IELTS WRITING TASK 1
Writing Tip
In task 1 you have to give a fairly technical description. In task 2
you must write an
essay or argument for a university teacher, or an
essay for a non-specialist reader. For both tasks you must use formal
academic English. Write formally even when stating your own ideas; make
use of the passive for descriptions and use full forms (e.g. they are
rather than they’re).
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The table below shows the
worldwide market share of the notebook computer market for manufacturers in the
years 2006 and 2007.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
| Company | 2006 % Market Share | 2007 % Market Share |
| HP | 31.4 | 34 |
| Dell | 16.6 | 20.2 |
| Acer | 11.6 | 10.7 |
| Toshiba | 6.2 | 7.3 |
| Lenovo | 6.6 | 6.2 |
| Fujitsu-Siemens | 4.8 | 2.3 |
| Others | 22.8 | 19.3 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
The table gives information on the market share of notebook
computer manufacturers for two consecutive years, 2006 and 2007.
In both years, HP was clearly the market leader, selling
31.4% of all notebook computers in 2006, and slightly more (34%) in 2007. This is
a greater market share than its two closest competitors, Dell and Acer, added together.
Dell increased its market share from 16.6% in 2006 to 20.2%
in 2007. In contrast, Acer saw its share of the market decline slightly from 11.6%
to 10.7%.
The other companies listed each had a much smaller share
of the market. Toshiba’s share increased from 6.2% in 2006 to 7.3% in 2007, whereas
Lenovo’s decreased slightly from 6.6% to 6.2%. Fujitsu-Siemens’ share more than
halved from 2006 to 2007: from 4.8% of the market to only 2.3%.
Other notebook computer manufacturers accounted for 22.8%
of the market in 2006 – more than all the companies mentioned except HP. However,
in 2007 the other companies only made 19.3% of notebook computer sales – less than
both HP and Dell.(174 words)
IELTS Tip
You will increase your Writing Band Score in Academic Writing Task 1 if
you:
- Mention all the major features of the statistics or charts
- Make sure you describe the statistics accura
- Paraphrase the information in the question
- Avoid repeating the same words and phrases and try to vary the sentence structures you use
- Give an overview of the most important trends or patterns
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph below shows the
number of books read by men and women at Burnaby Public Library from 2011 to 2014.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Model answer
The graph gives information about Burnaby Public Library
between 2011 and 2014. It shows how many library books people read over this four-year
period.
As can be seen from the graph, there were different trends
for men and women. The number of books read by men increased steadily between 2011
and 2012, from about 3000 to 4000. After that, the number rose dramatically to 14000
books in 2014. This was the highest figure in the period.
Women started off reading more books than men, but their
numbers followed a different pattern. Between 2011 and 2012, there was an increase
of 3000 from 5000 books to 8000 books, and then a gradual rise to 10000 books in
2013. However, in 2014, their numbers fell back to 8000 again.
Overall, there was a strong upward trend in the number of
books read by men. Although women read more books than men in 2011, their reading
fell to below the level of men in 2014.
(162 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The diagrams below show the
changes that have taken place at Queen Mary Hospital since its construction in 1960.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Model answer
The diagrams show Queen Mary Hospital at three different
stages in its development: 1960, 1980 and 2000.
In 1960, the hospital was build close to a main road and
next to a shopping centre. A large area behind the hospital was turned into a car
park, while the area behind the shopping centre was farmland.
By 1980, the shopping centre had been demolished in order
to make way for two additional hospital building which became a pharmacy and a cancer
centre. Furthermore, the hospital gained the farmland and converted it into a nursing
school.
In 2000, the main hospital building remained unchanged but
the cancer centre was extended to cover the entire nursing school. As a result of
this, the original car park was divided into two so that it provided a smaller car
park and a small nursing school.
During this period, the hospital has increased in size and,
in addition to a new nursing school, a cancer centre has been created and extended.
Hence the capacity of the car park has been reduced by a half.
(178 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The two pie charts below show
some employment patterns in Great Britain in 1992.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Employees
and self-employed: by sex and occupation, 1992
Model answer
The charts provide information on the proportion of males
and females in employment in 6 broad categories, divided into manual and non-manual
occupations. In general, a greater percentage of women work in non-manual occupations
than work in manual occupations, and the reverse is true for men.
In the non-manual occupations, while a greater percentage
of working women than men are found in clerical-type positions, there is a smaller
percentage of women than men employed in managerial and professional positions.
