Analyse the question Identify the main features Write an introduction

What information do the 2 axes give?

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  Is it dynamic or static?
  

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  What are the units of measurements?
  

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  What are the time periods?
  

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  What can you learn from the title and any labels?
  

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  What is the most obvious trend?
  

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  Are there any notable similarities?
  

(I give more detail on how to use these questions, plus downloadable checklists for identifying the main features of all 7 different types of IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 questions, in the lesson on How To Understand & Analyse Task 1 Questions.)

So, what main features stand out in our practice graphic?
Here's our practice IELTS bar chart again.
Contribution as % of India's GDP

There are 3 main features/trends in this IELTS bar chart:

Main feature 1: The contribution of the agricultural sector dropped steadily.
Main feature 2: The contribution of the service sector increased each decade.
Main feature 3: Industry remained static from 1980 to 2000.

The general trends you select will be the starting point for your essay. You will then go on to add more detail.

With just 20 minutes allowed for Task 1, and a requirement of only 150 words, you won't be able to include many details.

We’re now ready to begin writing our essay. Here’s a reminder of the 4 part structure we’re going to use.

Paragraph 1 – Introduction
Paragraph 2 – Overview
Paragraph 3 – 1^st main feature
Paragraph 4 – 2^nd main feature




Step 3 – Write an Introduction 

In the introduction, you should simply paraphrase the question, that is, say the same thing in a different way. You can do this by using synonyms and changing the sentence structure. For example:

Question: