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IELTS WRITING TASK ONE. THE COMPLETE AUDIO GUIDE.
Everything you need for Task One lives here: vocabulary, formulas, calibration, and full model reports, already corrected and cross-checked against the rest of this site.
How to use it. This is written to be read aloud by text to speech software. Listen while doing other tasks. Vocabulary sections give you a plain word, an advanced alternative, and one example sentence. Every section ends with a line called Quick Repeat, containing only the target phrases with no examples, so you can say them from memory before moving on. After the vocabulary comes a full tense map, seven complete model reports, two failure demonstrations, and a final phrase recap. Play the whole file more than once across several sessions. That repetition is what turns recognition into automatic speech.
A few items below carry a short correction note, flagging a phrase or rule that used to be taught differently and explaining why the wording here is the one to trust.
CALIBRATION. THE NUMBERS THAT GOVERN THIS TASK.
Minimum length, one hundred and fifty words. Below that, you are penalized before anyone reads the content.
Target length, one hundred and seventy to one hundred and ninety words. Long enough to be safe, short enough to leave time for Task Two, which carries twice the marks.
Twenty minutes total. Three minutes reading the chart and deciding how to group the data. Fourteen minutes writing. Three minutes checking, and the check reads for two things only, agreement and tense, nothing else.
Four paragraphs, in a fixed proportion. Roughly thirty words of introduction, thirty five of overview, and sixty words in each of the two body paragraphs.
If you reach one hundred and ninety words and half the data is still unmentioned, the grouping was wrong, not the writing. Group harder. You report the significant numbers, not every number on the chart.
SECTION ONE. THE FOUR PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE.
Every report follows the same four paragraphs in the same order.
Paragraph one, the introduction, states what the chart is about, with no data at all.
Paragraph two, the overview, states the two or three most prominent features, with no numbers at all.
Paragraph three, the first body paragraph, groups part of the data and gives exact figures.
Paragraph four, the second body paragraph, groups the rest of the data and gives exact figures.
For a dynamic chart, one that shows change over years, group the body paragraphs by direction. One paragraph for the categories that rose, one for those that fell or fluctuated.
For a static chart, one with no time period, group by rank. One paragraph for the highest figures, one for the lowest figures and any exceptions.
For a map, paragraph three describes the earlier layout, paragraph four describes the later one.
For a process, the overview states the number of stages, the starting point, and the end point, and the two body paragraphs split the sequence roughly in half.
For a table, look first at the column headings. If they are years, the table is dynamic and groups by direction, unless every category moves the same way, in which case it groups by scale instead. If there are no years, it groups by rank. Tables are covered in full in section ten, because they demand one skill the other types do not, which is deciding what to leave out.
Quick repeat. Introduction, no data. Overview, no numbers. Body paragraph, exact numbers. Dynamic charts grouped by direction. Static charts grouped by rank. Maps grouped by earlier and later. Processes split by half. Tables grouped by direction, or by scale when everything moves together.
SECTION TWO. BANNED VERSUS APPROVED DESCRIPTIVE WORDS.
This is the single most important section in the whole guide, because several of the words candidates believe are impressive are the ones that lose marks for exaggeration or informality.
Avoid dramatic, striking, unmistakable, and radical. Use instead sharp, steep, marked, notable, prominent, significant, clear, evident, and extensive.
Avoid a dramatic surge, a complete collapse, and a radical overhaul. Say instead an unprecedented surge, a sharp decline, a virtual elimination, or extensive development.
Correction note. An earlier version of this guide banned the phrase the data witnessed, on the reasoning that a chart has no nervous system, and then used the same verb inside its own overview formulas, as in category B witnessed a marked decline. That was a straightforward contradiction. The rule stands as originally intended. Only a time period or a place can witness something. A category cannot. Say instead category B registered a marked decline, or category B underwent a marked decline, or simply there was a marked decline in category B. The correct exception remains real. The year twenty ten witnessed a drop is fine, because a year is a period of time, not a data series.
The same correction applies to the verb experienced used the same way. Category A experienced an upward trajectory should become category A recorded an upward trajectory, or category A rose steadily.
Correction note. The earlier guide also recommended the verbs rocket and soar as approved alternatives, in the same breath as banning dramatic for being exaggerated. Both verbs carry exactly that exaggeration and belong in journalism, not in an academic report. Use climbed sharply, rose markedly, or increased steeply instead. Keep surge in reserve for a genuinely steep rise, and use it once per report at most.
Avoid childish verbs like making electricity, using energy, and getting rid of trash. Say instead power generation, energy consumption, and waste disposal.
Quick repeat. Sharp. Steep. Marked. Notable. Prominent. Significant. Clear. Evident. Extensive. An unprecedented surge. A virtual elimination. The data indicates. The data reveals. Registered. Underwent. Rose markedly. Climbed sharply.
SECTION THREE. THE INTRODUCTION FORMULA.
Build the introduction with this formula. Graphic type, plus reporting verb, plus what is measured, plus where, plus when.
Upgrade the reporting verb. Instead of shows, use illustrates, delineates, or depicts. For two graphics together, use compares X in terms of Y. For a process, use explains.
Use the how transformation to turn a plain noun phrase into a clause. Instead of shows the number of people, say illustrates how many people. Instead of shows the spending on, say depicts how much was spent on.
Never copy the wording of the question into the introduction. Paraphrase every part of it. A copied introduction is deducted from the word count and scores no marks for lexical range.
Quick repeat. Illustrates. Delineates. Depicts. Compares in terms of. Illustrates how many. Depicts how much was spent on.
SECTION FOUR. DESCRIBING TRENDS. VERBS AND NOUNS.
For an upward trend, use the verbs climb, expand, increase, and rise. You can also use the nouns an upsurge, an uplift, a jump, and an expansion. Example. Mobile phone subscriptions climbed sharply over the decade.
For a downward trend, use the verbs plummet, plunge, dip, contract, and decline. You can also use the nouns a slump, a drop, a plunge, and a contraction. Example. Coal production plummeted over the following decade.
For stability or fluctuation, use plateau, level off, hold steady, stay constant, and fluctuate. You can also use a period of stability, erratic movements, and a plateau. Example. After twenty fifteen, sales figures plateaued at around forty percent.
