IELTS Writing Task 1 language can be intimidating. After all, most students don’t learn language to describe charts and graphs in their English classes! And yet these graphics require the precise use of correct terminology. In this post, I’ve gathered many IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 vocabulary and useful phrases that you can use to boost your score.
We’ll take a look at everything from IELTS Writing Task 1 introduction vocabulary to comparison language, words you can use to describe fractions and percentages, and much more!
Table of Contents
- IELTS Writing Task 1 Language: Why Grammar and Vocabulary Matter
- How to Write About Graphs and Charts Using IELTS Writing Task 1 Language
- Lesson Videos and Quick Tips for IELTS Writing Task 1 Language
- A Final Word on IELTS Writing Task 1 Language
IELTS Writing Task 1 Language: Why Grammar and Vocabulary Matter
On your IELTS essays, grammar and vocabulary make a difference in your band descriptor—a huge difference, in fact!
Out of the four categories you’ll be marked on, Grammatical Range and Accuracy and Lexical Resource account for half of your score overall. In other words, the grammar that you use accounts for 25% of your score, while the vocabulary that you use accounts for another 25% of your score.
What does this mean for your IELTS practice? It means that you’ll need to work on using accurate grammar and vocabulary, finding the precise term that describes the graphic on IELTS Writing Task 1. It also means that you’ll need a variety of grammar and vocabulary structures, not relying on just one or two for the entire essay.
Write About Graphs and Charts Using IELTS Writing Task 1 Language
Introductory IELTS Writing Task 1 Language
- The table illustrates the trends in…
- The chart reveals information about the changes in…
- The bar graph provides a…
- The line graph presents how X has changed over a period of…
- According to the pie chart…
- The graphic clearly shows that…
- As the chart indicates…
- The table reveals that…
Examples of IELTS Writing Task 1 Language in Practice
The line graph presents how specific populations in three Australian cities changed over a period of 24 years.
The graphic clearly shows that these three populations all grew in these cities between 1992 and 2016.
The bar graph provides a month-by-month view of product sign ups from approximately mid-2017 and early 2021.
The graphic clearly shows that interest in this product fluctuated by month and decreased over time from approximately mid-2017 and early 2021.
Trends
Verbs
- Fluctuates
- Varies
- Rises
- Falls
- Dips
- Remains steady
- Remains stable
- Remains unchanged
- Levels off
- Peaks at
- Reaches a peak of
- Hits a high of
- Hits a low of
- Bottoms out at
- Plateaus
Adverbs
- Gradually
- Steadily
- Quickly
- Rapidly
- Slowly
- Eventually
Nouns
- Fluctuation
- Variation
- Rise
- Fall
- Dip
- Level
- Peak
- High
- Low
- Plateau
Adjectives
- Gradual
- Steady
- Quick
- Rapid
- Slow
- Eventual
- Steep
- Sharp
- High
- Low
- Extreme
Sentence Starters
- The [noun] [verb] [adverb].
- There was a(n) [adjective] [noun].
Examples of IELTS Writing Task 1 Language in Practice
The percentage generally fluctuated between 5% and 15%.
There was a steep peak in mid-2019.
The percentages showed extreme variation between May 2018 and September 2020.
There was an overall percentage decline in the period between May 2018 and September 2020.
The line graph is chaotic with variation monthly across many different measures.
Increases and Decreases
Verbs
- Rises
- Increases
- Climbs
- Grows
- Goes up
- Jumps
- Decreases
- Drops
- Falls
- Declines
- Plummets
- Plunges
Adverbs
- Steadily
- Gradually
- Sharply
- Rapidly
- Slightly
- Dramatically
- Significantly
- Considerably
- Moderately
- Modestly
For more adverbs to use in this task, one of Magoosh’s IELTS experts, Eliot, has some great tips!
Nouns
- Rise
- Increase
- Growth
- Jump
- Decrease
- Drop
- Fall
- Decline
- Plummet
- Plunge
Adjectives
- Steady
- Gradual
- Sharp
- Rapid
- Slight
- Dramatic
- Significant
- Considerable
- Moderate
- Modest
Sentence Starters
- The [noun] [verb] [adverb].
- There was a(n) [adjective] [noun].
Examples of IELTS Writing Task 1 Language in Practice
From 0 to 5, there’s a steep and rapid decline, going from 98% to 15%.
After 10, there’s no significant change from its gradual decline.
After a sharp decline to almost -20 by the end of July 2018, numbers jumped again and stabilized.
The numbers rose and fell sharply between September 2017 and May 2018.
Although there are some drops into the 20s and some peaks into the 70s, the general range fluctuates between 30 and 50.
Comparisons
- More than
- Less than
- Equal to
Verbs
- Surpasses
- Equals
Nouns
- Greatest
- Least
Comparative Descriptors
- Nearly
- Almost
- Just under
- Just over
- Roughly
- Around
- Approximately
- Greater
- Larger
- Smaller
- Lesser
- Similar
Sentence Starters
- The [noun 1] [verb] the [noun 2] in [time period].
- From [time period], [noun 1] was [OPTIONAL adjective] [comparison phrase] [noun 2].
Examples of IELTS Writing Task 1 Language in Practice
The Melbourne population surpassed the Sydney population in 2002.
From 1995 to 2001, the Sydney population was slightly greater than the Melbourne population.
Brisbane had the least amount of change in population from 1992 to 2016.
Numbers of the orange line were always less than numbers of the blue line.
