IELTS Writing Task 1: How to Describe a Bar Chart

Summary

In this IELTS writing task one tutorial, Liz teaches how to effectively describe bar charts. She emphasizes the importance of paraphrasing the chart description and organizing the essay into an introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Key features to highlight in the overview include high and low points, and comparisons between categories. Liz advises on structuring body paragraphs logically and using data to support statements. She also shares tips on using brackets and symbols for clarity and conciseness.

Takeaways

• 📊 **Introduction to Bar Charts**: Liz introduces the lesson on how to successfully write about bar charts for IELTS Task 1.
• 🔍 **Understanding the Chart**: The importance of reading the chart description to understand the data presented, such as the expenditure on consumer goods by France and the UK in 2010.
• 📝 **Introduction Writing Tips**: Tips on paraphrasing the given statement and including key information like categories, countries, and the date in the introduction paragraph.
• 💡 **Using Academic Language**: The use of academic language and passive tense is encouraged, such as 'units are measured in' for currency.
• 🔑 **The Importance of Overview**: The overview paragraph is crucial for a high band score, summarizing key features and trends from the chart.
• 🏁 **Identifying Key Features**: How to identify high and low points, and comparative spending between the two countries as key features for the overview.
• 📈 **Comparing Data**: Techniques for comparing data between categories and countries, using superlatives and comparatives.
• 📑 **Organizing Body Paragraphs**: Two methods for organizing body paragraphs are discussed, focusing on logical grouping of data for clarity.
• ✏️ **Writing Body Paragraphs**: Guidance on writing sentences that include linkers, comparatives, and the importance of including numerical data.
• 🔗 **Linking Information**: The use of linkers to connect information within sentences and the strategic placement of data for coherence.
• 📋 **Using Symbols**: Advice on using currency symbols in writing to save space and maintain a professional tone.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the lesson presented by Liz?

The main focus of the lesson is to provide essential tips and techniques for successfully writing about bar charts for IELTS Writing Task 1.

What does Liz suggest to do with the description given by IELTS for the bar chart?

Liz suggests paraphrasing the description given by IELTS to understand the meaning of the bar chart, which is key information for writing the task.

How many types of consumer goods are shown in the bar chart used in the lesson?

There are five different types of consumer goods shown in the bar chart: cars, computers, books, perfume, and cameras.

Which two countries are represented in the bar chart and what colors are associated with them?

The two countries represented in the bar chart are France and the UK, with France in blue and the UK in red.

What is the purpose of the introduction paragraph when writing about a bar chart in IELTS?

The introduction paragraph is used to paraphrase the given statement and introduce the key information about the chart, including the categories and the countries involved.

Why is it important to include the unit of measurement in the introduction paragraph?

Including the unit of measurement, such as Pounds Sterling, in the introduction paragraph is important because it provides context for the data and is a useful sentence structure for academic writing.

What is the significance of the overview paragraph in IELTS Writing Task 1?

The overview paragraph is the most important paragraph as it collects all the key features of the chart. It is essential for a high band score, and without it, one cannot achieve above a band score 5.

What are the key features that should be included in the overview paragraph according to the lesson?

The key features to include in the overview paragraph are the high points, low points, and the overall comparison between the two countries' expenditures.

How many body paragraphs should be written for the IELTS Writing Task 1 bar chart, and why?

At least two body paragraphs should be written to demonstrate good organization and coherence, which accounts for 25% of the marks in task achievement.

What are the two ways Liz suggests organizing the body paragraphs for the bar chart writing?

Liz suggests two ways to organize the body paragraphs: one is by grouping the highest and lowest spending categories together, and the other is by grouping categories where one country spent more than the other.

Why is it important to use data to support sentences in the body paragraphs?

Using data to support sentences in the body paragraphs is crucial because without it, the writing may not meet the task achievement criteria, potentially resulting in a band score of five or lower.

What is the advice given for using currency symbols in the body paragraphs?

