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Academic Writing Task 1: How to choose key features for the overview

Updated: 4 days ago




When you first look at Academic Writing Task 1, you need to carefully read the task rubric (task instructions), and then examine the graphic.


After this, you should identify the key features or main trends in the graph, chart or diagram. Essentially, when we do this, we are looking for major stages, differences or trends in the data. We want to identify the two or three most important features to put in our overview. At this stage, we don’t need to give specific data points, we only need to describe the key features in a general way.


The key features depend on the type of graphic you are given, so let’s look at each graphic type, and identify the key features in each case.


Writing Overviews of the 6 Graphic Types in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1


1. Overviews of Table Tasks

The table below shows the percentage of male and female smokers in four countries in 1978, 1998 and 2018.


Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

IELTS Writing Task 2 table task showing the percentage of male and female smokers in 4 countries and in three different years

When we look for key features in a table, we need to look for patterns in the numbers. For example, for this task, does the percentage of smokers increase or decrease over time? Is there a difference between male and female smokers? Are there any differences between the countries? Looking at this data, we can see that there is a difference in the trends among the countries. In Japan and Germany there is a decrease in the percentage of smokers over the period shown, while in Indonesia and China there is the opposite trend, with an increase in smoking. There’s also a clear difference between male and female smokers. A smaller percentage of women smoked than men in all countries. This difference between the genders was quite small in Germany, whereas it was much larger in the other countries, particularly China.


Overall, it is clear that in Japan and Germany there is a decrease in the percentage of smokers over the period shown, while in Indonesia and China there is the opposite trend, with an increase in smoking. There’s also a clear difference between male and female smokers. A smaller percentage of women smoked than men in all countries. This difference between the genders was quite small in Germany, whereas it was much larger in the other countries, particularly China.


2. Overviews of Line Graph Tasks

The graph below shows the amount of 4 types of fruit eaten per person in a country from 1999 to 2022.


Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.


IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 line graph task, showing the consumption of 4 types of fruit in a country.

When looking at line graphs, we need to identify two major differences between the trendlines shown. Looking at this chart, there is a noticeable difference between the trends in banana and mango consumption, and the trends in orange and apple consumption. There was a significant increase in the consumption of bananas and mangoes, but this was not the case for apples and oranges. The other major difference we can see is that the consumption of oranges and apples was fairly stable, whereas the consumption of mangos and bananas went up and down much more over the period shown.


Overall, there is a noticeable difference between the trends in banana and mango consumption, and the trends in orange and apple consumption. While there was a significant increase in the consumption of the former two fruits, this was not the case for the latter two fruits. Furthermore, it is evident that the consumption of oranges and apples was fairly stable, whereas the consumption of mangos and bananas fluctuated greatly over the period shown.


3. Overviews of Bar Chart Tasks

The bar chart below shows the percentage of people who used a computer daily in the UK in 2006 and 2012.


Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 bar chart showing adults who used a computer daily by age group

Here again we are looking for two major features. In this bar chart we can see a major difference in daily computer usage between 2006 and 2012, with a much higher percentage of adults using a computer every day in 2012 than 2006. In this chart we have various age groups so we can also look for a difference between certain age groups. It’s immediately obvious that the 3 younger age groups have much higher percentages of computer usage than the 2 older age groups.


Overall, there is a major difference in daily computer usage between 2006 and 2012, with a much higher percentage of adults using a computer every day in 2012. It can also be seen that the 3 younger age groups have much higher percentages of computer usage than the 2 older age groups.


4. Overviews of Pie Chart Tasks

The pie charts below show the proportion of people employed in several job types in the United Kingdom in 1991 and 2001.


Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and making comparisons where relevant.

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 graphic with pie charts showing the proportion of people employed in several job types in the United Kingdom in 1991 and 2001.

Pie chart tasks will usually give you two pie charts showing the percentages/ proportions of something in two different years. You therefore need to look for major differences and similarities. You can also look at the biggest and smallest segments of the chart. In this task, it’s noticeable that the job type Other employs the most people in the UK in both years. The most noticeable change in the chart for 2001 is that the percentages of people working as technicians and in services and sales are significantly larger than in 1991.


Overall, it’s noticeable that the job type Other employs the most people in the UK in both years shown. The most noticeable change in the chart for 2001 is that the percentages of people working as technicians and in services and sales are significantly larger than in 1991.

5. Overviews of Map Tasks

The maps below show an industrial park in the town of Cattgate, and the planned future development of the site.


Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.


IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 graphic with a diagram showing an industrial park now and the planned future development of the site.

Your approach to maps is a little bit different. You usually have two maps showing how an area changed/ will change, so look for the two biggest and most general changes. Looking at this task, in general we can see that the area will become more developed in the future, with the addition of more housing, roads and new facilities to the area. We can also see that a large area of farmland is going to be replaced with housing.


Overall, we can see that the area will become more developed in the future, with the addition of more housing, roads and new facilities to the area. Further, it’s noticeable that a large area of farmland to the east of the river is going to be replaced with housing.

6. Overviews of Process Tasks

The diagram below shows the manufacturing process for making apple juice from apples.


Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.


IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 graphic with a diagram showing the manufacturing process for making apple juice.

Process diagrams are slightly different to other tasks. Firstly, you should describe the beginning stage and end stage of the process and mention how many stages there are in a general way. Next, you should find a way to group the stages of the process into two groups. You should look approximately halfway through the process and choose a logical point to divide the stages. In this task I might divide the stages after the sorting stage. At this point in the production process the process splits. The low quality apples become animal feed, and the higher quality apples continue in the production process. Alternatively, you might split the process after the washing and disinfecting stage, because it’s here that the apples begin their transformation into apple juice. This gives you an effective way to provide an overview.


Overall, the process of making apple juice begins with growing apples in an orchard and ends with distributing packaged juice to retail stores. There are several stages in the process, with the apples first being grown and selected for juice production, and then being crushed and turned into juice.

I hope that helped give you a clearer idea of how to write band 8 and 9 overviews in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1. If you’d like to see full model answers for these tasks and more go to IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Model Answers | Fast Forward IELTS.



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