IELTS Writing Task 1 Sample (Package 7)

IELTS Writing Task 1 requires you to explain various types of graph. These graphs are sometimes combined and in this case, we might need to use a writing template which is slightly different from the one I previously explained.

Here are some sample writings for IELTS Writing Task 1 (combined data). To read sample writings for each data, read our previous Writing Task 1 package. To read material on IELTS Writing Task 1, click here or here



Pie Chart and Table


The pie chart explains several major reasons why land productivity is decreasing. The table shows three regions whose land quality is degraded in the 1990s, namely North America, Europe and Oceania. 

It can be seen from the pie chart that over-grazing was the main cause of soil degradation, making up 35%. Deforestation was the second highest contribution of land infertility, whose percentage is just 5% lower than over-grazing's. The amount of land degraded by over-cultivation was lower compared to the first two reasons aforementioned, although the number was still comparatively high, accounting for 28%. Turning to the lowest contributor of all, 7% of land is degraded because of other reason.

The table indicates that Europe was a region where most of the land infertility occurs. Massive land degradation by deforestation happened in Europe, decreasing the quality of 9.8% land. North America and Oceania's amount of land degraded by deforestation only made up 0.2% and 1.7% respectively. Europe also had serious problem with over-cultivation, since it degrades 7.7% of the total land. This number is nearly two times higher than North America's. As for Oceania, land degradation by deforestation contributes zero percentage, being the lowest number presented in the table. However, Oceania still had to deal with problems related to over-grazing, which becomes the reason why the quality of 11.3% land was declining. Europe also had  problem with over-grazing, although the amount of land degraded by this reason is only half of Oceania's. North America's percentage of land degradation by over-grazing is far lower than the other two regions.

It can be concluded that Europe is the region where significant amount of land was being degraded, making up a total of 23% land. Oceania and North America's degraded land is considerably lower, making up 13% and 5% respectively.



Pie Chart and Bar Graph

The pie charts compare the number of male and female persons who got arrested in a five year period starting from 1990. The bar graph presents some reasons why people were recently arrested. Units are all measured in percentage. Overall, the data shows that there were male persons being arrested. It also indicates that drink driving and public were two main reasons why people were put in jail.

It can be clearly seen from the pie charts that there is a higher number of men getting arrested, representing more than one third of the whole population. Women, on the other hand, were less likely involved in illegal activities. The proportion of women being put in jail makes up less than 10%.

Public drinking was the most common reason why male citizens were put in jail. The number of men's public drinking is a little higher than 30%. Female persons indicate a very interesting trend, since their number of public drinking case exceeded men's number almost by 10%. Drink driving was the second most common reason why men were getting jailed. Around 27% of men's arrest was due to this felony. There were fewer women getting imprisoned for the same reason, and their number is just a half of the men's. 

In the case of theft, breach of order and other reason, male proportion is a little higher than the female counterpart, accounting for less than 30%. It is also important to note that around 18% of female citizens were imprisoned for assault. Interestinglyv, the number is 2% higher than the male counterpart. Some of the respondents were not giving any detail regarding the reason of their arrest, although the number was lower than 10%.



Bar Graph


The bar graph explains the frequency of fast food consumption in the USA, in 2003, 2006 and 2009. Units are measured in percentage. The data indicates that the frequency of fast food consumption only change slightly over year

In 2003, the proportion of people who eat in fast food restaurant everyday was just a little below 5%. The number slightly decreased to around 4% in 2006, and remained unchanged until the end of the period. In 2003, around 17% people in US consumed fast food several times a week. The number witnessed a little growth three years later, making up one fifth of the whole population. It then decreased again in 2013. The number of people who ate fast food once a week in 2003 was more than 30%. Three years later, the number slightly increased and represented around one third of the population. It then fell to around 27% in 2013.

In the first period, the number of people eating in fast food in restaurant once or twice a month accounted for 30%. It then experienced a 5% decrease in the following period. The number surged and made up an estimated 33% at the end of tje period. Around 13% of the population eats fast food a few times a year. In the second period, the number witnessed 2% increase and levelled off untill the end of the period. In 2003, there were only 5% people who never ate in fast food restaurant. In the two following period, only 4% of population never went to fast food restaurant.

