Writing Skills
Task 1 structure
Task-specific

Task 1 structure

Academic Task 1 describes data. General Training Task 1 writes a letter. Different shapes, same scoring.

150 words minimum · 20 minutes · No opinion, no causes. Just describe and compare.
¶1
Introduction

Paraphrase the chart title in one sentence.

Change at least 3 words from the prompt.
¶2
Overview

State the 2–3 most important trends, with no specific numbers.

Examiners check for this — never skip it.
¶3
Body paragraph 1

Describe one group of data with specific figures and comparisons.

¶4
Body paragraph 2

Describe the second group with specific figures and comparisons.

Academic Task 1 template
  1. Introduction
    The [chart/graph/table] shows [paraphrased topic] between [time period].
  2. Overview
    Overall, it is clear that [main trend 1]. In addition, [main trend 2].
  3. Body 1
    Group the largest, smallest or most-changed data and describe it with figures.
  4. Body 2
    Describe the remaining data, comparing where useful.
Teacher notesShow

Teach register first for GT letters — students who pick the wrong tone lose marks on Task Response regardless of grammar. For Academic, the overview paragraph is the single highest-value sentence in the response.