Өзін-өзі тану әдістемелік нұсқауы

Lesson 1: IELTS Task 1

Describing a Graph Over Time

This lesson explains how to describe a line graph or bar chart for IELTS task 1 that is over time. This uses an example of a bar chart, but it will be the same for a line graph.

When you get a chart or graph to describe, it is always important to check whether there is a time frame or not. If there is, you will need to use the language of change.

However, it is not enough just to describe the changes of each element (ActiveX, Java and Net in this case) on their own and ignore how they relate to each other.

Look at the question – you are asked to compare the data as well. So you must also compare the elements where relevant in your IELTS task 1.

You must also group data together to make sure you have a well organized and coherent answer.

To do this, you need to look for similarities and differences when you first analyze the graph for IELTS task 1, and decide what can be logically put together or not.

Now look at the bar chart below and read the IELTS task 1 model answer.

The bar chart shows the number of times per week (in 1000s), over five weeks, that three computer packages were downloaded from the internet.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

Model Answer

The bar chart illustrates the download rate per week of ActiveX, Java and Net computer packages over a period of five weeks. It can clearly be seen that ActiveX was the most popular computer package to download, whilst Net was the least popular of the three.

To begin, ActiveX and Java showed a similar pattern, with both gradually increasing from week 1 to week 5. However, the purchases of Active X remained significantly higher than for the other product over this time frame. In week 1, purchases of ActiveX stood at around 75,000, while those for Java were about 30,000 lower. With the exception of a slight fall in week 4, downloading of ActiveX kept increasing until it reached a peak in the final week of just over 120,000. Java also increased at a steady rate, finishing the period at 80,000.

The product that was downloaded the least was Net. This began at slightly under 40,000, and, in contrast to the other two products, fell over the next two weeks to reach a low of approximately 25,000. It then increased sharply over the following two weeks to finish at about 50,000, which was well below that of ActiveX.

(Words 197)

Language of Change

As you can see, there are several examples of this in the graph, so it is important to learn how to use these correctly in order to successfully write an IELTS task 1 chart over time. Here are some examples:

gradually increasing
a slight fall
kept rising
reached a peak
increased at a steady rate
fell
increased sharply
a low of
finish at
stood at
finishing the period at

You will need to practice this type of language, and also make sure you know a variety of structures to get a better score – if you keep repeating the same kind of phrases this will show you have a more limited range of lexis and grammar.

Making Comparisons

In IELTS task 1, you must also compare the data as you are asked to do in the rubric.

If you just write about what happened to ActiveX, what happened to Java, and what happened to Net, without showing any relationship between them, this won’t be enough.

Here are some examples of where comparisons are made between the products in the IELTS task 1 graph, and the language of comparison is highlighted in black:

It can clearly be seen that ActiveX was the most popular computer package to download, whilst Net was the least popular of the three

ActiveX and Java showed a similar trend, with both gradually increasing from week 1 to week 5

However, the purchases of Active X remained significantly higher than for the other product over this time frame.

In week 1, purchases of ActiveX stood at around 75,000, while those for Java were about 30,000 lower

Java also increased at a steady rate, finishing the period at 80,000

The product that was downloaded the least was Net. This began at slightly under 40,000, and, in contrast to the other two products, fell over the next two weeks

It then increased sharply over the following two weeks to finish at about 50,000, which was well below that of ActiveX

Grouping the Data

It is a good idea to divide your answer into paragraphs so it is well organized. To do this, you should group similar things together into paragraphs or sections.

If you look at the chart, you will see that ActiveX and Java have a similar pattern, both steadily increasing over the period (apart from the slight fall of ActiveX in week 4), so these could be put together:

To begin, ActiveX and Java showed a similar trend, with both gradually increasing from week 1 to week 5. However, the purchases of Active X remained significantly higher than for the other product over this time frame. In week 1, purchases of ActiveX stood at around 75,000, while those for Java were about 30,000 lower. With the exception of a slight fall in week 4, downloading of ActiveX kept rising until it reached a peak in the final week of just over 120,000. Java also increased at a steady rate, finishing the period at 80,000.

On the other hand, Net is the lowest and it has a different pattern – falling and then rising again. So this could be described in another paragraph:

The product that was downloaded the least was Net. This began at slightly under 40,000, and, in contrast to the other two products, fell over the next two weeks to a low of approximately 25,000. It then increased sharply over the following two weeks to finish at about 50,000, which was well below that of ActiveX.

There is usually more than one way to group the data for an IELTS task 1, so this needs to be your decision. As long as it is logical and makes your answer easy to follow and read, this should be ok.

Lesson 2: Describing an IELTS Pie Chart

This lesson will provide you with tips and advice on how to write an IELTS pie chart for task 1.

To begin, take a look at the pie chart below, and then answer the quiz questions.

IELTS Pie Chart Quiz

Начало формы

What is the best way to organize your answer?

