Effective Techniques for Commenting on Data in IELTS Graph Writing
Elevating your IELTS Task 1 Score
Merely listing numbers prevents you from achieving a high band score. To boost your Task Achievement and Coherence scores, you must interpret and comment on the data effectively.
1. Using Relative Clauses
Purpose: To compare different parts of the graph and highlight differences in the same sentence.
"The income of Lovely Loaves fell significantly to around $40,000 in 2008, which meant it earned far less than the other bakeries."
Purpose: Adding an extra verb phrase (often a participle) to emphasize the importance of a data point.
"There was a considerable rise in takings to $105,000, this figure being the peak level of income during the whole period."
3. Adding Superlatives
Purpose: To emphasize the highest or lowest points significantly.
"The income of Robbie's bakery rose sharply in 2008, rocketing to just under $100,000."
4. Grouping by Time
Purpose: To organize fluctuating information into digestible chunks.
"There was a significant fluctuation in the income of Lovely Loaves in the first half of the decade."
Examiner's Note: Using these techniques improves Task Achievement (by highlighting key features) and Grammatical Range (by using complex sentence structures).