Quick repeat. Climb. Expand. Rise. An upsurge. A jump. Plummet. Plunge. Decline. A slump. A contraction. Plateau. Level off. Fluctuate. A period of stability.
SECTION FIVE. DEGREE OF CHANGE. ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS.
For a big, sudden change, use marked, sharp, steep, and pronounced, with the adverbs markedly, sharply, and steeply. Example. There was a steep drop in sales. Prices dipped sharply.
For a noticeable change, use significant, substantial, and considerable, with the adverbs significantly and substantially. Example. Attendance increased significantly over the period.
For a slow, continuous change, use steady, gradual, and incremental, with the adverbs steadily and gradually. Example. The population grew steadily throughout the decade.
For a very small change, use slight, marginal, minor, and modest, with the adverbs slightly and marginally. Example. The figure for Spain rose only marginally.
Quick repeat. Marked. Sharp. Pronounced. Significant. Substantial. Steady. Gradual. Incremental. Slight. Marginal. Modest.
SECTION SIX. TWO WAYS TO SAY THE SAME CHANGE.
You can describe one change with a verb plus an adverb, or with an adjective plus a noun. Alternate between the two so your grammatical range stays visible.
Verb plus adverb. Expenditure on healthcare climbed steadily.
Adjective plus noun, same idea. There was a steady climb in healthcare expenditure.
Verb plus adverb. Mobile phone usage rose markedly.
Adjective plus noun, same idea. The data reveals a marked rise in mobile phone usage.
Quick repeat. Climbed steadily. A steady climb. Rose markedly. A marked rise.
SECTION SEVEN. COMPARING AND CONTRASTING.
To show a difference in scale, say the figure for X was double that of Y, or X exceeded Y by a significant margin.
To show a widening difference, say the gap between X and Y widened.
To show a shrinking difference, say the gap between X and Y narrowed.
To show similarity, say X was virtually identical to Y, or X showed little difference from Y.
Quick repeat. Exceeded by a significant margin. The gap widened. The gap narrowed. Virtually identical to. Showed little difference from.
SECTION EIGHT. APPROXIMATIONS AND FRACTIONS.
Correction note. An earlier version of this guide told you to say precisely one third for thirty three percent. That is not accurate. One third is thirty three point three recurring, so thirty three percent is only approximately one third. Task One rewards accuracy as well as range, so give the exact figure and let the fraction support it rather than replace it.
For seventy five percent, say exactly three quarters, since the two are genuinely equal. For seventy three percent, say nearly three quarters, or just under three quarters. For thirty three percent, say approximately one third, not precisely. For ten percent, say a tenth, or one in ten. For four or five percent, say a tiny fraction, or a negligible minority.
For approximations in general, use roughly, approximately, just over, well under, and around. Instead of seventy four percent, you may say just under three quarters, but only when the report has already given the exact figure elsewhere, so that accuracy is not lost.
Quick repeat. Exactly three quarters. Nearly three quarters. Approximately one third. A tenth. One in ten. A negligible minority. Just over. Well under.
SECTION NINE. PIE CHART VOCABULARY.
A pie chart shows parts of a whole, so its vocabulary differs from a line graph or a bar chart. Do not use the words amount, number, or parts for a pie chart. Use instead proportion, percentage, share, ratio, segments, and categories. You may also call a pie chart a circular chart in the introduction.
Quick repeat. Proportion. Share. Ratio. Segments. Categories. Circular chart.
SECTION TEN. TABLES.
A table has almost no vocabulary of its own. Everything else in this guide applies to it unchanged. What makes a table difficult is something the other chart types spare you. A line graph draws the shape for you and a pie chart shows you the proportions at a glance, whereas a table hands you a grid of raw figures and tells you nothing about which of them matter. Selection is the entire task.
The selection rule. A table with six categories and three time points contains eighteen figures. You have room for perhaps ten. Report the highest, report the lowest, report the largest change, and report anything that breaks the pattern. The remainder can be summarized in pairs or groups, or left out altogether. Omitting data is not a fault in a table task. Reporting all of it is, because a report that lists every cell has demonstrated no ability to identify what is significant.
Deciding the grouping. Read the table twice, once across the rows and once down the columns, before writing anything.
If the column headings are years, treat the table as a dynamic chart and group by direction, one paragraph for what rose and one for what fell.
If the column headings are years but every category moves in the same direction, direction cannot divide your paragraphs. Group by scale instead. One paragraph for the highest figures, one for the lowest, exactly as with a static chart.
If there are no years at all, group by rank.
If the table has two dimensions and neither is time, such as several countries measured against several categories, choose whichever dimension has fewer entries as the divider between your two body paragraphs.
Finding the pattern. Three questions, asked in the three minutes before you write.
Which row or column holds the highest figure overall, and which holds the lowest.
Does any row move against the direction of the others.
Do the rankings hold from the first column to the last, or does any category change position.
Naming things. Refer to what a row measures, never to the row itself. Do not say the third row shows, or the figures in the second column. Say expenditure on healthcare, or the figure for Brazil. Table furniture is invisible in a good report.
Useful phrases for the two dimensional comparison. The corresponding figure. The equivalent figure for. In each of the categories listed. Across all four countries. Turning to the remaining categories. The same pattern holds for. Both of the remaining categories.
A warning about units. Tables often mix units in a way charts do not, with percentages in one column, absolute numbers in another, and a currency in a third. State the unit the first time you give a figure in each paragraph. Never add or compare figures across columns carrying different units, and never describe a change in percentages as a change in percent when it is a change in percentage points.
Quick repeat. Report the highest, the lowest, the largest change, the exception. The corresponding figure. The equivalent figure for. Across all four countries. Turning to the remaining categories. Name what the row measures, never the row itself.
SECTION ELEVEN. INTRODUCTION VOCABULARY. MONEY AND ECONOMICS.
Correction note. The earlier guide recommended financial intake for income, financial valuation for cost or price, and disbursements for spending. None of these are natural collocations. Financial intake is not an established English phrase. A valuation is an estimate of what something is worth, not a price paid for it. Disbursements refers to payments released from a specific fund, not spending in general. Drop all three.
