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Task 1 — the language of change
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A share can rise by points or by a percentage
- Outcome: report change without changing the fact. Start with Academic Writing and the criteria. Read the variable, units and dates before choosing a phrase.
- Up: rise, increase, climb, grow, go up. Down: fall, decrease, decline, drop, go down. Stronger verbs such as soar, rocket, surge, plummet, plunge, slump need supporting scale and context, not just a wish for variety.
Match each verb to the movement it describes.
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Choose a verb that fits the observed movement. peak refers to the highest point in the period being described, not necessarily an all-time record. Strong verbs need supporting scale and context.
Match the preposition to the quantity
- rise by 20 gives the change; rise to 20 gives the endpoint. rise from 10 to 30 states both endpoints; a rise of 20 uses the noun form.
- A change from 10 to 30 is not a rise to 20. increased of 20 mismatches the verb structure. Choose the quantity first; grammar cannot fix a wrong amount.
Source: Sales went from 40 to 60. Which sentence reports it correctly?
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by 20 names the increase, to 60 the endpoint. a rise of 20 uses a noun. Keep the quantity when changing grammar.
Per cent and percentage point
- Worked contrast: 20% → 24% is a rise of 4 percentage points and a relative rise of 20%, because 4 ÷ 20 = 0.2. a rise of 4% reports a different relative change.
- Subtract percentages for points. Divide the change by the starting value for relative change. With a zero start, that division is undefined: 0 → 5 users is an increase of 5 users, not a calculable relative percentage rise.
Source: Unemployment went from 6% to 9%. How big was the percentage-point rise?
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Subtract the shares: 9 − 6 = 3 percentage points. The relative rise is 3 ÷ 6 = 50%. a rise of 3% names a different relative change, so it does not report these endpoints.
Source: A rate rose from 6% to 9%. The rise is 3 points. Divide 3 by the starting 6 and multiply by 100. What is the relative percentage increase? Write the number only.
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3 ÷ 6 × 100 = 50. A 50% relative rise gives 9% from 6%. Three points and fifty per cent describe different measures.
Comparison and approximation
- Use twice as many as, three times the figure for, half the level of, slightly higher than, roughly the same as only when the data fits. Name what is being compared.
- just under a quarter can describe 24.3% approximately. Use just over, nearly, around, approximately deliberately; do not add unsupported precision or erase a difference that matters.
Choose a phrase that replaces 24.3% with an accurate comparison to a familiar fraction.
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Just under a quarter compares the share with 25%. The exact figure is also accurate, but does not perform the requested rewrite. Neither wording automatically earns a higher score.
Turn a verb into a noun
- Sales rose sharply. → There was a sharp rise in sales. The figure fell steadily. → There was a steady fall in the figure. Each pair should preserve one fact.
- Words such as sharply, steadily, gradually, dramatically, slightly, marginally describe different properties. A grammatical sentence can still misstate the evidence. A line that stays flat is allowed to have a quiet day.
Rewrite with a noun: The figure fell steadily. → There was a steady ___ in the figure. Write the missing noun.
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fall, decline and drop all fit this sentence. A grammatical alternative must still keep the same direction and pattern.
Source: Orders increased from 30 to 45. Choose BOTH accurate grammatical reports.
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Use increased by 15 with the verb and a rise of 15 with the noun. The third option gives the right amount but the wrong verb/preposition structure. Both accurate reports are required.
Distinguish the size of a change from its endpoint
- In original survey data, cycling rises from 20% to 35%. It rises TO 35%, BY 15 percentage points, and BY 75% relative to its starting share: 15 divided by 20 is 0.75.
- “A rise of 15 percentage points” uses the noun form. Choose the quantity first; changing the preposition cannot rescue a wrong calculation.
- Percentage points compare percentages by subtraction. Relative percentage change divides by the starting value; the two numbers answer different questions.
- Name the start, finish and kind of change before selecting by, to or of.
- Apply the distinction to the transfer check below. These are original teaching cases, not official items or band predictions.
Source: Cycling share rose from 20% to 35%. Match each quantity to its value.
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“A rise of 15 percentage points” uses the noun form. Choose the quantity first; changing the preposition cannot rescue a wrong calculation.
Fresh source: Bus share rose from 30% to 42%. What is the percentage-point increase?
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The point increase is 42 − 30 = 12. 40% is the relative increase, 12 ÷ 30; 42% is the endpoint. Use the measure asked for.
Endpoints do not show every movement
- Worked contrast: January 50; February 70; March 50 rises then falls across the observations. remained stable at 50 ignores February, even though the endpoints match.
- fluctuate, vary, be erratic describe varying movement, not every identical start/finish pair. level off, plateau, remain stable, stay constant, hold steady need a supported flat or approximately flat pattern. peak at is scoped to the period shown.
Recorded values: January 10; February 12; March 10. Which report preserves all three observations?
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The middle value is 12, so the series was not constant. It rises then falls across the three observations. Returning to the starting value does not erase the change between them.
Only these observations are supplied: 2018: 40; 2020: 50; 2022: 60. They prove the figure increased in every month from 2018 to 2022.
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False. Each recorded later value is higher, but monthly values are absent. Report increases across the observations; do not invent a continuous monthly pattern.
Source: A share fell from 40% to 30%. How large was the decrease in percentage points? Write its positive size, without units.
