Writing Task 1

America's total student debt, at over $1.5trn, is larger than the national borrowing of most countries. It has quintupled in size since 2004, overtaking both borrowing on credit cards and car finance.

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I've highlighted a few useful features in the two sentences:

adding a statistic between two commas using "at"a comparative: larger thancohesion (referencing) using the pronoun "it"quintupled = increased fivefoldovertaking: you may be able to use this word when describing a graphcomparing and contrasting using "both... And..."

If you're reading articles in English, look out for real examples of the types of mô tả tìm kiếm that you might use for an IELTS task.

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February 20, 2020

IELTS Writing Task 1: comparing numbers

Fill the gaps in the following text using the words below it. If you find any of the gaps difficult, miss them & come back to them after doing the easier ones.

Emigration from the UK

The number of people leaving the UK for 12 months or more ______ ______ record ______ in 2008, ______ an estimated 427,000 people emigrating. This ______ ______ from 341,000 in 2007.

There has been a large ______ ______ the number of people emigrating for work related reasons, particularly those with a definite job to go to. In 2008 an estimated 136,000 people emigrated from the UK khổng lồ take up a definite job, ______ ______ 100,000 in 2007.

- in- high- increase- up- reached- with (x2)- a- compared- was

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February 13, 2020

IELTS Writing Task 1: the opposite of "doubled"?

You probably know how to lớn describe a 'double' increase. For example:

The number of x doubled.There was a twofold increase in x.

But how do we express the opposite e.g. A decrease from 10 lớn 5?

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February 06, 2020

IELTS Writing Task 1: paraphrasing examples

Here are my suggestions for the paraphrasing exercise that I gave you last Thursday. Notice that I try to lớn keep my paraphrasing quite simple.a

consumer spending on five different products =the amount of money that people spent on five itemsthe consumption of rice và pasta in three European countries =the amounts of rice and pasta that people in (name the countries) eatchanges in the cost of renting a home between 2009 & 2019 =information about residential rental prices over a 10-year periodthe market cốt truyện percentage of four UK electricity suppliers =the proportion of the UK electricity market served by (four names)

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January 30, 2020

IELTS Writing Task 1: noun phrase practice

Can you paraphrase (rewrite in a different way) the noun phrases below?

consumer spending on five different productsthe consumption of rice & pasta in three European countrieschanges in the cost of renting a home between 2009 và 2019the market nói qua percentage of four UK electricity suppliers

Note: There are no verbs in the phrases above, so they are not sentences.

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January 23, 2020

IELTS Writing Task 1: long noun phrases

One feature of many academic task 1 answers is this: the verbs that we use are often easy, but the noun phrases that we write are long and relatively difficult.

Look at the following examples from my most recent sample answer:

Verbs are highlighted in green.Noun phrases are highlighted in blue.

Export revenues in all but one of the five hàng hóa categories increased.The country’s export earnings from these goods went up by 8.5%.

So, don't try khổng lồ impress the examiner with the verb structures that you use in writing task 1. Work on your noun phrases instead.

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January 16, 2020

IELTS Writing Task 1: collocations and phrases

Here are some good collocations and phrases from the sample answer that I shared last week.

Remember: a collocation is a group of words that are often used (and work well) together e.g. Increased significantly, export earnings, textile industry.

a country's export earningsexport revenuesincome fromearnings fromthe highest earning exportsit is noticeable thatfive product categoriesover the period shownthe textile industrysaw the most significant growth inrose from... To...which was an increase ofreached a similar levelwent up by... Lớn approximately...there was a ...% increase inrising from roughly... To...there was almost no change inthe amount of money earnedwhich remained at just overdecline in incomefell by ...% to...

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January 09, 2020

IELTS Writing Task 1: two-chart answer

The chart below shows the value of one country's exports in various categories during 2015 and 2016. The table shows the percentage change in each category or exports in 2016 compared with 2015.

(Source: Cambridge IELTS 14)

Here's my band 9 sample answer:

The bar chart và table give information about a country's export earnings from five groups of products in 2015 and 2016.

