Understanding visuals in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 assumes that the candidate will describe one or more graphs, tables, diagrams or even maps. We recommend you to spend no more than 20 minutes and write at least 150 words in this task.

Most candidates do not have any problems with the volume and time to complete the task. However, they can experience difficulties the moment when they first see a visual to be described. The majority of those preparing for the exam think that to describe is to write at least one sentence about each number or each movement of the graph. In fact, this is the biggest mistake. So, how to approach the task, how to understand what is important and what is not — we’ll discuss it further.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORDS

It is very important not to confuse the names of the visuals in English. That is because in the first sentence you will need to write what can be seen from the visual. In your native language and English these words may be ‘false friends’. So, remember:

• a map — a drawing of the earth’s surface, or part of that surface, showing the shape and position of different countries, political borders, natural features such as rivers and mountains, and artificial features such as roads and buildings;
• line graph — a drawing that uses lines to show how different pieces of information are related to each other;
• bar chart — a mathematical picture in which different amounts are represented by thin vertical or horizontal rectangles that have the same width but different heights or lengths;
• table — an arrangement of facts and numbers in rows or blocks;
• process / flow-chart — a drawing that shows the stages of a process or activity from the beginning to the end using different shapes connected by lines;
• pie chart — a way of showing information about how a total amount is divided up, consisting of a circle that is divided from its centre into several parts.

We also call all these types of images with the English word ‘diagram’. If the task you receive has several visuals, then this type of task will be called a ‘multiple chart’. Most likely, there will be either two or three pie charts, or a graph and a bar chart. For example:

or

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM VISUALS? 

In order to complete the task successfully, it is important to read it carefully and study the diagrams. Usually, the text of the task indicates:

• what the visual shows;
• what you have to do.

For example:

In this case, ‘The graph shows the changes in the popularity of different types of dwellings among families from 2002 to 2012.’ is the indication of what the visual shows. So, we need to ‘summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant’. This is the essence of the task, i.e. to select and describe the main trends as well as compare them. So, is it necessary to write about everything that is shown in the graph? Of course, not.

HOW TO DESCRIBE GRAPHS?

Each type of visuals has its own main features, i.e. the important information we pay attention to. If we describe everything in a row, we will not be able to make any comparisons. Therefore, we will not complete the task. What is more, it is almost impossible to describe everything in 20 minutes.

If you have to describe tables, graphs or charts, pay attention to the trends reflected in numbers and percentages. There can be a rise, a fall, a stable trend or fluctuation.

If we are talking about the line graph, for example, it is very easy to determine the direction of the trend. Look at the numbers at the beginning and at the end. If they climb up, we have an upward trend, and, if on the contrary, — a downward trend. In addition, the trends can fluctuate.

Sometimes a trend can fall/rise for a while and then change its direction. It is also worth writing about. For example:

• Generally, Mali’s showed a significant decrease at the beginning, followed by a period of gradual growth, while the financial performance of Genius demonstrated considerable fluctuations over the span of fifteen years.

READ MORE ABOUT: 5 things to avoid in IELTS Academic Writing

It is also important to pay attention to what each axis — horizontal or vertical — shows us. In the graph above, the vertical axis is a percentage and the horizontal axis is a year. Graphs usually show certain changes that occur over a period of time: past, present, or future. When it comes to the future, it is usually a prediction of a situation. You need to understand this and use the appropriate grammatical structures.

HOW TO DESCRIBE OTHER VISUALS?

Bar charts can be both horizontal and vertical. Instead of lines, pay attention to the columns and their length or height. By doing so, you will be able to follow the growth, decline or fluctuations of trends. They also have axes, and can show changes that occur over a period of time, as well as various categories — then pay attention to the colour of the columns.

Unlike graphs and charts, tables have no axes. Instead, pay attention to columns and rows. Columns usually have titles. You can use them to find out what the table is about, what period of time, what categories and measurements there are. As a rule, we can follow the trends in the rows.

Talking about the map/maps, you might have to report on settlements at different stages of development/decline. What do we pay attention to here? Of course, we have to find objects that have changed their location, the area that has expanded or decreased, the emergence of new or disappearing of old objects.

And what shall we look for in the process? Of course, these are stages or steps that are performed in this process. It is the sequence that plays the most important role here.

WHAT AND HOW TO WRITE IN IELTS ACADEMIC WRITING TASK 1?

• First, in your first sentence you need to paraphrase what is said in the task itself. This is a good strategy. For example, if the task says: ‘The graph shows changes in the popularity of different types of dwellings among families from 2000 to 2012.’, you can write: ‘The graph illustrates the percentage of three types of apartments chosen by households from 2000 to 2012.’
• Next, you need to describe the main categories depicted in the visual. For example, we will describe three types of housing: duplex/triplex, railroad аnd studio.
• Do not forget about the paragraphs. Each new feature is a new paragraph. But remember, we only write about main/outstanding things.
• It is not necessary to write conclusions, as well as it will be superfluous to express your own opinion concerning the things represented in the visual. However, do not forget to compare trends.
• The language of writing is academic. Therefore, no abbreviations, phrasal verbs or colloquial phrases.

You will find even more life hacks and secrets to successfully complete IELTS Academic Task 1 on our IELTS Academic Writing self-study course platform. With our course you will learn not only to understand each of the types of visuals, but also to describe them correctly. After all, the components of the course include learning strategies, vocabulary and grammatical structures, creating your own Knowledge Bank, and most importantly — checking your writing within seconds with our AI automated system.

FURTHER READING: 5 easy steps to complete IELTS Academic Writing Task 1