What is Academic Writing Task 1?
In Task 1, you are given a visual representation of data — a graph, chart, table, diagram, or map — and asked to write a factual summary of the key information it presents. Your job is to describe, compare, and highlight trends, not to give your personal opinion.
Task 1 is worth one-third of your total Writing band score. While it carries less weight than Task 2, a weak Task 1 response can significantly pull down your overall Writing band.
Bar Graph
Line Graph
Pie Chart
Table
Process Diagram
Map
How your response is marked
Task Achievement
Did you accurately present the main trends and key information from the visual — without missing key features or adding irrelevant detail?
Coherence and Cohesion
Is your response logically organised and easy to follow? Do you use appropriate linking words to connect information?
Lexical Resource
Do you use a variety of vocabulary to describe the data? Avoid repeating the same words — use synonyms and varied reporting language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Do you use a variety of sentence structures correctly? Pay particular attention to verb tenses — they must match the time frame of the data.
Analyse the visual before you write
Spend 2–3 minutes identifying the main trend, the highest and lowest values, and any notable comparisons or exceptions. Your overview paragraph should capture these at a glance.
Focus on key features — not every detail
You have 150–200 words. You cannot describe every data point. Select the two or three most significant trends and describe them clearly. Packing in every number wastes words and hurts your score.
Always include an overview paragraph
The overview is the single most important paragraph for Task Achievement. State the most striking trends in 2–3 sentences without specific figures. Think of it as a one-glance summary of the whole visual.
Use a variety of reporting vocabulary
Don't rely on "increased" and "decreased." Use: rose sharply, declined steadily, levelled off, peaked at, accounted for, remained stable, saw a dramatic surge — and vary your sentence openings.
Match verb tenses to the time frame
Past data → past tense. Present data → present tense. Projected future data → future forms. Mixing tenses incorrectly is one of the most common Task 1 errors.
Practise with a variety of visual types
The visual you receive is unpredictable. Practise writing responses to bar charts, line graphs, pie charts, tables, process diagrams, and maps so no type catches you off guard on test day.
See sample Task 1 answers
View worked examples for bar, line, and pie chart tasks with full analysis on our Academic Writing page.