Struggling with your IELTS exam preparation? Learn how to summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant in this writing practice for IELTS Task 1.
How to Summarise the Information by Selecting and Reporting the Main Features
What essential writing skills should you develop for IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 questions?
You muste be able to:
- understand the task requirements
- identify the key features of the data
- organize information clearly and logically
- produce a well-structured and coherent description/report
- use a range of appropriate vocabulary and grammar accurately (Grammatical Range, Lexical Resource )
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - 3 Steps to Write a Good Answer
There are 3 steps to summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and making comparisons where relevant.
Step #1
The best way to tackle the Academic IELTS Writing test Task 1 is to start with a rough plan in mind.
This will help you to stay focused and direct your thoughts along the right lines of inquiry, without getting sidetracked or muddled along the way.
Firstly, identify which aspects of the bar chart, pie chart, table, diagram, or line graph you should write about.
For example, the main theme to focus on might be:
- The percentage of the UK population aged between 16 and 64 years old
- Percentage change over a five-year period (2010 vs 2015)
- Total Population Change by Country (2015)
Other points could be mentioned too. You want to select and report or describe one key point for each sentence, which will help make your writing more clear and concise.
Step #2
Secondly, decide what type of sentence or phrase would suit each point best - for instance:
"The data shows that..." or "The contrast with 'X' country can be seen from..."
This will help make your writing sound natural and fluent in English.
Step #3
Thirdly, try to summarize all the main points together in a concluding statement (one or two sentences).
Remember, in Task 1, you are not writing an essay - you are reporting information.
Your writing should be clear and concise. And it should be easy to understand.
Need help with IELTS Writing Task 2 - try this tutorial with sample question and quiz to improve your Task 2 writing skills.
Academic Model IELTS Writing Task 1 Question & Answer
Here is an example of a Task 1 question from the IELTS exam: the data table is related to poverty in Australia.
TIPS
- Do NOT spend more than 20 minutes writing your response to Task 1
- Marking criteria: Task 1 is worth 2/3 of the total IELTS writing score
- Allow enough time for Task 2
- Task achievement: ensure you follow the instructions
- Make sure you write more than 150 words
- Try to use your own words, avoid copying from question
Model Answer
Poverty in Australia in 1999
The table provides information about the different types of families in Australia which were living in poverty during 1999.
An average of 11% of people from all types of households were classed as living in a state of poverty. However, single people without children and single parents were well above the average, representing 19% and 21% respectively. Meanwhile, aged couples represented the lowest proportion, with only 4% being classed as living in poverty.
Couples with or without children generally tended to be better off than single people or single parents. The largest group, couples with children, only had 12% of people within the group living in poverty, only one percentage point more than the overall average across all family groups, and the number of couples with no children living in poverty was well below the average.
Although the number of single parents was not the largest category of family, they did represent the group with the highest percentage of them living in poverty, 21%. Whereas the smallest group, aged couples, only had 4% of them living in poverty.
Vocabulary for IELTS Phrases for Comparing
- The contrast between country A and country B can be seen from...
- A comparison of countries A and B shows that...
- The contrast between A and B can be seen by the difference in..., which leads to the conclusion that...
- Country A is different from Country B because it has more/less (something) than Country B. This means that...
- The bar chart illustrates/shows that, in comparison to the previous year,...
- The chart compares A and B over a period of...
- This is because...
- The table below illustrates this issue by showing how many more/less (something) there were last year/during the same period. This suggests that...
- Country (A)/(B) has fewer than (country C), which means it's less efficient at doing something.
- What we can say about countries A and B is they are both good for (some things) but not for (other things).
- Country A does better in (something) while country B does best at (something).
- The two diagrams illustrate how Country A outperforms country B in...
How to Answer the IELTS writing test question: summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features"
Remember to pay careful attention to the wording of the question in the IELTS writing test.
You are not normally required to explain every single point of information or data.
In most cases, you are asked to:
- Summarise the information
- Select and report the main/key features
- Make comparisons where relevant
FAQ
What writing skills do I need for IELTS Academic Writing Task 1?
- Extract information from/compare two charts, pie charts, bar graphs, line graphs, or other visual representation
- Describe a mechanical, automated, or natural process
- Write about a table
- Describe changes that two maps illustrate
- Write about an experiment
- Describe the stages of a project/plan
- Summarize findings from a survey
- Write about how something works
- Present numerical data (e.g. statistics)
- Outline the main features of something
- Present a clear overview of something
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