IELTS Writing Task 1: Academic Charts and Model Answer

IELTS Writing Task 1 is the first of two tasks in the IELTS Academic Writing test, asking candidates to look at a graph, table, chart or diagram and describe, in their own words, what it shows, writing at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. The task may present one or more graphs, charts or tables, or a diagram of an object, device, process or event, including maps, and examiners mark candidates on how accurately and clearly they summarise the key features of the data shown.

Task 1 sits inside a 60-minute Writing paper alongside Task 2, which asks for at least 250 words in response to a written argument or problem and counts twice as much as Task 1 towards the overall Writing band score. Academic Task 1 differs from the General Training version of Task 1, where candidates write a letter instead of describing visual data; both versions are marked against the same four criteria and require the same minimum word count of 150 words in about 20 minutes.

What does IELTS Writing Task 1 ask you to do?

IELTS Writing Task 1 asks candidates to describe, in their own words, the visual information shown in a graph, table, chart or diagram, writing at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. The task wording typically instructs the candidate to summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and to make comparisons where relevant; it does not ask for an opinion or an argument. A response is judged on how accurately and relevantly it reports what the visual shows, since examiners mark the data reported.

How does Task 1 differ from the General Training letter?

Academic Task 1 differs from General Training Task 1 in what candidates write about: the Academic version shows a graph, table, chart, process or map and asks for a factual description, while General Training gives a situation and asks for a letter, which may be personal, semi-formal or formal depending on who it is addressed to. Both versions share the same minimum word count of 150 words, the same suggested time of about 20 minutes, and the same four assessment criteria, so a candidate still has to organise a response clearly and use accurate grammar and vocabulary in either version; only the content and tone of the writing change.

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What chart and diagram types appear in Task 1?

Task 1 can present any one of several visual formats, and candidates benefit from recognising each before test day. The official chart and diagram types include:

• Line graph: shows change over time, often with more than one line for comparison
• Bar chart: compares values across categories or time periods, shown vertically or horizontally
• Pie chart: shows the proportions that make up a whole, sometimes as two charts for comparison
• Table: presents numerical data in rows and columns, often combined with another chart type
• Diagram of a process or object: shows how something works, is made, or occurs in stages, including natural processes and life cycles
• Map: shows change in a place over time, or compares two versions of a location
• Combinations: a single task can mix two of these formats, such as a bar chart with a table

How is Task 1 weighted and marked against the four criteria?

Task 1 is assessed against four separate criteria, and it counts for less than Task 2 in the overall Writing band score, since Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score. The four criteria are Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy.

Task Achievement assesses how accurately, appropriately and relevantly a response covers the task requirements, including whether the minimum of 150 words has been met. Coherence and Cohesion assesses how clear and fluent the writing is and how ideas and information are organised across paragraphs. Lexical Resource assesses the range of vocabulary used and how accurately and appropriately it is used. Grammatical Range and Accuracy assesses the range of grammatical structures used and how accurately and appropriately they are used.

How should you structure a Task 1 answer, and what makes a strong overview?

A Task 1 answer is usually organised into four paragraphs: a paraphrased introduction that restates the task in different words, an overview of the two or three most significant patterns in the data, and two detail paragraphs that support the overview with specific figures. This builds on the official guidance that a Task 1 response has three main parts, the introduction, an overview and the main features supported by figures from the diagram, with the main features commonly split across two paragraphs so each covers a related group of data.

The overview is the sentence or two that states the main trend or comparison in the data without quoting individual figures, and it should appear as its own paragraph straight after the introduction, separate from the detail paragraphs that follow. A strong overview names the two or three features that stand out most, such as which category rose most, which fell, or which stayed broadly stable, so an examiner can see the data has been understood as a whole before reading the supporting detail.

Model answer: Line graph: commuting by car, bus and bicycle

Task: The line graph below shows the percentage of commuters in one city who travelled by car, by bus and by bicycle, recorded at five-year intervals over a twenty-year period.

Car: Year 0 = 45%, Year 5 = 50%, Year 10 = 48%, Year 15 = 40%, Year 20 = 32%
Bus: Year 0 = 35%, Year 5 = 30%, Year 10 = 27%, Year 15 = 25%, Year 20 = 23%
Bicycle: Year 0 = 20%, Year 5 = 20%, Year 10 = 25%, Year 15 = 35%, Year 20 = 45%

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

Write at least 150 words.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

"

The line graph compares the share of commuters in one city travelling by car, bus and bicycle over a twenty-year period, with data recorded every five years.

"

Car use rose before falling back below its starting level, bus use declined steadily throughout the period, and bicycle use rose overall, becoming the most popular mode by the final year.

"

At the start of the period, 45% of commuters travelled by car and 35% by bus. Car use climbed to a peak of 50% after five years, then fell steadily to 48%, 40% and finally 32%. Bus use never regained its initial level, slipping from 35% to 30%, 27%, 25% and 23% over the same period.

"

Bicycle use followed a different pattern: it stayed flat at 20% for the first five years, then rose steadily to 25%, 35% and 45%. By the final year, cycling had become the leading mode, standing 13 percentage points above car use and 22 points above bus use, having overtaken car use at the final interval and bus use one interval earlier.

What this model answer does:

• Task Achievement: all three data series are covered and a clear overview names the main pattern before the supporting detail, meeting the 150-word minimum.
• Coherence and Cohesion: four distinct paragraphs move logically from introduction to overview to detail, linked by phrases such as by the final year and having overtaken.
• Lexical Resource: varied verbs for change (climbed, fell steadily, stayed flat, rose steadily) avoid repeating a single word for movement.
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy: comparative and participle structures (standing 13 percentage points above, having overtaken) sit alongside accurate past-tense reporting of figures.

What language works for describing trends and comparisons?

Task 1 rewards precise, varied language for describing change and comparison, since the Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range criteria both look for this directly. Verbs such as rose, increased, grew, declined, fell and fluctuated describe movement over time, while phrases such as a sharp rise, a gradual decline or a slight increase add precision without repeating the same verb. Comparative structures, such as significantly higher than, roughly twice as many as, or the opposite trend to, allow direct comparison between categories, and linking words such as while, whereas and in contrast connect two contrasting features within one sentence.

What mistakes make candidates lose marks, and how should you practise?

Candidates most often lose marks in Task 1 for three recurring reasons: omitting the overview, which the Task Achievement criterion specifically expects; listing every figure from the chart instead of selecting the main features; and adding opinions or explanations for why the data looks as it does, which falls outside the task. Other frequent errors include writing under the 150-word minimum, copying phrases directly from the task wording instead of paraphrasing them, and switching between present and past tense inconsistently when the data covers a time period.

A practical routine is to work through one chart type at a time, since line graphs, bar charts, pie charts, tables, process diagrams and maps each need different vocabulary; to time every practice answer at 20 minutes so pacing becomes automatic; and to check each finished answer against the four official criteria in turn, confirming that the overview is present, the main features are supported with figures, the vocabulary is varied, and the grammar is accurate, instead of simply re-reading for a general impression.

Related guides

• What is IELTS? Format, versions and scoring
• IELTS Academic or General Training?
• IELTS band scores explained
• IELTS Listening and Reading raw scores to bands
• IELTS Writing Task 2 essays
• IELTS Speaking test format

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