Understand Task 1 Question Types
Diagram with data
1. Line graph
2. Bar chart
3. Pie chart
4. Table
Diagram without data
5. Process diagram or flow chart
6. Maps
Essay Structure
• Introduction (1 sentence)
• Overview (2 sentences)
• 2 Details paragraph (3 sentences each)
• Total – 9 sentences
*No Conclusion
* Always plan your essay before writing (4 minutes)
Understand Diagram with Data
The first things you should do when you attempt IELTS Task 1 are…
• Read the question twice very carefully…
• Look at the table or chart very carefully until you are sure what it shows and
what it doesn’t show.
Three important things to look at in a chart before you write:
1. The title of the chart – this will tell you what is being shown overall, and it
usually gives the time period that it represents (e.g. 1980 – 2000)
2. The titles of the vertical and horizontal axes – these will tell you what the units
of measurement are (e.g. centimeters, kilos, euros) and what groups are being
compared
3. The key or legend (if there is one) – this will tell you what groups or time
periods are shown.
Exercise (a)Look at this chart and decide if the statements below are T /F or if it is
impossible to tell (I).
1. The chart shows how many Australians travelled abroad for work between 1992
and 2001.
2. The chart shows the numbers of workers immigrating into Australia between
1992 and 2001.
3. The total number of immigrants into Australia in 1992 was about 54thousand.
4. The chart compares two types of foreign worker.
5. 40 percent of foreign workers who came to Australia in 1992 were permanent
settlers.
6. The total number of permanent foreign workers in Australia in 1995 was about
34 thousand.
7. Just under 15 thousand temporary foreign workers entered Australia in 1992.
8. In 2001 fewer temporary workers arrived than workers who were permanent
settlers.
Exercise ( b) Now complete the text with phrases, words and numbers from the
box.
The chart shows the different nationalities that made up the immigrant
work force in Australia in (1)___.
It’s clear from the chart that there were (2)___ main groups of workers:
Europeans, Asians and New Zealanders. Only a relatively small number of
workers were from other regions.
The (3)___ of foreign workers came from Europe. In fact, nearly (4)___ of
all immigrant workers were of European origin. The (5)____ group of
foreign workers in the labor force were Asians. They represented just
under (6)___ of the immigrant labor force. New Zealanders, who made up
almost (7)____ of the foreign workforce in that year, were (8)___ group.
The number of workers from other nationalities was much (9)___.
Workers from North Africa and the Middle East, for example, were only
(10)___ per cent of the whole foreign labor force. The (11)___ nationality
group, however, were Americans. These represented only (12)____ percent of all
foreign workers in Australia in 1991.
1991, a fifth, a tenth, four, majority, second largest, smaller, smallest, the third
largest, three, three, two thirds
Sample Answers
[Link] graph below shows the proportion of the population aged 65 and over
between 1940 and 2040 in three different countries.
The line graph compares the percentage of people aged 65 or more in three
countries over a period of 100 years.
It is clear that the proportion of elderly people increases in each country
between 1940 and 2040. Japan is expected to see the most dramatic changes in
its elderly population.
In 1940, around 9% of Americans were aged 65 or over, compared to about
7% of Swedish people and 5% of Japanese people. The proportions of elderly
people in the USA and Sweden rose gradually over the next 50 years, reaching just
under 15% in 1990. By contrast, the figure for Japan remained below 5% until the
early 2000s.
Looking into the future, a sudden increase in the percentage of elderly
people is predicted for Japan, with a jump of over 15% in just 10 years from 2030
to 2040. By 2040, it is thought that around 27% of the Japanese population will be
65 years old or more, while the figures for Sweden and the USA will be slightly
lower, at about 25% and 23% respectively.
(178 words, band 9)
The line graph shows figures for unemployment in the UK workforce
between May 2003 and July 2006.
It is clear from the chart that the rate of unemployment fluctuated a great
deal during this time.
At the beginning of the period, unemployment stood at 5.1 percent. A few
months later the figure had risen slightly to 5.2 per cent. Unemployment then
remained stable until September 2003. From this point on there was a steady
downward trend and by January 2004 the rate had fallen to 4.9 per cent. It
stayed at this level until May the same year, but from May to July there was
another small drop of 1 per cent. There were no further changes in the level of
unemployment until March the following year.
