IELTS Writing Task 1 – Step by Step Guide (Pie Charts)

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This lesson takes you step by step through an IELTS Writing Task 1 sample answer. Learn in easy steps how to describe IELTS Pie Charts for writing task 1. Below are easy techniques to help you write each paragraph: introduction, overview, body paragraph 1 and body paragraph 2.

How to Tackle IELTS Writing Task 1

This lesson focuses on two pie charts. As you see, below, pie charts can have a lot of categories. Most people think the best way is to organise information by describing one pie chart at a time. However, this is not usually the most effective way to tackle them if you are aiming for band score 7 and above.

IELTS Pie Charts – Example Task

IELTS pie chart lesson

Source: The above pie charts were not created by IELTS Liz.

Describing Pie Charts Step by Step

Below you will find easy to follow advice on how to describe your IELTS pie chart paragraph by paragraph.

Introduction

You must paraphrase the information given at the top of the charts “The graph shows the main sources of energy for the USA in 1980 and 1990”. You cannot copy this, you must use your own language and then add any extra information needed from the charts.

Tips

  • the graph = the pie chart
  • shows = illustrates
  • main sources of energy = energy production from different sources
  • for the USA = don’t change this
  • in 1980 and 1990 = in two different years (1980 and 1990)

Try writing your introduction before checking the model answer. To see model introduction, click here: Model Answer

The pie charts illustrate the changes in energy production from five different sources (oil, natural gas, coal, hydroelectric power and nuclear power) for the USA in two years (1980 and 1990).

Overview

The overview contains the key features of the charts. Answer the questions below to find the key features.

  1. What was the main source of energy in 1980?
  2. What was the main source of energy in 1990?
  3. Which produced the least energy in 1980?
  4. Which produced the least energy in 1990?
  5. Did the amount of energy produced by each source change a lot or just a little between the years?
  6. Did all types of energy increase by 1990?

Now write your overview before you check the model. To see model overview, click here: Model Answer

Overall, oil  constituted the main source of energy production in both years, while hydroelectric power  produced the least energy. There was a slight decrease in production from oil and natural gas, whereas an increase can be seen in the figures for coal and nuclear power.

Body Paragraph 1

This paragraph will give details about oil and hydroelectric power, which we highlighted in the overview above.

Tips

  • You will need to write one sentence about oil comparing the percentage each year and then one sentence about hydroelectric power comparing the years.
  • You must add data (percentages and dates) to support each sentence

Here are two example sentences. Fill in the gaps with the right words.

The amount of energy produced by oil in the USA 1. ………………. 42% in 1980 and this, then, 2. ………………….. to a third (33%) in 1990. The proportion of energy from hydroelectric power, 3………………, remained constant in both years ………a mere 5%.

For answers, click here: Answers

  1. accounted for / comprised of / made up / was
  2. fell / declined / dropped / went down / decreased
  3. on the other hand / by contrast / in contrast ( we use a linker to highlight that this is opposing information to the previous sentence)
  4. at

Body Paragraph 2

This paragraph will give detail about the other sources of energy in the pie charts.

Tips

  • which sources increased?
  • which sources decreased?
  • what were the percentages for each source?

Again, fill in the gaps in these model sentences.

The energy generated by natural gas, which was the second 1. …………… source of energy in the USA in 1980, fell 2. ………. 1% to a quarter of all energy produced in 1990. In contrast, production by coal 3. ……………… from 22% to 27% in 1990 4. …………….. there was a 5% rise in energy from nuclear power to reach 10% in the second year.

For answers, click here: Answers

  1.  largest / major
  2. by (this is used when writing about differences in amounts)
  3. increased / rose / went up / climbed / grew
  4. while / whereas

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Answers to Reading Practice Caral City

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Below are the answers to the reading practice lessons about the ancient city of Caral. If you have not completed this reading lesson, please finish it before looking at the questions below. Click here to complete the lesson: Reading Lesson Caral City

Questions: Are the following statements True False or Not Given based on the passage above?

  1. The city did not include housing for its citizens.
  2. As far as the eye could see, the landscape was arid.
  3. The largest pyramid is 60 feet in height in Caral.
  4. Caral had a bigger population than most cities at that time.
  5. Caral is thought to have provided a prototype for subsequent civilisations.