Soal Listening TOEFL dan ELPT

TOEFL adalah tes kemampuan Bahasa Inggris yang sangat terkenal di Indonesia. Tes TOEFL digunakan baik dalam dunia akademik maupun profesi. Di berbagai universitas di Indonesia, TOEFL dijadikan sebagai syarat kelulusan dengan skor beragam, mulai dari 450 sampai 550. Tak hanya sebagai syarat kelulusan, tes TOEFL juga digunakan untuk syarat melamar kerja. Tes ini terdiri dari empat sub tes yang meliputi:

- Listening Comprehension, yang dibagi ke dalam Listening Comprehension Part A, B dan C

- Structure and Written Expression

- Reading Comprehension

- Writing (TWE), yang hanya diujikan pada tes tertentu saja

Pada postingan ini, kita akan membahas beberapa soal yang muncul pada setiap sub-tes, lalu membahasnya soal-soal tersebut. Mari kita mulai pembahasan dari sub tes pertama TOEFL, Listening Comprehension.

Listening Comprehension menguji kemampuan anda memahami spoken English. Sub tes Listening terdiri dari tiga bagian, yakni Part A, B dan C. Listening adalah sub tes penyumbang skor tertinggi dalam tes TOEFL, sehingga anda sangat penting untuk sebisa mungkin memaksimalkan skor anda.


Listening Part A (Short Conversation)

Pada part ini, anda akan mendengarkan percakapan antara dua orang pembicara, lalu mejawab pertanyaan dengan memilih jawaban yang paling tepat.

Tips 1: Jangan Pilih Jawaban dengan Suara yang Sama


Question Number 1
Woman: We have been waiting here for hours!

Man: Relax, I'm sure the flight will depart soon

Narrator: What does the man mean?

a. He doesn't want to start a fight


b. He is afraid that they will have to wait a little longer

c. The plane will take off within a few minutes

d. She frightens him



Dalam pengerjaan Listening Comprehension TOEFL, banyak orang yang memilih jawaban yang terdengar mirip dengan percakapan di audio. Padahal, jawaban seperti inilah yang biasanya salah. Saat memilih jawaban, pilihlah opsi yang terdengar paling berbeda, atau hindari memilih jawaban dengan suara yang mirip seperti yang ada di audio. Dari keempat opsi di atas, tiga di antaranya memiliki suara yang mirip seperti percakapan di audio. Perhatikan kata yang bercetak tebal!

a. He doesn't want to start a fight

b. He is afraid that they will have to wait a little longer

c. The plane will take off within a few minutes

d. She frightens him

Tiga jawaban ini adalah opsi yang harus anda hindari. Jawaban bagi soal di atas adalah:

c. The plane will take off within a few minutes


Tips 2: Pilih Jawaban yang Mengandung Parafrasa/Sinonim

Dalam tes Listening TOEFL, jawaban yang benar biasanya adalah jawaban yang mengandung sinonim atau parafrasa. Misal, jika di question booklet anda mendapati kata "place", maka carilah opsi jawaban yang mengandung sinonim bagi kata "place" tersebut. Misal, "location". Perhatikan contoh berikut ini!

Question Number 2
Man: Are you okay?

Woman: I just drove a long distance, and I feel tired

Narrator: What does the woman mean?

a. She had to change the tire

b. The car is entirely damaged

c. Her car was towed

d. She is exhausted


Jawaban yang paling tepat bagi soal di atas adalah:

d. She is exhausted

Perhatikan bahwa jawaban yang benar ini mengandung sinonim dari pernyataan the woman yang sebelumnya, dimana "tired" sama artinya dengan "exhausted".


Tips 3: Fokus pada Pembicara Kedua

Jawaban bagi soal Listening Part A selalu merujuk pada pernyataan pembicara kedua, sehingga harus lebih fokus mendengarkan saat pembicara kedua sedang berbicara. Perhatikan contoh berikut ini!


Question Number 3
Woman: Why are you in hurry?

Man: I want to go home soon, there will a storm this afternoon

Narrator: What does the man mean?

a. The weather is very bad

b. His home is torn down

c. He has an appointment with Tom in the afternoon

d. He wants to go downtown


Perhatikan kata yang bercetak tebal berikut!
Narrator: What does the man mean?

