IELTS Writing Task 1 is the shorter of the two writing tasks. You have about 20 minutes and must write at least 150 words. Task 2 carries twice the weight of Task 1, so don't spend more than 20 minutes here — but a weak Task 1 still pulls your overall writing band down.
| IELTS Academic | IELTS General Training | |
|---|---|---|
| Task | Describe visual information: a graph, table, chart, diagram of a process, or maps | Write a letter responding to a situation (formal, semi-formal or informal) |
| Length / time | At least 150 words · about 20 minutes | |
| Your opinion? | No — report and compare the data only | Yes, where the situation asks for it |
How Task 1 is marked
Your answer is scored on four equally weighted criteria:
| Criterion | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement | You give a clear overview of the main features, select the key data, and report it accurately. (General Training: you cover all three bullet points with the right tone.) |
| Coherence and Cohesion | Logical paragraphs, clear grouping of information, natural linking — not "Firstly… Secondly…" in every sentence. |
| Lexical Resource | A range of accurate vocabulary for trends and comparisons, without repeating "increase" ten times. |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | A mix of simple and complex sentences, mostly error-free; correct tenses for the time period shown. |
The 4-paragraph structure (Academic)
| Paragraph | Content | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Introduction | Paraphrase the question: what the visual shows, where, when, in what units. | 20–30 |
| 2. Overview | 2 sentences on the most important features: overall trends, the highest/lowest, the biggest change. | 30–40 |
| 3. Details 1 | Group related data (e.g. the categories that rose) with key figures and comparisons. | 50–60 |
| 4. Details 2 | The remaining group (e.g. categories that fell or stayed stable) with figures. | 50–60 |
Aim for 170–190 words. There is no conclusion paragraph in Academic Task 1 — the overview does that job, and many candidates place it straight after the introduction so the examiner sees it immediately.
Paraphrasing the question
Paraphrase: The line graph illustrates how many overseas tourists travelled to three cities over a ten-year period from 2010 to 2020.
Useful swaps: shows → illustrates / compares / gives information about · the number of → how many · the proportion of → what percentage of · between 2010 and 2020 → over a ten-year period.
How to write the overview
- Look for the overall direction of each line or category: up, down, stable, fluctuating.
- Find the extremes: the highest and lowest, or the category that changed most.
- Write two sentences with no numbers, starting with Overall, … / It is clear that …
Vocabulary for describing trends
| Direction | Verbs | Nouns |
|---|---|---|
| Up ↑ | rise, increase, grow, climb, go up, surge, soar (dramatic) | a rise, an increase, growth, an upward trend |
| Down ↓ | fall, decrease, decline, drop, dip, plunge, plummet (dramatic) | a fall, a decrease, a decline, a drop, a downward trend |
| No change → | remain stable, stay constant, level off, plateau | a period of stability, a plateau |
| Up and down ↕ | fluctuate, vary | a fluctuation, fluctuations |
| Highest / lowest point | peak at, reach a peak of, hit a low of, bottom out at | a peak, a low |
Describing the size and speed of change
| Size | Adjective + noun | Verb + adverb |
|---|---|---|
| Very large | a dramatic / sharp / significant rise | rose dramatically / sharply / significantly |
| Medium | a considerable / steady increase | increased considerably / steadily |
| Small | a slight / marginal / modest fall | fell slightly / marginally |
| Speed | a rapid / gradual decline | declined rapidly / gradually |
Prepositions with numbers: rose to 60% (the final figure) · rose by 20% (the amount of change) · stood at 40% · from 40% to 60% · a rise of 20%.
Language for comparing data
- The figure for A was twice as high as that for B.
- A accounted for the largest proportion (45%), followed by B (30%).
- Spending on food was considerably higher than spending on transport.
- By contrast / Whereas / While A increased, B declined.
- A and B had similar figures, at around 20%.
- Fractions: a quarter, roughly a third, just under half, the majority, a small minority.
The grammar behind all of this is in degrees of comparison.
