Learn accurate vocabulary and sentence structures for describing line graphs and other charts that show change over time. The page also explains how to approach bar charts, pie charts, tables, combination questions, processes and maps.
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Do not memorise one impressive sentence and force it into every answer. First decide what the graph or chart shows. Then choose a word, grammar pattern or connector that expresses that meaning accurately.
The movement bank is most useful for line graphs and other time-based data. Processes and maps need different language, while static charts depend more heavily on comparisons.
Describe change over time. Use movement verbs, degree and speed, values, turning points and sequencing. This is the main question type covered by the language bank below.
Decide whether the bars show change over time or a static comparison. Use movement language only when time changes; otherwise compare categories with higher, lower, similar, twice as high and the largest proportion.
Focus on proportions and how parts make up a whole. Use percentage, proportion, accounted for, represented and made up. Compare the largest and smallest shares instead of describing every slice separately.
Find the main patterns before listing figures. Group similar rows or columns, compare high and low values, and select important exceptions. Do not report every cell mechanically.
Connect the visuals through their shared topic. Give one overview covering both, then organise body paragraphs by the clearest relationships rather than writing two unrelated mini-answers.
Describe stages, not trends. Use the passive voice where appropriate, sequence markers such as initially and subsequently, and explain where the process begins and ends. Do not use rise and fall vocabulary unless the diagram actually shows quantities changing.
Describe locations and changes to places. Use position language, the passive voice and change verbs such as was built, was replaced, was converted into and remained unchanged. Organise by area or by the most important changes.
Use these tables for line graphs and other visuals showing movement over time. Every table explains meaning or purpose so you do not treat all alternatives as interchangeable.
| Base verb | Past | Past participle | Noun | Useful adverbs | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rise | rose | risen | rise | slightly · gradually · steadily · sharply · dramatically | Sales rose sharply. |
| fall | fell | fallen | fall | slightly · gradually · steadily · sharply · dramatically | Sales fell gradually. |
| grow | grew | grown | growth | slightly · gradually · steadily · considerably · significantly | The population grew steadily. |
| increase | increased | increased | increase | slightly · gradually · steadily · considerably · significantly | The figure increased significantly. |
| decrease | decreased | decreased | decrease | slightly · gradually · steadily · considerably · significantly | The rate decreased gradually. |
| decline | declined | declined | decline | slightly · gradually · steadily · considerably · significantly | Demand declined steadily. |
| drop | dropped | dropped | drop | slightly · suddenly · sharply · dramatically | The figure dropped sharply. |
| climb | climbed | climbed | climb | gradually · steadily · considerably · sharply | Sales climbed steadily. |
| jump | jumped | jumped | jump | suddenly · sharply · dramatically | The total jumped dramatically. |
| surge | surged | surged | surge | suddenly · sharply · dramatically | Demand surged dramatically. |
| fluctuate | fluctuated | fluctuated | fluctuation | slightly · moderately · considerably · dramatically | Prices fluctuated considerably. |
| recover | recovered | recovered | recovery | slightly · gradually · steadily · strongly | Sales recovered gradually. |
| stabilise | stabilised | stabilised | stability / stabilisation | gradually · eventually | The figure eventually stabilised. |
| Article | Adjective | Noun | Continuation | Complete sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | slight | rise | in sales | There was a slight rise in sales. |
| a | gradual | increase | in the figure | There was a gradual increase in the figure. |
| — | steady | growth | in the population | There was steady growth in the population. |
| a | considerable | decline | in demand | There was a considerable decline in demand. |
| a | significant | decrease | in the rate | There was a significant decrease in the rate. |
| a | sharp | drop | in the total | There was a sharp drop in the total. |
| a | dramatic | surge | in sales | There was a dramatic surge in sales. |
| — | considerable | fluctuations | in prices | There were considerable fluctuations in prices. |
Grammar check: Do not use a before uncountable growth. Use there were with plural fluctuations.
These words are not completely interchangeable. Start with rise, increase or grow unless the graph clearly shows a stronger movement.
| Language | Meaning or purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| riseverb / noun | neutral increase | The figure rose from 20 to 30. |
| increaseverb / noun | neutral increase | Sales increased steadily. |
| grow / growthverb / noun | neutral increase | The population grew considerably. |
| climbverb / noun | noticeable upward movement | The figure climbed to 60%. |
| jumpverb / noun | sudden increase | Sales jumped sharply in 2020. |
| surgeverb / noun | strong, sudden increase | Demand surged in 2021. |
| soarverb | very large or rapid increase | Prices soared during the period. |
| Language | Meaning or purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| fallverb / noun | neutral decrease | The figure fell to 30%. |
| decreaseverb / noun | neutral decrease | Sales decreased gradually. |
| declineverb / noun | neutral or formal decrease | The rate declined steadily. |
| dropverb / noun | noticeable decrease | The figure dropped to 25%. |
| plungeverb / noun | very large or rapid decrease | Sales plunged in 2022. |
| plummetverb | very large or rapid decrease | The figure plummeted to 10%. |
Remain stable describes an already stable period. Stabilise means become stable. Level off normally follows a rise or fall.
