Common Trends in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

In graphs, tables and multiple pie charts, students should look not only for rises and falls, but also for changes in ranking, dominance, gaps, replacement patterns and redistribution.

1. Change of leader

A category starts as the largest, but another one overtakes it.

  • X was overtaken by Y.
  • Y replaced X as the leading category.
  • X lost its dominant position to Y.
Coal was the dominant source at the beginning, but it was overtaken by gas by the end of the period.
change of leader
 

2. Continued dominance

One category remains the largest throughout the period.

  • X remained dominant throughout.
  • X consistently accounted for the largest share.
  • X maintained its leading position.
Oil remained the dominant source of energy throughout the period.

3. Overall increase

A figure rises over time.

  • rose / increased / grew / climbed
  • surged / doubled / tripled
  • showed an upward trend
The proportion of people using public transport rose steadily from 20% to 45%.

4. Overall decrease

A figure falls over time.

  • fell / declined / dropped / decreased
  • plunged / halved
  • showed a downward trend
The share of coal consumption declined markedly over the period.

5. Stability

A figure remains almost unchanged.

  • remained stable
  • stayed broadly unchanged
  • showed little variation
The figure for nuclear energy remained broadly stable at around 20%.

6. Leveling off / plateau

A figure rises or falls first and then becomes stable.

  • levelled off
  • reached a plateau
  • stabilised at around...
  • flattened out
The percentage rose sharply until 2010, after which it levelled off at about 55%.

7. Fluctuation

A figure rises and falls repeatedly.

  • fluctuated throughout the period
  • showed considerable variation
  • experienced minor fluctuations
The unemployment rate fluctuated between 5% and 8%.

8. Peak and lowest point

A figure reaches its maximum or minimum.

  • peaked at...
  • reached a peak of...
  • fell to its lowest point
  • hit a low of...
Visitor numbers peaked at 2 million in 2015 before falling slightly.

9. Convergence

Two figures become closer to each other.

  • The figures converged.
  • The gap narrowed.
  • Y caught up with X.
The figures for men and women gradually converged, with the gap narrowing from 30% to 5%.

10. Divergence

Two figures move further apart.

  • The gap widened.
  • The figures diverged considerably.
  • X pulled further ahead of Y.
The gap between urban and rural internet access widened significantly after 2010.

11. Reversal of pattern

The relationship between two categories becomes opposite.

  • The pattern was reversed.
  • The opposite trend can be observed in Y.
  • X declined, whereas Y increased.
The pattern was reversed by 2020, when online news became more popular than newspapers.

12. Replacement / shift

One category gradually gives way to another.

  • X was gradually replaced by Y.
  • There was a shift away from X towards Y.
  • The data suggest a transition from X to Y.
There was a clear shift away from traditional television towards online streaming.

13. Redistribution

The internal composition changes, especially in multiple pie charts.

  • The distribution changed considerably.
  • X increased at the expense of Y.
  • The composition became more balanced.
Renewables gained a larger share at the expense of coal.

14. Minor category

A category remains the smallest or least significant.

  • X accounted for the smallest proportion.
  • X remained a minor category.
  • X contributed only a negligible share.
Solar power remained a relatively minor source, although its share increased slightly.

Special note: “level off” vs “remain stable”

Remain stable means that the figure is almost unchanged for the whole period.

Level off and reach a plateau usually mean that the figure changes first, often rising or falling, and then becomes stable.

Example: The figure rose sharply in the first decade and then levelled off at approximately 60%.

Useful overview patterns for IELTS Task 1

1. Change of leader:

Overall, there was a clear change in leadership, with Y replacing X as the largest category by the end of the period.

2. Stable leader:

Overall, X remained the dominant category throughout the period, while Y accounted for the smallest share.

3. Opposite trends:

Overall, X increased considerably, whereas Y followed the opposite pattern and declined.

4. Redistribution in pie charts:

Overall, the distribution changed markedly, with X gaining a larger share at the expense of Y.

5. Convergence:

Overall, the figures became more similar over time, as the gap between X and Y narrowed substantially.

6. Divergence:

Overall, the difference between X and Y became more pronounced, with X pulling further ahead.

Checklist: What should students look for?

  1. Who is the leader at the beginning?
  2. Who is the leader at the end?
  3. Does the leader change?
  4. Which category increases the most?
  5. Which category decreases the most?
  6. Which category remains stable?
  7. Do the figures converge or diverge?
  8. Does the gap widen or narrow?
  9. Is there a peak or lowest point?
  10. Does the figure level off or reach a plateau?
  11. Is one category replaced by another?
  12. Does the distribution become more or less balanced?

Match the infographic to the trend

Drag each infographic into the correct numbered box.

k
m
f
h
b 8 5 9
d
n
j 52 48 65 35 78 22
e 70 30 55 45 51 49
c
i
l
g
a
1. Change of leader
 
2. Continued dominance
 
3. Overall increase
 
4. Overall decrease
 
5. Stability
 
6. Leveling off / plateau
 
7. Fluctuation
 
8. Peak and lowest point
 
9. Convergence
 
10. Divergence
 
11. Reversal of pattern
 
12. Replacement / shift
 
13. Redistribution
 
14. Minor category
 

 

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