Essential Vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task 1

Describing Trends

Increase:

– rise

  – Example: “There was a significant rise in the number of students enrolling in the course.”

– grow

  – Example: “The population of the city grew steadily over the decade.”

– climb

  – Example: “The unemployment rate climbed to 8% in 2020.”

– surge

  – Example: “Profits surged in the second quarter of the year.”

– go up

  – Example: “The cost of living has gone up significantly.”

– escalate

  – Example: “Tensions escalated rapidly between the two countries.”

Decrease:

– fall

  – Example: “The temperature fell to below freezing.”

– drop

  – Example: “Sales dropped sharply after the holiday season.”

– decline

  – Example: “There was a gradual decline in the number of visitors.”

– decrease

  – Example: “The crime rate has decreased in recent years.”

– reduce

  – Example: “Efforts were made to reduce waste production.”

– dip

  – Example: “The stock prices dipped slightly before recovering.”

No Change:

– remain steady

  – Example: “The level of pollution remained steady throughout the year.”

– stay constant

  – Example: “The birth rate stayed constant over the decade.”

– stabilize

  – Example: “After a period of fluctuation, the prices stabilized.”

– plateau

  – Example: “The number of new cases plateaued by mid-year.”

Comparing Data

Similarities:

– similarly

  – Example: “Similarly, the sales figures for the two products increased.”

– likewise

  – Example: “The company’s revenue rose, and likewise, its market share expanded.”

– in the same way

  – Example: “In the same way, both groups showed improvement in their performance.”

– equally

  – Example: “Both methods were equally effective in achieving the results.”

– correspondingly

  – Example: “As the demand increased, the supply correspondingly grew.”

Differences:

– in contrast

  – Example: “In contrast to last year, the number of accidents decreased.”

– however

  – Example: “However, the cost of living remains high.”

– whereas

  – Example: “Whereas the east saw a rise in temperatures, the west experienced a drop.”

– while

  – Example: “While the sales of smartphones increased, tablet sales fell.”

– on the other hand

  – Example: “On the other hand, the older generation prefers traditional media.”

Describing Numbers and Percentages

Exact Numbers:

– the number of

  – Example: “The number of participants was exactly 300.”

– the amount of

  – Example: “The amount of rainfall this year exceeded the average.”

– the proportion of

  – Example: “The proportion of male to female students is 3:2.”

– the percentage of

  – Example: “The percentage of people using public transport increased to 40%.”

Approximation:

– around

  – Example: “Around 50% of the respondents agreed.”

– about

  – Example: “About one-third of the population is under 20 years old.”

– approximately

  – Example: “The company employs approximately 500 workers.”

– nearly

  – Example: “Nearly half of the surveyed group was satisfied.”

– roughly

  – Example: “Roughly 20% of the students failed the exam.”

Describing Time Periods

Specific Time Frames:

– in 2010

  – Example: “In 2010, the company launched its first product.”

– from 2010 to 2020

  – Example: “From 2010 to 2020, there was a steady increase in tourism.”

– over the period

  – Example: “Over the period, the city expanded significantly.”

– during the years

  – Example: “During the years 2015 to 2019, the employment rate rose.”

General Time Frames:

– in recent years

  – Example: “In recent years, there has been a shift towards renewable energy.”

– over the last decade

  – Example: “Over the last decade, the company has seen consistent growth.”

– in the 21st century

  – Example: “In the 21st century, technological advancements have accelerated.”

Describing Highs and Lows

High Points:

– peak

  – Example: “The number of visitors peaked in July.”

– reach a peak

  – Example: “Sales reached a peak during the holiday season.”

– hit a high

  – Example: “Profits hit a high in the second quarter.”

– maximum

  – Example: “The maximum temperature recorded was 40°C.”

Low Points:

– bottom out

  – Example: “The market bottomed out before beginning to recover.”

– hit a low

  – Example: “Unemployment hit a low in December.”

– minimum

  – Example: “The minimum wage has been adjusted for inflation.”

Making Comparisons

Comparative Forms:

– higher than

  – Example: “This year’s revenue is higher than last year’s.”

– lower than

  – Example: “The costs are lower than expected.”

– more than

  – Example: “More than 50% of the population is urban.”

– less than

  – Example: “Less than 20% of the respondents disagreed.”

– better than

  – Example: “The new model is better than the old one.”

– worse than

  – Example: “The weather today is worse than yesterday.”

Superlative Forms:

– the highest

  – Example: “The highest number of complaints was recorded in June.”

– the lowest

  – Example: “The lowest price was found in the online store.”

– the most

  – Example: “The most significant change was in the education sector.”

– the least

  – Example: “The least affected area was the south.”

– the best

  – Example: “This is the best performance we have seen.”

– the worst

  – Example: “The worst outcome was avoided.”

Describing Proportions

Fractions:

– one third

  – Example: “One third of the students passed the exam.”

– a quarter

  – Example: “A quarter of the population is over 60 years old.”

– half

  – Example: “Half of the participants were male.”

– two-thirds

  – Example: “Two-thirds of the respondents supported the proposal.”

Proportions:

– the majority of

  – Example: “The majority of voters were in favor.”

– a minority of

  – Example: “A minority of people opposed the change.”

– a small portion of

  – Example: “A small portion of the budget was allocated to marketing.”

– a large proportion of

  – Example: “A large proportion of the workforce is involved in manufacturing.”

 Additional Useful Vocabulary

Adjectives:

– significant

  – Example: “There was a significant increase in sales.”

– substantial

  – Example: “The company made a substantial profit.”

– slight

  – Example: “There was a slight decline in attendance.”

– marginal

  – Example: “The changes were marginal.”

– dramatic

  – Example: “There was a dramatic drop in prices.”

– moderate

  – Example: “The improvements were moderate.”

Adverbs:

– significantly

  – Example: “Profits rose significantly.”

– substantially

  – Example: “The policy has substantially benefited the community.”

– slightly

  – Example: “The figures decreased slightly.”

– marginally

  – Example: “The differences were marginally noticeable.”

– dramatically

  – Example: “The market has changed dramatically.”

– moderately

  – Example: “Prices increased moderately.”

 Sample Sentence Structures

1. “The graph shows that X increased from Y to Z between [year] and [year].”

   – Example: “The graph shows that the number of tourists increased from 1 million to 2 million between 2010 and 2020.”

2. “There was a [adjective] [increase/decrease] in X, reaching [number] in [year].”

   – Example: “There was a significant increase in car sales, reaching 500,000 in 2015.”

3. “X remained relatively stable at [number] over the period.”

   – Example: “The unemployment rate remained relatively stable at 5% over the period.”

Conclusion

Using this vocabulary will help you write clear and precise descriptions for your IELTS Writing Task 1. Good luck with your exam!

Title for Notes: “Essential Vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task 1 with Examples”

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