How To Improve IELTS Writing Task 1 – 7 Best Tips

IELTS is an exam to check the English language proficiency of students who want to migrate abroad. 

This exam is taken by those who want to migrate abroad for study and work purposes. Students take the IELTS Academics for study purposes, and for work purposes, students take the IELTS GT exam.

IELTS writing task is an important part of the IELTS exam, and students must perform well in it to get a good score in the IELTS exam.

In the IELTS writing task 1, students will have to explain the image or diagram given to them. Students must write at least 150 words and are advised not to spend more than 20 minutes on this task.

This is an important part of the IELTS exam, but some students failed to score well on this task. 

So for students, in this blog, I will discuss how to improve IELTS writing task 1.

Let’s get started!

Format Of IELTS Writing Task 1

Before understanding how to improve IELTS writing task 1, you must understand its format. 

Learning the format of any exam before preparing for that is essential because it will give you an idea about what you will face in the exam.

Structure of IELTS writing task 1 (Academic);

• Introduction
• Overall (provide the most noticeable data)
• Body Paragraph 1
• Body Paragraph 2

Structure of IELTS writing task 1 (GT);

• Introduction
• Body Paragraph 1
• Body Paragraph 2
• Conclusion

Types of IELTS writing task 1 questions;

1. Bar Chart
2. Table-Chart
3. Multiple Graphs
4. Map
5. Pie Chart
6. Process Diagram
7. Line Graph

Types of IELTS writing task 2 questions;

1. Formal letter
2. Informal letter
3. Semi-formal letter

Now let’s shift to how to improve IELTS writing task 1 without wasting any more time. The tips I will mention below will be beneficial for both type of IELTS exam.

To get the sample answer for IELTS writing task 2, download IELTS Writing Task 2 PDF.

Tips on How to Improve IELTS Writing Task 1

Now that you are familiar with the format of the writing section of the IELTS, we can proceed to the tips that will be helpful to you, and you will be able to get a clear answer of how to improve IELTS writing task 1.

1. Interpret Carefully Before Writing
2. Mention Only Important Information
3. Paraphrasing
4. Understand What Type Of Data Is Given
5. Don’t Waste Too Much Time On Task 1
6. Use Relevant Data and Vocabulary
7. Review
8. Planning

Interpret Carefully Before Writing

Many students directly write the answer after looking at the data. You should avoid this mistake by analyzing the data and then answering. 

Analyzing the answer includes organizing your thoughts in a simple and easy way to understand. 

Take proper time to analyze the full data, many students analyze the data in a hurry which results in mistakes. 

If you interpret in a hurry, you will lose important information, this can lead to a reduction of marks. 

It is always important to start IELTS writing task 1 carefully and properly, and to make an informative and catchy introduction.

You need to write a sharp and to-the-point answer to achieve a score of 7 or more bands. 

For example, if a bar chart or a pie chart is given along with the question, then read the question first to know what information is given. 

Getting an idea of the question will give you a clearer introduction to your answer. 

If a graph is to be interpreted, carefully analyze what quantity is defined by the X-axis and the Y-axis. Do not forget to include mathematical units in your answer if they are given in the data.

This is the first tip on how to improve IELTS writing task 1.

Mention Only Important Information

Many students analyze the data to fill in the word limit and forget to add important information to the data. Do not include irrelevant information in your answers; try to be on the point and include only the most important parts. 

If you are facing an issue with the word limit, you can describe your data more elaborately but don’t skip anything. For example, you can write the data like this “The percentage of people infected with water-borne diseases in a particular area was 50 in the year 2019, and then an increase in percentage to 70 was seen in the year 2020. In the year 2022, the number again decreased to 50.” 

Rather than describing the data as given above, you should first introduce the situation in the answer and then describe it in a simpler way. 

Like, It can be observed from the graph that the percentage of water-borne diseases in a particular area is increasing (50%, 70%) and then decreasing(70%, 50%) by 20. 

This is the second tip on how to improve IELTS writing task 1.

To download the IELTS Writing Task 1 PDF for academics, read our other blog.

Paraphrasing

One of the most important tips for how to improve IELTS writing task 1 is paraphrasing. You need to re-write the data into a meaningful sentence. 

