IELTS Writing Task 1 - Combined Graph (Pie Charts and Bar Graph)

We have discussed all graphs used in IELTS Writing Task 1. From this point on, our focus will shift from individual graph to combined graphs. If you haven't read the previous materials on individual graph, you can follow these links: bar graph, line graph, pie charts, table, map, process


Now, take a look at a sample combined graph below


IELT Writing Task 1 - Combined Graph (Pie Charts and Bar Graph)
IELTS Writing Task 1 - Combined Graph (Pie Charts and Bar Graph)



The way we describe a combined graph is not very different from the way we discuss individual graph. The only difference is the fact that we now have two graphs and hence, need to find correlation between the two, which can be hard to do at times. One thing that I like the most from doing a combined graph is the possibility to either describe each graph in separate paragraph, or to organize ideas based on the trend, the one that we've always done so far. Some of you may remember that the writing structure of IELTS Writing Task 1 can be described as follows: 



Paragraph 1

  • Introduction
  • Explaining variables
  • Explaining major trend

Paragraph 2

  • Giving detailed information of major trend 1 (percentage, proportion, lowest/highest, increase/decrease)

Paragraph 3

  • Giving detailed information of major trend 2 (percentage, proportion, lowest/highest, increase/decrease)



With combined graphs, you can also do it this way:



Paragraph 1

  • Introduction
  • Explaining variables
  • Explaining major trend

Paragraph 2

  • Giving detailed information of the first graph (percentage, proportion, lowest/highest, increase/decrease)

Paragraph 3

  • Giving detailed information of the second graph (percentage, proportion, lowest/highest, increase/decrease)




Because we always use the first writing structure so far, let's try using the second writing structure today.

Paragraph 1

Introduction

We use the same way of introducing the graph, that is to paraphrase the original title like this:

  • Car accidents in Riverside County (pie charts) & five major causes of car accidents (bar graph) 👉 original title

  • The pie charts present the number of road accidents involving cars in Riverside County, while the bar graph shows the main factors of such accidents 👉 paraphrased title

Explaining Main Variables

Here, we have to provide some information such as year, units of measurement, place, etc. Since the the first sentence has mentioned where the data are from (Riverside County), we now only have to include the other two variables, which are years and units of measurement. Here's how we do it:



Both graphs explain traffic accidents that took place between 2010 and 2020. Units are measured in percentage.



Explaining Major Trend

I would try to explain the graphs in two separate paragraphs, but you can also use the major trend, which can be explained as follows:


The data indicate that there are more casualties and more people suffering from serious injury in car accidents, which are very likely to be caused by speeding and distracted driver.



Paragraph 2

In this paragraph, we will explain how accidents affect those who are involved in it.


The data indicate that there are more casualties and more people suffering from serious injury in car accidents. In 2010, nearly 55% of people who were involved in a car accident were injured. Although the number decreases a decade later, it still represents more than one-third of all cases. Increasing trend is also indicated by the number of those who are fatally injured. In 2010, one in three people having a car accident suffered from a serious injury. Ten years later, more than a half of cases result in severe injury. In 2020, loss of life from car accidents is increased by 2%. Of a total 100 cases of car accident, 15 people were reported dead.




Paragraph 3

In this paragraph, try to focus more on the three main reasons why car accidents happen. Because weather-related accidents and accidents that are caused by poor traffic facilities are very rare, we better give a general idea with little or no detail. Just make sure that your writing is not too tedious and repetitive.


In general, car accidents are mostly caused by reckless drivers. This is indicated by the prevalence of car crash caused by distracted drivers which makes up one-third of all cases. Driving a car at high speed also increases the likelihood of a car accident, as shown by 31% cases. The same goes for drink driving that represents 19 cases of all reported instances. Other than the three factors previously mentioned, a small number of car accidents are caused by potholes and poor lighting as well as bad weather.




The whole writing task 1 will look like this:



The pie charts present the number of road accidents involving cars in Riverside County, while the bar graph shows the main factors of such accidents. Both graphs explain traffic accidents that took place between 2010 and 2020. Units are measured in percentage.

The data indicate that there are more casualties and more people suffering from serious injury in car accidents. In 2010, nearly 55% of people who were involved in a car accident were injured. Although the number decreases a decade later, it still represents more than one-third of all cases. Increasing trend is also indicated by the number of those who are fatally injured. In 2010, one in three people having a car accident suffered from a serious injury. Ten years later, more than a half of cases result in severe injury. In 2020, loss of life from car accidents is increased by 2%. Of a total 100 cases of car accident, 15 people were reported dead.

In general, car accidents are mostly caused by reckless drivers. This is indicated by the prevalence of car crash caused by distracted drivers which makes up one-third of all cases. Driving a car at high speed also increases the likelihood of a car accident, as shown by 31% cases. The same goes for drink driving that represents 19 cases of all reported instances. Other than the three factors previously mentioned, a small number of car accidents are caused by potholes and poor lighting as well as bad weather.

Wordcount: 246




IELTS Writing Task 1 - Process (Material, Sample Writing and Exercise)

Today, we are going to discuss how a process should be explained in IELTS Writing Task 1. Just like the map that we have previously discussed (see our previous discussion by following this link), a process requires different types of explanation. We may not deal with figures or trend but instead, we have to describe how certain thing is done (for example, how caterpillar turns into a butterfly), how certain things is made (for example, how to make a pancake), or how certain thing happens (for example, hydrological cycle), et cetera. In high school, most of us have learned how to write a procedure text, which is pretty much similar to process in IELTS Writing Task 1. Take a look at a sample diagram below.