Answers

  1. FALSE
    1. The passage clearly states there were “residential areas”. This means areas for citizens to live = housing.
  2. FALSE
    1. It does not matter where the person is in the city to view the surroundings. The passage shows that the city was “overlooking” a “lush valley”. This means a green, fertile valley was visible from the city. Arid means “dry” so the passage shows the opposite.
  3. TRUE
    1. “six large pyramids (platform mounds) …. The largest of the mounds … is 60 feet high”
  4. NOT GIVEN
    1. There is no information in the passage that compares the population of Caral with other cities.
  5. TRUE
    1. “Researchers believe the model of the city was used by many civilizations that came after the Norte Chico.”.

I hope you found this reading lesson useful. For more reading lessons, click here: IELTS Reading Main Page

All the best

Liz

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Reading Practice: Ancient City Caral

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True False and Not Given reading practice for IELTS students based on a topic that was reported by students in their reading test in January 2018. To see all my reading lessons, click here: Main Reading Page. Other main pages are accessed through the red bar at the top of the website.

Passage: Pyramid City Caral

The Norte Chico civilization of Supe, Peru, was the first known civilisation of the Americas. Their capital was the Sacred City of Caral – a 5,000-year-old metropolis complete with complex agricultural practices, rich culture, and monumental architecture, including six large pyramidal structures, stone and earthen platform mounds, temples, amphitheatre,  sunken circular plazas, and residential areas.

Caral is situated on a dry desert terrace overlooking the lush valley of the Supe River. Exceptionally well-preserved, the site is impressive in terms of its design and the complexity of its architecture. The city’s plan and some of its features, including pyramidal structures and residences of the elite, show clear evidence of ceremonial functions, signifying a powerful religious ideology.

The centre of the Caral complex consists of a central public area with six large pyramids (platform mounds) arranged around a huge plaza. The largest of the mounds, located in a dominating position within the urban plan of Caral, is 60 feet high and measures 450 x 500 feet at the base, covering an area nearly the size of four football fields. From the top of the great pyramid, the rulers of Caral would have been able to monitor the entire city. In total, it is estimated that Caral was home to a population of about 3,000 people. Researchers believe the model of the city was used by many civilizations that came after the Norte Chico. In 2001, the Sacred City of Caral in Supe was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Notice: This passage has been adapted from the website ancient-origins.net. You can read the full passage here: Pyramid City of Caral. The picture above is also from the same article.

Questions: Are the following statements True False or Not Given based on the passage above?

  1. The city did not include housing for its citizens.
  2. As far as the eye could see, the landscape was arid.
  3. The largest pyramid is 60 feet in height in Caral.
  4. Caral had a bigger population than most cities at that time.
  5. Caral is thought to have provided a prototype for subsequent civilisations.

Notice from Liz: I will be taking a break from posting lessons in Feb, Mar and Apr. I will post a notice when my holiday begins. Some pages will be kept open during my break.

Answers

The answers to this lesson are now available:

Click here for the answers: Answers to Caral Reading Lesson

All the best

Liz

 

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Improving IELTS Writing Task 1 Introduction

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This lesson focuses on improving your IELTS writing task 1 introduction for the academic paper. To write an introduction you must paraphrase and re-write the information given by IELTS about the chart of graph.

Below is a sample line graph sent to me by an IELTS Candidate.

The line graph below shows the number of overseas students who came from six Asian countries to study in Australia from 1994 to 1997.

overseas students line graph ielts

Source: Graph above was not created by IELTS Liz.

Introduction Paragraphs for Writing Task 1

Below are two introductions written by the IELTS candidate. Would you use one of these introductions or would you write a different introduction?

Introduction 1: The diagram shows the amount of students from six different countries in Asia, who came to study in Australia between 1994 and 1997.

Introduction 2: Between 1994 and 1997 the number of Asian students from six different countries, who came to study in Australia.

Questions:

  1. Do they cover all the necessary information?
  2. Are there any errors in them?
  3. How you would write your introduction to the line graph above?
  4. How many paragraphs would you have for your complete report for the above line graph?

Feel free to post your answers. However, please note I do not common on writing.

Answers and Model Introduction  

Click below to reveal the answers and model introduction paragraph. 

