Types of Question
- Line Graph
- Bar Chart
- Pie Chart
- Table
- Map
- Process Chart
- Mixed/ 2 infographics
Example Questions
Key Info
Time: 20 minutes
Word Requirement: 150 words (Aim for 170-190 words)
Number of Paragraphs: Usually 3 or 4, but it can be 5 if that works better.
Scoring: Task 1 is worth 33% of your writing mark. The examiner will mark you based on: Task Achievement, Coherence & Cohesion, Vocabulary and Grammar.
Structure
1st Paragraph: Introduction + Overview (Trends/ Big Picture/ General Direction)
2nd Paragraph: Details 1
3rd Paragraph: Details 2
———————- OR ———————-
1st Paragraph: Introduction
2nd Paragraph:Overview (Trends/ Big Picture/ General Direction)
3rd Paragraph: Details 1
4th Paragraph: Details 2
Example
What NOT to do
1) Do NOT add a conclusion
You are required to only report, not draw conclusions.
2) Do NOT quote figures in your overview paragraph
(e.g. The UK ‘s GDP increased to 2%, while France’s dropped by 1%.) Instead, write: The UK’s GDP increased, while France’s decreased.
3) Do NOT write generally in your details paragraphs
(e.g. The UK’s GDP increased from 1940 to 1950.) Instead, write: The UK’s GDP increased significantly from £1 billion in 1940 to £1.2 billion in 1950.
How to Paraphrase
Paraphrasing Options
Good v Bad Paraphrasing
Common Main Trends You Should Look Out for
Tips
Imagine the Following
Imagine your job is to describe the main trends, similarities, differences or stages of an infographic to someone who is blindfolded.
Would that blindfolded person have a good understanding of what’s going on in the infographic?
Don’t forget the data points!!
Although you shouldn’t mention absolutely every single detail, it is important to back up your observations with data.
Aiming for 8-10 data points is a good target to ensure this. Keep in mind though that not all infographics will have a huge amount of data. So, adjust sensibly.
Look at the example to the left: there are 4 data points per paragraph backing up the observations.
| Verb | Noun |
| Rise | a rise |
| Increase | an increase |
| Grow | growth (mostly uncountable)/ a growth (specific instances) |
| Climb | a climb |
| Boom | a boom |
| Peak | a peak |
| Go up | N/A |
| Skyrocket | N/A |
| Verb | Noun |
| Drop | a drop |
| Decrease | a decrease |
| Decline | a decline |
| Dip | a dip |
| Go down | N/A |
| Fall | a fall |
| Reduce | a reduction |
| Plummet | N/A |
| Verb | Noun |
| Stay the same | N/A |
| Remain stable | Stability |
| Remain steady | N/A |
| Maintain the same level | N/A |
| Not change | No change |
| Remain constant | N/A |
| Verb | Noun |
| Fluctuate | A fluctuation |
| Oscillate | N/A |
| To be volatile | Volatility |
| Adverb | Adjective |
| Dramatically | Dramatic |
| Sharply | Sharp |
| Enormously | Enormous |
| Steeply | Steep |
| Substantially | Substantial |
| Considerably | Considerable |
| Significantly | Significant |
| Rapidly | Rapid |
| Moderately | Moderate |
| Gradually | Gradual |
| Slightly | Slight |
| Minimally | Minimal |
- 1st 5 Mins: i) Read & Understand the question ii) Write the introduction by paraphrasing the question
- 2nd 5 Mins: Find 2 main trends/ features and write a sentence each about them. (You can think of this as the ‘big picture’ or ‘what’s generally going on’ or ‘the big similarities and differences’ or as a primary trend and a secondary trend.)
- Next 8 Mins: Write 2 details paragraphs. Make sure to split the data logically.
- Final 2 Mins: Check/ Upgrade your work (Correct Spelling, Good Linking, Appropriate vocabulary, Punctuation etc).
Now Practice!
Check out the practice questions below or download the pdf here.