It is noticeable that export revenues in all but one of the five hàng hóa categories increased over the period shown. While petroleum products were the highest earning exports in both years, the textile industry saw the most significant growth in earnings.

Export earnings from petroleum products rose from around $61 billion in 2015 to $63 billion in 2016, which was an increase of 3%. Income from engineered goods reached a similar level. The country’s export earnings from these goods went up by 8.5% lớn approximately $62 billion in 2016.

From năm ngoái to 2016, there was a 15.24% increase in export revenue from textiles, with earnings rising from roughly $25 billion khổng lồ over $30 billion. By contrast, there was almost no change in the amount of money earned from agricultural products, which remained at just over $30 billion. Finally, the only decline in income occurred in the gems và jewellery product group, where export earnings fell by around 5% khổng lồ approximately $40 billion in 2016.

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The easiest way to lớn write your task 1 introduction is by paraphrasing the task statement.

The task statement in this lesson contains two sentences:

The chart below shows the value of one country's exports in various categories during năm ngoái and 2016. The table shows the percentage change in each category or exports in 2016 compared with 2015.

Let's try to paraphrase this in just one sentence:

The bar chart & table give information about a country's export earnings from five groups of products in 2015 and 2016.

Note:- "give information about" is a good phrase when we have two related charts.- Try to make your introduction concise rather than complicated.

When there's a strong relationship between the two charts (as below), it makes sense khổng lồ connect the information in your 'details' paragraphs.

Let's try writing two sentences using the information that I've highlighted.

1) Connect the information highlighted in yellow:

Export earnings from petroleum products rose from around $61 billion in 2015 to $63 billion in 2016, which was an increase of 3%.

2) Connect the information highlighted in green:

There was a 15.24% increase in export revenue from textiles, with earnings rising from roughly $25 billion to over $30 billion.

The overview or summary is a very important part of your task 1 answer. Before you write your overview, you need to lớn identify the key features, trends or differences. Look at the 'big picture' rather than small details, & summarise the information without mentioning any numbers.

Look at the key features that I've highlighted in yellow below.

Here's a two-sentence overview, describing the highlighted features:

It is noticeable that export revenues in all but one of the five product categories rose over the period shown. While petroleum products were the highest earning exports in both years, the textile industry saw the most significant growth in earnings.

A few people have asked me for help with the following task from Cambridge IELTS 14. Let's start with a simple question:

Would you compare the chart và table, or describe them separately?

The chart below shows the value of one country's exports in various categories during năm ngoái and 2016. The table shows the percentage change in each category or exports in năm 2016 compared with 2015.

Let's look at the 'future tense' exercise that I gave you last Thursday. Have you ever tried playing around with verb tenses like this?

Here's the original paragraph, with verbs in the past tense:

In 1985, the average person travelled 3,199 miles by car, và this rose khổng lồ 4,806 miles in the year 2000. The figures for miles travelled by train, long distance bus, taxi and other modes also increased from 1985 to 2000. Travel by taxi saw the most significant change, with more than a threefold increase from 13 miles per person per year in 1985 khổng lồ 42 miles in 2000.

Now let's write the same description as a future prediction:

In 2025, it is predicted that the average person will travel 3,199 miles by car, & this will rise to 4,806 miles in the year 2030. The figures for miles travelled by train, long distance bus, taxi và other modes are also expected khổng lồ increase from 2025 to 2030. Travel by taxi should see the most significant change, with a projected increase from 13 miles per person per year in 2025 to 42 miles in 2030.

A student asked me for advice about describing future years. Let's vì a simple exercise to practise this.

Change the following 'past description' into a future description.

In 1985, the average person travelled 3,199 miles by car, & this rose khổng lồ 4,806 miles in the year 2000. The figures for miles travelled by train, long distance bus, taxi and other modes also increased from 1985 lớn 2000. Travel by xe taxi saw the most significant change, with more than a threefold increase from 13 miles per person per year in 1985 khổng lồ 42 miles in 2000.

For example, we could begin like this:

In 2025, it is predicted that the average person will travel 3,199 miles by car...

