📈 “Precision wins points. The more accurately you describe the data, the more you impress the examiner.”
🎯 Why This Tip Matters
One of the biggest mistakes IELTS candidates make in Task 1 is using vague, generic phrases like:
- “a lot of people”
- “many changes”
- “some increase”
These phrases don’t reflect a high level of analysis—and examiners notice that!
✅ What You Should Do Instead
Be specific and accurate when including:
- 📉 Figures (numbers/percentages)
- 📆 Years/times
- 🔄 Increases/decreases
- 📊 Comparisons
🎯 Tip: Describe what, how much, and when something changed.
🧠 Smart Sentence Structures
Here are some powerful ways to include data:
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| 🔹 Subject + verb + number + time | “Car sales rose to 2,000 units in 2015.” |
| 🔹 There was + a/an + adjective + noun + in + data | “There was a significant increase in rainfall in 2010.” |
| 🔹 Between + year + and + year | “Between 2010 and 2020, smartphone usage doubled.” |
| 🔹 From X to Y | “The number of tourists rose from 1 million to 2.5 million.” |
📉 Weak vs Strong Examples
| ❌ Weak | ✅ Strong |
|---|---|
| “A lot of people used the internet.” | “Internet usage reached 80% of the population in 2020.” |
| “There was a small increase.” | “There was a 5% increase in the number of graduates between 2015 and 2016.” |
| “Some factories closed.” | “The number of factories declined from 12 in 2005 to only 3 in 2020.” |
🧪 Practice Activity
Try this: Look at a Task 1 line graph. Choose 2 points in time and describe the change using exact data.
Visual Prompt: 📈 Internet usage in 2000 = 20%, in 2020 = 85%
✍️ Example: “Internet usage rose sharply from 20% in 2000 to 85% in 2020, showing a consistent upward trend.”
💡 Pro Tip
🔍 Group similar data for smoother writing:
Instead of listing every year’s data, write:
👉 “Between 2010 and 2015, the number remained steady at around 50%, before rising sharply in the next five years.”
This shows you can summarize and analyze—key for Band 8+.
🚫 Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Using vague words | Use precise figures |
| Listing too many numbers | Group and summarize |
| Ignoring time periods | Always mention the time frame |
📌 Final Reminder
🏆 “Exact data + clear comparison = high score in Task Achievement and Coherence.”
