introduction

Wiritng Task 1

Overview

• Your first sentence has one simple job: to tell the examiner what the chart, table, or diagram shows
• You do this by paraphrasing the description given in the prompt. Do not copy it. The basic approach is the same for all task types (bar charts, line graphs, tables, etc.)

Steps-by-steps

• Read the prompt: Carefully read the description provided with the task
• Identify key information: Find the What, Where, and When
  • What: What data is being shown? (e.g., sales, imports, development stages)
  • Where: What location or group? (e.g., in the UK, for three companies)
  • When: What is the time period? (e.g., from 2010 to 2020, in a typical month)
• Paraphrase: Rewrite the prompt using different words and a different sentence structure
• Include units: Make sure to state the units of measurement (e.g., in percentages, in tonnes, in US dollars)

How to paraphrase

• Use synonyms (but be careful): This is the most common method
  • Good: shows → illustrates, compares, gives information about
  • Good: the number of → the quantity of
  • Good: a typical month → an average month

warning

Only use words you are 100% sure about. Cafe is not the same as coffee shop. Village is not the same as town. Accuracy is more important than a fancy word

• Change word forms (verb ↔ noun): This is a very effective and safe technique
  • Original: ...how fish was imported...
  • Rewrite: ...the importation of fish...
  • Original: ...how rainwater is collected...
  • Rewrite: ...the collection of rainwater...
• Change the sentence order: This unique grammatical structure
  • Original: The chart shows sales of three foods in a typical month in London
  • Rewrite: In a typical month, the chart illustrates the revenue from sales of three foods in London. (Moves when to the front)
• Group categories: If the prompt lists many items, group them together
  • Original: ...sales of burgers, pizza, fish and chips, and salad
  • Rewrite: ...sales of four different food items

Types

• Multiple charts (e.g., two tables or a chart and a table)
  • Describe both charts in your introduction, usually in one sentence
  • Use a linking word like while or whereas to connect them
  • Example: The first table shows the reasons why people moved, while the second table indicates the percentage who moved from a city
• Diagrams (Processes or Life Cycles)
  • For process diagrams, avoid how to. Use more formal language
    • Instead of: how rainwater is recycled...
    • Use: the process of recycling rainwater... or the steps involved in recycling rainwater...
  • For life cycles, focus on stages
    • Instead of: the life cycle of a frog...
    • Use: the stages in the life of a frog... or the developmental phases a frog passes through...

Common mistakes

• DON'T copy the prompt. You must paraphrase
• DON'T use words like below, provided, or in this report (e.g., The chart provided below shows...). The examiner already knows this
• DON'T give your opinion or use phrases like this is an example. This is a report, not an essay
• DON'T be redundant
  • Bad: The table shows the proportion of... in percentages. (Proportion and percentage mean the same thing)
  • Good: The table shows the percentage of...
• DON'T use incorrect capital letters. Words from the chart's axes (like Total Sales) should usually be lowercase in your sentence (e.g., total sales)