Instead of spending, say financial outlay, or expenditure. Instead of income, say revenue, or earnings. Instead of cost or price, simply say cost or price, or use retail value where a specific market value is meant. Instead of budget or funding, say financial allocation. Instead of rich or poor, say affluent, or economically disadvantaged.
Quick repeat. Financial outlay. Expenditure. Revenue. Earnings. Retail value. Financial allocation. Affluent. Economically disadvantaged.
SECTION TWELVE. INTRODUCTION VOCABULARY. PEOPLE AND DEMOGRAPHICS.
Correction note. The earlier guide gave the example the data regards the general populace. Regards does not carry this meaning here. Say instead the data relate to the general population, or simply the chart shows.
Instead of people or citizens, say individuals, or the general population. Instead of age groups, say age brackets, or cohorts. Instead of men and women, say male and female demographics, or genders. Instead of workers or employees, say the workforce, or the labor force.
Quick repeat. The general population. Age brackets. Cohorts. The workforce. The labor force.
SECTION THIRTEEN. INTRODUCTION VOCABULARY. ABSTRACT NOUNS.
Instead of consumption or use, say utilization, or usage rates. Instead of production or making, say manufacture, generation, or output. Instead of attendance or visitors, say footfall, or patronage. Instead of participation, say involvement, or engagement levels.
Quick repeat. Utilization. Usage rates. Output. Footfall. Patronage. Engagement levels.
SECTION FOURTEEN. INTRODUCTION VOCABULARY. QUANTITIES AND MEASUREMENTS.
Instead of the number of, say the total figure representing, or the volume of. Instead of the percentage of, say the proportion of, or the ratio of. Instead of amount of, for uncountable nouns, say the sheer volume of, or the aggregate of.
Quick repeat. The volume of. The proportion of. The ratio of. The aggregate of.
SECTION FIFTEEN. INTRODUCTION VOCABULARY. TIME AND GEOGRAPHY.
Instead of from two thousand to twenty ten, say over a decade long period commencing in two thousand. Instead of every year, say on an annual basis, or annually. Instead of in three countries, say across three distinct nations. Instead of worldwide, say globally, or on a global scale.
Quick repeat. A decade long period. On an annual basis. Across three distinct nations. On a global scale.
SECTION SIXTEEN. SPECIALIZED VOCABULARY. MAPS AND ARCHITECTURE.
Instead of changes, say infrastructural modifications, or structural alterations. Instead of built, say erected, constructed, or established. Instead of destroyed or removed, say demolished, or cleared. Instead of area or place, say zone, district, or vicinity.
Quick repeat. Infrastructural modifications. Erected. Demolished. The residential zone.
SECTION SEVENTEEN. SPECIALIZED VOCABULARY. ENVIRONMENT AND WASTE.
Instead of pollution, say carbon footprint, or greenhouse gas emissions. Instead of trash or garbage, say refuse, or waste generation. Instead of getting rid of trash, say waste disposal. Instead of trees or nature, say vegetation, or forested areas.
Quick repeat. Carbon footprint. Greenhouse gas emissions. Refuse. Waste disposal. Forested areas.
SECTION EIGHTEEN. SPECIALIZED VOCABULARY. AGRICULTURE AND LAND USE.
Instead of farming or growing crops, say agricultural cultivation, or crop production. Instead of animals like cows or sheep, say livestock rearing. Instead of how much food is made, say agricultural yields. Instead of land for farming, say arable land.
Quick repeat. Agricultural cultivation. Livestock rearing. Agricultural yields. Arable land.
SECTION NINETEEN. SPECIALIZED VOCABULARY. TRANSPORT AND COMMUTING.
Instead of traveling to work, say commuting patterns. Instead of ways to travel, say modes of transit. Instead of cars and trucks, say vehicular traffic. Instead of train, bus, or subway, say mass transit systems.
Quick repeat. Commuting patterns. Modes of transit. Vehicular traffic. Mass transit systems.
SECTION TWENTY. BODY PARAGRAPH VOCABULARY. AGE AND DEMOGRAPHICS.
Instead of old people, say senior citizens, or the elderly demographic. Instead of young people, say adolescents, or the younger demographic. Instead of people of working age, say the working age population. Instead of how long people live, say life expectancy.
Quick repeat. Senior citizens. The elderly demographic. Adolescents. The working age population. Life expectancy.
SECTION TWENTY ONE. BODY PARAGRAPH VOCABULARY. MONEY, BUDGETS AND FINANCE.
Instead of spent on, say allocated to, or dedicated to. Instead of poor, or less money, say lower income. Instead of rich, or more money, say affluent, or high income brackets. Instead of money left over, say a surplus. Instead of losing money, say a deficit, or a shortfall.
Quick repeat. Allocated to. Lower income. Affluent. A surplus. A deficit. A shortfall.
SECTION TWENTY TWO. BODY PARAGRAPH VOCABULARY. EMPLOYMENT AND THE WORKFORCE.
Instead of people without jobs, say the unemployed, or joblessness rates. Instead of office jobs, say white collar professions. Instead of manual labor jobs, say blue collar work. Instead of hiring people, say recruitment.
Quick repeat. Joblessness rates. White collar professions. Blue collar work. Recruitment.
SECTION TWENTY THREE. BODY PARAGRAPH VOCABULARY. ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
Instead of coal, oil, and gas, say fossil fuels, or non renewable resources. Instead of solar, wind, and water, say renewable energy. Instead of making electricity, say power generation. Instead of using energy, say energy consumption.
Quick repeat. Fossil fuels. Non renewable resources. Renewable energy. Power generation. Energy consumption.
SECTION TWENTY FOUR. ADVANCED DATA REFERENCING IN BODY PARAGRAPHS.
Use respectively to match a list of subjects to a list of numbers in the same order. Example. France and Spain reported the highest figures, at thirty and forty percent respectively.
Use the former and the latter to refer back to two items already named. Example. While both pizza and hamburgers saw a decline, the former dropped to fifteen percent, whereas the latter fell to five.