It is advised to use currency symbols for conciseness, and the examiner will count them as one word when assessing the response length.

Outlines

00:00

📊 Introduction to Bar Charts for IELTS Writing Task One

Liz introduces the lesson on bar charts for IELTS writing task one, focusing on tips and techniques for success. She presents a bar chart showing the expenditure of two countries, France and the UK, on consumer goods in 2010. The lesson aims to guide students on what information to include in each paragraph and how to write it. Liz emphasizes the importance of reading the chart description to understand the data and explains the structure of the bar chart, including the vertical axis for money spent and the horizontal axis for types of consumer goods. She also discusses the need to paraphrase the given description in the introduction paragraph and provides an example of how to do so, including mentioning the currencies used.

05:00

🔍 Writing the Overview in IELTS Writing Task One

In this segment, Liz explains the significance of the overview paragraph in IELTS writing task one, which captures the key features of the chart. She stresses that without an overview, achieving a high band score is unlikely. Liz identifies the key features as the high and low points of the chart, using the example of France and the UK's spending on consumer goods. She demonstrates how to construct an overview sentence that includes the total expenditure comparison and the most and least spent on specific items. The overview paragraph is crucial for task achievement and can significantly impact the band score.

10:02

📚 Organizing Body Paragraphs for Coherence and Cohesion

Liz discusses the organization of body paragraphs in IELTS writing task one, highlighting the importance of logical division for coherence and cohesion. She presents two methods for organizing the paragraphs: one focusing on the highest and lowest spending categories and another based on the comparison of spending between the two countries. She provides examples of how to write sentences for each category, emphasizing the use of linkers and comparatives. Liz also advises on the use of symbols for currencies and percentages to avoid repetition and ensure clarity. The segment concludes with a reminder to support all statements with data from the chart.

15:03

✍️ Completing the IELTS Writing Task with Effective Data Presentation

In the final paragraph, Liz wraps up the lesson by summarizing the key points for writing an effective IELTS writing task one response. She reiterates the importance of including data to support sentences in the body paragraphs and the use of symbols for currencies. Liz also encourages students to practice writing and to visit her blog for further guidance and answers to common questions about IELTS writing task one and other IELTS skills. The lesson concludes with an invitation for students to engage with the content by liking the video and asking questions in the comments.

Keywords

💡IELTS writing task one

IELTS writing task one refers to the first part of the IELTS academic writing test, where candidates are required to describe, summarize, or explain information in a visual format such as a graph, chart, table, or diagram. In the video, Liz focuses on teaching strategies to successfully describe bar charts, which is a common type of task one question. The script provides tips on how to structure the response, including writing an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs.

💡Bar chart

A bar chart is a graphical representation where data is presented using rectangular bars, with lengths proportional to the values they represent. In the context of the video, the bar chart shows the expenditure of two countries on consumer goods in 2010. Liz uses this chart to demonstrate how to extract and convey key information effectively in an IELTS writing task one response.

💡Introduction

In the context of IELTS writing task one, the introduction is the opening paragraph where the candidate paraphrases the given statement about the chart. Liz emphasizes the importance of introducing the main elements of the chart, such as the categories of consumer goods and the countries being compared, without making any mistakes, as it sets the tone for the rest of the writing.

💡Overview

The overview is a critical paragraph in IELTS writing task one where the candidate summarizes the main features or trends of the data presented in the chart. Liz explains that including an overview is essential for achieving a higher band score, as it demonstrates the candidate's ability to identify and communicate key information from the visual data.

💡Body paragraphs

Body paragraphs are the sections of the IELTS writing task one response where the candidate elaborates on specific details from the chart. Liz discusses two methods for organizing these paragraphs: by grouping similar data points or by comparing corresponding data points between the two countries. She also provides examples of how to write sentences that include comparative and superlative language.

💡Phrasal verbs

Phrasal verbs, such as 'give information about' and 'measured in,' are common in academic writing and are used in the script to describe actions related to the bar chart. Liz uses these verbs to show how to paraphrase and introduce data in an academically appropriate manner.

