Techniques for writing an effective overview in Task 1 Writing

Mastering the Task 1 Overview

The most important paragraph in your essay.

Case Study: Traffic in Bridgewater

Task: Describe the main trends shown in the bar chart illustrating the decrease in traffic accidents in Bridgewater after the installation of additional lanes.

Which overview is correct?

Option A (Mixed Results): Incorrect. The chart shows a clear decrease, not mixed results.

Option B (Popularity): Incorrect. Irrelevant data; the chart is about accidents, not popularity.

Option C (Traffic Volume): Incorrect. Focuses on traffic amount, not the *decrease in accidents*.

Option D (The Correct Overview):
"Overall, the chart illustrates a decrease in traffic accidents after the installation of additional lanes on busy roads."

Why? It accurately describes the main trend without specific numbers.

4 Golden Rules for Overviews

📝
Summarize
General trends only

🚫
No Numbers
Save data for body paragraphs

✂️
Be Concise
Keep it to the point

🎯
Accuracy
Reflect the data truly

Overview Templates & Examples

Click the categories below to see sample sentences.

📈 Trends Over Time

• "Overall, it can be seen from the chart that there was a steady increase in the number of tourists visiting the country from 2010 to 2019."
• "In general, the data indicates that the use of renewable energy has been increasing, while the use of fossil fuels has been decreasing."
• "What stands out is that earnings for 'Lovely Loaves' saw a substantial fall over the period."

⚖️ Comparisons & Correlations

• "Clearly, there were similar trends for male and female graduates, but the number of women increased at a higher rate."
• "Overall, the analysis reveals a gender pay gap, with men earning significantly more than women on average."
• "There is a strong correlation between exercise and mental health."

🔗 Cause, Effect & Impact

• "In every case, adding an extra lane had a positive effect on traffic incidents."
• "There was a significant rise in online courses in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic."
• "The decline in public transport has resulted in more traffic congestion."

🔮 Future Predictions

• "Overall, these opposing trends mean that the death rate will probably overtake the birth rate in around 2041."
• "The table predicts a massive increase in the use of cars by 2020."

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