Use the preposition at for a starting point or a peak. The percentage began at exactly twenty percent. Use to for the final point of a change. The figure climbed steadily, rising to fifty percent. Use by for the margin of a change. Usage dropped by fifteen percent. Use with to attach a final piece of data. Germany led the sector, with a rate of sixty percent.
Quick repeat. Respectively. The former. The latter. Began at. Rising to. Dropped by. With a rate of.
SECTION TWENTY FIVE. ADVANCED TIME EXPRESSIONS FOR BODY PARAGRAPHS.
Repeating the exact years from the chart lowers your vocabulary score, so move through time with phrases instead.
To open a paragraph, say at the onset of the period, or in the initial year under review. To move to the middle, say over the subsequent years, or during the following decade. To close a paragraph, say by the close of the period, or in the final year. For a trend unbroken across the whole chart, say throughout the entire timeframe.
Quick repeat. At the onset of the period. In the initial year under review. Over the subsequent years. During the following decade. By the close of the period. Throughout the entire timeframe.
SECTION TWENTY SIX. CONNECTORS FOR ORGANIZING PARAGRAPHS.
To open the overview, say broadly speaking, or from an overall perspective. To change the subject, say in terms of, regarding, or turning to the remaining categories. To group similar data, say similarly, or following a similar pattern. To contrast data, say conversely, by contrast, or whereas. To highlight an outlier, say a notable exception was, or standing out from the rest.
Quick repeat. Broadly speaking. In terms of. Turning to the remaining categories. Following a similar pattern. By contrast. Standing out from the rest.
SECTION TWENTY SEVEN. SYNONYMS FOR EXPLAINING NUMBERS.
For majorities, over fifty percent, say a significant majority, the vast majority, or just over half. For minorities, under twenty percent, say a mere fraction, a negligible minority, or under a fifth. For ties, say accounted for an identical proportion.
Quick repeat. The vast majority. Just over half. A mere fraction. Under a fifth. An identical proportion.
SECTION TWENTY EIGHT. OVERVIEW OPENING PHRASES. THE BOARDROOM RULE.
Keep overview openings clean and professional. Avoid overly dramatic phrases such as it is immediately apparent that, or an overarching perspective reveals. They read as exaggerated rather than analytical. Use instead overall, or broadly speaking, or the most prominent trend to emerge is, or a notable feature of the data is.
Quick repeat. Overall. Broadly speaking. The most prominent trend to emerge is. A notable feature of the data is.
SECTION TWENTY NINE. OVERVIEW FORMULAS FOR DYNAMIC CHARTS.
Use this for charts with a time period. The up versus down formula, corrected. While category A rose steadily, category B registered a marked decline. Example. Overall, while mobile phone subscriptions rose steadily throughout the period, reliance on fixed telephone lines registered a gradual decline.
The fluctuation versus stability formula. Category A underwent significant fluctuations, whereas category B maintained a period of extended stability.
Correction note. The original formula used experienced and witnessed for the two categories, which contradicted the rule from section two banning exactly that usage. The corrected verbs are rose, registered, and underwent, none of which personify the chart.
Quick repeat. An upward trajectory. A marked decline. Significant fluctuations. Extended stability. Registered. Underwent.
SECTION THIRTY. OVERVIEW FORMULAS FOR STATIC CHARTS.
Use this when the chart has no time period. The dominant versus marginal formula. Category A stood out as the dominant subject, conversely, category B constituted the smallest minority. Example. The New York City Subway stood out as the dominant network in terms of length, conversely, the Mexico City Metro constituted the shortest system.
The majority versus exception formula. The vast majority of the subject shared a common characteristic, with the notable exception of category A.
Quick repeat. Stood out as the dominant. Constituted the smallest minority. With the notable exception of.
SECTION THIRTY ONE. OVERVIEW FORMULAS FOR MESSY OR CHAOTIC DATA.
The across the board formula. While category A dominated across the board, category B consistently registered the lowest figures in almost all metrics.
The disparity formula. The data highlight a significant disparity between group A and group B regarding the topic.
The volatility formula. The period was characterized by erratic fluctuations and high volatility across all categories, though category A ultimately emerged as the highest.
Quick repeat. Dominated across the board. A significant disparity. Erratic fluctuations. High volatility. Ultimately emerged as the highest.
SECTION THIRTY TWO. THE INVERTED CONDITIONAL.
This structure states a mathematical fact about an exception. It is never used to guess a reason.
Standard form. If Uruguay had not surged, the United Kingdom would have remained the leader.
Inverted form. Had Uruguay not surged, the United Kingdom would have remained the leader.
The exception template. Had it not been for the sudden rise in Lebanon, the reduction in male smokers would have been entirely universal.
The safe alternative, without a conditional at all. With the notable exception of Egypt and Lebanon, the reduction in male smokers was entirely universal. Reach for this version first. It carries the same information with three fewer places for the grammar to break.
Quick repeat. Had it not been for. Would have been entirely universal. Would have remained. With the notable exception of.
SECTION THIRTY THREE. ZERO SPECULATION, AND TASK ONE VERSUS TASK TWO.
In Task One you are a reporter, not an analyst. Describe only what is printed on the chart. Never explain why a trend happened.
Wrong for Task One. Car usage increased because people had more disposable income. That sentence belongs in Task Two, since it explains a cause the chart does not show.
The inverted conditional follows the same rule. In Task One, use it only for a mathematical exception that is visibly printed on the chart. You cannot use it to guess human behavior. In Task Two, speculation is required, and the inverted conditional may be used freely to build an argument.
Quick repeat. Describe only what is printed. Never explain why. Task One states facts. Task Two allows speculation.
SECTION THIRTY FOUR. OVERVIEW VOCABULARY. RELATIONSHIPS AND INTENSITY.
For a direct correlation, say there is a direct correlation between age and healthcare expenditure. For an inverse relationship, say the data reveal an inverse relationship between urbanization and forested areas. For one line overtaking another, say to intersect and surpass. For two lines following the same path, say a mirrored trend. For a huge sudden change, say pronounced, or exponential. For a slow steady change, say gradual, or incremental. For a very tiny change, say marginal, or subtle. For an undeniable change, say clear, or evident.
Quick repeat. A direct correlation. An inverse relationship. To intersect and surpass. A mirrored trend. Pronounced. Exponential. Incremental. Evident.