Jawaban yang paling tepat bagi soal di atas adalah:

a. The weather is very bad

Jika anda perhatikan, pertanyaan yang dibacakan oleh narrator merujuk pada apa yang dikatakan oleh pembicara kedua, yakni: "the man"


Tips 4: Expression of Agreement

Expression of Agreement adalah salah satu jenis soal yang sering muncul di Listening TOEFL. Pada soal jenis ini, anda akan mendengar bagaimana pembicara kedua menyetujui statement pembicara pertama. Ada beberapa cara untuk mengungkapkan persetujuan, di antaranya:

  • I'll say
  • You can say that again
  • I think so
  • Isn't it!

Perhatikan contoh berikut ini!

Question Number 4
Man: The traffic is very terrible today

Woman: I'll say

Narrator: What does the woman mean?

a. The traffic is fine


b. She wants to say something

c. She has nothing to say about the traffic

d. She agrees with the man

Dari percakapan di atas, kita tahu bahwa the man mengeluh mengenai kemacetan yang terjadi hari ini, dan the woman setuju dengan apa yang ia katakan dengan memberi tanggapan: I'll say. Jawaban yang tepat bagi soal di atas adalah:

d. She agrees with the man


Tips 5: Eliminasi Dua Jawaban yang Pasti Salah

Di beberapa kasus, sebenarnya anda dapat mengetahui jawaban bagi sebuah soal bahkan sebelum anda mendengarkan audio. Kalaupun anda tidak tahu mana jawaban yang benar, anda tetap bisa memprediksi dua jawaban yang pasti salah. Perhatikan contoh berikut ini!


Question Number 5
Woman: Do you like the muffin that I made?

Man: It tastes great!

Narrator: What does the man mean?

a. He doesn't like the muffin

b. He would like to try some

c. It is not delicious

d. He likes it very much


Jika anda perhatikan, opsi a dan c mengindikasikan bahwa the man tidak suka muffin buatan si woman, atau dengan kata lain, muffin buatan si woman tidak enak. Padalah, tidak mungkin anda memiliki dua jawaban dalam satu soal. Dari sini kita sudah bisa menebak bahwa jawaban a dan c pasti salah. Jawaban yang paling tepat untuk soal di atas adalah:

d. He likes it very much



Listening Part B (Long Conversation)
 


Tips 1: Baca Opsi Jawaban dan Cobalah untuk Membuat Prediksi

Sebelum audio diputar, anda memiliki waktu beberapa detik untuk membaca opsi jawaban. Gunakan waktu yang ada untuk memprediksi percakapan dan pertanyaan yang akan muncul. Anda dapat melakukannya dengan memperhatikan keyword dari setiap jawaban. Perhatikan contoh berikut ini!

a. In the florist shop
b. In a bank
c. In a restaurant
d. In a hotel


Dari opsi jawaban yang ada (semuanya merupakan keterangan tempat), kita tahu bahwa percakapan mungkin berkaitan dengan informasi tentang tempat, dan pertanyaan yang muncul adalah pertanyaan "where". Percakapan dan pertanyaan bagi opsi di atas adalah:


Man: How can I help you Madam?

Woman: I would like a table for three, please

Man: Of course. What would you like to order?

Woman: What is the specialty of this restaurant?

Man: We are well-known for our Italian food, although there is a range of different food as well

Woman: I'd like to try the Italian food, but my husband and my son would prefer the seafood instead

Man: We also have seafood Madam

Narrator: Where does the conversation take place?



Jawaban yang paling tepat bagi soal di atas adalah:

c. In a restaurant


Tips 2: Baca Opsi Jawaban dan Tebak Topik Pembicaraan


Memahami topik pembicaraan secara umum dapat membantu anda memahami informasi yang bersifat lebih mendetail. Anda dapat memahami topik utama sebuah percakapan dengan memperhatikan kata kunci yang muncul. Perhatikan contoh berikut ini!


Woman: You play tennis like a pro, do you play a lot?

Man: Well, tennis is my favorite sport and I play once in a week

Woman: I didn't expect that you are pretty good at this. Do you play other sports too?

