Useful Phrases for IELTS Writing Task 1
A complete, step-by-step guide to useful
phrases for IELTS Writing Task 1, divided by essay sections (Introduction,
Body 1, Body 2, and Conclusion).
For each section, I have provided
the phrase, its purpose, and a full example sentence (with
Nepali translation) so you know exactly how to use it.
1.
INTRODUCTION (Paraphrasing the Prompt)
Goal: Write 2 sentences. Sentence 1
= Paraphrase the question. Sentence 2 = Give a general overview (the main
"big picture").
|
Useful Phrase |
When to use it |
Example (English & Nepali) |
|
The (chart/graph) illustrates... |
To start the essay instead of
"shows". |
E: The bar chart illustrates the number of cars sold
in Asia. |
|
According to the data... |
To introduce the source of
information. |
E: According to the data, the figures for 2020 were
significantly higher. |
|
Overall, it is clear that... |
Crucial! This is your Overview sentence (must be in intro or
conclusion). |
E: Overall, it is clear that consumption of meat
decreased, while vegetable intake rose. |
|
At a glance, it can be seen
that... |
Alternative way to start your
overview. |
E: At a glance, it can be seen that the UK had the
highest population among these countries. |
2.
BODY PARAGRAPH 1 (Selecting and Reporting Data)
Goal: Describe the FIRST key feature
or the earliest time period (e.g., Past data, or the biggest item). Use
specific numbers.
|
Useful Phrase |
When to use it |
Example (English & Nepali) |
|
To begin with... |
To start describing the first set
of data. |
E: To begin with, petrol sales stood at 50 million
litres in 1990. |
|
In terms of... / Regarding... |
To shift focus to a specific
category or item. |
E: In terms of transportation, the majority of
commuters used trains. |
|
A closer look at the data shows... |
To highlight a specific,
interesting detail. |
E: A closer look at the data shows that sales in the
USA were twice as high as in Europe. |
|
It is interesting to note that... |
To point out a surprising or
significant figure. |
E: It is interesting to note that the population in
Japan fell dramatically during this period. |
3.
BODY PARAGRAPH 2 (Comparing and Contrasting)
Goal: Describe the SECOND key
feature (e.g., Later time period, future predictions, or contrasting
categories). Use connectors to compare.
|
Useful Phrase |
When to use it |
Example (English & Nepali) |
|
In contrast / By contrast... |
To show a clear difference between
Body 1 and Body 2. |
E: In contrast, the number of people walking to work
remained relatively stable. |
|
Similarly / Likewise... |
To show that a trend in Body 2
matches a trend in Body 1. |
E: Similarly, the consumption of fish also saw a
moderate rise. |
|
When it comes to... |
To introduce the second major
category for comparison. |
E: When it comes to renewable energy, solar power was
the most widely used source. |
|
...whereas / while... |
To contrast two different data
points within the same sentence. |
E: Coal production declined whereas natural gas
production soared. |
|
In comparison to / Compared to... |
To directly compare two specific
figures. |
E: Electricity generated from wind was 500 GW, compared
to just 200 GW from biomass. |
4.
CONCLUSION (The "Wrap-up")
Goal: Write ONE sentence only. Do
not introduce new numbers here. Simply summarize the ultimate main trend OR
say what will happen in the future.
|
Useful Phrase |
When to use it |
Example
(English & Nepali) |
|
In conclusion / To summarise... |
To officially end the essay (safe
and standard). |
E: In conclusion, while both countries started at a
similar level, Country A far surpassed Country B by the end. |
|
All in all... |
A slightly more casual but
acceptable ending. |
E: All in all, renewable sources are projected to
dominate the energy market in the coming decades. |
|
It is predicted/projected that... |
Must use this if your chart has future dates (e.g., 2030). |
E: It is projected that the aging population will
continue to rise steadily. |
|
Despite some fluctuations, the
overall trend shows... |
To summarize a chart with lots of
ups and downs. |
E: Despite some fluctuations, the overall trend shows
a clear increase in global temperatures. |
🚀
Full Essay Example (Putting it all together)
Prompt: The graph shows the percentage of people using the
internet in rural and urban areas from 2010 to 2020.