| Language | Meaning or purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| remain stableverb phrase | no significant change | The figure remained stable at 40%. |
| remain unchangedverb phrase | no change | Sales remained unchanged. |
| stay constantverb phrase | no change | The rate stayed constant at 25%. |
| stabiliseverb | become stable | The figure stabilised at around 30%. |
| level offphrasal verb | stop rising or falling and become stable | Sales levelled off at 50%. |
| plateauverb / noun | reach a stable level | The figure plateaued at approximately 60%. |
| fluctuateverb | move repeatedly up and down | Prices fluctuated throughout the period. |
| recoververb | increase again after falling | Sales recovered in 2023. |
| peak atverb phrase | reach the highest point | Sales peaked at 75%. |
| bottom out atverb phrase | reach the lowest point before stabilising or recovering | Sales bottomed out at 15%. |
| Language | Meaning or purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| rise → rose → risen → a rise | irregular verb and noun | rose sharply / a sharp rise |
| fall → fell → fallen → a fall | irregular verb and noun | fell sharply / a sharp fall |
| grow → grew → grown → growth | irregular verb and noun | grew steadily / steady growth |
| increase → increased → an increase | regular verb and noun | increased significantly / a significant increase |
| decrease → decreased → a decrease | regular verb and noun | decreased gradually / a gradual decrease |
| decline → declined → a decline | regular verb and noun | declined steadily / a steady decline |
| drop → dropped → a drop | regular verb and noun | dropped sharply / a sharp drop |
| climb → climbed → a climb | regular verb and noun | climbed steadily / a steady climb |
| jump → jumped → a jump | regular verb and noun | jumped dramatically / a dramatic jump |
| surge → surged → a surge | regular verb and noun | surged dramatically / a dramatic surge |
| fluctuate → fluctuated → fluctuation | regular verb and noun | fluctuated considerably / considerable fluctuations |
| recover → recovered → recovery | regular verb and noun | recovered gradually / a gradual recovery |
| stabilise → stabilised → stability | regular verb and noun | stabilised at / remained stable |
Verb + adverb: Sales rose sharply. Adjective + noun: There was a sharp rise in sales.
| Language | Meaning or purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| slight → slightly | small change | — |
| gradual → gradually | slow, progressive change | — |
| steady → steadily | consistent change | — |
| moderate → moderately | medium-sized change | — |
| considerable → considerably | fairly large change | — |
| significant → significantly | important or large change | — |
| sharp → sharply | large or rapid change | — |
| dramatic → dramatically | very large or obvious change | — |
| rapid → rapidly | fast change | — |
| sudden → suddenly | quick or unexpected change | — |
20% → 40%: the figure increased to 40%, but it increased by 20 percentage points.
| Language | Meaning or purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| from | starting value | from 20% |
| to | finishing value | from 20% to 40% |
| by | amount of change | increased by 20 percentage points |
| at | exact level | stood at 40% |
| around / approximately / roughly | approximate value | approximately 50% |
| just over | slightly higher | just over 50% |
| just under | slightly lower | just under 50% |
Figure is a useful general word for a numerical value. Proportion can often paraphrase percentage when the data describes part of a whole. Portion is usually not a natural Task 1 substitute for percentage.
| Language | Meaning or purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| number | a count of countable people or things | the number of students |
| figure | a numerical value; often replaces number when the context remains clear | the figure for Australia |
| total | the complete number or amount | the total number of students |
| percentage | a share expressed out of 100 | the percentage of households |
| proportion | a part or share of a whole; may paraphrase percentage | the proportion of households |
| rate | a measurement in relation to another quantity or period | the unemployment rate |
| amount | a quantity of an uncountable thing | the amount of money spent |
| quantity | an amount, normally when the measured thing is clear | the quantity of waste produced |
| portion | a part of something, but usually unnatural as a replacement for percentage in Task 1 | Avoid: the portion of households was 40%. |
| Language | Meaning or purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| stand at / reach | give a value or endpoint | The figure stood at 40% and reached 50%. |
| account for / represent / constitute | describe a proportion | Women accounted for 55% of the total. |
| highest / largest / greatest | identify the maximum | — |
| lowest / smallest / least | identify the minimum | — |
| equal / identical / the same | show equality | — |
| similar / comparable | show similarity | — |
| exceed / higher than | show a greater value | — |
| lower than / less than | show a smaller value | — |
| twice as high as / double | show two times the value | — |
| three times as high as / triple | show three times the value | — |
| Language | Meaning or purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| initially / to begin with | beginning | Initially, the figure stood at 20%. |
| then / subsequently / afterwards / thereafter | next event | Sales then declined. |
| meanwhile / at the same time / simultaneously | events at the same time | — |
| while / whereas | compare two clauses | Sales rose, whereas costs declined. |
| before + -ing | earlier movement | Sales increased before falling. |
| after + -ing | later movement | After rising sharply, sales stabilised. |
| following + noun | later event | Following a sharp increase, the figure remained stable. |
| once + clause | movement after a point | Once the figure reached 50%, it remained stable. |
| over the following… / over the next… | progression through time | — |
| by the end of the period | end result | By the end of the period, the figure had reached 60%. |
| Language | Meaning or purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Overall, | overview | — |
| similarly / likewise / both | similarity | — |
| however / in contrast / by comparison | contrast | — |
| while / whereas | compare two clauses | — |
| then / subsequently / afterwards | next event | — |
| meanwhile / simultaneously | same time | — |
| over the following… | following period | — |
| eventually / ultimately | end result | — |
These are options, not automatic replacements. Keep a word when a synonym would change the meaning or sound unnatural.
