IELTS Writing Task 1 (Academic): how to describe a graph, chart or map, with band 7 samples
IELTS Writing Task 1 (Academic) asks you to describe a graph, chart, table, map or process in at least 150 words, in about 20 minutes. Below you will find a simple 4-paragraph plan, how to write the overview that band 7 needs, the key language for trends and comparisons, and band 7 sample answers for a line graph, a bar chart and a map.
What is IELTS Writing Task 1?
In Academic Writing Task 1, you describe some visual information in your own words. You should spend about 20 minutes on it and write at least 150 words. You need to include the most important points, but you can leave out minor details (IELTS).
Sometimes you get two of these together, such as a line graph and a pie chart. Either way, all the information you need is in the task. So you do not need ideas of your own, and you should not give opinions or reasons that the chart does not show.
Your answer is marked on four criteria: Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. However, Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1 in your Writing band. That is why a long Task 1 is a bad idea: it takes time away from Task 2.
A simple 4-paragraph plan for every task
Every IELTS Writing Task 1 answer can follow the same plan. As a result, your answer stays organised, which helps your Coherence and Cohesion mark, and you never forget the overview.
- Introduction Say what the chart shows in your own words instead of copying the question.
- Overview Give the two or three most important features, but use no numbers here.
- Details 1 Describe one group of features, with figures to support them.
- Details 2 Describe the other features, and compare where it matters.
This plan usually gives you about 160–190 words, which is plenty. For your 20 minutes, a good guide is 3 minutes to study the chart and plan, 14 minutes to write, and 3 minutes to check your numbers and your grammar.
How to write the overview
The overview is the most important part of your IELTS Writing Task 1 answer. It tells the reader the big picture: the main trends, the biggest differences, or the main stages. A band 7 answer needs a clear overview, so without one your Task Achievement mark stays below band 7 (IELTS band descriptors).
“In 2000, City College had 6,000 international students and Northfield University had 3,000.”
“Overall, numbers rose at Northfield University and Riverside Institute but fell at City College, and by 2020 Northfield had become the most popular of the three.”
The first sentence is only a detail. In contrast, the second one sums up the whole graph, with no numbers.
To find your overview, look at the chart for one minute and then ask three questions. What went up, and what went down? Which is the biggest, and which is the smallest? Did anything change places? Then start your paragraph with “Overall,” and give two of those answers.
Key language for IELTS Writing Task 1
You do not need rare words for Task 1. Instead, you need a small set of accurate words that you can use with confidence. Here are the ones that cover almost every task.
rise increase grow climb reach a peak of
fall decrease decline drop hit a low of
stay stable level off remain at fluctuate around
sharply significantly steadily gradually slightly
the highest twice as many as compared with whereas while
just over just under nearly roughly around
Overall, In contrast, By comparison, Meanwhile, Similarly,
was replaced by was converted into was built after that finally
A useful pattern is a verb with an adverb and a figure: “rose sharply to 9,000”. Another one is a noun with an adjective: “a sharp rise to 9,000”. Using both patterns makes your writing more varied without making it harder.
IELTS Writing Task 1 sample answers (band 7)
Here are three tasks with band 7 sample answers: a line graph, a bar chart and a map. The figures are made up for practice. Each answer follows the 4-paragraph plan, so look at how the overview works before you look at the language.
IELTS Writing Task 1 line graph: band 7 sample
The graph below shows the number of international students at three universities in one city between 2000 and 2020.
The line graph compares the number of international students at three universities in one city between 2000 and 2020.
Overall, numbers rose at Northfield University and Riverside Institute but fell at City College. By the end of the period, Northfield had overtaken City College to become the most popular of the three, while Riverside remained much smaller throughout.
In 2000, City College had the most international students, at 6,000, compared with 3,000 at Northfield. Numbers at City College stayed fairly stable for the next ten years, before falling to 4,000 in 2020. Northfield, by contrast, grew steadily at first and then much faster after 2010, overtaking City College between 2010 and 2015 and reaching 9,000 by 2020, three times its original figure.
Riverside Institute had by far the fewest international students. Its numbers rose slowly from 1,000 in 2000 to 2,000 in 2010, levelled off for five years and then increased slightly to 2,500 in the final year, still less than a third of the figure for Northfield.