You can use some vocabulary that you have learned to rewrite the data given. Try to use better synonyms, change the word order, and convert sentences from active to passive speech. 

Do not copy the questions as they are. After analyzing the data, look for similarities and dissimilarities or anything that can be compared easily. Then keep an eye on differences and highlight the differences in the conclusion.

Understand What Type Of Data Is Given 

You will have to interpret and analyze the data. To do this, you will first have to understand what kind of data it is. 

You will have to write a descriptive text that comments on visuals. Write at least 150 words and spend about 20 minutes on writing task 1. 

The visual data may be in the form of a line graph, bar graph, Venn diagram, Venn diagram, flowchart, or map. 

Don’t Waste Too Much Time On Task 1

Wasting too much time on task one is often the issue with many students, they just keep analyzing the data and the time goes. The interpretation needs to be completed in a few minutes. 

If you spend too much time on task 1 you may get less time for task 2 which is a time-consuming task. Task 1 should take not more than 20 minutes, including the review. If you exceed this limit then you might face challenges in completing writing task 2 in less than 40 minutes. 

The other interesting and important thing about how to improve IELTS writing task 1 is that it contributes just 30% to the overall score of the writing section. You can devote 2-3 minutes to interpreting and organizing your thoughts. 

10-15 minutes will be enough for writing the answer, and 2-3 minutes for proofreading or review. Writing more lengthy answers is good but manage your time appropriately. 

Read our other blog to get the best tips on How To Score 7 In IELTS Writing.

Use Relevant Data and Vocabulary

To get a good score in the IELTS writing task 1, you must use the relevant data given in the diagram with advanced-level vocabulary.

In IELTS task 1, you do not have to describe in detail each and every data given in the diagram.

You can explain the most striking points of the data in detail and just write the value for the other data that is not that noticeable.

Also, along with the relevant data, you must use proper vocabulary in your answer. Instead of using the same word again and again, you can use that word’s synonym. 

For example, if data is increasing in a given bar chart, then instead of using the increase repeatedly, you can use its synonyms like boost, development, escalation, expansion, gain, hike, increment, and inflation.

This is also an important tip that you must know on “how to improve IELTS writing task 1.”

Review

Many students make the mistake of not reviewing their answers before moving ahead in the test. Reviewing your answer at the end is critical, as there are many grammar mistakes when we are thinking and writing simultaneously. 

So always try to review your answer; this can drastically improve your answer quality and can increase your score. When you are reviewing, look for mistakes related to grammar, vocabulary, punctuation, spelling, tense, etc. 

These are the common mistake areas that we face while writing. These can be easily corrected with a short review. This review will only take 1-2 minutes, so make sure to write your answer accordingly. You can also use your review strategy for the whole paper once you have completed it. 

Planning

You do not know what data is going to be asked in the exam, but you can practice such types of questions from the internet. You should plan your answer and think mindset accordingly. 

It is easy to answer the question if you have prepared well about what to include and what not to. You can start your answer by reading the title of the graph given. 

Understand the title well and try to focus on the formulation of the title of the answer to make sure that your answer is accurate in the correct order. After reading the title, decide the data’s main feature. 

The data or report may have data variables linked by comparison. Look for similarities and dissimilarities; if there are none, then specify in your answer that the data is random and unrelated. Try to focus on the main points by asking yourself why this data has been added here. 

The final task is to write your thoughts correctly and identify and state the patterns you found important. 

This is the last and final tip on how to improve IELTS writing task 1.

Read our other blog to know How To Start IELTS Writing Task 2.

Conclusion

The IELTS writing task 1 is an easy task compared to task 2, but it can be hard for some students who don’t clearly understand how to improve IELTS writing task 1.

So for those students, this blog is very beneficial and helps them to improve their IELTS writing task 1 score.

Learning the format is most important for an exam to score high in that exam, and after that, it is important to organize your ideas before start writing.

So to score high in the IELTS writing task 1, you must implement the given tips while doing the IELTS writing task 1.

I hope this blog has cleared up all your queries about how to improve IELTS writing task 1. If you still have any queries, don’t hesitate to contact our experts.

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Download the IELTS Writing GT Task 1 pdf, to get the sample answer for the IELTS GT Task 1.

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