Process diagrams and maps
Processes: use the passive voice and sequence words
Overview for a process: state the number of stages and where it begins and ends — Overall, there are seven main stages, beginning with harvesting and ending with packaging. Review the passive voice if this feels unnatural.
Maps: describe changes with the passive and location language
- The forest was cleared to make way for housing. A car park was built to the north of the station.
- Location: to the north/east of, in the south-west corner, opposite, next to, alongside the river.
- Overview: Overall, the village was transformed from a rural area into a residential town, with most farmland replaced by housing.
Sample answer (bar chart, ~180 words)
Task (sample data): The chart shows the percentage of households in a country that owned a car, a computer and a smartphone in 2005, 2015 and 2025.
The bar chart compares the proportion of households in one country that owned three items — a car, a computer and a smartphone — in 2005, 2015 and 2025.
Overall, ownership of all three items increased over the twenty-year period. Smartphones showed by far the most dramatic growth, rising from the least common item to the most widely owned by 2025.
In 2005, cars were the most common of the three, owned by 55% of households, compared with 30% for computers and just 5% for smartphones. Over the next decade, smartphone ownership surged to 60%, overtaking both of the other items, while computer ownership roughly doubled to 58%.
By 2025, almost nine in ten households (88%) had a smartphone. Computer ownership continued to rise, but more slowly, reaching 70%. Car ownership, by contrast, grew only marginally throughout the period, from 55% to 62%, making it the least common item in the final year.
Why it works: a paraphrased introduction, a clear overview with no numbers, data grouped by time period, accurate figures with comparisons, and varied trend vocabulary (surged, overtaking, roughly doubled, grew only marginally).
General Training Task 1: the letter
You get a situation and three bullet points. Cover all three bullets fully, and match the tone to the reader.
| Tone | Who to | Opening | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formal | Someone you don't know (a manager, a company) | Dear Sir or Madam, / Dear Mr Sharma, | Yours faithfully, (no name known) / Yours sincerely, (name known) |
| Semi-formal | Someone you know in a formal role (landlord, colleague) | Dear Mr Patel, / Dear Anita, | Kind regards, / Best regards, |
| Informal | A friend or relative | Dear Ravi, / Hi Ravi, | Best wishes, / See you soon, / Love, |
Structure: greeting → purpose of the letter (one sentence) → one paragraph per bullet point → closing line (I look forward to hearing from you) → sign-off. No address is needed. See formal letter writing and professional email phrases for ready-made language.
Mistakes that cost bands
- No overview — or an overview full of numbers.
- Describing every number instead of selecting and comparing the important ones.
- Giving opinions or reasons in Academic Task 1 ("this is because people became richer").
- Wrong tense — past data needs past tenses; future projections need is expected/predicted to.
- Under 150 words, or spending 30+ minutes and rushing Task 2.
- Copying the question word for word — copied words are not counted toward your total.
Now move on to the higher-scoring half of the test with the IELTS Writing Task 2 guide, or compare exams in IELTS vs. TOEFL vs. PTE. Exam formats can change — always confirm current details on the official IELTS website before your test.
Frequently asked questions
How many words should I write for IELTS Writing Task 1?
At least 150 words. Aiming for about 170–190 words gives you room to cover the key features without wasting time needed for Task 2.
How long should I spend on Task 1?
About 20 minutes. Task 2 is worth twice as much as Task 1, so it should get about 40 minutes of the 60-minute writing test.
Do I need a conclusion in IELTS Academic Task 1?
No separate conclusion is required. What you must have is a clear overview summarising the main trends or differences, usually placed after the introduction.
Should I give my opinion in Task 1?
Not in Academic Task 1 — describe and compare the information only. In the General Training letter, you can give opinions or requests where the situation calls for them.
What is the difference between Academic and General Training Task 1?
Academic Task 1 asks you to describe visual information such as graphs, tables, processes or maps. General Training Task 1 asks you to write a letter responding to an everyday situation.