Useful phrases
- compares the number of
- Overall,
- by contrast
- overtaking
- three times its original figure
- levelled off
- less than a third of
IELTS Writing Task 1 bar chart: band 7 sample
The chart below shows how many minutes per day people in four age groups in one country spent cooking in 2005 and 2025.
The bar chart shows how many minutes per day people in four age groups in one country spent cooking in 2005 and 2025.
Overall, the time spent cooking increased with age in both years. Three of the four groups cooked less in 2025 than in 2005, and the only group to spend more time in the kitchen was the oldest one.
In 2005, people aged 18 to 29 spent just 25 minutes a day cooking, which was less than half the figure for those aged 60 and over, at 55 minutes. The two middle groups were in between, at 40 minutes for people aged 30 to 44 and 50 minutes for those aged 45 to 59.
By 2025, the figures for the three younger groups had each fallen by five minutes, to 20, 35 and 45 minutes respectively. In contrast, people aged 60 and over spent five minutes more than before, at an hour a day, so the gap between the youngest and oldest groups widened from 30 to 40 minutes.
Useful phrases
- increased with age
- less than half the figure for
- respectively
- In contrast,
- widened from 30 to 40
IELTS Writing Task 1 map: band 7 sample
The maps below show the waterfront of a small port town in 2000 and today.
The maps show how the waterfront of a small port town has changed since 2000.
Overall, the area has changed from a working harbour into a place for leisure and tourism. Most of the industrial buildings have gone or been given new uses, and the waterfront is now much easier to reach on foot.
In 2000, the west side of the waterfront was a fishing harbour, and a row of warehouses stood along the quay in the centre. Cars could drive along Harbour Road, which ran beside the water, and there was a large car park in the east. The market hall in the north-west was the only public building.
Today, the fishing harbour has been replaced by a marina for yachts, and the warehouses have been converted into apartments and restaurants. Harbour Road has become a pedestrian promenade lined with trees, and a hotel now stands where the car park used to be. In addition, a footbridge has been built across the river to a new beach. The market hall is the only feature that has not changed.
Useful phrases
- has changed from
- has been replaced by
- have been converted into
- now stands where
- has not changed
The plan stays the same for the other three types. With a pie chart, compare the shares and say which parts are the biggest. In a table, pick the highest, the lowest and the biggest changes instead of listing every number. For a process, describe the stages in order, and use the passive, as in “the leaves are picked and then dried”.
6 mistakes that cost marks in IELTS Writing Task 1
No overview
Without a clear overview of the main trends, Task Achievement cannot reach band 7. Always write one, starting with “Overall,”.
Describing every number
Task 1 asks for the most important points. Therefore, choose the key figures and leave out the minor ones.
Copying the question
Copied words show no language of your own. Paraphrase the question in your introduction instead.
Giving opinions or reasons
All the information you need is in the chart. Do not explain why something happened unless the task shows it.
Writing under 150 words
A short answer may not show enough language for a higher band, so aim for about 160–190 words.
Spending too long
Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1, so stop at about 20 minutes and move on.
Practise Task 1 on a real exam screen
Reading samples helps, but you improve by writing your own answer in 20 minutes. Our free Writing Practice Test 1 works like the computer-delivered test: the chart is on the left, you type on the right, and a word counter shows how many words you have written. Its Task 1 is a line graph, so you can use the 4-paragraph plan straight away.
When you finish both tasks, you can get AI Writing feedback: an estimated band for Task 1, Task 2 and Writing overall, marks on the four criteria, and your own sentences corrected. However, it is an estimate, not an official IELTS score.
Questions about IELTS Writing Task 1
How many words should I write in IELTS Writing Task 1?
At least 150 words. Most good answers are about 160–190 words. Writing much more does not lose marks, but it takes time away from Task 2, which counts twice as much.
How long should I spend on Task 1?
About 20 minutes. The Writing test lasts 60 minutes for both tasks, so keep the other 40 minutes for Task 2.
Do I need a conclusion in Task 1?
You need an overview, not a conclusion. Some students put the overview at the end, as a final paragraph, and that is fine as long as it sums up the main trends.
Should I give my opinion in Task 1?
No. Task 1 asks you to describe the information in the task, so leave out opinions and any reasons that the chart does not show.
Is General Training Writing Task 1 the same?
No. In General Training, Task 1 is a letter, for example asking for information or explaining a situation. This article is about Academic Task 1.
Read next: IELTS Writing band descriptors explained in simple English
Facts checked on 18 October 2026 with official sources