SECTION THIRTY FIVE. OVERVIEW VOCABULARY. SUPERLATIVES AND DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS.
For the absolute highest point, say peaked, or reached its highest point. Reserve reached its zenith for a genuinely striking case, since it reads as overblown on an ordinary bar chart. For the absolute lowest point, say bottomed out, or hit a trough. For the undisputed leader, say the preeminent, or the dominant. For the absolute least, say the least significant. For a shift in age or population, say a demographic shift. For a growing difference, say a widening gap. For a shrinking difference, say a narrowing disparity.
Quick repeat. Peaked. Hit a trough. The preeminent. The dominant. The least significant. A demographic shift. A widening gap. A narrowing disparity.
SECTION THIRTY SIX. MAPS AND PROCESSES. MAN MADE SEQUENCES.
For a map that changed extensively, say extensive development, or comprehensive modernization. Avoid a radical transformation, or a dramatic overhaul, since both are exaggerated for a diagram.
For nature being cleared for buildings, say at the expense of natural spaces. For a process with many steps, say a multi staged process. For a straight line manufacturing process, say a linear manufacturing sequence. For the start and end of a process, say commencing with, and culminating in.
Quick repeat. Extensive development. Comprehensive modernization. At the expense of natural spaces. A multi staged process. A linear manufacturing sequence. Commencing with. Culminating in.
SECTION THIRTY SEVEN. NATURAL PROCESSES. LIFE CYCLES.
Instead of comes out of the egg, say hatches, or emerges. Instead of grows up, say matures, or develops. Instead of changes completely, say undergoes a transformation. Instead of leaves its skin, say sheds. British spelling uses moults, American spelling uses molts. Choose one variety and hold it throughout the exam, exactly as with the essay bank.
Quick repeat. Hatches. Emerges. Develops. Undergoes a transformation. Sheds.
SECTION THIRTY EIGHT. NATURAL PROCESSES. EARTH AND WEATHER.
Instead of goes up into the air, say evaporates. Instead of turns into clouds, say condenses. Instead of rains or snows, say precipitates. Instead of goes into the ground, say infiltrates, or is absorbed. Instead of moves like a river, say flows, or runs off.
Quick repeat. Evaporates. Condenses. Precipitates. Infiltrates. Flows. Runs off.
SECTION THIRTY NINE. GRAMMAR NOTE. PASSIVE FOR MAN MADE, ACTIVE FOR NATURAL PROCESSES.
Man made processes use the passive voice, because a human operates the machine and the object receives the action. The formula is the verb to be, plus a past participle. Example. The trees are cut down and the wood is transported.
Natural processes use the active voice, because the organism or element performs the action itself. Example. The caterpillar eats the milkweed and forms a chrysalis.
Use natural transition phrases instead of step one, step two. Say as time passes, once this phase is complete, as the organism matures, or following a period of ten days, the adult emerges.
Quick repeat. Are cut down. Is transported. Eats. Forms. As time passes. Once this phase is complete. As the organism matures.
SECTION FORTY. THE TENSE MAP.
Your recurring failure, across all four modules, is tense collapse under load. Task One is unusually forgiving here, because the chart itself dictates which tense to use, and the decision disappears once you know the four cases.
Case one. A chart with dates that have all passed. Past simple throughout. The figure rose. Consumption fell.
Case two. A chart with dates running into the future, or labelled as projections. Future forms for those years only. The figure is expected to reach. Consumption will rise.
Case three. A chart with no dates at all. Present simple throughout. Households in Japan spend twenty eight percent on housing.
Case four. Maps and processes. Maps use past simple for the earlier map and present perfect or present simple for the later one. Man made processes use present simple passive throughout. Natural processes use present simple active throughout.
Tables introduce no fifth case. A table with years in the column headings falls under case one and takes past simple. A table with no years falls under case three and takes present simple. Read the headings, not the numbers, and the tense follows.
Inside one report, the tense does not move unless the chart moves it. That is the whole rule, and it is worth more than any single phrase in this file.
SECTION FORTY ONE. SEVEN COMPLETE MODEL REPORTS.
Each report describes the chart, states the grouping decision, gives the full report, and then says what to notice. Listen to each report as a whole before the analysis.
Report one. Line graph. Dynamic data.
The chart. Telephone subscriptions per one hundred inhabitants worldwide, from two thousand to twenty twenty. Mobile subscriptions begin at twelve, reach seventy six by twenty ten, and finish at one hundred and five. Fixed line subscriptions begin at sixteen, peak at seventeen around two thousand and five, and fall to twelve by the end.
The grouping. Dynamic chart, group by direction.
Here is the report.
The line graph illustrates how many mobile and fixed telephone subscriptions were held per one hundred inhabitants worldwide over a two decade period commencing in two thousand.
Overall, mobile subscriptions climbed steeply throughout the entire timeframe and ended as by far the more common of the two technologies, whereas fixed lines peaked early and then declined gradually. The two figures were broadly comparable at the onset of the period and diverged sharply thereafter.
In the initial year under review, mobile subscriptions stood at twelve per hundred people, marginally below the figure for fixed lines. Over the subsequent decade this figure rose sharply, reaching seventy six by twenty ten. Growth then slowed, though it continued, rising to one hundred and five by the close of the period.
Fixed line subscriptions followed the opposite pattern. Beginning at sixteen per hundred, they edged up to a peak of seventeen around two thousand and five before contracting steadily to twelve in the final year, a net fall of four. The gap between the two categories widened continuously after that peak, and by the close of the period mobile subscriptions stood at nearly nine times the fixed line figure.
End of report.
What to notice. Past simple throughout, since every date on the chart has passed. The overview contains no figures, only a shape, steeply up, gradually down, comparable at the start, diverged after. Watch the agreement. This figure rose, singular. Fixed line subscriptions followed, plural. The gap widened, singular, with the plural word categories sitting directly before the verb. Notice a net fall of four, which shows you can read the chart rather than transcribe it.
Report two. Bar chart. Static data.
