IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
This page covers all the basic information you need to know about IELTS Academic Writing
Task 1.
It includes:
● Key information
● Task overview
● Assessment & marking criteria
● The 7 types of questions
● Sample questions
Once you have a good understanding of Task 1, I’ll show you step-by-step how to produce
high scoring essays for each of the 7 types of questions. You’ll find all these important
lessons by following the links to the related pages.
Key Information
1) You are required to write 150 words or more.
If you write less than 150 words, you are unlikely to get more than a Band 5 for ’task
achievement’ as you won’t have fulfilled the marking criteria.
2) You have around 20 minutes to plan and write your essay.
3) You should use a formal style of writing.
4) Task 1 contributes half as many marks to your score as Task 2. So, Task 1 is worth 33% of
the total mark in the Writing test.
Task Overview
You will be presented with one of the following graphics:
● Bar Chart
● Line Graph
● Table Chart
● Pie Chart
● Process Diagram
● Map
● Multiple Graphs
You are required to write a short report about the main features. For example, you may be
asked to:
· summarise data
· describe the stages of a process
· explain how something works
· describe an object or event
The format of the question will always be the same. It will include:
· A brief description of the graphic
· The instructions
· The graphic – chart, graph, table, etc.
Assessment & Marking Criteria
As with all parts of the IELTS exam, Task 1 is marked according to four criteria.
These are:
● Task Achievement – appropriate response to the task
● Cohesion & Coherence – the ability to present a well-structured essay
● Lexical Resource (Vocabulary) – the ability to use a range of appropriate
vocabulary and to use it correctly
● Grammatical Range & Accuracy – the ability to use grammar correctly and to use
a range of grammar forms
Each carries 25% of the marks.
I’ve created separate lessons on Vocabulary and Grammar for Task 1, so here, we’ll look in
more detail at just the marking criteria for Task Achievement and Coherence and Cohesion.
We’re going to focus on Bands 6 - 8 as these are the levels most students are aiming for.
You can see a full table of all the band level marking criteria for Writing Task 1 by clicking
this link – Task 1 Marking Criteria.
Here are the marking criteria for Task Achievement and Coherence and Cohesion. Don’t
worry if the detail seems rather complex. Don't feel overwhelmed. If you follow my advice in
all the lessons on how to write essays for IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, you’ll be able to
meet these criteria and get a good score.
The 7 Types of Task 1 Questions
Now, we’re going to look briefly at the different type of questions for IELTS Academic
Writing Task 1 and a sample question for each.
The biggest challenge for many students is that they are not used to working with charts,
graphs and tables and don’t know how to interpret this type of data. Don’t worry about this
for now as I’m going to show you how to do this in the step-by-step guides.
On this page, I just want to familiarise you with the question structure and the different types
of graphics you might get.
First, a reminder of the 7 question types:
● Bar Chart
● Line Graph
● Table Chart
● Pie Chart
● Process Diagram
● Map
● Multiple Graphs
Click the links for step-by-step instructions on how to write each type of essay, including a
model answer.
1) Bar Chart
Bars charts or bar graphs are very common Task 1 questions. The data can be presented
vertically, as in the example below, or horizontally.
Example:
2) Line Graph
Line graphs are also common in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1. They are easier to interpret
than they may look.
Example:
3) Table
Tables also come up regularly in Task 1. Some students find these harder to interpret as they
are just sets of numbers with no visual representation. However, they are never very
complicated. Remember, the IELTS exam is designed to test your language skills, not your
mathematics ability.
Example:
4) Pie Chart
Although pie charts are not as common as bar charts and line graphs, you need to know how
to answer this type of question in case you do get one. They are just another way of visually
presenting data.
Example:
5) Process Diagram
Another less frequent question type is the process diagram. It could be a natural process such
as the water cycle, a manufacturing process or the diagram of a system such as the central
heating system in a house.
Example:
6) Map
Occasionally, the IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 question will be about a map. It may ask
you to compare two or three maps of a place over a period of time as in this question.
Example:
Now that you have a better understanding of IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 and are
familiar with the 7 different question types, you’re ready to learn how the write a Task I
essay.