IELTS Tip: Task 1 Guide - One Year Graphs

Hello students, welcome to this simple guide to Task 1. Today, we will be learning how to handle single year graphs in Academic IELTS Writing Task 1. You will learn everything you need to do well in this part of the test. Let’s start.

Understanding the Task Format

The first thing you should know is the format of the task. For all graph types, the IELTS Task 1 has a three-part format: The top part tells you what the graph is about, the second part tells you what you need to do, and the third part is the graph itself.

Graph + Statement

While the first and third parts change, the second part stays the same. In all graph types, you have to choose and report the main features, and make useful comparisons. So before anything else, let’s learn two things: what main features are and what is meant by useful comparison.

Main Features

Main features are the parts of a graph that are more important than others. These include:

Highest Figure(s)

Lowest Figure(s)

Similar Figure(s)

Comparable Figure(s) (like double/triple etc.)

Exceptional Figure(s) (any figure that stands out because it is different)

Let’s understand this with an example. Look below:

Highest:

Lowest:

Similar:

Comparable:

Exceptional:

Note that highest and lowest are the most important features, followed by similar and comparable. As for ‘exceptional’, this is not very common.

Relevant Comparisons

Now that you know there are two kinds of comparisons you can make, it is important. But, it's also important to know which comparisons you should not use because they are not suitable. For example, look at point 6 in the table we're discussing. Here, the comparison is not useful because it's like comparing 'apples with oranges'. Comparing smartphone sales in one country with tablet sales in another doesn't make sense.

So, remember, good comparisons should always be between similar things – like 'apples to apples' or 'oranges to oranges'. This way, the comparisons make sense and are useful. Keep this in mind, and you'll understand better.

Ideal Paragraphing Structure

Now that you understand the exact requirements of the task, let’s discuss paragraphing. The ideal paragraph structure for a graph depends on the graph itself, but for most graphs, a 4-paragraph structure works well.

Introduction - Tells what the graph is about

Overview - two sentences giving a general description of the graph
Detail Paragraph 1 and 2 - around 6 sentences giving a detailed description of the graph

Let me teach you the details of this approach through a step-by-step writing of a graph. For this, we must choose a sample graph. Here it is:

The Bar Graph shows the number of accidents and injuries by transport type in year 2003.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and making comparisons where relevant.

Introductions

The introduction of the graph must simply describe what the graph is about. In other words, it is just a rephrase of the ‘about’ statement given at the top of a graph task. In today’s case, it is:

”
The Bar Graph shows the number of accidents and injuries by transport type in year 2003.”

You can rephrase it as:

The given bar chart provides information about the number of accidents and injuries by transport type in year 2003.

I have underlined the parts that I have ‘rephrased’. You can compare it to the original statement.

When rephrasing the topic, remember not to change too much; changing 3 words is often enough.

Here are some more examples of rephrasing:

For now, let’s move to the next part.

Overview

The overview, as I said earlier, gives a general description of the graph. But what does this mean? Think of an overview like a headline. When you read a newspaper, the headline tells you what happened ‘generally’ (overview) while the news article below it goes into ‘details’ (detail paragraphs).

The good news is that the two sentences of the overview can often be the same across all one-year graphs. These are:

Highest and/or lowest. A broad comparison.

Again let’s understand this through our bar graphs. Here is how I would write the overview paragraph:

In general, vehicles used for demand response were found to be the most risky, while community rail travel proved to be the safest option. It's important to highlight that traveling by rail was much safer than using road transport.

Notice the use of ‘In general,’. You can always start your overview with this. Also, notice how the first sentence presents the highest and lowest figures while the second one compares rail and road transport.

One important thing to remember for overview paragraphs is never to include figures (for example, 225 accidents). The only time you can include a figure in the overview is when it is a total of all figures.

Detail Paragraphs

The detail paragraphs are, as the name suggests, where you give a detailed description of the graph. In fact, this is the place where you must ‘select and report’ main ideas and make ‘relevant comparisons’.