The percentage of women employed in other non-manual occupations is slightly larger
than the percentage of men in these occupations.
In manual employment, the biggest difference between the
two sexes is in the employment of craft workers, where males make up 24% of the
workforce and females just 3%. Furthermore, the percentage of women working as general
working as general labourers is very small, only 1%. There is not a great deal of
difference between the percentage of men doing other forms of manual work (26%)
and women in other manual work (27%).
In summary, the two charts clearly show that women do not
have the same access as men to certain types of employment.
(194 words)
The diagram below shows the
production of electricity using a system called Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
(OTEC).
Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below.
Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below.
Write at least 150 words.
How Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) works
Source: Daily Telegraph - 8th Jan 2008
Model answer
Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) is a system that
converts heat energy into the electric power using the temperature difference between
surface seawater, which can be up to 29 degrees Celsius, and deep seawater, which
is only 5 degrees Celsius.
The main components of the system are an evacuated evaporation
chamber, a turbine and a condensing chamber. The solar energy of the sun heats up
the surface water and this warm water is introduced into the evacuated evaporation
chamber, where it boils. As it boils, salt is deposited and water vapour is generated.
This vapour then drives a turbine to generate electricity. After it powers the turbine,
the water vapour enters the condensing chamber, which is cooled by the water from
the depths of the ocean. The water vapour is condensed in this chamber, producing
drinking water. Meanwhile, waste salt water is discharged into the ocean and the
process can be repeated.
(152 words)
The chart below shows the
number of travellers using three major airports in New York City between 1995 and
2000.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Model answer
The bar chart gives information about how many people visited
New York City through three major airports, over a six-year period between 1995
and 2000.
Overall, it can be seen that over the period, there was
a fluctuant trend in the number of passengers who travelled via John F. Kennedy
airport, while the other two airports saw an upward trend. Another interesting point
is that LaGuardia airport was the most popular at the end.
Looking at the detail, the number of travellers at John
F. Kennedy airport started at 26m in 1995, and then increased remarkably to reach
the highest point of 47m in 1997. In 1999, the figure dipped to 32m. At the last
year, there was a slight growth to 44m. On the other hand, LaGuardia began at 35m
in 1995, after that it rose remarkably for the next three years, at 46m. In 2000,
LaGuardia hit the peak point at 68m travellers.
However, if we look at Newark airport, it started at the
lowest point of 16m passengers in the first year. After this point, the trend increased
significantly to 42m in 1998. In the last two years it remained stable at 42m travellers.
(197 words)
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.
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 |
Source: http://www.unite-group.co.uk/binaries/MungoBlobs-1350377092294.pdf
Test 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 (31% of students aged 26 or over compared to just 17% for those aged up to 22).
Overall, the findings suggest that students generally manage their finances well.
(151 words)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 (31% of students aged 26 or over compared to just 17% for those aged up to 22).
Overall, the findings suggest that students generally manage their finances well.
The graphs below provide information
on global population figures and figures for urban populations in different world
regions.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population
Model answer
The first graph shows the trend in world population growth
between 1800 and 2100, while the second graph gives predicted urban population figures
for the next 25 years.
The world population has experienced continuous growth since 1800. Between 1800 and 1950, the population grew slowly from just under 1 billion to 2.5 billion people. After that, the growth rate increased and currently the figure is around 6.5 billion. Projections show a continued increase in population in the near future, but a steady decline in the population growth rate. The global population is expected to peak at 8.2 billion by 2050, and then decline to around 6.2 billion by 2100.
The predictions also show that almost all urban population growth in the next 25 years will occur in cities of developing countries. In developed regions, on the other hand, the urban population is expected to remain unchanged at about 1.3 billion people over the next two decades.
The graphs show that the global population increase will not occur evenly throughout the world, but will be greater in some areas than others.
(180 words)The world population has experienced continuous growth since 1800. Between 1800 and 1950, the population grew slowly from just under 1 billion to 2.5 billion people. After that, the growth rate increased and currently the figure is around 6.5 billion. Projections show a continued increase in population in the near future, but a steady decline in the population growth rate. The global population is expected to peak at 8.2 billion by 2050, and then decline to around 6.2 billion by 2100.
The predictions also show that almost all urban population growth in the next 25 years will occur in cities of developing countries. In developed regions, on the other hand, the urban population is expected to remain unchanged at about 1.3 billion people over the next two decades.
The graphs show that the global population increase will not occur evenly throughout the world, but will be greater in some areas than others.
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