IELTS Writing Task 1 - Vocabulary for Graphs

If you’d like more help with your IELTS preparation please visit my website www.myieltsteacher.com

Academic Task 1 - Graph vocabulary Describing static charts - those charts that show unchanging data

Adults

Apples

Sentence starters

Describing data

This pie chart shows that

a quarter of all adults eat apples. 1 in 4 adults eat apples. 25% of adults eat apples.

This chart illustrates that It can be seen that The data presented indicates that

three quarters of adults eat other fruit. three out of 4 adults eat other fruit. 75% of adults eat other fruit.

Copyright © 2010 - 2012. My IELTS Teacher. All rights reserved.

Adults

Oranges

Sentence starters

Describing data

This pie chart shows that

only one fifth of adults eat oranges. 1 in 5 adults eat oranges. 20% of adults eat oranges.

This chart illustrates that It can be seen that The data presented indicates that

four fifths of adults eat other fruit. four out of five adults eat other fruit. 80% of adults eat other fruit

Copyright © 2010 - 2012. My IELTS Teacher. All rights reserved.

Adults 70

Percentage

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Pizza

Spaghetti

Cakes

Biscuits

Sentence starters

Describing data

This bar chart shows that

half of the adults in this survey eat pizza. 50% of the adults in this survey eat pizza.

This graph illustrates that It can be seen that The data presented indicates that

only 10% of those surveyed stated that they eat spaghetti. one tenth of those surveyed stated that they eat spaghetti. one in ten of those surveyed stated that they eat spaghetti. a third of this group eat cakes. just over 30% of this group eat cakes. one in 3 adults in this group eat cakes. almost two thirds of the adults questioned eat biscuits. 60% of the adults questioned eat biscuits. nearly 2 out of 3 of the adults questioned eat biscuits.

Copyright © 2010 - 2012. My IELTS Teacher. All rights reserved.

Different types of charts Bar graph / Bar chart 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

20

40

60

80

100

Line graph 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1

2

3

4

5

6

Pie chart

Table A 33 45 36

B 10 87 0

C 14 88 12

D 65 89 15

E 43 87 12

Copyright © 2010 - 2012. My IELTS Teacher. All rights reserved.

Describing Dynamic charts - those charts that show a change over time Verbs rise increase improve* grow

Nouns a rise an increase an improvement* a growth

Verbs fall drop decrease decline

Nouns a fall a drop a decrease a decline

Verbs rocket soar

Nouns ---

Verbs plunge plummet

Nouns ---

Verbs fluctuate

Nouns a fluctuation

Verbs level off stabilize remain the same

Nouns (reach) a plateau, a period of stability

* only to describe situations, such as the economy, employment etc. Use the other verbs and nouns to describe specific numbers.

Copyright © 2010 - 2012. My IELTS Teacher. All rights reserved.

Verbs peak

Nouns (reach) a peak a high point

Verbs ---

Nouns (reach) a low point (hit)

Verbs recover

Nouns a recovery

Copyright © 2010 - 2012. My IELTS Teacher. All rights reserved.

How to use this vocabulary accurately when describing dynamic graphs. Now that you have the necessary vocabulary to describe charts, it is important that you use it accurately in the exam. Below are a series of simple graphs with a few sentences to basically describe the data shown. The different verbs and nouns suggested earlier are written in bold in the chart sentences. (Please note that these are not IELTS Task 1 answers, but sentences written for the purpose of teaching accurate use of vocabulary. How to answer IELTS questions will be dealt with in a different document.)

Chart A Unem ploym ent

Percentage

12

2009

10 8 6

2010 2011

2012

2008

2013 2014

2007

4 2 0 1 Years

Chart A The graph illustrates that the rate of unemployment has risen significantly over the last few years. It is predicted that it will level off next year, and then fall gradually over the following years.

Chart B

Number of visitors 000s

Museum visitors 1,500 1,000

1990

1995 2000

500

2005

2010

0 1 Years

Chart B The number of visitors to the museum increased steadily from 1990 to 2000, and then dipped dramatically in 2005. Since then, there has been a slight increase in numbers. Copyright © 2010 - 2012. My IELTS Teacher. All rights reserved.

Chart C

Percentages

Population change to current year 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Years

Chart C The population grew from 23% to 50% in the first few years. After that it levelled off and remains the same today.

Chart D

Percentage of students passing the exam

Exam Results from 1990 to 2010 100 80 60 40 20 0 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Years

Chart D The exam pass rate remained stable during the 1990s, however, it showed a dramatic improvement after that period.

Copyright © 2010 - 2012. My IELTS Teacher. All rights reserved.

Chart E Inflation

Percentage rate

7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2003 2002 2001 2000 200720082009 2004

2006 2005

0 1 Years

Chart E The rate of inflation increased by 2% from 2000 to 2003. It then showed a sharp decline, reaching a low point of 1% in 2005. After that, it stabilized at 3%.

Chart F Stock value recorded in 2005 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Months

S1

Percentage

Chart F The data shows there was a drop of 10% during the first 6 months, but the rate rose slightly during the remainder of the year.

Copyright © 2010 - 2012. My IELTS Teacher. All rights reserved.

Chart G Sales from 1990 - 2000

Products sold 000s

100 80 60 40 20 0 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Years

Chart G Sales dropped dramatically in the first 5 years, but there was a recovery towards the end of the decade.

These sentences also present a range of structures which are highlighted below.

Using a variety of verb-adverb and adjective-noun structures. Chart A B F G

Verb-adverb …the rate of unemployment has risen significantly …and then fall gradually… …visitors to the museum increased steadily… and then dipped dramatically… …the rate rose slightly… Sales dropped dramatically…

Adjective-noun B

…there has been a slight increase in numbers.

D E

… it showed a dramatic improvement… It then showed a sharp decline…

Copyright © 2010 - 2012. My IELTS Teacher. All rights reserved.

Using verbs and prepositions accurately. Chart C D E

Verb + preposition The population grew from 23% to 50% The exam pass rate remained stable during the 1990s The rate of inflation increased by 2% from 2000 to 2003 it stabilized at 3%.

Noun + preposition a slight increase in numbers reaching a low point of 1% there was a drop of 10% during the first 6 months

B E F

Using accurate phrases to describe the data in the graph. Chart A B C D E F G

The graph illustrates that the rate of unemployment… The number of visitors to the museum… The population… The exam pass rate… The rate of inflation… The data shows… Sales…

Using tenses appropriately. Chart A B C D E F G

Period 2007 – 2014. Present perfect and future structures. Period 1990 – 2010. Past simple and present perfect. Period past to present day. Past simple and past simple. Period 1990 – 2010. Past simple. Period 2000 – 2009. Past simple. Period 2005. Past simple. Period 1990 – 2000. Past simple.

(The chart sentences were written in 2011, therefore the tenses were chosen according to that time frame. It is possible in some instances to use alternative tenses in these sentences. However, some uses of the present perfect and future structures would need to change if the sentences were written before or after 2011.)

If you’d like more help with your IELTS preparation please visit my website www.myieltsteacher.com

Copyright © 2010 - 2012. My IELTS Teacher. All rights reserved.