From March to May 2005, there was a small increase of 1 percent, but this
did not last long and the figure had fallen back to 4.8 percent by July. From
September 2005 onwards, however, there was a marked upward trend in the rate
of unemployment in the UK. From September 2005 to November the same year,
the figure shot up from 4.8 to 5.2 percent. The rate remained stable for a few
months, but then rose sharply again, and had reached a peak of 5.7 per cent by
July 2006.
[Link] chart below shows the levels of employment in different sectors of the UK
economy from 1910 to [Link] the information by selecting and
reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write
at least 150 words.
The bar chart illustrates the number of people employed (in millions) across
four key sectors of the UK economy — Agriculture, Energy and Construction,
Manufacturing, and Services — over a 100-year period from 1910 to 2010.
Overall, the Services sector experienced continuous and significant growth,
becoming the largest employer by 2010. In contrast, the other three sectors,
especially Agriculture and Manufacturing, saw steady declines in employment
over the century.
In 1910, Manufacturing was the dominant sector, employing around 5
million people, followed closely by Services at 4 million. Energy and Construction
employed just over 3 million, while Agriculture had the smallest workforce, just
under 3 million. Over the next few decades, Manufacturing rose to a peak of 8
million in 1950, but steadily declined afterward to just 4 million in 2010.
The Services sector, however, saw consistent growth throughout the entire
period. It surpassed Manufacturing in 1930 and reached 21 million employees by
2010, making it by far the largest sector. Conversely, Agriculture and Energy and
Construction both declined gradually. Agriculture dropped to about 1.5 million
workers by 2010, while Energy and Construction also fell to just under 2 mill
The chart 1........... (show) the ratio of the population aged 65 and over to
the labor force of twelve different countries, and how this 2........... (change) by
2020.
It is clear from the chart that in 2000 some countries already had a high
ratio.
In Italy, for example, the population aged 65 and over 3........... (be) over
40% of the size of the working population. Hungary also 4........... (have) a high
ratio in 2000. Its retired population was over 30% the size of its working
population. However, the figure varied a lot between countries. In Turkey and
Korea, for example, it 5........... (be) only just over 10%.
The chart also 6........... (make) predictions about how this ratio 7...........
(change) in the future. It is clear that all the countries shown have an aging
population. Hungary 8........... (have) the biggest change. By 2020 the ratio of
retired people to workers9........... (reach) almost 60%. This is an increase of
almost 25%. Even in Korea the ratio 10........... (increase) to over 30% by 2020.
[Link] Chart
The pie charts give information about the water used for
residential, industrial and agricultural purposes in San Diego County,
California, and the world as a whole.
It is noticeable that more water is consumed by homes than by
industry or agriculture in the two American regions. By contrast,
agriculture accounts for the vast majority of water used worldwide.
In San Diego County and California State, residential water
consumption accounts for 60% and 39% of total water usage. By
contrast, a mere 8% of the water used globally goes to homes. The
opposite trend can be seen when we look at water consumption for
agriculture. This accounts for a massive 69% of global water use, but
only 17% and 28% of water usage in San Diego and California
respectively.
Such dramatic differences are not seen when we compare the
figures for industrial water use. The sameproportion of water (23%) is
used by industry in San Diego and worldwide, while the figure for
California is 10% higher, at 33%.
[Link] table below shows the levels of employment in different sectors
of the UK economy from 1910 to 2010.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main
features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150
words.
The table illustrates the employment levels (in millions) across four sectors
of the UK economy — Agriculture, Energy and Construction, Manufacturing, and
Services — over six different years from 1910 to 2010.
Overall, the Services sector experienced a steady and substantial increase in
employment over the century, while the other three sectors — particularly
Agriculture and Manufacturing — saw a general decline. By 2010, Services had
become the dominant source of employment in the UK.
In 1910, Manufacturing employed the largest number of people (5.3
million), followed by Energy and Construction (3.3 million), Services (4 million),
and Agriculture (2.5 million). Over the next four decades, Manufacturing
employment rose to a peak of 8 million in 1950, while Services grew to 11 million.
However, Agriculture and Energy and Construction remained relatively stable,
hovering around 2.3–3.3 million.