IELTS Writing Task 1 - Process

IELTS Writing Task 1 - Process



The first thing that we have to focus on when describing a process is the structure of the writing. Remember that there's no trend in a process, everything has to be explained in order. For example, the picture above shows seven stages of traditional coffee production and so, the structure of the writing will most likely be like this:




Paragraph 1

  • Introduction
  • Explaining variables

Paragraph 2

  • Giving detailed information of stage 1, 2 and 3 (what happens or what needs to be done in each stage, how it is done, what tools are used, how long does it take for the process to complete, etc.)

Paragraph 3

  • Giving detailed information of stage 4, 5, 6 and 7 (what happens or what needs to be done in each stage, how it is done, what tools are used, how long does it take for the process to complete, etc.)


Now, let's try to describe the process step by step.

Paragraph 1

Introduction

Introduce the diagram by paraphrasing the original title. The original title is:

  • The process of traditional coffee production

The paraphrased title is as follows:

  • The diagram illustrates how coffee is produced traditionally


Explaining Variables

Here we can explain that traditional coffee production uses several tools operated by human labor. The whole paragraph will be as follows:



The diagram illustrates the process of traditional coffee production. The process consists of several stages which require human labor and tools.




Paragraph 2

In paragraph 2,  we will explain the first three stages of traditional coffee production which are planting,  harvesting and cherry processing. We can either use connectors like firstly (or first of all), secondly,  thirdly, finally and lastly. But, I'd recommend combining these connectors with other connectors such as then, after that, etc. This is done to avoid overusing certain connectors. Other than connectors, you can also use connecting sentence. Take a look at an illustration below:

  • The process of traditional coffee production begins when...

  • After three until four years, the trees will...

  • The harvesting process is then followed by cherry processing...

  • ...and so on and so forth.

The point is, you have to explain that one stage is followed by another and that the whole process will eventually end at certain point (or go back to initial stage and form a cycle). Take a look at a sample paragraph 2 below:



The process of traditional coffee production begins when the coffee is planted. It takes 3 until 4 years until the trees bear fruit. After that, farmers will start harvesting. Coffee cherries that ripen have dark red color. In traditional coffee production, only the ripen cherries are selectively picked. So farmers have to wait until the green cherry ripen before harvesting them. In traditional coffee production, the cherry-picking is usually a labor-intensive process. After being harvested, the cherries are then dried under the sun to remove the moisture. They need to be raked and turned to make sure that they are dried evenly.



Paragraph 3

Paragraph 3 looks pretty much the same as paragraph, except it describes the four remaining stages in the process. Another thing that I want to explain here is the fact that we often have to explain why certain things is done or explain the function of certain tool used in certain stage. This information is not always depicted in the picture, one thing that can make it extremely difficult for some people. Take a look at a sample paragraph 3 below:



The next process is hulling, in which the outer skin, also known as exocarp, will be removed using a hulling machine. Then, the beans are processed again to remove the mesocarp and endocarp. These are done manually. The coffee beans are then roasted in a very large pan and raked. After that, the roasted coffee beans are ground using a grinding machine. The traditional coffee production usually uses grinding machine powered by a diesel, although some people may also ground coffee beans by mortar and pestle, burr grinder, or any other tools that are operated by hands. After going through all the process, the coffee is ready for packaging. The packaging is very important to maintain the flavor and aroma as well as avoiding spoilage.



Do you notice that I tried to explain the reason why the coffee is going through a packaging process? The picture says nothing about spoilage, aroma or taste of the coffee, but I explained it anyway because I can't think of any other reason why packaging process is included in the picture. I did the same thing when explaining the hulling stage,  a stage where the dried outer skin of the cherries are peeled out to get the coffee beans,  and how the mesocarp and sliver are also removed. This is not depicted in the picture (not in such detail that I don't have to try understanding why hulling stage is there in the first place), but we know that what we know as 'coffee' is actually the beans and not the fruit (though they are not actually beans either, at least by definition. More like seeds, I suppose). The entire writing will look like this: 




The diagram illustrates how  coffee is produced traditionally . The process consists of several stages which require human labor and tools.

The process of traditional coffee production begins when the coffee is planted. Coffee is usually planted  It takes 3 until 4 years until the trees bear fruit. After that, farmers will start harvesting. Coffee cherries that ripen have dark red color. In traditional coffee production, only the ripen cherries are selectively picked. So farmers have to wait until the green cherry ripen before harvesting them. In traditional coffee production, the cherry-picking is usually a labor-intensive process. After being harvested, the cherries are then dried under the sun to remove the moisture. They need to be raked and turned to make sure that they are dried evenly.

The next process is hulling, in which the outer skin, also known as exocarp, will be removed using a hulling machine. Then, the beans are processed again to remove the mesocarp and endocarp. These are done manually. The coffee beans are then roasted in a very large pan and raked. After that, the roasted coffee beans are ground using a grinding machine. The traditional coffee production usually uses grinding machine powered by a diesel, although some people may also ground coffee beans by mortar and pestle, burr grinder, or any other tools that are operated by hands. After going through all the process, the coffee is ready for packaging. The packaging is very important to maintain the flavor and aroma as well as avoiding spoilage.