Write one paragraph about immigration and one about emigration

Write about the pie charts together, comparing each of the reasons

What tense should you use to write about the IELTS pie chart?

Past

Present

Can you talk about ‘increases’ and ‘decreases’ when describing the information?

Yes

No

Now take a look at a model answer:

The pie charts illustrate the primary reasons that people came to and left the UK in 2007.  At first glance it is clear that the main factor influencing this decision was employment. 

Having a definite job accounted for 30 per cent of immigration to the UK, and this figure was very similar for emigration, at 29%.  A large number of people, 22%, also emigrated because they were looking for a job, though the proportion of people entering the UK for this purpose was noticeably lower at less than a fifth. 

Another major factor influencing a move to the UK was for formal study, with over a quarter of people immigrating for this reason.  However, interestingly, only a small minority, 4%, left for this.

The proportions of those moving to join a family member were quite similar for immigration and emigration, at 15% and 13% respectively.   Although a significant number of people (32%) gave ‘other’ reasons or did not give a reason why they emigrated, this accounted for only 17% with regards to immigration.

173 words

_________________________________________

As you can see, the pie chart description is easy to follow.  Here are some key points in organizing your answer.

Choose the most important points to write about first

These will be the largest ones.  As you can see in the model answer, definite job, looking for work, and formal study were all written about first, in order of importance, as these are the main reasons that were chosen for moving.

Items such as ‘other’ are usually less important and account for small amounts, so can be left till the end.

Make it easy to read

When you write a task 1, you should always group information in a logical way to make it easy to follow and read.

With an IELTS pie chart, the most logical thing to do is usually to compare categories together across the charts, focusing on similarities and differences, rather than writing about each chart separately.

If you write about each one separately, the person reading it will have to keep looking between the paragraphs in order to see how each category differs.

Vary your language

As with any task 1, this is important.  You should not keep repeating the same structures.  The key language when you write about pie charts is proportions and percentages.

Common phrases to see are "the proportion of…" or "the percentage of…"

However, you can also use other words and fractions. These are some examples from the model answer:

A large number of people
over a quarter of people
a small minority
A significant number of people
less than a fifth

This table presents some examples of how you can change percentages to fractions or ratios:

Practice these phrases in a quiz

If the percentages are not exact as above, then you can use qualifiers to make sure your description remains accurate. Here are some examples:

This table presents some examples of how you can change percentages to other phrases:

Practice these phrases in a quiz

The words above are interchageable, though number is for countable nouns and amount is for uncountable nouns.

Конец формы

Lesson 3: IELTS Process Diagram

It is less common in the writing test, but sometimes you will get an IELTS process diagram to describe.

This should follow the same format as any task 1:

Introduce the diagram

Give an overview of the main point/s

Give the detail

Follow this link about how to write a task 1.

However, there are different types of task 1 (line graphs, pie charts, maps etc) and each requires knowledge of a certain type of language.

This lesson will look at how to write an IELTS process diagram for task 1.

What is an IELTS Process Diagram?

To begin, look at this question:

A process will have a number of stages that are in time order.  So you should start at the beginning, and describe each stage through to the last one.

In the example above, this is fairly clear. It begins with the digging of the clay, and ends with delivery.

Processes are not always this clear, and you may have to look more carefully to spot the beginning, and there may also be two things happening at the same time.

So it is important that you look at other sample processes to get a good understanding of how they can vary.

Introduce the Diagram

As with any task 1, you can begin by paraphrasing the rubric:

The diagram explains the way in which bricks are made for the building industry.

As you can see, this has been taken from the question, but it has not been copied. You need to write it in your own words.

Highlight the main points

An IELTS process diagram is different to a line, bar, pie chart or table in that there are not usually key changes or trends to identify.  However, you should still give an overview of what is taking place.

The  ‘public band descriptors’ state that to achieve a band 6 or more for ‘task response’ the student must provide an overview in a task 1.

As there are no trends to comment on, you can make a comment on, for example, the number of stages in the process and how it begins and ends:

Overall, there are eight stages in the process, beginning with the digging up of clay and culminating in delivery.

Giving the detail

Now you need to explain the IELTS process diagram, and there are two key aspects of language associated with this:

Time Connectors

A process is a series of events, one taking place after the other.  Therefore, to connect your stages, you should use ‘time connectors’.  Here is the rest of the answer with the time connectors highlighted (notice that you simply go from the beginning to the end of the process):

To begin, the clay used to make the bricks is dug up from the ground by a large digger. This clay is then placed onto a metal grid, which is used to break up the clay into smaller pieces. A roller assists in this process.

Following this, sand and water are added to the clay, and this mixture is turned into bricks by either placing it into a mould or using a wire cutter. Next, these bricks are placed in an oven to dry for 24 – 48 hours.

In the subsequent stage, the bricks go through a heating and cooling process. They are heated in a kiln at a moderate and then a high temperature (ranging from 200c to 1300c), followed by a cooling process in a chamber for 2 – 3 days. Finally, the bricks are packed and delivered to their destinations.