💡Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing involves restating information in one's own words without changing the meaning. In the video, Liz demonstrates how to paraphrase the IELTS prompt to create an introduction, which is a key skill in IELTS writing task one. She advises keeping some words the same, especially when they are specific or technical, and provides examples of how to paraphrase effectively.

💡Linkers

Linkers, such as 'while' and 'compared to,' are words or phrases that connect ideas within a text. Liz highlights the importance of using linkers in IELTS writing task one to create coherent and cohesive paragraphs, especially when comparing data between different categories or countries.

💡Comparatives and superlatives

Comparatives and superlatives are forms of adjectives and adverbs that compare one thing with another. In the video, Liz uses these grammatical structures to describe the differences in expenditure between the two countries and within the categories of consumer goods. She shows how to use phrases like 'the most' and 'the least' to highlight key features of the data.

💡Coherence and cohesion

Coherence and cohesion are terms used to describe the logical flow and connection of ideas within a text. Liz stresses the importance of dividing the body paragraphs and using appropriate linking words to ensure that the writing is well-organized and easy to follow, which is a significant factor in IELTS writing task one scoring.

💡Symbols for currencies

In the context of the video, Liz mentions the use of symbols for currencies, such as the pound sign (£), as a way to efficiently convey monetary values in the writing. She advises using symbols to avoid repetitive wording and to maintain a concise writing style, which is appreciated in IELTS writing task one responses.

Highlights

Introduction to bar charts for IELTS writing task one

Explanation of the bar chart showing expenditure on consumer goods in 2010

Importance of reading the IELTS description for understanding the bar chart

Identification of the vertical and horizontal axes on the bar chart

Listing of the five types of consumer goods: cars, computers, books, perfume, and cameras

Differentiation between France and the UK with colors on the chart

Guidance on writing the introduction paragraph by paraphrasing the IELTS statement

Use of academic language and passive tense in the introduction

Inclusion of key categories and countries in the introduction

Emphasis on the importance of the date in the introduction

Mention of currency units in the introduction

The necessity of an overview paragraph for a high IELTS band score

Identification of key features: high points, low points, and overall spending comparison

