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LTS WRITING TASK I

LINE GRAPH

This graph shows changes in the popularity of three different activities in a UK sports club over a
period, of 20 years.

In 1983 around 50% of club members participated in swimming so this was clearly the most
popular activity. However, this figure 1 dipped/decreased steadily to 15% in 1998 and 2 remained
constant/levelled off at this rate until 2003.

In contrast, 32% of members did team sports in 1983, and this rate 3 stood at/reached a peak of
40% in 1998 before 4 dropping/growing to its former level. Participation rates for team sports 5
increased/overtook those for swimming and became the highest for all activities from 1993 to
2003.

Finally, participation in gym activities 6 finished at/stood at only 5% in 1983, but this figure 7
fell/grew rapidly from 1988 to 1998, eventually 8 levelling off at/reaching a peak of around 25%,
making gym the second most popular activity.

Overall, participation in swimming 9 fluctuated/dropped considerably during the period. Team

sports, however, remained popular, while participation in gym activities 10 declined/rose
significantly over the period.

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 2. Complete the sample answer below with the correct expression according to the
information in the graph.

This graph shows changes in the popularity of three different activities in a UK sports club
over a period, of 20 years.

In 1983 around 50% of club members participated in swimming so this was clearly the
most popular activity. However, this figure 1 dipped/decreased steadily to 15% in 1998 and
2 remained constant/levelled off at this rate until 2003.

In contrast, 32% of members did team sports in 1983, and this rate 3 stood at/reached a
peak of 40% in 1998 before 4 dropping/growing to its former level. Participation rates for
team sports 5 increased/overtook those for swimming and became the highest for all
activities from 1993 to 2003.

Finally, participation in gym activities 6 finished at/stood at only 5% in 1983, but this
figure 7 fell/grew rapidly from 1988 to 1998, eventually 8 levelling off at/reaching a peak
of around 25%, making gym the second most popular activity.

Overall, participation in swimming 9 fluctuated/dropped considerably during the period.

Team sports, however, remained popular, while participation in gym activities 10
declined/rose significantly over the period.

3. Analyze the way sample answer is organid by answering these questions.

1. How many paragraphs are used?
2. What information does each paragraph give?
Paragraph 1: Introduction
Paragraph 2: ..............................................
Paragraph 3: ..............................................
Paragraph 4: ..............................................
Paragraph 5: Summary of ..............................................
3. Underline the words that are used to link the paragraphs.

4. In the exam, make sure you leave time to edit your written answer. You will lose marks if you make too many mistakes in
grammar and vocabulary use.
 Read this extract from a student's response. Find eleven mistakes in the extract and match them to the list of common mistakes.

THE GRAPH SHOW CHANGES IN PARTICIPATION OF DIFFERENT Common mistakes

ACTIVITIES AT A SPORTS CLUB. 1. Wrong tense
2. Active/passive verb confused
FIRSTLY, PARTICIPATION IN SWIMMING WAS DECREASED 3. Agreement: single subject
FOR 1983 TO 2003. IN 1983 50% OF CLUB MEMBERS DO with plural verb
4. Preposition error
SWIMMING BUT ONLY 15% PARTICIPATE IN THIS IN 2003. 5. Article (a, an, the) missing
SECONDLY, THE PERCENTAGE WHO DO TEAM SPORTS HAVE
BEEN REMAINED CONSTANT DURING THAT PERIOD.

PARTICIPATION REACHED PEAK IN 1998. FINALLY, GYM

ACTIVITIES GREW UР FROM 1983 TO 2003.

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Double Charts
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 The table below shows the proportion of different categories of families living in poverty
in Australia in 1999.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.
You should write at least 150 words.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Proportion of people from each
Family type
household type living in poverty

single aged person 6% (54,000)

aged couple 4% (48,000)

single, no children 19% (359,000)

couple, no children 7% (211,000)

sole parent 21% (232,000)

couple with children 12% (933,000)

all households 11% (1,837,000)

Band 6 Band 7
The table gives a breakdown of the different type of The table shows a breakdown of different types of
family who were living in poverty in Australia in families who were living in poverty in Australia in
1999. 1999.

On average, 11% of all households, comprising
almost two million people, were in this position.
However, those consisting of only one parent or a
single adult had almost doubt this proportion of
poor people, with 21% and 19% respectively.
Couples generally tended to be better off, with
lower poverty levels for couples without children
(7%) than those with children (12%). It is
noticeable that for both types of household with
children, a higher than average proportion were
living in poverty at this time.
Older people were generally less likely to be poor,
though once again the trend favoured elderly
couples (only 4%) rather than single elderly people
(6%).
Overall the table suggests that households of single
adults and those with children were more likely to
be living in poverty than those consisting of couples.
It is noticeable that 11% of people were living in
poverty. However, this figure was considerably high
among the sole parents and single people who did
not have children and those percentages were 21%
and 19% respectively. Moreover, this proportion
was significantly prominent among the couples who
had children compared with the family structures
consisted with couples who did not have children.
In fact, the proportion of couples with children
living in poverty was 5% more than that in the
family types consisted only with couples. In
contrast, this trend favoured aged people. However,
this figure was slightly more (2%) among the single
aged people than that in the family category of aged
couples.
In conclusion, it is clear that the proportion of
people living in poverty varied according to their
family structures.

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The pie chart below shows the main reasons why agricultural land becomes less productive.
The table shows how these causes affected three regions of the world during the 1990s.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

The pie chart introduces the main cause of worldwide land degradation during the 1990s in the
percentage scale, whereas the table shows reasons of land degradation by three regions: North
America, Europe and Oceania.

Over-grazing was the main reason of worldwide degradation and it reached 35 %. 30% and
28% of degradation was due to deforestation and over-cultivation respectively, leaving 7% for
other reasons. It can be seen from the table, that Europe had the largest percentage of land
degradation, which was 23%. The lowest percentage of land degradation was in North
America and it reached only 5%. In Europe deforestation was the main cause of land
degradation (9.8%), while in North America and Oceania – over-cultivation (3.3%) and over-
grazing (11.3%) respectively. In addition, deforestation percentage in Europe was higher than
North America’s and Oceania’s combined. In North America and Europe over-cultivation
numbers were quite large, while in Oceania there was no land degraded by over-cultivation.

In conclusion, over-grazing was the main cause of worldwide degradation in 1990s. Europe
percentage of degradation was largest of all three regions and all three regions had different
predominant causes.
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You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagrams below show UK students' responses to the question of to what extent would
they describe themselves as financially organised.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

  Very organised %
All students 21
   
Age up to 22 years 18
Age 23-25 years 26
Age over 26 years 35
Exam Tip:

In IELTS Writing Task 1, you do not need to describe all the information given. To summarise,
you must select the main features from what is shown. Information is often given in the form of a
graph, a chart, or a table. Read any headings, key and sources for the data to understand what it
relates to. The data may show differences or changes over time, between places, or between
groups of people. Try to identify significant contrasts, similarities, or trends.

model answer:

The two diagrams show students' responses to the question of how good they are at managing
their finances. The pie chart illustrates the ability of UK students to manage their finances and
the table shows the proportion of students, by age, who think they are very organised at
managing their finances.

More than three-quarters of students (76%) believe they are either ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ organised
financially, while one in five (20%) say they are not very organised in this area. Only 4% of
students rate themselves as ‘not at all’ competent.

The ability to manage one’s finances well would seem to develop with age and experience as
older students are almost twice as likely to say they are ‘very’ organised than younger ones
(35% of students aged 26 or over compared to just 18% for those aged up to 22).

Overall, the findings suggest that students generally manage their finances well.
(151 words)

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IELTS Writing - Task 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The charts below show the percentage of their food budget the average family spent on
restaurant meals in different years. The graph shows the number of meals eaten in fast food
restaurants and sit-down restaurants.

You should write at least 150 words.

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Sample Answer Band 6

The given illustration compares the amounts spent on restaurant foods and
on home cooking foods in four different years and gives data on the
number of meals eaten in two different restaurant types.

As is presented in the pie chart, initially in 1970, 90% of total food budget
was spent on home-made foods while only 10% was spent on restaurant
foods. The amount spent on restaurant meals increased to 15% in 1980
while it reached to 35% in 1990. Finally in 200 average family spent half of
the total budget in restaurant meals and that shows a rapid increase on the
people’s habit of having meals in restaurants.