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Subtract 40 − 30 = 10 percentage points. The relative fall is 10 ÷ 40 = 25%, not ten per cent. A negative number would state a signed change rather than the requested positive size.
Source: A new service recorded 0 users in its first week and 12 in its second. Which report avoids an undefined relative percentage calculation?
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From zero, the usual relative change would divide by zero. Report from zero to 12 or by 12 users. Doubling zero cannot give twelve.
Source: Online bookings were 20% of all bookings in 2020 and 30% in 2025. Total bookings in each year are not given. Which conclusion is supported?
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Shares have known endpoints, but their denominators may differ. The share has a 50% relative increase; that does not establish the same change in the number of bookings. Report the quantity actually supplied.
Source: Town A: 6.1 million journeys; Town B: 6.2 million journeys, in the same year. Choose BOTH supported reports.
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The difference is 0.1 million out of around six million, so a small difference is supported. twice and exactly the same change the relationship. The numbers are supplied as reported; do not invent greater precision.
Report the evidence, not a story
- Worked contrast: annual values 40 thousand → 41 thousand support a small endpoint increase, not an established rocketing steadily because of better buses story. Two values do not show the within-year path or isolate a cause.
- A share can rise while its total changes. 20% → 30% reports proportions; without the totals, it does not determine the change in the number of people or bookings. Keep the unit with the claim.
Original data: Library visits: 40 thousand in 2022; 41 thousand in 2023. No within-year values or causes are supplied. Repair this draft in one or two English sentences: Visits rocketed steadily because of better buses.
Compare the units, values and scope with the source and checklist. Keep accurate wording or repair a specific mismatch. This is unscored written self-review, not an IELTS band estimate.
Original data: In 2015, car travel was 60% and cycling 10% of recorded trips. In 2025, car travel was 50% and cycling 20%. Total trip counts are unknown. Write two or three English sentences comparing these two changes. Do not describe other travel modes.
Compare the units, values and scope with the source and checklist. Keep accurate wording or repair a specific mismatch. This is unscored written self-review, not an IELTS band estimate.
Write a short comparison
- Use each new data card to write the requested English sentences before opening its model. Compare values, units, dates and claim strength. Several accurate structures can work.
- Draft saving is optional and uses this browser profile; other people using it may read stored drafts. Without saving, leaving loses the page draft. Turning saving off removes this lesson’s stored copies. Model comparison is unscored; a matching response can be kept.
New data: Hall A bookings fell from 90 to 60; Hall B bookings fell from 40 to 30 over the same period. Which comparison names the absolute decreases accurately?
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The absolute falls are 30 and 10 bookings. The endpoints are 60 and 30. Relative decreases would require division by each starting value; do not add a percent sign to an amount.
New data: Museum evening visitors: 0 in 2024, 15 in 2025. A campaign began in 2025; its effect was not measured. Repair this claim in one or two English sentences: The campaign caused visitor numbers to double.
Compare the units, values and scope with the source and checklist. Keep accurate wording or repair a specific mismatch. This is unscored written self-review, not an IELTS band estimate.
New recorded data: Monthly electricity use: April 85 kWh; May 90 kWh; June 85 kWh. Write one or two English sentences describing the observed movement and the final value.
Compare the units, values and scope with the source and checklist. Keep accurate wording or repair a specific mismatch. This is unscored written self-review, not an IELTS band estimate.
Keep the amount, scope and time status
- A zero baseline needs endpoints or an absolute amount. If the source gives only a rate, do not invent a headcount. If causes were not investigated, report the change without a causal story.
- Separate observed from projected values. is projected to reach reports a forecast without making it certain. These short rehearsals practise language decisions; they are not complete official Task 1 responses.
New original data: A course completion rate was 5% in 2021 and 8% in 2025. Cohort sizes and reasons are not supplied. Write one or two accurate English sentences. Endpoints alone are valid; add point or relative change only if correct.
Compare the units, values and scope with the source and checklist. Keep accurate wording or repair a specific mismatch. This is unscored written self-review, not an IELTS band estimate.
Review later and select the next task
- Tomorrow, try the new approximation and projection before rereading the examples. Check one sentence you actually wrote: keep it if accurate, or repair its specific mismatch.
- Next: select data and write an overview, or describe a process. These original cases and self-reviews do not produce a band estimate or certify proficiency.
Language and format source checked 23 October 2026: official IELTS Academic Writing guide. All numerical cases and model responses here are original teaching. Independent specialist, language/key, accessibility and learner reviews remain pending.
Later review: 49.8%. Which familiar-fraction phrase is accurate?
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Half is 50%, so 49.8% is just under half. A quarter is 25%. Choose an approximation that preserves the relationship; exact wording is also possible when useful.
Later original source: Centre enrolment: 12 thousand observed in 2020; 18 thousand observed in 2025; 24 thousand projected for 2030. No cause is supplied. Write two English sentences distinguishing observed change from the projection.
Compare the units, values and scope with the source and checklist. Keep accurate wording or repair a specific mismatch. This is unscored written self-review, not an IELTS band estimate.
Review one English sentence you actually wrote in this unit. Quote it, then identify one checked unit, amount or scope choice. Keep a correct sentence unchanged or show a specific repair. If you did not write one, state a next check instead of inventing a revision.
Compare the units, values and scope with the source and checklist. Keep accurate wording or repair a specific mismatch. This is unscored written self-review, not an IELTS band estimate.