IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - How to Score a Band 7
Updated on 24 November, 2022
Mrinal Mandal
Study Abroad Expert
Study Abroad Expert
IELTS consists of two types of tests - IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training Test. IELTS Writing Task 1 comes under the Academic test. In the IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, the candidates are required to write a general summary within 150 words on the given information which might be presented in the form of a chart, table, and graphs. The main goal of the test is to gauge a candidate’s ability to summarize details from given data, which helps in analyzing the skills of the candidate.
Attempting the Task 1 of IELTS Academic Writing isn’t a big deal but achieving band 7 and above requires a lot of learning and efforts. Candidates will be presented with visual information through one or more diagrams. While summarizing, the answer is categorized into three parts:
1. Write an introduction
2. Write an overview (a summary of the information being presented)
3. Presenting and highlighting the key features with figures (data)
Let’s delve deeper into the structure - the introduction, the overview and the key features that need to be presented.
The introduction should paraphrase the question and should convey to the examiner what the candidate thinks about the topic, and it should be completed in a sentence or two. There are certain do’s and don’ts that students need to follow while writing the introduction to score band 7.
Do’s and don’ts while writing an introduction
Do’s | Don’ts |
The introduction should be clear as to what a candidate sees | Put irrelevant information |
Use synonyms and phrases to paraphrase the question | Add inaccurate synonyms in place of keywords |
Use keywords like data, time, countries, etc. in the introduction | Copy the question word-to-word |
Don’t forget to address the charts, diagrams or tables |
The overview should consist of a summary of the visual data given. A clear overview can help students in achieving a band 7 or higher in the Academic IELTS Writing Task 1. Accurate keywords should be presented as it helps the candidate to score a band of 7 or higher. Avoiding necessary keywords can lead to getting a band 5 or lower than that. The overview should summarize:
Do’s and don’ts while writing the overview
Do’s | Don’ts |
Enhance the summary with linking words | Include data or figures in the overview, rather than just writing the summary of the main trends or features |
Look for trends in the diagram(s) - If there is any fluctuation, an overall increase or decrease in the visual diagram? Is it stable? Are there any high or low points? | Highlight key features with data (figures) |
If the future prediction is visible in the diagram(s), summarize it as future trends | Identify everything in the overview |
Highlight the changes students see in the overall trend of the visual diagram |
In the response, candidates must present the key features that stand out in the diagram and support it with data. For example, if a diagram shows 5 countries, the description should talk about all of them and missing a country might lead to a lower band score.
Do’s and don’ts for the key features
Do’s | Don’ts |
Present the figures given in the visual diagram | |
Use the correct number format and scale while presenting figures from the visual diagram | Use calculations to respond to the task |
Use the correct data set represented in the visual diagram | Present data inaccurately. Make sure to read carefully what data is shown |
Remember to present the data as given | Misread the data and present it incorrectly |
There are several do’s and don’ts candidates need to know while responding to IELTS writing task 1 academic topics. Following these instructions can be useful and candidates can score band 7 and above.
Recommended Reads:
1. Give prompt and apt information
2. Paraphrase the sentences properly
3. Include all the charts, graphs, tables, etc.
4. Use proper keywords such as time, place, gender, date, etc.
5. Highlighting changes in the trend
6. Be efficient with the usage of words
7. Using linking words such as overall, to outline, etc.
8. Present the outline from the given data precisely
9. Use correct number format such as percentage, number, etc.
10. Supporting figures such as maximum and minimum data
11. Present it neatly with necessary data
12. Figures which increase and decrease regarding the comparison between data
13. Steps that may be involved in the process of development
14. Use less common vocabulary
1. Use irreverent information
2. Use irreverent synonyms
3. Copy the question while paraphrasing the question
4. Include every detail as this is a summary and nothing else
5. Misread the keywords such as gender, place, etc.
6. Make spelling mistakes
7. Ignore keywords
8. Mention information that is neither accurate nor precise
9. Use data that isn’t mentioned
10. Present data in a mechanical manner
11. Repeat the data which has already been mentioned
12. Make grammar errors
13. Include their own opinion
14. Finish it by concluding the summary
The questions are usually asked on the following topics:
Know More:
IELTS Score for UK | IELTS Score for USA | Validity of IELTS Score |
IELTS Speaking Topics | IELTS Reading Tips | IELTS Preparation Books |
Types of IELTS Exam | IELTS Academic vs General | IELTS Exam Pattern |
Get to know about the latest updates on the IELTS Exam, Eligibility, Preparation Tips, Test procedure, Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Registration Process, Important Exam Dates, and much more!! This guide is a one-stop solution for every IELTS Aspirant who aims to crack the exam with an impressive band score.
Here is an IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Sample with answers for aspirants to help them.
Sample:
The table below describes the number of employees and factories in England and Wales from 1851 to 1901 |
Year | Male Employees | Female Employees | Total Employees | Factories |
1851 | 287,100 | 190,000 | 477,100 | 225 |
1861 | 131,780 | 160,000 | 291,780 | 227 |
1871 | 80,123 | 60,000 | 140,123 | 622 |
1881 | 76,132 | 50,000 | 126,132 | 721 |
1891 | 65,000 | 40,000 | 105,000 | 625 |
1901 | 31,000 | 30,000 | 61,000 | 600 |
Answer: The table indicates that the total number of factory staff declined throughout the duration of 50 years. While the number of employees witnessed a significant drop, the number of factories increased substantially.
If we look at the employee numbers, the ratio of females to that of males was significantly lower. In 1851, the number of male employees in the factory were 287,100, whereas it was 190,000 for their female counterparts. However, the year 1861 was an exception since the number of female employees exceeded the male workers. Over the years, the figure declined rapidly for male employees and reached 31,000 in 1901. However, by 1901, the female staff numbers came close to the number of male employees. In summation, the workforce plummeted from 477,100 in 1851 to 61,000 by 1901.
On looking at the data for factories, they accounted to 225 in 1851. After 1861, the figure jumped sharply, peaking at 721 factories by 1881, followed by a slight dropping of numbers, totalling to 600 by 1901.
Read More:
Candidates who are going to attend IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 should practice old question papers and analyze the given data before concluding. While analyzing the given data, don’t miss out or ignore anything throughout the data as it can be significant. No data is insignificant in this test. Prepare well for the exam before attending it. For more guidance on scoring a band 7 or higher, connect with the IELTS experts of upGrad Abroad.
The tips aspirants can follow to ace the IELTS academic Writing Task 1 are as follows:
Writing task 1 of academic IELTS requires students to write a summary on the basis of visual information in 150 words. Candidates need to pick out, describe the data and compare them from the information given.
The types of questions are in the form of a bar chart, pie chart, line graph, table, process diagram, map or multiple graphs.
There are seven questions in total in the IELTS academic Writing Task 1. These questions are based on the diagrams on the basis of which the candidate has to give the response.
To improve their score for the Writing Task 1 of IELTS, candidates should analyze before writing, mention only the important features, paraphrase, draw comparisons, and proofread and review their work at the end.
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