IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Tips and Format

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

For the IELTS academic writing exam, writing a report in task 1 requires you to consider what you observe in the task. The assignment may take the shape of a process diagram, table, chart, or graph. Two diagrams together can also be given, such as a table and diagram, graph and chart, or even two pie charts. The report needs to be written in at least 150 words and should take approximately 20 minutes to finish.

Format for IELTS Academic Writing 1

The first writing assignment for candidates seeking academic positions is to write a report, ideally taking 20 minutes to complete. Additionally, there is a minimum word limit of 150 for this work. 

NOTE: For more detailed information consult our experts at Prepare IELTS Exam.

Key Criteria for Band Score for IELTS Academic Writing

There are four key criteria on behalf of which the examiner examines the student for IELTS academic writing. Those four criteria are task achievement and task response, coherence and cohesion, grammatical range and accuracy and lexical resources. Here is the table for criteria for each band:

Criteria according to Task Achievement and Task Response

Criteria according to Coherence and Cohesion

Also, read: Scholarships for IELTS in 2024: Everything You Need To Know

Criteria according to Lexical Resource

Criteria according to Grammatical Range and Accuracy

Also, read IELTS General Writing Task 1: Tips, Letter Samples and Evaluation

IELTS Academic Writing Samples

In this section, we are giving samples for each type of question asked in the IELTS Academic Writing Sample Task 1; they are as follows:

Pie Chart

Question- Revenue Sources and Expenditures of a USA Charity in one year, 2016.

The pie chart shows the amount of money that a children's charity located in the USA spent and received in one year, 2016.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make relevant

comparisons where possible.

Write at least 150 words.

Answer: The earnings and expenses for a children's charity in the United States in 2016 are displayed in pie charts.

Overall, program services accounted for the highest expenses, while donated food accounted for the bulk of income. Just over all revenue streams were used for expenses

Specifically, the organisation received 86% of its income from food donations. Comparably, when it came to spending, program services accounted for 95.8% of total outlays. The other groups were somewhat smaller. Program revenue came in second, at 2.2%, behind community contributions, which made up the second largest revenue source at 10.4% of total income. Together, investment income, government grants, and other income made up a relatively modest portion of the revenue, which is just 0.8%. The fundraising management and general spending components accounted for 2.6% and 1.6% of the total expenses, respectively. The $53,561,580 total income was just sufficient to pay the $53,224,896 in expenses.

Table

Question- Secondary School Attendance

The table shows the proportions of pupils attending four Secondary school types between 2000 and 2009.

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

Write at least 150 words.

Answer: The table displays the percentage of students enrolled in four distinct types of secondary schools between 2000 and 2009.

It is clear that throughout the course of the study, the percentage of students attending community schools increased significantly, while the percentage of students attending other schools decreased in proportion.

First, between 2000 and 2009, the proportion of students attending voluntary-controlled schools decreased from a little over half to only 20% or one-fifth. Likewise, over the same time frame, the proportion of kids attending grammar schools—just under 25%—decreased by half. Regarding the specialised schools, the tiny proportion of students enrolled in these institutions (12%) decreased as well, but not noticeably. Community schools, on the other hand, had an increase in significance, while the other three categories of schools saw a decrease. In actuality, throughout the next nine years, the percentage of students who attended these institutions increased from a mere 12% in 2000 to well over half of all students.

Diagram

Question- Map of Brandfield with two proposed sites for a shopping mall

Below is a map of Brandfield. City planners have decided to build a new shopping mall in the area, and two sites, S1 and S2, have been proposed.

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

Write at least 150 words.

Answer: The two potential locations for a mall in the city of Brandfield are shown on the map.

Overall, it is evident that the town's north and southeast are the locations of the two sites under consideration.

S1, the first potential location for the retail centre, is situated above the railway line that runs from the southeast to the northwest of the city, directly north of the city centre. If it is constructed here, it will be next to a sizable housing estate, making it convenient for residents of the estate and the city centre. Additionally, it will be close to the river that passes through the town.

S2, the southeast location, is similarly close to the city centre and the railroad line, although it is closer to an industrial estate than a residential area. Both locations have good vehicle access because a major road passes through the city and is near them. The town's west is home to a sizable park and golf course, which prevents this region from being used as a site.

Process Diagram

Question- The Brick Manufacturing Process

The diagram illustrates the process that is used to manufacture bricks for the building industry.

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

Write at least 150 words.

Answer: The process of making bricks for the construction sector is depicted in the diagram.

The method consists of seven major steps in total, starting with clay excavation and ending with delivery.

The clay needed to create the bricks is first removed from the earth using a big digger. Then, the clay is spread out across a metal grid to be broken up into tiny bits. This procedure uses a roller as a piece of equipment.

The clay is then mixed with sand and water, and the resulting material is formed into bricks by either using a wire cutter or putting it into a mould. These bricks are then left in an oven for a full day or two to dry.

In the following step, the bricks undergo heating and chilling. After being fired in a kiln to temperatures between 200 and 1300 degrees Celsius, they cool in a chamber for two to three days. The bricks are then packaged and shipped to their final locations.

Bar Chart

Question- The bar chart shows the scores of teams A, B and C over four different seasons.

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

Write at least 150 words.

Answer: Three teams' scores over the course of four seasons are displayed in the bar charts A, B, and C.

The graph shows that despite their overall score declining over the seasons, team B scored significantly more than the other two teams.

In 2002, team B scored 82 points, much more than either of the other two teams combined (10 points for team C and a pitiful 5 points for team A). Team B's scores dropped significantly during the next two years, around half of them to 43 by 2004, but they were still higher than the other teams' points.

However, the scores for teams A and C were increasing. By 2004, Team A's points had risen by 600% from 2002 to 35, almost matching those of Team B. In contrast, those for Team C had only slightly increased over this period.

Team B maintained its lead over the other teams last year, with its points rising to 55 once more, while teams A and C had their point totals reverse and fall to 8 and 5, respectively.

NOTE: Academic applicants receive report writing in IELTS Writing Task 1, whereas general training candidates receive letter writing. The approaches to the two jobs are different. In the writing scoring criteria of the IELTS, structure and format are assigned distinct marks. For this reason, writing to get a higher band requires paying attention to a few pointers. For getting these pointers we urge you to consult us at Prepare IELTS Exam.

Also, read: IELTS Average Score for Academic and General Sections

Tips for IELTS Academic Writing

Here is a list of a few tips that will help you ace your writing task 1. Those are:

1. IELTS advises you to write your report in no more than 20 minutes. But how you use your time is entirely up to you. (Format)

2. Make sure that you are meeting the minimum word count requirement of 150 words.

3. Writing task 1 consists of 33% of the entire exam, so make sure that you are well prepared for it.

4. There will be four criterias on which you will be examined which are-

• Task Achievement

• Coherence and Cohesion

• Lexical Resources

• Grammatical Range and Accuracy

5. IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 can be asked in any form, including pie charts, bar graphs, line graphs, tables, maps, diagrams, and processes, so do not miss any of them and prepare for all of them.

6. All the words are counted, and all the words are counted as one word, so write accordingly.

7. Overview is one of the most important paragraphs in writing task 1, make sure you make an impact with it. 

Also, read: IELTS Exam Fees 2024: Registration and Cancellation Fees

Conclusion

To sum up, IELTS Academic Writing is an integral part of the exam and should be focused upon. This section accounts for 33 per cent of the entire exam and should be attempted strategically, as there are ambiguous questions. The examiner gives marks based on four criteria, so make sure to practise all types of questions and be mindful while attempting the writing task, as it is time-bound.

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