These connectors are the same you would use to write a graph over time when you explain a series of changes.

These are some common IELTS process diagram connectors:

** If you use before, this means that you will be mentioning a later stage before an earlier stage, so you need to use it carefully.  If you can use it properly though, it will get noticed. 

Here is an example using stages four and five:

Before being dried in the oven, the mixture is turned into bricks by either placing it into a mould or using a wire cutter.

The Passive

When we describe an IELTS process, the focus is on the activities, NOT the person doing them. 

When this is the case, we use the passive voice, not the active.

This is a brief explanation of how to use the passive voice, but if you are new or unsure about using it, you should do some further study and practice.

Most sentences use this structure:

Subject + Verb + Object

(S) A large digger (V) digs up (O) the clay in the ground.

In the active voice (as above), the digger is doing the verb i.e. the digger is doing the digging.

When we use the passive voice, we make the object (the clay) the subject, and make the subject (the digger) the object. We also add in the verb ‘to be’ and the past participle (or Verb 3).

(S) The clay in the ground (V) is dug up (O) by the digger.

So throughout most of your description for your IELTS process diagram, you should be using the passive voice. 

This is difficult as some verbs cannot take the passive. For example, 'to go' cannot be passive, so it is kept in the active voice:

...the bricks go through a heating and cooling process.

This is why you need to make sure you practice the passive so you know exactly how to use it.

Also, as you will see from the description, it is more usual to to comment on who or what is doing the action so the 'by...." phrase is excluded.

Here is the same example description with uses of the passive highlighted:

To begin, the clay (which is) used to make the bricks is dug up from the ground by a large digger. This clay is then placed onto a metal grid, which is used to break up the clay into smaller pieces. A roller assists in this process.

Following this, sand and water are added to the clay, and this mixture is turned into bricks by either placing it into a mould or using a wire cutter. Next, these bricks are placed in an oven to dry for 24 – 48 hours.

In the subsequent stage, the bricks go through a heating and cooling process. They are heated in a kiln at a moderate and then a high temperature (ranging from 200c to 1300c), followed by a cooling process in a chamber for 2 – 3 days. Finally, the bricks are packed and delivered to their destinations.

Varying your Language

Sometimes it may be appropriate just to use the same language that you are given in the IELTS process diagram to describe it, but you should try to vary it.

You may be able to use nouns from the diagram as your verbs.  For example, the noun packaging in stage seven becomes:

Finally, the bricks are packed…

Lesson 4:
IELTS Bar and Line Graph

This is an example of an IELTS bar and line graph together. It is not uncommon to get two graphs to describe at the same time in the IELTS test.

It can look a bit scary at first. However, when you look more closely, you'll see it is probably no more difficult than having one graph.

Take a look at the question and the graph:

These are the steps you need to take to describe a bar and line graph together (or any two graphs) that may differ slightly from when you describe one graph.

Introduction

When you state what the graph shows, mention both of them. Here is a sample first sentence of the introduction:

The line graph illustrates the number of visitors in millions from the UK who went abroad and those that came to the UK between 1979 and 1999, while the bar chart shows which countries were the most popular for UK residents to visit in 1999.

Remember to write this in your own words and not to copy from the question.

Next you need to mention the key points from the graph. When you do this, mention the most interesting things from each:

Overall, it can be seen that visits to and from the UK increased, and that France was the most popular country to go to.

Body Paragraphs

If there are two graphs and a lot of information, you will have to be careful not to describe everything as you may then have too much information.

Also, the examiner is looking to see that you can select the important things and not describe every single detail.

So the key skill when you have two graphs is being able to pick out the important information or summarize things in a concise way, otherwise you will end up writing too much and probably run out of time.

Here is an example description for the bar and line graph:

To begin, the number of visits abroad by UK residents was higher than for those that came to the UK, and this remained so throughout the period. The figures started at a similar amount, around 10 million, but visits abroad increased significantly to over 50 million, whereas the number of overseas residents rose steadily to reach just under 30 million.

By far the most popular countries to visit in 1999 were France at approximately 11 million visitors, followed by Spain at 9 million. The USA, Greece, and Turkey were far less popular at around 4, 3 and 2 million visitors respectively.

As you can see, the first paragraph discusses the line graph, and the second the bar chart.

You will not usually need to mix up the descriptions. This will only make things complicated and difficult to follow. Writing about the first one and then the second one is ok.

Lesson 5:
Describing Graph Trends

This exercise introduces some common vocabulary and grammar needed for describing graph trends.

The language that can be used for describing graphs in IELTS is extensive.

This lesson introduces some of the most common language used.

It also shows you how it can be used grammatically in sentences.

Vocabulary for Describing Graph Trends

Practice 

Have a look at the table below.

Then, to help you with describing graph trends, decide which word should go in the gap in the example answer.