Man: I actually like swimming better than tennis. I like it very much that it eventually become a routine

Woman: So, you swim like how many times a week?

Man: Three times a week, for one hour and a half each time

Narrator: What do the woman and woman talk about?


a. Tips to stay healthy and fresh

b. Swimming as a physical activity

c. Favorite sports

d. Tennis

Untuk menentukan topik utama sebuah pembicaraan, carilah keyword yang selalu dapat ditemukan. Dari percakapan di atas, kita menemukan kata kunci tennis, sport(s), dan swim(ming). Jika kita memilih opsi d. tennis, tentu jawaban ini tidak bisa menggambarkan seluruh percakapan. Jawaban yang paling tepat untuk soal ini adalah:


c. Favorite sports


3. Dengarkan Jawaban secara Berurutan
Dalam tes Listening, jawaban bagi sebuah soal selalu muncul berurutan. Akan lebih baik jika anda mendengarkan audio sambil melihat opsi jawaban yang ada. Perhatikan contoh berikut ini! 


Woman: You play tennis like a pro, do you play a lot?

Man: Well, tennis is my favorite sport and I play once in a week

Woman: I didn't expect that you are pretty good at this. Do you play other sports too?

Man: I actually like swimming better than tennis. I like it very much that it eventually become a routine

Woman: So, you swim like how many times a week?

Man: Three times a week, for one hour and a half each time

Narrator: What is the man's favorite sport?


a. Tennis

b. Swimming

c. Both tennis and swimming

d. Neither tennis nor swimming


Ada dua keterangan yang berbeda yang diberikan oleh the man. Untuk menjawab pertanyaan ini dengan benar, kita perlu mendengar informasi yang ada secara berurutan:

Baris ke-2: Well, tennis is my favorite sport and I play once a week

Baris ke-4: I actually like swimming better than tennis. I like it very much that it eventually become a routine


Perhatikan bahwa the man mengatakan ia senang bermain tenis. Meskipun demikian, ia lebih senang berenang sehingga jawaban yang paling tepat bagi pertanyaan di atas adalah:

b. Swimming
 



Listening Part C (Long Talks)

Tidak seperti part A dan B, Listening Part C mengharuskan anda mendengar sebuah percakapan dalam bentuk monolog. Part C menjadi part yang paling sulit karena audio sudah berkaitan dengan academic talk, bukan lagi percakapan sehari-hari. Cara pengerjaan Listening Part C mirip dengan cara pengerjaan Listening Part B, dimana anda harus menebak topik pembicaraan, memprediksi pertanyaan dan mendengarkan jawaban secara berurutan. Perhatikan contoh berikut ini!


The Sydney Opera House

Today, we are going to talk about one of the most outstanding landmarks on earth, the Sydney Opera House. Sydney Opera House is a venue which becomes the center of performing art in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is considered as one of the most distinctive buildings in the 20th Century, and becomes famous as Australia’s landmark. The building was designed by an architect named JØrn Utzon, and was formally opened in 1973.

The Sydney Opera house is adopting a modern expressionist design, and this is particularly shown by its large concrete “shells”. If we look at them from distance, these shells appear uniformly white. There are two large spaces in the building, the first being the Concert Hall which is located in the Western part of the shells and the second being the Joan Sutherland Theater located in the Eastern part of the shells. There is a smaller shell in the western side of the Monumental Steps, which houses the Bennelong Restaurant. The structure is surrounded by a large public space, and since it is located near Australian Harbor, we can sometimes see boats and ships passing by.

The first person to perform at Sydney Opera House was Paul Robeson, who sang Ol’ Man River for the construction workers as they ate their lunch. In 1974, Joan Sutherland performed for the first time in the theater which is later named for her. Aside from being the center of performing arts, Sydney Opera House also becomes a tourist attraction. There are more than eight million people visiting the site annually, and almost half of them take a guided tour of the building. On 28 June 2007, Sydney Opera House became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To celebrate its 40th anniversary, a New Year firework display was mounted on 31 December 2013.

Source: wikipedia
Note: This article is used only for educational purpose


Setelah mendengar monolog di atas, anda akan mendengar beberapa pertanyaan dari narator.

