
Adjectives                           Adverbs
Overwhelming                   Overwhelmingly
Substantial                         Substantially
Enormous                          Enormously

Big change / Big difference: 

Adjectives                           Adverbs
Significant                          Significantly
Considerable                     Considerably

Medium change / Moderate difference: 

Adjectives                           Adverbs
Somewhat                           Somewhat
Moderate                             Moderately

Minor change / Small difference: 

Adjectives                           Adverbs
Fractional                           Fractionally
Marginal                             Marginally
Slight                                 Slightly

Dates, Months & Years related vocabulary and

grammar: 
» From 1990 to 2000, Commencing from 1980, Between 1995 and 2005, After 2012.
» By 1995, In 1998, In February, Over the period, During the period, During 2011.
» In the first half of the year, For the first quarter, The last quarter of the year, During the first
decade.
» In the 80s, In the 1980s, During the next 6 months, In the mid-70s, Next 10 years, Previous
year, Next year, Between 1980 - 1990.
» Within a time span of ten years, within five years.
» Next month, Next quarter, Next year, Previous month, Previous year.
» Since, Then, From.
 

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 quarters.
 
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. 
89% = A very large proportion.

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.