📊 Complete IELTS Writing Task 1

Step-by-Step Exercise for B1 Level Learners

1. Understand
2. Analyze
3. Plan
4. Write
5. Review

📖 Step 1: Understanding the Task

Monthly Sales by Product Category (January - May 2024)
250 200 150 100 50 0
120
180
100
200
160
Jan Feb Mar Apr May

The bar chart shows monthly sales (in thousands) by product category from January to May 2024.

🤔 What do you see in this chart?

Look at the chart carefully. What type of information does it show?

Monthly sales data over 5 months
Yearly sales comparison
Customer satisfaction ratings
Product prices over time

📊 What type of chart is this?

Bar chart
Line graph
Pie chart
Table

⏰ What time period does it cover?

January to May 2024 (5 months)
Full year 2024
2023 to 2024
One week in 2024

🔍 Step 2: Analyzing Key Features

Monthly Sales by Product Category (January - May 2024)
250 200 150 100 50 0
120
180
100
200
160
Jan Feb Mar Apr May

The bar chart shows monthly sales (in thousands) by product category from January to May 2024.

Now let's look at the data more carefully. What are the most important things to mention?

📈 Which month had the HIGHEST sales?

January (120k)
February (180k)
March (100k)
April (200k)
May (160k)

📉 Which month had the LOWEST sales?

January (120k)
February (180k)
March (100k)
April (200k)
May (160k)

📊 What was the general trend from January to April?

Sales decreased steadily
Sales went up and down, but April was highest
Sales stayed the same
Sales only increased

🔄 What happened from April to May?

Sales increased
Sales decreased
Sales stayed the same
Sales doubled

📋 Step 3: Planning Your Response

Monthly Sales by Product Category (January - May 2024)
250 200 150 100 50 0
120
180
100
200
160
Jan Feb Mar Apr May

The bar chart shows monthly sales (in thousands) by product category from January to May 2024.

Good IELTS Task 1 responses have a clear structure. Let's plan what to write in each paragraph.

📝 What should you write in the FIRST sentence?

Describe what the chart shows (paraphrase the title)
Give your opinion about the data
Explain why the data is important
Start with the highest number

🎯 What should you write in the MAIN BODY?

Describe the key features and trends
Explain the reasons for the changes
Give recommendations
Compare with other years

🔢 Should you mention ALL the numbers?

Yes, mention every single number
No, focus on the most important numbers
Only mention the highest number
Don't mention any numbers
Paragraph 1: Introduction - "The bar chart shows/illustrates..."
Paragraph 2: Overall trends - "Overall, it can be seen that..."
Paragraph 3: Specific details - highest, lowest, key changes
Remember: No opinion, no explanation of reasons, just describe what you see!

✍️ Step 4: Writing Your Response

Monthly Sales by Product Category (January - May 2024)
250 200 150 100 50 0
120
180
100
200
160
Jan Feb Mar Apr May

The bar chart shows monthly sales (in thousands) by product category from January to May 2024.

📝 Your Task:

Write at least 150 words describing the bar chart. Remember to:

  • ✅ Describe what the chart shows
  • ✅ Mention the key features (highest, lowest)
  • ✅ Describe the main trends
  • ✅ Use appropriate grammar and vocabulary
  • ❌ Don't give opinions or explanations
0 words
Start with: "The bar chart shows/illustrates/displays monthly sales..."
Key vocabulary: increased, decreased, reached a peak, the highest, the lowest
Numbers: "approximately 120,000", "exactly 200,000", "around 160,000"
Time expressions: "from January to May", "in April", "during the period"

🔍 Step 5: Review and Feedback

Monthly Sales by Product Category (January - May 2024)
250 200 150 100 50 0
120
180
100
200
160
Jan Feb Mar Apr May

The bar chart shows monthly sales (in thousands) by product category from January to May 2024.

Let's evaluate your response based on the four IELTS criteria:

Task Achievement

6.0

Good description of main features

Coherence & Cohesion

6.0

Clear organization with good linking

Lexical Resource

5.5

Good vocabulary with some repetition

Grammatical Accuracy

6.0

Mostly accurate with minor errors

📚 Model Answer (Band 7-8 Level)

The bar chart illustrates monthly sales figures, measured in thousands, from January to May 2024.

Overall, it can be seen that sales fluctuated considerably over the five-month period, with April recording the highest sales and March the lowest.

Looking at the specific data, sales began at 120,000 in January before rising significantly to 180,000 in February. However, March witnessed a sharp decline to 100,000, representing the lowest point in the period. Sales then recovered dramatically in April, reaching a peak of 200,000. Finally, May showed a moderate decrease to 160,000.

In conclusion, while sales varied throughout the period, the overall trend showed recovery after the March low point, though they declined slightly from the April peak.

(Word count: 156 words)