IELTS Writing Task 1 Vocabulary
IELTS Writing Task 1 Vocabulary
Useful tips and vocabulary to describe a graph or chart in IELTS Writing Task 1
1. Introduction
• One sentence is enough for the introduction.
• Replace words in the general statement with synonyms or Paraphrases where you can.
• If you cannot quickly write your introduction in your own words, do not waste time. Write out the words in the rubric, but remember to change them later.
• Use one of the following four prompts to help you write an introduction:
– The graph shows/illustrates the trends in …..between ….and…
– The graph gives/provides/reveals/presents information about the differences/changes …)
– The graph shows that (there a number of differences between…)
– The graph shows/illustrates how the sales have differed/changed…
• Vary noun phrases, e.g. sales/purchases of different cars: sales/purchases of private vehicles, the number of various types of cars sold/purchased, the number of various types of cars sold/purchased, car sales/purchases.
• Use general words for the introduction: information, data, difference(s), similarities, changes, trends, results, numbers, percentages, figures, statistics, breakdown.
2. How to write the main part of the text
• Divide your text into 3-4 paragraphs, including the introduction.
• Divide the information into broad/general groups/categories or trends.
• Describe the main or most
striking/significant/noticeable/outstanding/remarkable feature(s)/characteristics differences/trends/changes. Avoid writing lists of detail. Write about general trends and support what you say with specific data.
• Describe the three general trends: is/was
upwards/downwards/flat or say what happened: …(sales)rose/fell/remained flat/fluctuated…
Use appropriate synonyms:
– rise (vb): climb, go up, increase, improve, jump, leap, move upward, rocket, skyrocket, soar, shoot up. pick up. surge, recover
– rise (n): increase, climb, jump, leap, pick up, surge (in)
– fall (vb): collapse, decline, decrease, deteriorate: dip, dive, drop, fall(back), go down, go into free-fall, plummet plunge, reduce (only in the passive) slide, slip (back), slump, take a nosedive
– fall (n): decline, decrease, deterioration, dip. drop, plunge, free-fall, slide, slip, dive, reduction, slump
– fluctuate: (noun: fluctuations) be erratic, be fitful, vary, rise and fall erratically
– flat: no change, constant
Add suitable adverbs: dramatically, erratically, gradually, markedly, significantly, slightly, slowly, steadily.
Add specific information or examples:
– (increasing, decreasing, etc) from … to …
(eg: The oil price experienced a period of sharp rise, increasing from 120$ to 320$ over a decade.)
– between…and…
– with an increase from … to… /to… from …
Use: …followed by… to add more information
(eg: The oil price increased dramatically to 120$ in 2001, followed by a slight drop to 100$ over the next year)
Add time phrases
– between…and…
– from … to… (inclusive)
– in the year (1994)…
– during/over the period… to…
– over the latter half of the year/century/decade/period
– over the next past/previous five days/weeks/months/years/decades
3. How to compare and contrast
• Repeat the process for each general point, but vary the sentence structure, grammar and vocabulary
•Compare and contrast the other items. Use some of the following:
– more/less than…
– (bigger) than…
– (not) as big as…
– twice as big/much as…
– rather than…
– as against/as opposed to/compared with/in comparison with
– in (sharp) contrast to the biggest/smallest (change)…
– more (women) dted/achieved/participated/took part in/were involved in … than.
– there were more (men) than (women) who …
• To quote from the results of the survey, you can use:
-….percent quoted/cited/mentioned/considered …as important..
– …was quoted/cited/mentioned/considered as the most/least important factor by…
– … came top/bottom/second/next, followed (closely)by….. at… and…. respectively.
• Use conjunctions like: while/whilst/whereas/but
• Use linkers: however/in contrast/by comparison/meanwhile/on the other hand
• Focus on an item in the graph:
-As regards (sales), they …
– With regard to/Regarding/In the case of/As for/ Turning to (sales),they…..
– Where is/are concerned/it/they…
-When it comes to….., it/they…
• Use these words and phrases to describe predictions:
– It is predicted/forecast(ed)/estimated/expected/projected/anticipated in that ….. will…
– … Will have… by…
– The projection is for… to…
– … is/are predicted/forecast(ed)/estimated/expected/projected/anticipated to
– … is/are set to
• Use the present perfect to describe the recent past to the present: …has risen, etc.
• Write a conclusion. One sentence is enough. You can use the following phrases:
Generally. …; All in all. ; On average. …; Overall, It is clear/evident/obvious that…..
• Other verb sequences stages you can use:
– … rose from … to …
– … rose… and increased… from… to…
– … rose…., increasing from … to…
– … rose…, overtaking… in…. and outstripping…. in …
– Rising from … to… (sales) overtook… and outstripped.
– .. rose … overtaking … in …) and reaching a peak … in …
– … rose … before levelling off…
– ..fell…, before rising….
– ….fell…, after rising.. /after rising fell…22
– …..rose/fell.. from … to…. while/whilst/whereas/… rose/fell…