The chart. Percentage of monthly household expenditure devoted to housing, food, and leisure in three countries, with no dates. Housing, twenty eight percent in Japan, twenty four in Turkey, fifteen in Nigeria. Food, twenty percent in Japan, thirty three in Turkey, fifty two in Nigeria. Leisure, fourteen percent in Japan, eight in Turkey, three in Nigeria.
The grouping. Static chart, group by rank.
Here is the report.
The bar chart compares three countries in terms of the proportion of monthly household expenditure allocated to housing, food, and leisure.
Broadly speaking, food and housing account for the great majority of spending in all three countries, while leisure represents only a small share everywhere. The most prominent pattern to emerge is that the balance between food and housing reverses as national income falls.
Food is the single largest category in Nigeria, at fifty two percent, and in Turkey, at thirty three percent. Housing, by contrast, is dominant in Japan, where it absorbs twenty eight percent of household spending, exceeding the Japanese food figure by eight percentage points. Turkey occupies an intermediate position on both measures, with twenty four percent devoted to housing.
Leisure receives the smallest allocation in every country, though the disparity between them is considerable. Japanese households dedicate fourteen percent to leisure, more than four times the Nigerian figure of three percent. With the notable exception of Japan, no country in the chart spends more than a tenth of its household budget on leisure.
End of report.
What to notice. Present simple throughout, since there are no dates. This is the case where you leak past tense out of sheer habit, so listen for every present verb, food is, housing absorbs, households dedicate. The exception is handled with the safe construction rather than the inverted conditional, since the conditional was available but unnecessary. Watch the agreement in the disparity between them is, singular, with a plural pronoun immediately before the verb. Notice percentage points, not percent, for a difference between two percentages.
Report three. Two pie charts. Proportions across time.
The chart. Sources of electricity generation in one country in nineteen ninety and in twenty twenty. In nineteen ninety, coal forty five percent, nuclear twenty five, gas twenty, renewables ten. In twenty twenty, renewables thirty five, gas thirty, nuclear twenty, coal fifteen.
The grouping. Dynamic in effect, group by direction.
Here is the report.
The two circular charts compare the sources of electricity generation in a single country in nineteen ninety and thirty years later.
Overall, the country moved away from coal and toward renewable sources over the period, and the ranking of the four categories was almost completely reversed. Nuclear generation was the only segment to remain broadly stable.
Renewables recorded the most substantial growth. Accounting for merely a tenth of generation in nineteen ninety, this segment rose to thirty five percent by twenty twenty, becoming the largest single source. Gas followed a similar pattern, expanding by half, from a fifth of the total to thirty percent, and it finished as the second largest contributor.
Coal moved in the opposite direction, and did so sharply. Having supplied forty five percent of electricity in the first year, it fell to just fifteen percent, a reduction of two thirds. Nuclear generation proved the most stable category, slipping only marginally from a quarter of the total to a fifth, and it was overtaken by both renewables and gas as a result. By the close of the period, fossil and renewable sources between them accounted for the great majority of generation.
End of report.
What to notice. Pie chart vocabulary throughout, segment, share, proportion, accounting for, a tenth, a fifth, a quarter, never number or amount. Fractions and percentages are alternated deliberately, a tenth then thirty five percent, a fifth then thirty percent, which is the cheapest lexical variety available in this task. Two participle clauses open sentences here, accounting for merely a tenth, and having supplied forty five percent, and both attach to the correct subject. Check that attachment every time, exactly as with the essay bank.
Report four. Map. A village, then and now.
The maps. A coastal village in nineteen eighty and today. In nineteen eighty, farmland occupied the east, a small school stood in the centre, woodland covered the north, and a single road ran along the coast. Today, the farmland has been replaced by housing, the school has been extended, the woodland has been partly cleared for a car park and a hotel, and a second road crosses the village from north to south.
The grouping. Maps group by time.
Here is the report.
The two maps illustrate the changes that took place in a coastal village between nineteen eighty and the present day.
Overall, the village underwent extensive infrastructural development over the period, shifting from a largely agricultural settlement to a residential and tourist one. Much of this expansion occurred at the expense of the natural spaces that dominated the original layout.
In nineteen eighty, the village was small and mainly agricultural. Farmland occupied the entire eastern side, woodland covered the north, and a single road ran along the coastline. The only substantial building was a school, situated in the centre of the village, and there was no accommodation for visitors of any kind.
The modern map shows considerably denser development. The farmland has been built over entirely and now accommodates a large housing estate, while a hotel and an adjoining car park have been erected in the north, on land formerly occupied by woodland. The school remains in its original position but has been extended westward. A second road has also been constructed, running north to south and intersecting the coastal road near the centre.
End of report.
What to notice. The tense split is the whole grammar of a map report. The first body paragraph is past simple, because that village no longer exists. The second is present perfect and present simple, because those changes have happened and their results are visible now, has been built over, now accommodates, has been extended, remains. That split is exactly the controlled tense change you find difficult under load, and here it is announced by the paragraph break, so let the structure carry it. Compass directions do most of the descriptive work, eastern side, in the north, north to south, westward.
Report five. Process. Man made.
The diagram. The recycling of glass bottles. Bottles are collected from households, transported to a facility, sorted by colour, washed, crushed into small fragments, melted in a furnace at high temperature, moulded into new bottles, and returned to the retailer.
Here is the report.
The diagram explains how used glass bottles are recycled and returned to commercial use.
Overall, this is a multi staged process comprising eight distinct steps, commencing with the collection of used bottles from households and culminating in the delivery of new bottles to retailers. The sequence is linear and, notably, it is also a closed loop, since the final product re enters the cycle.
In the first stage, used bottles are gathered from domestic collection points and transported by lorry to a processing facility. On arrival they are sorted by colour, which determines how they can be reused, and are then washed to remove any residual contamination. Once this phase is complete, the cleaned bottles are crushed into small fragments known as cullet.
The second half of the process is industrial. The cullet is fed into a furnace and melted at extremely high temperature until it becomes a molten liquid. This liquid is subsequently poured into moulds, where it is shaped into new bottles and left to cool. The finished bottles are finally packaged and distributed to retailers, at which point the cycle begins again.
End of report.