Answers & Model Introduction
  1. They both cover most of the important information. However, they are lacking the list of countries. Where possible include the list, unless it is too long. 
  2. Errors:
    1. A line graph is a line graph. Those words should not be paraphrased.
    2. Always try to paraphrase the verb “shows”.
    3. The word “amount” is for uncountable nouns, not for countable nouns. We can use this word with “people” or “students”. See this page: Uncountable Nouns
  3. See the model answer below:
    1. The line graph illustrates how many students from six different countries in Asia (Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia and Korea) went to Australia to study in 1994, 1995, 1996 and1997.
  4. How would you organise your task 1 writing for the above line graph? How many paragraphs would you have? What information would you put in the body paragraphs?

    1. You should have 4 paragraphs: introduction, overview, body paragraph A and body paragraph B.

      In body paragraph A, you can put information about Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Korea. In body paragraph B, you can put information about Japan and Hong Kong because they showed different trends from the others.

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IELTS Writing Task 1 Free Lessons & Tips

Click below to open all my free lessons and tips for task 1:

IELTS Writing Task 1 Free Lessons

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Comments to IELTS Liz 2018

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Hi guys,

Please read this full page, particularly the thank you message for my supportive students at the bottom of the post.

As you know, I post regular lessons to help you prepare for your IELTS test. It is something I enjoy and I try to do this once or twice a week. My lessons are usually well designed and aimed to develop awareness of specific skills or to provide vital test information. These regular lessons are all free. I have also written over 300 pages of tips etc which are all free for you and are accessible through the red bar at the top of the website. You should all read those pages before asking questions.

Recently I have been receiving some angry responses from students who demand I answer their questions.

Let me make things clear: I do NOT offer a free answer/question service.  

  • So far, I have responded to over 20,000 comments. I cannot respond to ALL comments.
  • I currently have around 9,000 comments waiting in moderation (unpublished). I can’t answer them all – most will be deleted.
  • Ask a question, but realise you might not get a reply.
  • Do NOT demand free individual support.
  • I also do NOT offer a free marking service for writing.
  • Check the answers I have already given to other students – most questions have been answered before.

Holiday: For health reasons, I will be taking an extended break from this website in Feb, Mar and Apr. I will post a notice when I start my hols. It means I won’t be answering questions or posting lessons but I will keep certain pages open for up-dates.

I hope you all appreciate the work I do and the support I offer students. My website contains more replies to comments than any other IELTS website in existence. Let me give you four idioms relating to this issue:

  1. Give an inch and they take a mile.
    1. This means if you give one thing to someone, they demand more and more. Let’s avoid this.
  2. Respect is a two way street.
    1. This means you respect me and I will respect you.
  3. Pick someone’s brains.
    1. This means to get information or ideas from someone. I know you would all like to pick my brains, but I am only one person – take it easy on me 🙂
  4. Great minds think alike.
    1. This is used when people have similar ideas to each other. I hope, from this point onwards, we will all have similar understanding 🙂

The majority of students on my site are polite, kind and supportive – to you, I wish to say thank you. It is your support and encouragement that helps me continue 🙂

USEFUL LINKS for IELTS

Read this carefully:

  1. All main pages for IELTS (which contain 300 pages of free materials, tips etc) are accessed through the RED BAR at the top of the website. You MUST visit those main pages for the tips and lessons: Click on the Red Bar
  2. There are excellent, vital pages linked in the right hand side column of each page. Read them.
  3. Also read the comments boxes which contain thousands of extra tips and pieces of advice. Most questions have already be asked and answered before.
  4. For basic test information (using pens, pencils, handwriting, answer sheets etc), see the Test Information page.
  5. Again, let me repeat – there are over 300 pages of tips, model answers and lessons – all free. Use them to find your answers and use them to learn IELTS.

I wish you all good luck with your tests 🙂

All the best

Liz

 

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Answers to Villa Listening Lesson

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Below you can find the transcript and answers to the villa listening lesson.  I have also posted the audio again so you can listen and read the transcript at the same time. This is a good way to improve your speaking skills and pronunciation.

