IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Sample Answers
Quick answer: A good Academic Writing Task 1 answer has four parts: a one-sentence introduction, an overview of the main trends, and two body paragraphs with key figures and comparisons. Write at least 150 words in about 20 minutes, with no opinions. Below are three original sample answers, for a line graph, a bar chart and pie charts, each with its full data table.
Last updated: 29 October 2026
What does Academic Writing Task 1 ask you to do?
In Academic Writing Task 1 you describe visual information, such as a line graph, bar chart, pie chart, table, map or process diagram. You must write at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. You report the main features and make comparisons. You do not give opinions or reasons.
The three sample answers below each use an original practice dataset, shown as a table so you can check every number. The data is invented for practice and does not describe a real country or city.
What structure should a Task 1 answer follow?
- Introduction (1 sentence): paraphrase what the chart shows, including the place and time period.
- Overview (2 sentences): the biggest trends or differences, with no detailed numbers.
- Body paragraph 1: one group of features, with figures.
- Body paragraph 2: the other group of features, with comparisons.
The overview is the most important part for Task Achievement. An answer with no clear overview is unlikely to score highly on that criterion, however accurate the numbers are.
Sample answer 1: line graph (trends over time)
Task: The graph below shows the percentage of households in one country using three main sources of heating from 2000 to 2020. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Data shown in the graph (practice data):
| Year | Coal (%) | Gas (%) | Electricity (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 42 | 38 | 20 |
| 2005 | 35 | 41 | 24 |
| 2010 | 27 | 44 | 29 |
| 2015 | 18 | 45 | 37 |
| 2020 | 10 | 43 | 47 |
Model answer
The line graph shows the percentage of households in one country that used coal, gas or electricity as their main source of heating between 2000 and 2020.
Overall, coal declined steadily from the most common source to the least common, while electricity rose to become the leading source by the end of the period. The share using gas remained fairly stable throughout.
In 2000, coal was used by 42% of households, slightly more than gas at 38%, while electricity accounted for only 20%. Over the next two decades, the proportion using coal fell in every five-year period, dropping to 27% in 2010 and just 10% in 2020.
Electricity followed the opposite trend. Its share grew gradually to 29% in 2010 and then more quickly, reaching 37% in 2015 and 47% in 2020. It overtook coal between 2005 and 2010 and passed gas between 2015 and 2020.
Gas, by contrast, changed little. It rose from 38% to a peak of 45% in 2015 before dipping slightly to 43% in 2020. As a result, gas was the most widely used fuel from 2005 to 2015.
Word count: 183 words
Why it works: the overview names the three trends without numbers. Coal and electricity are grouped by contrast, and gas has its own paragraph. Notice "overtook" and "passed", which describe the points where the lines cross.
Sample answer 2: bar chart (comparing categories)
Task: The chart below shows the number of visitors, in thousands, to three museums in a city in each season of 2025. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Data shown in the chart (thousands of visitors, practice data):
| Museum | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Science Museum | 120 | 210 | 95 | 140 |
| Art Gallery | 80 | 150 | 70 | 60 |
| History Museum | 60 | 90 | 55 | 45 |
Model answer
The bar chart compares the number of visitors to three museums in a city in each season of 2025.
Overall, the Science Museum was the most popular in every season, and all three museums received their highest numbers of visitors in summer. The History Museum attracted the fewest visitors throughout the year.
Summer was the busiest season by a wide margin. The Science Museum welcomed 210,000 visitors, compared with 150,000 at the Art Gallery and 90,000 at the History Museum. In spring, figures were lower, at 120,000, 80,000 and 60,000 respectively.
The patterns in autumn and winter were less similar. Autumn was the quietest season for the Science Museum, with 95,000 visitors, but its numbers rose again to 140,000 in winter. In contrast, both the Art Gallery and the History Museum had their lowest figures in winter, at 60,000 and 45,000, slightly below their autumn totals of 70,000 and 55,000.
Across the whole year, the Science Museum received 565,000 visitors, considerably more than the Art Gallery (360,000) and more than twice the total for the History Museum (250,000).
Word count: 178 words
Why it works: instead of describing each museum one by one, the answer groups the seasons with similar patterns. The final paragraph adds totals, which is a useful extra comparison when the data allows it.
Sample answer 3: two pie charts (comparing proportions)
Task: The pie charts below show how the average university student in one city spent their monthly budget in 2010 and 2025. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Data shown in the pie charts (practice data):
| Item | 2010 (%) | 2025 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | 40 | 48 |
| Food | 25 | 22 |
| Transport | 10 | 8 |
| Study materials | 10 | 4 |
| Leisure | 12 | 8 |
| Phone and internet | 3 | 10 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
Model answer
The pie charts show how the average university student in one city divided their monthly spending in 2010 and 2025.
Overall, rent took the largest share of spending in both years and grew further over the period. Phone and internet costs also increased sharply, while the proportions spent on most other items fell.
In 2010, rent accounted for 40% of a student's budget, and food was the second largest item at 25%. Leisure made up 12%, while transport and study materials each took 10%. Phone and internet represented just 3%.
By 2025, rent had risen to almost half of all spending, at 48%. The share for phone and internet more than tripled to 10%, overtaking both transport and study materials. Food fell slightly to 22%, and leisure dropped from 12% to 8%, the same as transport, which declined by two percentage points. The most dramatic fall was in study materials, whose share went down from 10% to just 4%.
In summary, housing and digital services together took a much larger part of student budgets in 2025 than in 2010, leaving less for food, leisure and books.
Word count: 186 words
Why it works: the answer describes 2010 first and then the changes by 2025. It uses "percentage points" correctly for the change from 10% to 8%, and "more than tripled" for 3% to 10%.
Useful language for Task 1
| Purpose | Examples |
|---|---|
| Rising | rose, grew, increased, climbed, a rise to 47% |
| Falling | fell, dropped, declined, a fall from 42% to 10% |
| Little change | remained stable, changed little, levelled off |
| Highest or lowest point | peaked at, reached a high of, hit a low of |
| Comparing | compared with, whereas, while, by contrast, twice as many as |
| Proportions | accounted for, made up, took, represented |
Vary your verbs and nouns, but choose accuracy first. "Rose sharply" is wrong for a change from 38% to 41%.
How is Task 1 marked?
Task 1 is marked on Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Task 2 counts for more than Task 1 in your Writing band, so do not spend more than about 20 minutes here.
- Include an overview of the main trends or differences.
- Select key figures. You do not need every number.
- Write at least 150 words. Shorter answers are likely to lose marks.
- Do not add reasons or opinions that are not in the data.
Practise now: Practise a full Task 1 under time pressure: Academic Writing Test 1, Test 2, Test 3 or Test 4.
Frequently asked questions
How many words should I write for Academic Writing Task 1?
You must write at least 150 words. Many strong answers are around 160 to 200 words.
How long should I spend on Writing Task 1?
Spend about 20 minutes on Task 1. This leaves about 40 minutes for Task 2, which counts for more in your Writing band.
What is an overview in Writing Task 1?
An overview is a short summary of the main trends or differences, usually in two sentences and without detailed numbers. It is a key part of Task Achievement.
Should I give my opinion in Writing Task 1?
No. Academic Task 1 asks you to report and compare the information shown. Do not add opinions or reasons that are not in the data.
Do I need to mention every number in the chart?
No. Select the most important figures, such as highest and lowest points, big changes and key comparisons.
Is Writing Task 1 the same in General Training?
No. In General Training, Task 1 is a letter, not a chart or diagram.