Though the orange numbers rose, they never surpassed or even equalled the blue ones.
Both the blue line and orange line saw a similar peak in the summer months of 2019.
Steps and Processes
Adverbs
- Firstly,
- First of all,
- To start with,
- At the beginning,
- Second,
- Third
- Then,
- Next
- After that,
- Later,
- Following that,
- Subsequently,
- Before
- Prior to
- Finally,
- Lastly,
Nouns
- Step
- Stage
- Phase
Sentence Starters
- [preposition] [noun], the number was [number or description].
- In [noun] [step/stage/phase number], the number was [number or description].
Examples of IELTS Writing Task 1 Language in Practice
At the beginning, the number was flat and steady.
Following a sharp increase in phase 2, the line plateaus.
In Stage 2, the numbers never reached the heights of Stage 1, but maintained a steadier pace.
At the beginning of Phase 2, the numbers dropped sharply.
Percent Vocabulary
Nouns
- X percent
- A(n) X percentage
Adjectives
- Insignificant
- Small
- Significant
- Large
- Equal
Sentence Starters
- In [time period], the [thing being measured] [Trend or Increases/Decreases verb] [noun].
- A(n) [adjective] percent of [thing being measured] [Trend or Increases/Decreases verb] [time period phrase].
Examples of IELTS Writing Task 1 Language in Practice
In Year 1, the amount fell from around 95% to around 90%.
A significant percent of the value decreased between years 0 and 20.
After February 2020, the percentages dropped overall.
Most of the stocks lost at least a small percentage of their value after February 2020.
Fraction Vocabulary
Nouns
- One tenth (one fifth, etc.)
- One quarter
- Half
- Three quarters
Adverbs/Adverbials
- Around
- About
- Approximately
- Less than
- More than
- Equal to
Sentence Starters
- [adjective] [noun] [verb] [time period phrase]
- The [noun 1] was [adjective] [percentage noun] of the [noun 2] [time period phrase]
Examples of IELTS Writing Task 1 Language in Practice
Less than one-fifth of the population was in Brisbane.
The Brisbane population was about one half of the Sydney population in 2016.
The orange line averaged about half of the blue line in this time period.
At certain points, the blue line was more than twice the orange line.
Proportion Vocabulary
Nouns
- A(n) [adjective] proportion
- A(n) [adjective] majority
- A(n) [adjective] minority
- A ratio of x to y
Adjectives
- Insignificant
- Small
- Significant
- Large
- Equal
Adverbs
- Approximately
- Roughly
Sentence Starters
- [Proportion noun] [OPTIONAL adverb] [adjective] of [noun] [be verb] [description] [time period phrase]
Examples of IELTS Writing Task 1 Language in Practice
An approximately equal number of people lived in all three cities in 1992.
A significant number of people live in Sydney and Melbourne compared to Brisbane in 2016.
A larger proportion of people consistently preferred blue to orange.
A minority of the population preferred orange to blue.
Time Phrases and Expressions
- From X to Y
- Between X and Y
- Throughout
- In
- The X to X period…
- Over a(n) X period
- From that point
- Over the next X years,
- Over the following X years,
- The graph predicts that, in the future…
Sentence Starters
- [Time phrase], the [noun] [Trend or Increase/Decrease verb]
Examples of IELTS Writing Task 1 Language in Practice
From the end of 2020 to the beginning of 2021, the percentage fluctuated between 8% and 12%.
Over a six year period, the numbers rose and fell sharply.
Throughout the period from 2013 to 2016, the numbers fluctuated, peaking at around 1,300 in early 2019.
Between 2013 and 2016, there were 8 distinct peaks.
Concluding IELTS Writing Task 1 Language
- In general,
- Overall,
- Finally,
- To conclude,
- In summary
Sentence Starters
- [Concluding phrase], the [noun] [verb] [time phrase].
Examples of IELTS Writing Task 1 Words and Phrases in Practice
In summary, the numbers rose, then fell to approximately the original amount from March 2020 to March 2021.
To conclude, after an initial rise, then fall, the numbers fluctuated consistently for the rest of the period.
Overall, blue remained more popular than orange throughout this period.
Lesson Videos and Quick Tips for IELTS Writing Task 1 Language
I know, that’s a lot of vocabulary! But the more that you practice with IELTS Writing Task 1 language, the easier it will become to find the exact right word or phrase that you need on your actual IELTS exam.
As you practice, here are a few key things to keep in mind:
- Paraphrase instead of repeating (check out Magoosh’s video on IELTS paraphrasing tips!)
- Summarize, particularly at the beginning and end of your essay
- Avoid repeating words—use a mixture of vocabulary instead
- Beware of common IELTS traps (we have a video on what to avoid on the IELTS!)
- Know the Task 1 requirements, including word count
- Use categories and units accurately
A Final Word on IELTS Writing Task 1 Language
While learning the vocabulary that you need for IELTS Writing Task 1 can feel overwhelming, repeated practice with sample questions will help you become increasingly fluent. Keep in mind that the language you learn for this task will have big benefits later on—not just on the IELTS itself, but also as you continue your higher education and face charts and graphs in your classes. So keep working on describing different kinds of charts and graphs using the phrases in this post!
For more IELTS vocabulary resources for Task 1, check out:
To learn vocab for other IELTS sections, check out our free guides to IELTS Speaking vocabulary, IELTS Listening and Reading words, and IELTS Writing Task 2 vocabulary.
Good luck!
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