Introduction:
The line graph illustrates
the proportion of internet users in urban and rural regions over a 10-year
period. Overall, it is clear that while both areas experienced a rise,
urban areas consistently had higher percentages.
Body 1 (Past/Biggest):
To begin with, in 2010, urban internet usage stood at 60%, compared to
just 25% in rural areas. A closer look at the data shows that rural
figures remained below 40% for the first five years.
Body 2 (Contrast/End):
In contrast, the urban percentage climbed steadily, reaching 90% by
2015. Similarly, rural usage also increased, but at a slower pace. It
is interesting to note that by 2020, the gap between the two had narrowed
slightly.
Conclusion:
To summarise, although rural areas lagged behind, both categories showed
significant upward trends by the end of the period.
💡
Important Grammatical Tip for Phrases:
|
Situation |
Phrase Rule |
Example |
|
Followed by a Noun |
Use: In terms of, Regarding, In
comparison to |
In terms of population, India is large. |
|
Followed by a Subject + Verb |
Use: While, Whereas, Although |
While India has a large population, China has more. |
|
Followed by a Whole idea |
Use: It is clear that, It is
projected that |
It is projected that sales will increase. |
50 More Highly Useful IELTS Writing Task 1 Vocabulary
and Phrases
A.
INTRODUCTORY PHRASES (Starting the Essay)
|
# |
Vocabulary / Phrase |
Example Sentence |
|
1 |
The provided diagram / chart /
graph / table shows... |
The provided bar chart shows the
employment rates in five European countries. |
|
2 |
The given data presents... |
The given data presents
information about average rainfall in three cities. |
|
3 |
As is presented in the chart... |
As is presented in the chart, the
figures for oil production have doubled. |
|
4 |
It can be clearly seen from the
graph that... |
It can be clearly seen from the
graph that online shopping has gained massive popularity. |
|
5 |
A glance at the illustration
reveals that... |
A glance at the illustration
reveals that the manufacturing process involves six distinct stages. |
B.
OVERVIEW / GENERAL TREND PHRASES
|
# |
Vocabulary / Phrase |
Example Sentence |
|
6 |
The most striking feature is... |
The most striking feature is the
sharp rise in carbon emissions after 2010. |
|
7 |
It is worth pointing out that... |
It is worth pointing out that the
younger generation spends far more on technology. |
|
8 |
A remarkable trend is... |
A remarkable trend is the steady
decline in the use of traditional media. |
|
9 |
The dominant feature of the chart
is... |
The dominant feature of the chart
is the overwhelming share of the service sector. |
|
10 |
Generally speaking... |
Generally speaking, developed
nations consumed significantly more energy. |
C.
DESCRIBING UPWARD TRENDS (Increase)
|
# |
Vocabulary / Phrase |
Example Sentence |
|
11 |
A considerable rise |
There was a considerable rise in
the number of international students. |
|
12 |
An upward trend |
The data reveals an upward trend
in renewable energy investment. |
|
13 |
Grew exponentially |
The company's profits grew
exponentially during the last quarter. |
|
14 |
Soared to a high of... |
Gas prices soared to a high of $5
per gallon in 2022. |
|
15 |
Climbed steadily |
The population of the city climbed
steadily over the five-year period. |
|
16 |
Experienced a surge |
The tourism industry experienced a
surge after the pandemic restrictions ended. |
|
17 |
Doubled / Tripled / Quadrupled |
The number of smartphone users
nearly doubled between 2015 and 2020. |
D.
DESCRIBING DOWNWARD TRENDS (Decrease)
|
# |
Vocabulary / Phrase |
Example Sentence |
|
18 |
A significant drop |
There was a significant drop in
cigarette consumption after the tax hike. |
|
19 |
A downward spiral |
The company avoided a downward
spiral by cutting unnecessary costs. |
|
20 |
Plummeted to a low of... |
Stock prices plummeted to a low of
just 50 points. |
|
21 |
Fell sharply |
Housing prices fell sharply during
the economic recession. |
|
22 |
Declined marginally |
The use of landline phones
declined marginally each year. |
|
23 |
Hit an all-time low |
Manufacturing output hit an
all-time low in March. |
|
24 |
Slumped drastically |
Sales of physical DVDs slumped
drastically with the rise of streaming. |
E.
