IELTS Writing Task 1 — Graphs and Letters
Task 1 is the part I tell students they can lift first and fastest. Task 2 needs real thinking; Task 1, honestly, is a pattern. Once you can read a graph and you have a handful of phrases, moving from 6.0 to 7.0 happens quicker than you'd expect. The problem is that most people learn the pattern wrong.
There are two kinds of Task 1 — start here
The same "Task 1" is a completely different question depending on which test you sit.
- Academic — you summarise a graph, chart, table, diagram or map objectively. No opinions.
- General Training — you write a letter: a request, a complaint, a thank-you, and so on.
You get 20 minutes and need at least 150 words. And here's the first mistake I see constantly: people spend 30 minutes on Task 1. Task 2 is worth twice as much. Stop Task 1 at 20 minutes, no exceptions.
Academic: no overview, no 7.0
That's not scare talk — it's straight from the band descriptors. Write Academic Task 1 in four paragraphs:
- Introduction — paraphrase the question. Don't copy it word for word.
- Overview — the two or three biggest features, with no numbers.
- Body 1 — describe one group of data in detail.
- Body 2 — describe the rest.
The first thing an examiner looks for is the overview. If it's missing or weak, your Task Achievement score is capped and 7.0 is basically out of reach.
Here's what I mean:
- Weak: "The graph shows coffee and tea consumption from 2000 to 2020." — that just repeats the prompt. It isn't an overview.
- Strong: "Overall, coffee consumption rose steadily over the period while tea gradually declined, and by 2020 coffee had overtaken tea for the first time." — big picture, no numbers. That's an overview.
Look at the graph for 30 seconds, cover the screen, and say it in two sentences. Those two sentences are your overview.
Group the data — don't list it
The most common pattern I see is students describing every single line and number in order. It reads like a list, and it caps you around 6.0 no matter how accurate you are.
The examiner wants to see you can compare and group data. Put the things that rise together in one group, the things moving the other way in another, and point out the one obvious exception. Group, then describe.
Use figures as evidence — don't transcribe the table
Quote numbers only to support a point. If you turn every figure into a sentence it becomes data-dictation and your score drops. A few key figures per group is plenty.
General: with letters, tone is half the mark
A letter is three chunks: purpose → details → sign-off. That part is easy. The real test is keeping the tone consistent.
| Formal | Informal | |
|---|---|---|
| Reader | someone/an org you don't know | a friend or family member |
| Greeting | Dear Sir/Madam | Hi Tom |
| Sign-off | Yours faithfully | Best wishes |
The classic error is mixing them: opening with Dear Sir/Madam and closing with Thanks a lot!. Pick one register and hold it all the way through.
Three mistakes I've seen for 14 years
Marking Korean students' scripts, the same issues come up again and again:
- The overview goes last, like a conclusion. It belongs second — and keep numbers out of it. Numbers live in the body.
- Every sentence starts with "increase" or "decrease." Flat vocabulary keeps your lexical score down. Mix your verbs —
rose, climbed, surged, dipped, levelled off, plateaued— and adjust them withsharply, gradually, steadily. - Over-polite letters. "I would be extremely and deeply grateful if you could kindly…" is Korean politeness translated straight into English, and it reads oddly to a native marker. Natural formal English scores higher than over-formal English.
How to split the 20 minutes
- 3 min — read the graph and plan your two overview sentences
- 14 min — write
- 3 min — check. Just fixing articles (a/the), plural -s, and tense lifts your grammar score.
Most people's time trouble leaks out of Task 1. Build the habit of stopping at 20 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I write Task 1 or Task 2 first?
I tell students to write Task 2 first. It's worth twice as much, so running out of time on Task 2 hurts far more. Cap Task 1 at 20 minutes.
How many numbers should I quote?
None in the overview; in the body, just a few representative figures per group. Turning the whole table into sentences reads as data-dictation and lowers your score.
Do maps or process diagrams come up?
Yes — Academic Task 1 can show a changing map or a process. There, the keys are location/direction language (to the north of, adjacent to, was replaced by) and the passive voice.