Writing
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: 5 mistakes that block Band 7+
Overview, paraphrasing, comparisons, no-opinion reporting, and grammar — the Task 1 traps that keep candidates at Band 6.
Task 1 is only one-third of your Writing score, but it sets the tone for the paper. Avoid these traps and you protect Task Achievement and Lexical Resource on the way to Band 7+.
| Target | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum words | 150+ |
| Recommended time | 20 minutes |
| Weight of Writing score | about 33% |
1. The missing (or weak) overview
The single biggest reason candidates stay at Band 6.0 in Task Achievement is a missing or thin overview. Your overview must state 2 to 3 main trends, highs, or general patterns — without citing specific data.
Poor overview (too detailed, or no real trend)
"Overall, in 1990 electricity was 50 units and then it rose to 80 units in 2010 while solar remained low at 5 units."
High-band overview (clear high-level trends)
"Overall, fossil fuels remained the dominant energy source throughout the period, whereas renewable energy sources experienced significant growth from 2000 onwards."
2. Copying the prompt (failing to paraphrase)
If you copy phrases from the prompt, the examiner can subtract those words from your word count. That can drop you under 150 words and hurt Lexical Resource.
Direct copying
"The chart shows the percentage of people who used public transport in London between 2000 and 2020."
Effective paraphrasing
"The bar graph illustrates the proportion of commuters utilizing public transportation in London over a twenty-year timeframe, spanning from 2000 to 2020."
3. Data dumping without comparison
Task 1 prompts ask you to make comparisons where relevant. Listing figures year by year reads like an inventory, not a report.
Pro tip — group data: Put categories with similar trends in the same body paragraph (what increased vs what decreased). Use comparative language: In stark contrast to..., Followed closely by..., X dwarfed Y in terms of....
4. Opinion or outside knowledge
Task 1 is objective. Never explain why a trend happened unless the diagram itself states the cause.
Unverified reasons
"Car sales dropped in 2008 because of the global financial crisis and rising fuel costs."
Fact-based reporting
"Car sales experienced a sharp decline in 2008, dropping to a low of 12,000 units before stabilizing."
5. Tenses and prepositions
Grammatical Accuracy often falls on small preposition and tense mistakes. If every date is in the past, the description belongs in the past.
| Incorrect | Correct | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Sales increased by 10% to 50%. | Sales increased from 10% to 50%. | Preposition |
| An increase by 20% was seen. | An increase of 20% was seen. | Noun collocation |
| The graph showed that... | The graph shows that... | Present simple for the visual |
Pre-submission checklist
- Did you write an overview in paragraph 1 or 2 with no numbers?
- Did you paraphrase key prompt words (e.g. show → illustrate)?
- Are all dates matched with the correct tense?
- Did you make at least 3 distinct comparisons between data categories?
Next step
Ready for Band 7+?
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