DESCRIBING STABILITY & NO CHANGE
|
# |
Vocabulary / Phrase |
Example Sentence |
|
25 |
Remained relatively stable |
Unemployment rates remained
relatively stable throughout the decade. |
|
26 |
Levelled off at... |
The temperature levelled off at 25
degrees Celsius after noon. |
|
27 |
Stayed constant |
The number of weekly visitors
stayed constant at around 2,000. |
|
28 |
Showed little variation |
The test scores showed little
variation across the different age groups. |
|
29 |
Reached a plateau |
After rapid growth, the market
reached a plateau in 2018. |
|
30 |
Fluctuated mildly |
Daily website traffic fluctuated
mildly over the holiday period. |
F.
COMPARISON & CONTRAST PHRASES
|
# |
Vocabulary / Phrase |
Example Sentence |
|
31 |
A stark contrast |
There is a stark contrast between
the salaries of junior and senior staff. |
|
32 |
Differed significantly from |
The results of the second
experiment differed significantly from the first. |
|
33 |
On the one hand... on the other
hand... |
On the one hand, urban areas had
better jobs; on the other hand, rural areas had lower costs. |
|
34 |
Surpassed / Overtook |
In 2015, electric car sales
finally surpassed those of diesel vehicles. |
|
35 |
Lagged far behind |
Internet speeds in rural areas
lagged far behind those in cities. |
|
36 |
Nearly identical to |
The expenditure pattern of males
was nearly identical to that of females. |
|
37 |
In stark opposition to |
In stark opposition to the
national trend, the southern state showed a decline. |
|
38 |
Followed a similar pattern |
The consumption of cheese followed
a similar pattern to that of butter. |
|
39 |
Was relatively comparable |
The growth rate of the two
companies was relatively comparable. |
|
40 |
Far outweighed |
The benefits of the new policy far
outweighed its drawbacks. |
G.
SEQUENCING FOR PROCESSES / FLOWCHARTS
|
# |
Vocabulary / Phrase |
Example Sentence |
|
41 |
The process commences with... |
The process commences with the
extraction of raw materials from the ground. |
|
42 |
Subsequently / Consequently |
The mixture is heated;
subsequently, it is cooled down. |
|
43 |
At the subsequent stage... |
At the subsequent stage, the
liquid is filtered to remove impurities. |
|
44 |
Prior to this step... |
Prior to this step, the
ingredients must be weighed accurately. |
|
45 |
Once this stage is completed... |
Once this stage is completed, the
product is ready for packaging. |
|
46 |
The cycle repeats itself |
After the waste is decomposed, the
cycle repeats itself in nature. |
|
47 |
Undergoes a transformation |
The caterpillar undergoes a
transformation inside the cocoon. |
|
48 |
Is discharged into... |
The treated water is discharged
into the nearby river. |
H.
ADVANCED COMPARATIVE PHRASES (For High Band Score)
|
# |
Vocabulary / Phrase |
Example Sentence |
|
49 |
The figures for X pale in
comparison to Y... |
The figures for solar energy pale
in comparison to the massive output of coal. |
|
50 |
X accounts for the lion's share
of... |
The manufacturing sector accounts
for the lion's share of the country's GDP. |
✅
Quick Recap: "Phrasal Verbs" vs "Standard Verbs" for Task 1
|
Standard
Verb |
Stronger
Phrasal Verb |
Example |
|
Increase |
Go up |
The prices went up sharply. |
|
Decrease |
Go down |
The inflation rate went down
gradually. |
|
Continue |
Carry on |
The trend carried on for the next
two decades. |
|
Reach |
End up at |
The figures ended up at 80% by the
final year. |
|
Remove |
Take out |
The impurities are taken out
during filtration. |
🧠
Final Pro Tip:
Instead of using the same verb
twice, mix them:
- Instead of:
"Sales increased in 2010. Sales increased in 2015."
- Write:
"Sales increased in 2010. By 2015, they had soared to a
new peak."
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