If you haven’t done this listening lesson, please do it now before you look at the answers. Click here: Villa Listening Lesson

Transcript

This spacious 3 bedroom villa in the south of France contains not only an infinity pool but also a sauna and gym. The gardens are quite extensive and are well managed by a gardener. It is situated on the outskirts of a small town but within easy walking distance of both shops and restaurants. On offer in the area is skiing in the winter, while in summer there are plenty of cycle paths, lake swimming and canoeing, as well as horse riding. And don’t forget that this area is also famous for its top quality golf courses. This would be a perfect villa for a family aiming to escape from the hustle and bustle but also have plenty of outdoor activities on offer. The only downside is that it can’t be rented by the week. It is on offer as a long term rental property with a minimum of a one month stay.

Audio

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Answers

  1. INFINITY POOL
    1. You can’t have the answer “pool” only because the article in the sentence is “an” which means the next word starts with a vowel. Always check your grammar!
    2. You can’t have “garden” because this list is about facilities.
    3. Look at the picture on the listening page to see what an infinite pool looks like – there is no visible edge to it.
  2. (EASY) WALKING DISTANCE
    1. What do brackets means? This means you can use the word or not. Both answers are fine: easy walking distance and walking distance.
    2. You can’t use brackets in your test. They are used in books only. One student used brackets – their answers would be marked wrong.
    3. You can’t have the word “outskirts”. The sentence does not allow for this word to be used. The sentence must be grammatically correct. So, you are choosing answers not only for meaning but also grammar.
  3. CANOEING
    1. The spelling must be correct.
    2. Horse riding is wrong because this is about lake activities.
  4. HUSTLE AND BUSTLE
    1. You need all three words and they must be spelled correctly.
  5. 1 MONTH
    1. You can write the number 1 as a word if you want because it is possible to have up to three words in your answer.
    2. You can’t have the word “stay” in your answer because it would make the sentence wrong.

Answers have been written using all capital letters – it is not a requirement but I highly recommend it.

I hope this lesson was useful.

All the best

Liz

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Listening Practice: Villa Rental

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This listening practice is to help you with your IELTS preparation. The topic “villa for sale” was reported in the IELTS listening test this month, so I’ve created this listening practice based on renting a villa.

Prepare the questions first and then listen to the recording only once.

Listening Topic for IELTS: Villa Rental

Questions 1-5

Fill in the gaps using no more than three words and/or a number.

  1. The villa has a sauna, gym and an ………………
  2. The town is within ……………….. of the villa.
  3. It is possible to do swimming and …………. at the lake.
  4. Families hoping to avoid the ………………. of life would like this villa.
  5. Rental must be for …………. or longer.

Recording: Listen only once

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Answers

The answers are now available for this lesson.

For answers click here: Answers to Villa Listening

 

I will post the transcript and answers tomorrow. For more listening practice, see the Main IELTS Listening Page

All the best

Liz

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Answers to Magnet Therapy Reading Exercise

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Below you will find both questions and answers to the reading about Magnet Therapy. Make sure you finish the reading exercise before you look at the answers. Click here to do the reading practice: Magnet Therapy Reading

Questions 1-6

Complete the sentences using no more than one word and/or a number from the passage above.

  1. Magnetic therapy aims to ease ………
  2. It is possible to buy ………… to wear on the wrist that contain therapeutic magnets.
  3. Devices using magnetic therapy are considered to have only a …….. effect.
  4. The magnetic therapy market is said to be worth at least ……….. per annum.
  5. Magnets have been historically used to ………. disease from a sick person.
  6. The magnetic fields are unable to ……… human skin which is approximately …….. in thickness.

Answers

  1. PAIN
    1. You can not have two words.
  2. BRACELETS
    1. The word should be plural.
    2. The key word was “wrist” and this indicates the answer is “bracelets”.
  3. PLACEBO
  4. $1 BILLION
    1. You must have the “$”. Your task is to write what is missing and the “$” is missing.
    2. $1 = one number / $1 billion = one number and one word
  5. DRAW
    1. No other answer is possible.
  6. PENETRATE  3MM
    1. It is not necessary to use any punctuation. If you want to divide the answers using a “,” then it’s fine. You can’t write the word “and”.
    2. It is also find to write 3mm – using small letters.
    3. Both answers should be written in the answer box for question 6 – they are both required for one point.
    4. No other answer is possible.

I hope this lesson was useful. Find more reading exercises on my main reading page: Main IELTS Reading Page

All the best

Liz

 

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