In the latest lesson on my member site, I talked about the problem of using synonyms. For example, if you're describing a chart that shows percentages of poverty, you might think that you need khổng lồ use synonyms of the word poverty in your answer.

If you look for synonyms of 'poverty' in a dictionary, you'll find words like:

destitution, pennilessness, deprivation, impoverishment, pauperism

Unfortunately, these words will seem forced và unnatural. Also, you don't have access to lớn a dictionary in your test, và it's unlikely that you would have these words in your head.

My advice in the clip lesson was this: địa chỉ cửa hàng variety by using collocations instead of synonyms. For example:

Collocations with the word poverty:

poverty rateslevels of povertybelow the poverty line

Collocations with the adjective (poor) instead of the noun (poverty):

poor peoplepeople who were classed as poorpoorer individuals

In the academic test, this is the best way to lớn reduce repetition & to địa chỉ cửa hàng variety to your task 1 answers.

Xem thêm: Unit 2 Lớp 11: Listening (Trang 24 Sgk Tiếng Anh 11 Mới), Unit 2: Listening (Trang 24 Sgk Tiếng Anh 11 Mới)

You might assume that mistakes affect only your grammar score. But some mistakes are vocabulary mistakes. For example:

a spelling mistakea word formation mistake (e.g. Incorrect formation of a past participle)a word choice mistake (e.g. Inappropriate or unnatural use of a word)

For me, word choice is the big one. If you want to lớn be a good writer, even in your own language, word choice is the skill that you need lớn develop. Interestingly, we refer to the greatest writers, lượt thích Shakespeare, as 'wordsmiths' due khổng lồ their mastery of word choice.

So, the next time you're writing in English, try to lớn imagine yourself as a 'wordsmith'. Think about the different vocabulary options that you have, & make word choice your priority as you write.

I'll be going deeper into this aspect of the writing chạy thử in the next few đoạn phim lessons on my thành viên site.

One feature of many academic task 1 answers is this: the verbs that we use are often 'easy', but the noun phrases that we write are long và relatively difficult.

Look at the following examples from last week's answer:

Verbs are highlighted in green.Noun phrases are highlighted in blue.

The total number of miles travelled by English people using all modes of transport increased significantly.The figures for miles travelled by train, long distance bus, taxi & other modes also increased.There was a fall in the average distances for three forms of transport, namely walking, bicycle và local bus.

We could represent these sentence structures lượt thích this:

x increased significantly.x also increased.There was a fall in x.

(x = noun / noun phrase)

Have a look at your own task 1 answers. Can you find some 'easy' verbs and long noun phrases?

The table below gives information about changes in modes of travel in England between 1985 & 2000.m

Average distance in miles travelled per person per year, by mode of travel

aHere's my full sample answer. We'll analyse it next week.

The chart shows average distances that people in England travelled using different forms of transport in the years 1985 & 2000.

It is clear that the total number of miles travelled by English people using all modes of transport increased significantly between 1985 và 2000. The car was by far the most used size of transport in both years.

In 1985, the average person travelled 3,199 miles by car, và this rose to lớn 4,806 miles in the year 2000. The figures for miles travelled by train, long distance bus, taxi & other modes also increased from 1985 to lớn 2000. Travel by xe taxi saw the most significant change, with more than a threefold increase from 13 miles per person per year in 1985 to lớn 42 miles in 2000.

There was a fall in the average distances for three forms of transport, namely walking, bicycle & local bus. In 1985, English people walked an average of 255 miles, but this figure fell by 18 miles in 2000. Bicycle use fell from 51 to 41 miles over the period shown, while the biggest downward change was in the use of local buses, with average miles per person falling from 429 lớn 274 over the 15-year period.

When the graph or chart contains a lot of information, you won't be able lớn include every number. Here's an example of how you might deal with this problem.

Task: My aim is khổng lồ write a paragraph about the information highlighted in yellow. I want to lớn write three sentences only!