In the line graph, we can observe that in 1970, the fast foods and sit-down
restaurant meals were taken 20 thousand times each and over time these
numbers kept increasing. Finally in 2000, more than 90 thousands fast food
meals were eaten while the sit-down restaurant meals were eaten 50
thousand times a year. This indicates the changes of people’s habit of eating
out and the popularity of restaurant foods over the home-made foods.

In summary, over the 30 years’ time people adopted the habit of eating out
at restaurant and sit-down restaurant gained more popularity over the fast
food shops.

Sample Answer Band 7

Over the past 30 years, the average family has dramatically increased the number of
meals that they eat at restaurants.

The percentage of the family's food budget spent on restaurant meals steadily climbed.
Just 10 percent of the food budget was spent on restaurant meals in 1970, and 15
percent in 1980. That percentage more than doubled in 1990, to 35 percent, and rose
again in 2000 to 50 percent.

The places people had their restaurant meals also changed during that 30-year period.
In 1970, families had the same number of meals at fast food and sit-down restaurants.
In 1980, families consumed slightly more frequently at sit-down restaurants. However,
since 1990, fast food restaurants had served more meals to the families than the sit-
down restaurants. Most of the restaurant meals from 2000 were eaten at fast food
restaurants. If this pattern continues, eventually the number of meals that families have
at fast food restaurants could double the number of meals they have at sit-down
restaurants.

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The graph below shows the demand for the electricity in English during typical days in
winter and summer. The pie chart shows how electricity is used in an average English home

summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant

England electricity

The graph analyzes how many units of electricity are required in England during
characteristical days in winter and summer. The pie chart compares the electricity
percentages which are utilized in an average English home.

Initially, it is seen that in winter people utilize electricity more than in summer, and it can be
explained that in winter, the weather is very cold and people have to use some electric
heating machines. Between 12 o'clock and 15 o'clock, in summer the proportion of units is
exactly twice less than in winter, whereas the ratio of units peaks. Also, At 21:00, the units
reach the peak and decrease gradually and it also can be explained that people are going to
sleep.

At a glance, in this pie chart, heating rooms and water section is more than double of the
total, and even it is the most enormous one. Machines section (ovens, kettles, and the rest) is
17.5% and while at the same time, domestic appliances section (such as lighting, TV and
others) are 15% which means they are the same and used equally
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IELTS Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graphs indicate the source of complaints about the bank of America and the
amount of time it takes to have the complaints resolved.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.

Source of Complaints
2%
3%
Public
10%
Insurance
Companies
11% Media
Government
3%
Agencies
Out of
63% State
8%
Bank Employees
Others

Write at least 150 words

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model answer:

The two graphs depict different information related to complaints within the bank of
America. The pie graph shows the sources of complaints, while the bar graph illustrates the
average time taken between investigation into complaints and final action taken.

In general, by far the highest number of complaints against the bank of America originated
from the public. The bar graph shows the average time period between investigation and
action is around 5 months.

63% of all complaints against the bank of America are lodged by the public. Of the remaining
37% of complaints, the figures can be grouped into percentages between 11 and 8%, which
are made up of government agencies, out-of-state agencies, and insurance companies. Then
interestingly, media and bank employee made up and equal figure, 3% in the chart.

The bar graph shows that 2001 had the highest waiting time for complaints of medical
misconduct at 6 months. Although there is a significant drop from 6 months in 2001 to 5
months in 2002, all previous and proceeding years display an average waiting period of 5
months. Despite this, over time the average waiting period is decreasing.

(189 words)

The two graphs depict different information related to complaints within

the bank of America. The pie graph shows the sources of complaints,
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while the bar graph illustrates the average time taken between
investigation into complaints and final action taken.

63% of all complaints against the bank of America are lodged by the
public. Of the remaining 37% of complaints, the figures can be grouped
into percentages between 11 and 8%, which are made up of government
agencies, out-of-state agencies, and insurance companies. Then
interestingly, media and bank employee made up and equal figure, 3% in
the chart. These, were projected for half a year time in the bar
graph. It shows that in between 2000 and 2001, the waiting time
increased to the highest period for medical misconduct complaints lasted
for 6 months. Although there is a significant drop from 6 months in 2001
to 5 months in 2002, all previous and proceeding years display an
average waiting period of 5 months. Despite this, over time the average
waiting period is decreasing.

To Recapitulate, by far the highest number of complaints against the bank

of America originated from the public. The bar graph shows the average
time period between investigation and action is around 5 months.

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