Writing the overview paragraph with comparatives and superlatives

Organizing body paragraphs logically for clarity and coherence

Two suggested methods for organizing body paragraphs based on data patterns

Use of linkers and comparatives in body paragraphs to describe categories

Importance of supporting sentences with numerical data in body paragraphs

Advice on using currency symbols and the word 'respectively' for clarity

Encouragement to practice writing introductions to avoid mistakes

Offer of a full model answer for a band score 9 piece of writing

Invitation to engage with the instructor's blog for more IELTS writing tips

Transcripts

hello my name's Liz and in this lesson

I'm going to give you all the essential

tips and techniques that you need to

know to be successful with bar charts

for IELTS writing task one we're going

to look at each paragraph and I'm going

to show you what information you need to

put in each paragraph and how to write

it this is the bar chart we're going to

use for this lesson so let's have a

look the chart shows the expenditure of

two countries on consumer goods in

2010 I Els will always give you a

description of the chart and this is key

information that you need to read to

understand the meaning of your bar chart

now when we look at the bar chart we can

see that that down the vertical axis

here so at the side we've got all the

different amounts of money that the two

countries

spend along the bottom so that's the

horizontal axis we've got all the

different types of consumer goods so

we've got five different types of

consumer goods we have cars computers

books perfume and cameras

and if we look further we can see that

the two countries we've got one in blue

and one in red we got France and the UK

so that is our bar chart for this lesson

let's have a look at our

paragraphs the first paragraph that you

will need to write is your

introduction then you will have

something called an overview after that

you've got two body paragraphs for the

introduction we need to paraphrase this

statement here so the information that

IELTS give you we need to write it again

in our own words for the introduction

let me show you how to do that now and

here is our introduction so let me show

you how I wrote it now the first two

words the chart you can see it's the

same I have not change those words and I

don't recommend that you should a chart

is a chart a Gra is a graph a table is a

table you do not need to paraphrase

every word because not all words can be

paraphrased successfully in English so

it is normal for a band score nine to

have some words the same so we've got

the first two words we're going to keep

them then we will take a look at the

verb they say shows we can use

illustrates you could also say gives

information

about they say the expenditure and I say

the amount of money spent that's a very

nice

paraphrase they say that it is the

expenditure of consumer goods so what

I've done is I've kept that word that's

the correct word it's an academic word I

don't want to change it but I do add the

number it's time to introduce

the categories remember this is your

introduction you want to introduce the

information so the amount of money spent

on five consumer goods and here you can

see that I have given the list now it's

very good to give a list of the

categories but only if it's not too long

so here we've got five if it is over

eight maybe you don't want to do that

and you just give the number but here

I've given the list and I have used

brackets and brackets are very useful in

academic writing task one so that you

can put data or information in them

perfectly normal to use so we've got the

list and then I say in France and the UK

they say in two countries but again this

is the introduction and I want to

introduce these two countries so always

try to give the names if you

can in the UK and France in

2010 and of course the date very

important because we must pay attention

to the date to know the tents that we

will use for writing this task one is

there anything

missing yes you can see down the side

here that we've got some extra

information so of course we want to

paraphrase the information given by

IELTS but we also want to look at the

chart to see if there is any other

information that we want to introduce

and of course here we've got that all

money is measured in Pounds Sterling so

we need to write that in our

introduction and we can

write units

are

measured

in

Pounds Sterling and this is a very

useful sentence to use because of course

that is a passive tense which is very

nice for the examiner so if you have

interesting units for example pound

sterling or a different currency then

please put put the measurement for your

units in your introduction so that means

the introduction is sometimes one

sentence sometimes two sentences not

longer it's the easiest paragraph to

write in ielt writing task one you

should not make any mistakes with this

so please make sure you practice that

now let's move on and we'll have a look

at the overview the overview is the most

important paragraph in your I writing

task one this is the paragraph where you

will collect all the key features and

put them together in an overview

statement The Examiner is looking for

the overview if you have no

overview you will not get above band

score 5 for task achievement that's 25%

of your marks

if you have an overview that's band

score six if you have a clear overview

that's band score seven so your band

score will go up depending on this

overview so very important now before I

show you how to write your overview

let's have a look at what the key

features are if you look at the chart

you will see that in red is the UK and

in blue is France and of course key

features are all about the high points

and the low points of your chart so if

we look here for the red one that's UK

we can see that most of the spending was

on cars and also for France the blue one

that's the same so both France and the

UK spent most of their money on cars but

if we look at the other end so the lower

points for

England the least amount of money was

spent on

perfume and for France it was cameras so

those are key features is there any

other key feature we can have yes and of

course what you need to look at is very

simple can you see more red or more blue

so which country spent more money in

total on the consumer goods and you can

see that obviously there is more red so

the UK spent more money than France so

let's write the overview and here we've

