Here is the IELTS Writing Tast 1 Complete Guide with Sample Answers, Tips, scoring Criteria, answer structure and Answer types
What Is Task 1?
In Task 1 of the Academic format, you are requested to write a report to a university lecturer. This report can be based on different types of visual diagrams such as bar graphs, pie charts, tables and more currently, maps. Alternatively you might be asked to write a description of a process or sequence of events. You need to write this report in an unbiased and academic manner in at least 150 words.Suggested Answer Structure
You should structure your answer in four different paragraphs:1. Introductory paragraph: a paraphrase of the question
2. Overview: the description of the main features, changes or sequence observed in the diagram
3. Detailed paragraph: a more detailed description of the other features and trends
4. Summary: a short summary of the information observed
Scoring Criteria
You will be assessed according to the following criteria:• Task achievement: how well and thoroughly you answer the question
• Coherence and cohesion: how well you sequence, connect, and organize the information
• Lexical Resource: the variety of vocabulary you use
• Grammatical range and accuracy: the variety of structures you use and how well you use them.
Task 1 Question Types
In task 1, there are three different question types. However, you will receive only one type when you take the IELTS:• Graphs and Charts: in this type you will see a series of numerical features where the main purpose is to identify the trend (rising, falling) as well as to establish comparisons when relevant (the highest, lowest etc.)
• Processes: in this type you will be presented with a sequence of stages or the process of how something works. You will need to identify the steps and functionality of the diagram.
• Maps: this is a rather newer type, in which you are commonly given two maps which show the same place with a series of different features. Another possibility is to receive one map where you are asked to compare two different locations for a certain purpose.
Sample Answer
Answer:
The graph represents the number of songs in millions downloaded from the internet between the years 2011 to 2014. The graph compares the number of downloads between Australia, Chile and Canada over this period. The graph shows a general upward trend for all countries which signifies that songs are being downloaded in increasing numbers. It is also observed that there are no years where any country had a drop in downloaded songs. In the year 2011, Chile had the lowest number of song downloads with an approximate number of 55 million. In contrast, by the year 2014, Chile’s downloads are the highest of all countries with an approximate number of 105 million. One the other hand, during the same period, Australia and Canada’s downloads increase more steadily over time. Another important note is that Australia and Chile experienced a year where there was no increase; the year 2012 and the year 2013 respectively.
To summarize, this graph shows a clear indication that song downloading from the internet is an increasing trend. However, even though there is an upward trend the percentage increase is not uniform and varies between countries.
