Task 1 asks you to summarize information shown in a chart, table, map, or process diagram. Your response should highlight the main features and support them with accurate details.
A useful approach is to:
- Understand what the task assesses.
- Paraphrase the prompt.
- Write an overview.
- Support the overview with details.
- Check your response.
What the Marking Criteria Assess
Your response is assessed in four areas:
- Task achievement: Did you select and accurately describe the main features?
- Coherence and cohesion: Is the response organized clearly, with ideas connected in a logical way?
- Vocabulary: Did you choose precise words for the data, trends, stages, or changes?
- Grammar: Did you use suitable sentence structures, tenses, and punctuation accurately?
1. Paraphrase the Prompt
Start by saying what the visual shows in your own words. Keep the meaning accurate. You can change the sentence structure or use suitable synonyms, but do not force alternatives that alter the meaning.
Prompt: The line graph shows changes in three types of crime in a city centre between 2003 and 2012.
Introduction: The line graph compares the number of burglaries, car thefts, and robberies recorded in a city centre from 2003 to 2012.
2. Write an Overview
The overview gives the reader the most important patterns without listing detailed figures. For a line graph, look at what changed between the beginning and end of the period. For other visuals, note the clearest comparisons, differences, or stages.
Ask yourself:
- Which values were highest or lowest?
- Which categories increased or decreased?
- Did anything remain stable?
- Were there clear exceptions?
- What changed most?
For the example above, a concise overview might be:
Overall, burglaries fell sharply, while car thefts increased after fluctuating in the early years. Robbery remained comparatively stable throughout the period.
Keep precise figures for the detail paragraphs.
3. Support the Overview with Details
Group related information and use figures to support your summary. Avoid describing every data point. Select details that illustrate the main patterns and make useful comparisons.
For example:
Burglaries began at just under 3,500 cases in 2003. After a brief rise the following year, the figure fell to slightly above 1,000 in 2008. It then rose to around 1,500 and stayed near that level through 2012.
Car thefts varied between roughly 2,000 and 2,500 cases until 2008, then increased to almost 3,000 by the end of the period. Robbery figures moved less, remaining between about 500 and 1,000 cases.
Use the time period and numbers shown in the actual chart. Check each figure before you submit your response.
4. Organize the Response
A four-paragraph structure often works well:
Paragraph 1: Introduction
Paraphrase what the visual presents.
Paragraph 2: Overview
Summarize the main trends or features.
Paragraphs 3 and 4: Details
Group and compare selected data.
The exact grouping depends on the chart. You might separate categories, time periods, or related trends. A conclusion is not usually needed for Task 1 because the overview already summarizes the key features.
5. Check Your Work
Leave time to review your response. Check that:
- Your descriptions match the chart.
- Your overview includes the most important features.
- Your figures and dates are accurate.
- Your verb tenses fit the time period.
- Your comparisons are clear.
- Your spelling, grammar, and punctuation are correct.
- You have met the minimum word count.
For practice, you can also describe seasonal temperature charts. For example, two cities may have cooler winters and warmer summers, while a city in the Southern Hemisphere may show the opposite seasonal pattern. Use the chart’s actual months and temperatures to support that comparison.