A good division of detail paragraphs that works for most graphs is:

Detail Paragraph 1 - Highest and Lowest

Detail Paragraph 2 - Rest of the data (if possible, comparison, similarities, exceptions etc.)

It is always a good idea to plan your 6 sentences out before you start writing. Here is my plan:

Here is the detail paragraph 1 based on the above plan:

Looking more closely, we see that demand response vehicles had the most incidents, with a total of 225, and the highest number of injuries, totaling 173. In contrast, commuter rail had the fewest incidents and injuries, with only 20 accidents and 17 injuries reported.

Here is the detail paragraph 2:

There was a clear similarity between light rail and bus, as both had an equal 76 accidents. However, in terms of safety, light rail showed a big advantage, recording only 39 injuries, while buses had a higher count of 66 injuries. Heavy rail proved to be slightly safer than light rail, with a lower number of 51 accidents and just 25 injuries.

Final Sample Answer

The given bar chart provides information about the number of accidents and injuries by transport type in year 2003.

In general, vehicles used for demand response were found to be the most risky, while community rail travel proved to be the safest option. It's important to highlight that traveling by rail was much safer than using road transport.

167 Words

Summary

Let me summarize all of this:

Here's a summarized version in bullet points for the "Let's summarize this" section:

Understand Task Format: Know that every IELTS Task 1 graph has three parts: description, task, and the graph itself. Focus on selecting and reporting main features, and making relevant comparisons.

Identify Main Features: Look for the highest, lowest, similar, comparable, and exceptional figures in the graph. Remember, highest and lowest figures are usually the most important.

Make Relevant Comparisons: Compare similar aspects (like 'apples to apples'). Avoid irrelevant comparisons (like 'apples to oranges').

Follow Ideal Paragraph Structure: Use a four-paragraph format: Introduction, Overview, Detail Paragraph 1, and Detail Paragraph 2.

Craft a Clear Introduction: Rephrase the graph’s description clearly. Aim to change around three words for a good rephrase.

Write an Informative Overview: Provide a general description without specific figures, unless it's a total. Highlight the highest and lowest points and make a broad comparison.

Detail Paragraphs for Depth: In Detail Paragraph 1, discuss the highest and lowest figures. In Detail Paragraph 2, cover the rest of the data including comparisons, similarities, and exceptions.

Plan Your Answer: Organize your thoughts and plan your sentences before writing to ensure clarity and coherence.

Sample Answer for Guidance: Refer to the provided sample answer to understand how these tips come together in a well-structured response.

Exercise

The graph shows the number of smartphones and tablets sold in six countries in year 2013.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and making comparisons where relevant.

Sales in Year 2013
Smartphones	Tablets
Japan	15000.00	7500.00
Australia	5000.00	7500.00
India	20000.00	5000.00
China	30000.00	15000.00
USA	20000.00	10000.00
Canada	18000.00	9000.00

Sample answer:

The table presents the sales figures for smartphones and tablets across six countries in the year 2013.

In general, China was the leading seller of both smartphones and tablets. A clear trend seen is that in five of the six countries, smartphones were preferred over tablets.

Looking closer at the details, China's sales were the highest with 30,000 smartphones and 15,000 tablets, leading in both categories. In contrast, Australia's market showed a unique preference, buying only 5,000 smartphones but 7,500 tablets. India, on the other hand, had the smallest tablet market, selling just 5,000 units, yet its smartphone sales were much higher, at 20,000 units.

Furthermore, the USA reported 20,000 smartphone sales, which is twice the number of its tablet sales. A similar pattern was seen in Canada, with 18,000 smartphones sold compared to 9,000 tablets. Japan also followed this trend, selling 7,500 tablets and a much higher number of smartphones, at 15,000 units.

157 Words

Task 1 Guide - One Year Graphs