got the overview so let's have a look we

start with the word overall because we

want to show the reader to show The

Examiner that this is our overview this

is a good technique to use because it

means the examiner can easily find the

overview and that will help us get a

better band score so overall the

expenditure of the UK was higher than

that of France so this is our first key

feature overall so taking the whole

chart together which one was higher and

you can see we're using a

comparative overviews often usually have

comparatives now we look at the next

part this is quite a long sentence and

it's connected with two linkers we got

while and compared to so let's have a

look we got both the French and the

British so here I've changed it instead

of giving the name of the country I'm

using the

nationality both the French and the

British spent the most money on cars and

here we've got a superlative so the

highest the

most while in the UK the least again

this is a superlative the least amount

of money was spent on perfume compared

to cameras in France so in total in this

overview we've got three key features

we've got which one was higher than the

other

overall and we've got the most money

spent and the least money spent three

key features how many do you normally

have

well it's very rare to have only one I

think that's almost impossible you are

usually looking at two three or four key

features occasionally five it depends on

all the information in your chart or

your table for

example right so that's the overview now

let's have a look at the body paragraphs

this is one way to organize the body

paragraphs now let me give you a rule

first you must divide the body

paragraphs you cannot have one body

paragraph you are being tested on your

organization and your use of

paragraphs so that's 25% of your marks

so if you have only one body paragraph

it's going to be hard to get a good

result for coherence and

cohesion so I'm going to show you two

different ways to organize the body

paragraphs the most important thing is

is that it's logical so this is one

possibility in body paragraph a we can

have information about cars perfume and

cameras and that is because we

highlighted them as the highest and the

lowest so that would be a very easy

logical way to organize your writing and

of course body paragraph B would have

the other two categories so computers

and books let me show you another way to

organize it and here is the alternative

the other way to organize your body

paragraphs you can see I've got cars

books and cameras together let's have a

look why well cars you can see that the

UK was higher than France the next one

books that's the same the UK spent more

money than France on books and cameras

you can see the same you can see a

significant difference between the

spending and for body paragraph B we

have the reverse so you can see that

computers France spent more than England

UK and

perfume you can see again that France

spent more than the UK on perfume so

that is the other way to organize it

which one is better they are both very

good they will both give you a band

score nine for

organization the most important thing is

that it's logical and easy to follow for

the reader now let's just have a quick

look at how to write the body paragraph

here we have two sample sentences for

the category of cars and books so let's

have a look you can see that we start

off with a Linker in terms of cars this

is very nice because the reader

immediately knows which category we're

talking about in terms of cars the UK

spent around

£450,000

so when you're writing your body

paragraphs you need to take a look at

the graph at the chart and you need to

have a look this is the cars and here

we've got the UK and you can see that it

is between 400,000

and

500,000 we cannot write it was

450,000 because we cannot see exactly

but we can see that it was around

£450,000

so they spent around £450,000 on this

that means

cars as opposed to this is a very nice

Linker to connect the information about

France and England as opposed to exactly

£400,000 in France and you can see here

we've got £400,000

then we move on to books that's this one

here and it says that the expenditure on

books in the UK was higher than in

France so we've got another

comparative when you have a comparative

like that you still need to give the

numbers the data you cannot miss the

data if your sentences in the body

paragraph are not supported by data you

will get about bandore five for task

achievement so that's another problem so

please avoid that and always support

your sentences with the numbers so you

can see in this sentence what I've done

is I've decided to put the numbers in in

Brackets so that's another bracket

sentence and you can say I've got about

400,000 and about £300,000

respectively now respectively means that

the order of the numbers follows the

order in the sentence UK is first that

number refers to the first one the

second number refers to the second one

so make sure you got you the order of

information right and also if you decide

to use this method and have a sentence

using respectively please don't put a

long list of numbers because it becomes

very difficult for the examiner to check

he has to go through each number and

check that everything is correct he will

check every number that you write so

those are two examples of complex

sentences to describe the categories in

the body paragraphs of course you have

to write the others um other things I

want to point out and that's here just

here you can see that I have written a

symbol for the pound sign I have not

written pound sterling and that's

because I don't want to keep repeating

words all the time it is fine in I

writing task one to use symbols you can

use symbols for currencies and

percentages and many other things so

please make sure that you use that and

when the examiner is counting the number

of words you've written he will take

that as one word because it's just a

symbol with a

number so that is the body paragraphs if

you would like to see the full model so

a band score9 piece of writing for this

chart then I will give you a link at the

end of this video so you can have a look

well that's all for this lesson if you

found it useful please press like if you

have questions then put them under the

video or visit my blog on my blog there

are many answers to questions about

writing task one as well as all the

other skills in I so please take a look

I will see you again in another I

lesson e