IELTS Writing Task 1 Templates (Academic)

Structure

1. Introduction: Paraphrase the chart title. Mention what is measured, the time period, and the unit.
2. Overview: State the most striking overall trend (highest/lowest line, biggest change, or general direction).
3. Detail 1: Describe the 2-3 most significant lines with specific figures and time points. Group similar lines.
4. Detail 2: Note any crossings, reversals, or exceptions to the general trend.

Band 8 sentence starters

• "The line graph illustrates the [what] in [place] between [year] and [year]."
• "Overall, [X] rose steadily throughout the period, while [Y] fell sharply after [year]."
• "In [year], [series] stood at approximately [figure], compared to [figure] for [series]."

Vocabulary

Structure

1. Introduction: Paraphrase the title. Mention what is compared and the time frame.
2. Overview: State the most striking pattern — the highest/lowest category or the biggest gap.
3. Detail 1: Describe 2-3 most significant bars with specific figures. Group similar bars together.
4. Detail 2: Compare remaining notable bars and any exceptions.

Band 8 sentence starters

• "The bar chart compares the [what] across [number] categories in [year]."
• "Overall, [X] recorded the highest figure, while [Y] had the lowest."
• "[X] stood at approximately [figure], compared to [figure] for [Y]."

Vocabulary

Structure

1. Introduction: Paraphrase the title. State the category and the time period.
2. Overview: Identify the largest and smallest slices; note if one category dominates.
3. Detail 1: Describe 2-3 largest slices with specific proportions.
4. Detail 2: Compare remaining slices; note any clusters of similar size.

Band 8 sentence starters

• "The pie chart shows the distribution of [what] in [year]."
• "Overall, [X] accounted for the largest share, while [Y] represented the smallest proportion."
• "Roughly a third of [subject] went to [category]."

Vocabulary

Structure

1. Introduction: Paraphrase the table title. Mention the variables and time period.
2. Overview: Identify the highest/lowest in the most important column.
3. Detail 1: Describe 2-3 notable data points with specific figures. Group similar rows.
4. Detail 2: Compare remaining rows; note any unexpected patterns.

Band 8 sentence starters

• "The table presents the [what] across [number] countries in [year]."
• "Overall, [X] ranked highest in [metric], while [Y] was at the bottom."
• "By contrast, [X] had the lowest [metric] at just [figure]."

Vocabulary

Structure

1. Introduction: Paraphrase the diagram. State the start and end points.
2. Overview: Mention the number of stages and whether the process is linear or cyclical.
3. Body 1: Describe the first half of the stages using sequence markers.
4. Body 2: Describe the remaining stages. Use present simple passive.

Band 8 sentence starters

• "The diagram illustrates the process by which [X] is produced from [Y]."
• "The process consists of [N] main stages, beginning with [stage] and ending with [stage]."
• "Initially, [raw material] is [first action]. It is then [second action]."

Vocabulary

Structure

1. Introduction: Paraphrase the maps. State the location and the two time periods.
2. Overview: Note the most striking overall change.
3. Detail 1: Describe changes in 2-3 specific areas of the map.
4. Detail 2: Describe remaining changes; note any new infrastructure.

Band 8 sentence starters

• "The two maps show the layout of [area] in [year] and [year]."
• "Overall, the area has changed significantly, with the most notable change being [X]."
• "The [feature] in the [direction] of the map has been replaced by [new feature]."

Vocabulary