| Language | Meaning or purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| shows | illustrates / presents / compares / provides information about | — |
| compares | compares / illustrates differences between | — |
| number | figure / total | — |
| percentage | percentage / proportion | — |
| amount | amount / quantity | — |
| changes | changes / trends | — |
| people | individuals / residents / people | — |
| countries | countries / nations | — |
| cities | cities / urban areas | — |
| between 2000 and 2020 | over the period from 2000 to 2020 | — |
| from 2000 to 2020 | between 2000 and 2020 | — |
| Language | Meaning or purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| increased overall | general increase | Overall, all three categories increased. |
| showed a downward trend | general decrease | — |
| X and Y increased, while A and B declined | opposite overall movements | — |
| recorded the highest figure | highest category | — |
| remained the lowest | lowest category | — |
| experienced the largest increase | biggest increase | — |
| followed similar trends | similarity | — |
| remained relatively stable overall | stability | — |
| Language | Meaning or purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject + verb | one movement | Sales rose sharply. |
| There + be + noun | one movement | There was a sharp rise in sales. |
| Time first | foreground the period | Between 2010 and 2015, sales rose sharply. |
| Time + saw | foreground the period | The period from 2010 to 2015 saw a sharp rise in sales. |
| before + -ing | two movements | Sales rose sharply before falling gradually. |
| after + -ing | two movements | After rising sharply, sales fell gradually. |
| having + past participle | completed first movement | Having reached a peak of 60%, sales declined. |
| followed by | two noun movements | A sharp rise was followed by a gradual decline. |
| while / whereas | simultaneous comparison | Sales increased, whereas costs declined. |
| status verb | level or turning point | Sales peaked at 40% and then levelled off. |
Clear answers to the questions students most often ask about Academic Writing Task 1.
Academic Task 1 is commonly taught as seven main types: line graphs, bar charts, pie charts, tables, combination questions, processes and maps. A combination question presents two or more related visuals together.
You may receive one or more graphs, charts or tables, a process or another diagram, or maps and plans showing locations or changes. The common classroom categories are line graph, bar chart, pie chart, table, combination, process and map.
Four paragraphs is a reliable structure for most answers: an introduction, an overview and two detail paragraphs. IELTS does not require an exact number, but your information should be grouped logically and clearly.
Yes. Write an overview for every Academic Task 1 type, including processes and maps. Summarise the main trends, differences, stages or changes without listing all the detailed figures. A missing or unclear overview limits Task Achievement.
The safest position is directly after the introduction, as a separate paragraph. This makes the main features easy to find and ensures the overview is included even if you run short of time.
No separate conclusion is required. Task 1 needs an overview, which summarises the main features of the visual. Do not repeat the same overview again as a conclusion.
Write at least 150 words. There is no benefit in making the response unnecessarily long; focus on a clear overview, well-selected details, accurate comparisons and correct language.
Spend about 20 minutes on Task 1. Task 2 carries more weight, so protect approximately 40 minutes for it. Practise planning quickly and leaving a short period to check your writing.
No. Select and group the most important information. Include figures that support the main trends, comparisons and exceptions, but do not report every data point mechanically.
Choose tense from the dates and situation. Use the past tense for a finished historical period, the present tense for visuals without a past time frame or for describing what the visual shows, and future forms only when the data is a forecast.
No. Describe and compare the information presented. Do not explain personal opinions, speculate about causes or add information that is not shown in the visual.
No. Write in connected paragraphs using full sentences. Notes, headings and bullet-point lists do not meet the normal response format.
Information checked 18 September 2026 against the official IELTS Academic Writing format and IELTS Australia overview guidance.
Personal feedback can show whether your main problem is Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource or Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