Narrator: What does the speaker talk about?


a. A beautiful landmark
b. The Sydney Opera House 
c. Joan Sutherland Theater
d. UNESCO World Heritage Site

Narrator: What characteristic is adopted from the modern expressionist design?


a. The white color
b. The large spaces
c. The Harbor
d. The shells 

Narrator: When was the 40th celebration of the building held?


a. In 1973
b. In 1974
c. In 2007
d. In 2013 

Jawaban dan Pembahasan

Narrator: What does the speaker talk about?


a. A beautiful landmark - too general

b. The Sydney Opera House - correct answer

c. Joan Sutherland Theater - too specific

d. UNESCO World Heritage Site - too general

Soal pertama menanyakan ide utama monolog tersebut, yang berarti anda harus memperhatikan keyword yang muncul di seluruh bacaan. Anda harus menghindari jawaban yang bersifat terlalu "umum" serta jawaban yang bersifat terlalu "spesifik". 

Perhatikan kata yang bercetak tebal dan berwarna hitam di bawah ini. Kata ini adalah kata yang selalu muncul di seluruh monolog, yang menandakan bahwa ia adalah topik utama bacaan tersebut. Kata yang bercetak tebal dan berwarna merah adalah kata yang terlalu general atau spesifik dan bukan merupakan topik pembahasan monolog di atas.


The Sydney Opera House

Today, we are going to talk about one of the most outstanding landmarks on earth, the Sydney Opera HouseSydney Opera House is a venue which becomes the center of performing art in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is considered as one of the most distinctive buildings in the 20th Century, and becomes famous as Australia’s landmark. The building was designed by an architect named JØrn Utzon, and was formally opened in 1973.

The Sydney Opera House is adopting a modern expressionist design, and this is particularly shown by its large concrete “shells”. If we look at them from distance, these shells appear uniformly white. There are two large spaces in the building, the first being the Concert Hall which is located in the Western part of the shells and the second being the Joan Sutherland Theater located in the Eastern part of the shells. There is a smaller shell in the western side of the Monumental Steps, which houses the Bennelong Restaurant. The structure is surrounded by a large public space, and since it is located near Australian Harbor, we can sometimes see boats and ships passing by.

The first person to perform at Sydney Opera House was Paul Robeson, who sang Ol’ Man River for the construction workers as they ate their lunch. In 1974, Joan Sutherland performed for the first time in the theater which is later named for her. Aside from being the center of performing arts, Sydney Opera House also becomes a tourist attraction. There are more than eight million people visiting the site annually, and almost half of them take a guided tour of the building. On 28 June 2007, Sydney Opera House became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To celebrate its 40th anniversary, a New Year firework display was mounted on 31 December 2013.

Source: wikipedia
Note: This article is used only for educational purpose



Narrator: What characteristic is adopted from the modern expressionist design?

a. The white color
b. The large spaces
c. The Harbor
d. The shells

Untuk menjawab soal kedua, pertama-tama anda harus memperhatikan dua kata kunci yang ada di soal. Informasi mengenai dua kata kunci pada soal ini dapat ditemukan di kalimat pertama paragraf kedua: 

The Sydney Opera House 
is adopting a modern expressionist design, and this is particularly shown by its large concrete “shells”

Jawaban yang yang paling tepat bagi soal ini adalah:

d. The shells


Narrator: When was the 40th celebration of the building held?

a. In 1973
b. In 1974
c. In 2007
d. In 2013

Pertanyaan ini merujuk pada informasi yang sangat spesifik dalam monolog tersebut. Karena ada beberapa informasi tentang tahun, anda benar-benar harus jeli menentukan pilihan. Sambil mendengarkan audio, anda bisa sambil mengeliminasi jawaban yang salah sehingga akan terlihat seperti berikut ini:

Narrator: When was the 40th celebration of the building held?

a. In 1973 - formally opened

b. In 1974 - first performance by Joan Sutherland

c. In 2007 - became UNESCO World Heritage Site

d. In 2013 - 40th celebration

Jawaban yang paling tepat bagi pertanyaan di atas adalah:

d. In 2013

Sekian materi untuk Listening TOEFL dan ELPT. Pada postingan selanjutnya, kita akan membahas pengerjaan soal Structure and Written Expression.