What to notice. Present simple passive from beginning to end, are gathered, are sorted, is crushed, is fed, is poured. There is no human agent anywhere, and none is needed. Keep every passive intact, the verb to be, then the past participle, since the word are is exactly what disappears under time pressure. Sequencing runs on real phrases rather than counting, on arrival, once this phase is complete, subsequently, finally, at which point.
Report six. Process. Natural.
The diagram. The life cycle of a frog. Eggs are laid in water in a mass, the tadpole hatches, it grows hind legs then front legs, the tail is absorbed, the young frog leaves the water, and the adult returns to breed.
Here is the report.
The diagram illustrates the life cycle of the common frog, from egg to breeding adult.
Overall, the cycle consists of six main stages and is notable for the complete physical transformation the organism undergoes at its midpoint. The process begins and ends in water, although the adult animal spends much of its life on land.
The cycle commences when the female deposits a large mass of eggs, known as frogspawn, in shallow water. After roughly three weeks the tadpole hatches and swims freely, breathing through external gills and feeding on algae. At this stage it bears almost no resemblance to the adult.
The transformation occupies the middle of the cycle. As the tadpole matures, it first develops hind legs and then front legs, while the tail gradually shortens and is absorbed into the body. Lungs replace the gills, allowing the young frog to leave the water for the first time, at which point it resembles a miniature adult rather than a tadpole. Once fully grown, the adult returns to the same body of water to breed, and the cycle begins again.
End of report.
What to notice. Active voice throughout, since the animal performs each action itself, the tadpole hatches, it develops, the tail shortens, in direct contrast to the previous report where nothing acted on its own. The one passive, is absorbed into the body, is correct, because the tail does not absorb itself. Agreement under load matters here precisely because there are no numbers to distract you, the tadpole hatches, it bears, the tail shortens, lungs replace. Time is handled without dates, after roughly three weeks, as the tadpole matures, once fully grown.
Report seven. Table. Six categories across three time points.
The table. The proportion of the population with access to the internet in six countries, recorded in two thousand, twenty ten, and twenty twenty. Japan, thirty percent, then seventy eight, then ninety three. Germany, thirty percent, then eighty two, then ninety two. Brazil, three percent, then forty one, then eighty one. Mexico, five percent, then thirty one, then seventy two. India, one percent, then seven, then forty seven. Nigeria, one percent, then eleven, then thirty six.
The grouping. The column headings are years, so the table is dynamic. Every country rose, however, so direction cannot divide the paragraphs. Group by scale instead, one paragraph for the leaders and one for the rest.
Here is the report.
The table illustrates what proportion of the population had access to the internet in six countries, recorded at ten year intervals over a two decade period commencing in two thousand.
Overall, access expanded substantially in every country listed, so the most useful distinction is one of scale rather than direction. Japan and Germany led throughout and finished almost level, whereas India and Nigeria remained the lowest at every point, despite recording the fastest proportional growth of the six.
Japan and Germany followed near identical trajectories. Both began at thirty percent, already far ahead of the rest, rose to seventy eight and eighty two percent respectively by twenty ten, and finished within a single point of one another, at ninety three and ninety two.
The remaining four began from a much lower base and climbed more steeply. Brazil and Mexico were broadly comparable, advancing from three and five percent to eighty one and seventy two by the close. India and Nigeria stayed lowest throughout, standing below eleven percent as late as twenty ten before reaching forty seven and thirty six percent in the final year. Notably, although these two recorded the steepest proportional growth, the gap between Japan and India in fact widened, from twenty nine percentage points to forty six.
End of report.
What to notice. The table holds eighteen figures and the report uses roughly twelve, pairing Brazil with Mexico and India with Nigeria so that four countries occupy two sentences. That is selection working correctly. A report naming all eighteen would be longer, duller, and score lower.
Direction was useless as a grouping here, since all six countries rose, which is the commonest trap in a table task. The fix is to fall back on scale and treat it like a static chart.
The word respectively carries two pairs of figures without repetition, and it is worth practicing precisely because the order must match. Say the two countries in the same order as the two numbers, every time.
Notice percentage points in the final sentence, not percent. The gap between twenty nine and forty six is a difference between two percentages, and using percent there would be an error of measurement rather than of grammar.
The closing observation is the most valuable sentence in the report. Fastest proportional growth combined with a widening absolute gap is a genuine pattern printed in the table, not an interpretation of it, and noticing it is exactly what separates a report that describes from one that merely transcribes.
SECTION FORTY TWO. THE TWO FAILURE DEMONSTRATIONS.
Running short. Same line graph as report one.
The graph shows mobile and fixed telephone subscriptions from two thousand to twenty twenty. Mobile subscriptions were twelve in two thousand and one hundred and five in twenty twenty. Fixed lines were sixteen in two thousand and twelve in twenty twenty. Mobile subscriptions increased and fixed lines decreased. In twenty ten mobile subscriptions were seventy six.
Three problems, and only one is the length. There is no overview paragraph at all, which caps the task achievement score on its own. The figures are listed rather than described, so no trend language appears. And the two categories are interleaved rather than grouped, so no structure is visible.
The repair is not more words. It is the overview. Write the overview second, before either body paragraph, with no figures in it. A report with a real overview almost cannot fall under a hundred and fifty words, because the structure forces you to describe each group twice, once in shape and once in numbers.
Drifting. Same graph.
The graph shows telephone subscriptions. Mobile subscriptions increased from twelve to one hundred and five, which is a very large increase, probably because mobile phones became much cheaper during this period and network coverage improved considerably in developing countries. In two thousand and one the figure was around eighteen, in two thousand and two around twenty four, in two thousand and three around thirty one, and in two thousand and four around forty. Fixed lines were less popular because people preferred the convenience of a mobile handset, and many households decided that maintaining a landline was no longer worth the expense.
Two separate failures, both fatal. The first is speculation, probably because mobile phones became cheaper is a Task Two sentence, and nothing on that chart says anything about price. The second is transcription, reading out every year on the axis is not description and burns words with nothing to show for it.
The repair for both is one question, asked before every sentence. Is this printed on the chart, and is it significant? If it is not printed, you are speculating. If it is printed but not significant, you are transcribing.
SECTION FORTY THREE. THE RESCUE LINES.