Average distance in miles travelled per person per year, by mode of travel

Here's my three-sentence paragraph about the 'yellow' data:

In 1985, the average person travelled 3,199 miles by car, và this rose khổng lồ 4,806 miles in the year 2000. The figures for miles travelled by train, long distance bus, taxi và other modes also increased from 1985 khổng lồ 2000. Travel by taxi saw the most significant change, with more than a threefold increase from 13 miles per person per year in 1985 to lớn 42 miles in 2000.

Analysis questions:

1. Did I mention every mode of travel highlighted in yellow?2. How many numbers did I mention specifically?3. Which modes of travel did I choose khổng lồ focus on, & why?

To describe the information in the table below, it would be a good idea to lớn find a way khổng lồ group it.

I usually try khổng lồ create two information groups, so that I can write two separate 'details' paragraphs. I've used green and yellow highlighting khổng lồ suggest a way to lớn create these two paragraph groups.

..........

The table below gives information about changes in modes of travel in England between 1985 and 2000.

Average distance in miles travelled per person per year, by mode of travel

..........

Can you see what connects the data in the green and yellow groups?

The table below gives information about changes in modes of travel in England between 1985 và 2000.m

Average distance in miles travelled per person per year, by mode of travel

Here are two 'overview' paragraphs for the table above. Which do you prefer? What 'technique' did I use when writing them?

Overview 1It is clear that the oto was by far the most used mode of travel in both years. Overall, English people travelled significantly more in 2000 than in 1985.

Overview 2It is clear that the total number of miles travelled by English people using all modes of transport increased significantly between 1985 & 2000. The car was by far the most used size of transport in both years.

A student asked me to look at the following task, which comes from Cambridge IELTS book 6 (test 2).

The table below gives information about changes in modes of travel in England between 1985 & 2000.

Quick task: What main or general trends would you choose for your overview paragraph? Think about how to summarise the information.

In last Thursday's lesson I asked you to suggest where we could địa chỉ cửa hàng one extra detail khổng lồ my 'fish pie' answer. I had forgotten to lớn write that the pie is in a microwaveable container.

People suggested two sensible places to địa chỉ this detail.

1) At the beginning of paragraph 2:

The fish pie contains salmon, peas, sauce and potatoes in a microwaveable container.

2) In the last sentence of paragraph 4:

The resulting fish pies are placed in microwaveable containers, wrapped, frozen và then stored or dispatched.

Here's my full description of the fish pie process diagrams:

..........

The pictures illustrate the ingredients that go into a factory-made fish pie, and the various steps in its production.

The pie contains salmon, peas, sauce & potatoes, và there are ten stages in its manufacture, from delivery khổng lồ dispatch. One of the ingredients, potato, goes through its own six-stage preparation process before it can be added khổng lồ the pie.

Potatoes are the first ingredient to lớn be prepared on the production line. They are delivered khổng lồ the factory up khổng lồ a month before the process begins, & they must be cleaned, peeled & sliced. Potato peelings are thrown away, and the sliced potatoes are boiled, then chilled & stored.

When fresh salmon arrives at the factory, lemon juice & salt are added, & the fish is cooked in a steam oven within 12 hours of delivery. Next, factory workers remove và dispose of the skin & bones, và the fish is inspected. Following inspection, pre-prepared peas, sauce và potatoes are added. The resulting fish pies are wrapped, frozen & then stored or dispatched.

(175 words, band 9)

..........

Task: I forgot khổng lồ mention that the fish pie is in a microwaveable container. Where could you add this information in my answer?

Can you create a paragraph from the following các mục of sentences? You'll need lớn use linking & sequencing words (and, then, next, after which etc.).

The sentences describe part of this diagram.

Xem thêm: Học Phí Liên Thông Đại Học Hutech Mới Nhất 2021 Cho Sinh Viên Của Trường

- Fresh salmon is delivered to the factory.- Lemon juice và salt are added to lớn the salmon.- The salmon is cooked in a steam oven within 12 hours of delivery.- Factory workers remove và dispose of the skin và bones.- The fish is inspected.- Prepared peas, sauce and potatoes are added.- The resulting fish pies are wrapped.- They are frozen and then stored or dispatched.