From 1950 onwards, employment in Manufacturing declined significantly,
falling to 4 million by 2010. A similar downward trend was observed in Energy and
Construction, which decreased steadily to 1.8 million by 2010. Agriculture also
saw a gradual reduction in workforce, reaching just 1.5 million in 2010.
In contrast, Services saw consistent growth throughout the period. By 1970,
15 million people were employed in this sector, rising to 21 million by 2010,
making it the most prominent employer in the UK by the end of the century.
Process Diagrams
Process diagrams always show steps or stages, and there are almost always arrows
or lines of some kind which show the direction of the process and the connections
between the steps.
1. Write the introduction in the normal way.
2. For the overview, mention TWO of the following points:
a. the total number of steps or stages
b. where the process begins and ends
c. a summary of the types of steps or stages (if possible, group the individual steps
in a logical way e.g. half of the process is related to production and the other half
is related to packaging).
3. In the two ‘details’ paragraphs, describe the process or cycle step by step from
the beginning to the end. In order to write two paragraphs, simply split the
process in half: describe the first half in one paragraph and the second half in the
other.
[Link] Diagram
The diagrams show how house designs differ according to climate.
The most noticeable difference between houses designed for cool and
warm climates is in the shape of the roof. The designs also differ with regard to
the windows and the use of insulation.
We can see that the cool climate house has a high-angled roof, which allows
sunlight to enter through the window. By contrast, the roof of the warm climate
house has a peak in the middle and roof overhangs to shade the windows.
Insulation and thermal building materials are used in cool climates to reduce heat
loss, whereas insulation and reflective materials are used to keep the heat out in
warm climates.
Finally, the cool climate house has one window which faces the direction of
the sun, while the warm climate house has windows on two sides which are
shaded from the sun. By opening the two windows at night, the house designed
for warm climates can be ventilated. 162 words
[Link] Maps
The maps show changes in the Spanish city of Castellon in recent times.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.
The two maps show the main changes which have taken place in the town
of Castellon between the year 2000 and today.
In general, it appears that Castellon has become a much more modern city,
with far more shopping and transport facilities.
One interesting change is that a new tram line has been built, to connect
the university with the town center. In 2000, there wasn’t any accommodation for
students, but a hall of residence has been built near the university. Another
striking change is that the old market in the west of the city has been knocked
down to make way for new shops. A completely new covered market has also
been built on the other side of town.
If we look at the port area, the road has been pedestrianized, and a range of
entertainment facilities have been built, such as cinemas, bars and clubs. The
north-east of the city used to be a green area, with lots of trees, but the trees
have been cut down, and a new shopping complex has been constructed. A final
interesting development has been the introduction of a bike-rental scheme in the
city center.
The figure illustrates the process used by the Australian Bureau of
Meteorology to forecast the weather.
There are four stages in the process, beginning with the collection of
information about the weather. This information is then analyzed, prepared for
presentation, and finally broadcast to the public.
Looking at the first and second stages of the process, there are three ways
of collecting weather data and three ways of analyzing it. Firstly, incoming
information can be received by satellite and presented for analysis as a satellite
photo. The same data can also be passed to a radar station and presented on a
radar screen or synoptic chart. Secondly, incoming information may be collected
directly by radar and analyzed on a radar screen or synoptic chart. Finally, drifting
buoys also receive data which can be shown on a synoptic chart.
At the third stage of the process, the weather broadcast is prepared on
computers. Finally, it is delivered to the public on television, on the radio, or as a
recorded telephone announcement.
The diagram illustrates the stages in the life of the salmon, from birth to
maturity.
It is clear that there are eight main stages as the salmon develops from egg
to mature adult. We can also see that salmon spend time in three distinct
locations during the cycle, moving from river to estuary to ocean and then back
upstream.
Salmon begin their lives in rivers where the adult fish lay and incubate their
eggs. After emerging from eggs, the young salmon spend the next stage of their
lives being reared in freshwater areas. Then, at some point in their development,
the fish swim downstream to river estuaries where rearing continues.
Following the estuary rearing period, the maturing salmon migrate to the
ocean, where they eventually become fully grown adults. Finally, the adult fish
travel back upstream to spawning areas of rivers; here they reproduce and lay
their eggs, and the life cycle begins anew.