For when the body paragraphs are written and you are short. Each of these adds a legitimate sentence without inventing anything.
Give the margin. The figure for X exceeded that of Y by twelve percentage points.
Give the net change. This represents a net increase of thirty over the period.
Compare the two groups directly. The gap between the two categories widened continuously after that point.
Name the exception. With the notable exception of Japan, no country exceeded a tenth.
State a relationship. The data reveal an inverse relationship between the two categories.
All five are facts about the chart. None of them is speculation.
FINAL REVIEW. THE COMPLETE PHRASE RECAP.
Go through this list once at the end of every practice session. Say each phrase out loud before moving to the next one.
Section one. Introduction, no data. Overview, no numbers. Body paragraph, exact numbers. Dynamic charts grouped by direction. Static charts grouped by rank. Maps grouped by earlier and later. Processes split by half.
Section two. Sharp. Steep. Marked. Notable. Prominent. Significant. Clear. Evident. Extensive. An unprecedented surge. A virtual elimination. The data indicates. The data reveals. Registered. Underwent. Rose markedly. Climbed sharply.
Section three. Illustrates. Delineates. Depicts. Compares in terms of. Illustrates how many. Depicts how much was spent on.
Section four. Climb. Expand. Rise. An upsurge. A jump. Plummet. Plunge. Decline. A slump. A contraction. Plateau. Level off. Fluctuate. A period of stability.
Section five. Marked. Sharp. Pronounced. Significant. Substantial. Steady. Gradual. Incremental. Slight. Marginal. Modest.
Section six. Climbed steadily. A steady climb. Rose markedly. A marked rise.
Section seven. Exceeded by a significant margin. The gap widened. The gap narrowed. Virtually identical to. Showed little difference from.
Section eight. Exactly three quarters. Nearly three quarters. Approximately one third. A tenth. One in ten. A negligible minority. Just over. Well under.
Section nine. Proportion. Share. Ratio. Segments. Categories. Circular chart.
Section ten. Report the highest, the lowest, the largest change, the exception. The corresponding figure. The equivalent figure for. Across all four countries. Turning to the remaining categories. Name what the row measures, never the row itself.
Section eleven. Financial outlay. Expenditure. Revenue. Earnings. Retail value. Financial allocation. Affluent. Economically disadvantaged.
Section twelve. The general population. Age brackets. Cohorts. The workforce. The labor force.
Section thirteen. Utilization. Usage rates. Output. Footfall. Patronage. Engagement levels.
Section fourteen. The volume of. The proportion of. The ratio of. The aggregate of.
Section fifteen. A decade long period. On an annual basis. Across three distinct nations. On a global scale.
Section sixteen. Infrastructural modifications. Erected. Demolished. The residential zone.
Section seventeen. Carbon footprint. Greenhouse gas emissions. Refuse. Waste disposal. Forested areas.
Section eighteen. Agricultural cultivation. Livestock rearing. Agricultural yields. Arable land.
Section nineteen. Commuting patterns. Modes of transit. Vehicular traffic. Mass transit systems.
Section twenty. Senior citizens. The elderly demographic. Adolescents. The working age population. Life expectancy.
Section twenty one. Allocated to. Lower income. Affluent. A surplus. A deficit. A shortfall.
Section twenty two. Joblessness rates. White collar professions. Blue collar work. Recruitment.
Section twenty three. Fossil fuels. Non renewable resources. Renewable energy. Power generation. Energy consumption.
Section twenty four. Respectively. The former. The latter. Began at. Rising to. Dropped by. With a rate of.
Section twenty five. At the onset of the period. In the initial year under review. Over the subsequent years. During the following decade. By the close of the period. Throughout the entire timeframe.
Section twenty six. Broadly speaking. In terms of. Turning to the remaining categories. Following a similar pattern. By contrast. Standing out from the rest.
Section twenty seven. The vast majority. Just over half. A mere fraction. Under a fifth. An identical proportion.
Section twenty eight. Overall. Broadly speaking. The most prominent trend to emerge is. A notable feature of the data is.
Section twenty nine. An upward trajectory. A marked decline. Significant fluctuations. Extended stability. Registered. Underwent.
Section thirty. Stood out as the dominant. Constituted the smallest minority. With the notable exception of.
Section thirty one. Dominated across the board. A significant disparity. Erratic fluctuations. High volatility. Ultimately emerged as the highest.
Section thirty two. Had it not been for. Would have been entirely universal. Would have remained. With the notable exception of.
Section thirty three. Describe only what is printed. Never explain why. Task One states facts. Task Two allows speculation.
Section thirty four. A direct correlation. An inverse relationship. To intersect and surpass. A mirrored trend. Pronounced. Exponential. Incremental. Evident.
Section thirty five. Peaked. Hit a trough. The preeminent. The dominant. The least significant. A demographic shift. A widening gap. A narrowing disparity.
Section thirty six. Extensive development. Comprehensive modernization. At the expense of natural spaces. A multi staged process. A linear manufacturing sequence. Commencing with. Culminating in.
Section thirty seven. Hatches. Emerges. Develops. Undergoes a transformation. Sheds.
Section thirty eight. Evaporates. Condenses. Precipitates. Infiltrates. Flows. Runs off.
Section thirty nine. Are cut down. Is transported. Eats. Forms. As time passes. Once this phase is complete. As the organism matures.
CLOSING CHECKLIST.
One hundred and seventy to one hundred and ninety words. Twenty minutes total.
Four paragraphs. Introduction with no data. Overview with no figures. Two body paragraphs with exact figures.
Dynamic charts group by direction. Static charts group by rank. Maps group by time. Processes split by half. Tables group by direction, or by scale when every category moves the same way.
A table is a test of selection. Report the highest, the lowest, the largest change, and the exception. Summarize the rest in pairs, or leave it out.
The chart chooses your tense. Dates passed, past simple. No dates, present simple. Man made process, present simple passive. Natural process, present simple active.
Paraphrase the question. Never copy it.
Never say the data witnessed or the data experienced. A period or a place can witness something, a category cannot.
Describe only what is printed. If you have written the word because, read the sentence again.
Three minutes at the end, reading for agreement and tense only.
End of guide.