How to Score Band 7 in IELTS Writing Task 1 — Graphs, Charts & Letters Guide Kerala

IELTS Writing Task 1 is a 150-word task completed in 20 minutes. It accounts for one-third of your Writing section score. Academic Task 1 requires describing a graph, chart, table, map, or diagram. General Training Task 1 requires writing a formal, semi-formal, or informal letter. This guide covers both.

Academic Task 1 — Describing Visual Data

The most common visual types you will see in IELTS Academic Task 1:

• Line graphs (trends over time)
• Bar charts (comparisons across categories)
• Pie charts (proportions of a whole)
• Tables (multiple categories, often with figures)
• Process diagrams (how something is made or works)
• Maps (before and after comparison of a place)

The 4-Part Academic Task 1 Structure

1. Introduction (1–2 sentences): Paraphrase the title/description of the visual. State what it shows. Never copy the task description word-for-word.
2. Overview (2 sentences): Identify the 2–3 most important trends or features. This is the most important paragraph — examiners look for it first for Task Achievement.
3. Body Paragraph 1 (3–4 sentences): Describe the first main feature in detail with specific figures from the graph.
4. Body Paragraph 2 (2–3 sentences): Describe the second main feature with specific figures.

Academic Task 1 — Data Language Vocabulary

Describing increase	Describing decrease	Describing stability
rose significantly	fell sharply	remained stable
increased dramatically	declined steadily	levelled off at
surged to	dropped to	plateaued at
climbed gradually	plummeted to	fluctuated around
grew from X to Y	decreased from X to Y	stayed constant at

General Training Task 1 — Letter Writing

GT Task 1 requires a 150-word letter in one of three registers. Choosing the wrong register (e.g., formal language for a letter to a friend) is one of the most common Band 5 errors.

Letter Type	Salutation	Closing	Register
Formal (complaint, application)	Dear Sir/Madam,	Yours faithfully,	Academic, no contractions
Semi-formal (known professional)	Dear Mr/Ms [Name],	Yours sincerely,	Polite but personal
Informal (friend, family)	Dear [First name],	Best wishes / Love,	Casual, contractions ok

Every letter must address all three bullet points in the task. Missing one bullet point is an automatic deduction in Task Achievement. Each bullet point should have at least 2–3 sentences devoted to it.

Timing — Why 20 Minutes Is Non-Negotiable

Task 1 is worth less than Task 2 (150 words vs 250 words, one-third vs two-thirds of the score). Many Kerala students spend 30 minutes on Task 1 and rush Task 2. This is a common Band 5 mistake. Set a timer for 20 minutes for Task 1, stop, and move to Task 2 regardless of whether Task 1 feels complete. A rushed Task 2 that covers all points at Band 6 is worth more than a perfect Task 1.