IELTS Writing Task 1 Combined Graph - Line Graph and Pie Chart

IELTS Writing Task 1 Combined Graph - Line Graph and Pie Chart

Today, we are going to discuss the last combined graph that we have in IELTS Writing Task 1. We have discussed all types of combined graphs in the previous articles, so the combination of line graph and pie chart that we have today will be the last article on IELTS Writing Task 1 material. After this, we will focus on IELTS Writing Task 2 Material. If you haven't read the previous articles, you can read them here:

Line Graph and Table

Pie Chart and Table

Line Graph and Bar Graph

Pie Charts and Bar Graph   

Bar Graph and Table


Now, let's discuss the sample combined graph above. As usual, we are going to start by giving general overview in paragraph 1.


Paragraph 1

Introduce the Graph

You have to introduce the graph and paraphrase the original title like this:

  • The sales of cars from 2015 until 2019 (original title)
  • Car sales by types (original title)

  • The number of cars sold in a five-year period starting from 2015 (paraphrased title)
  • Five types of cars purchased (paraphrased title)


Main Features

There are three different car brands in the graph, and this has to be explained in the first paragraph. Besides the brands, we also have to explain that the units are presented in million (not percentage, thousand, or other measurement). You can write:


There are three car brands shown in the graph, which are Xbrand, Ybrand and Zbrand. Units are presented in millions.


Major Trend

Major trend helps us organize our ideas. We can see that Xbrand is the only car brand experiencing a constant increase in sales, while the sales of the two other brands were fluctuating. The pie chart shows us which types of car have the highest sales.  


The whole paragraph 1 of your writing will look like this:



The line graph presents the number of cars sold in a five-year period starting from 2015, while the pie chart outlines five types of cars purchased within that period. There are three car brands shown in the graph, which are Xbrand, Ybrand and Zbrand. Units are presented in millions.




Paragraph 2

Paragraph 2 consists of a very detailed information about percentage/number/proportion, increase/decrease, highest/lowest point and other related information. Please remember that you need to demonstrate your mastery of English grammar and vocabulary in IELTS Writing Section, so make sure that you do not overuse certain word like increase or decrease. You can paraphrase this word with other words like grow, surge, skyrocket, climb, plummet, sink, shrink, fall, dip, etc. The same goes for grammar. Avoid using monotonous sentence structure (e.g. active voice). Use passive voice, reduced adjective clause, expletive, and other grammatical varieties so you can get maximum score for grammar.


The line graph indicates that the sales of Xbrand cars constantly increases. There were less than 1 million units of Xbrand cars sold in 2015, much lower compared to the two other brands. The number doubled two years later, surpassing the sales of Zbrand cars in 2017. In the following year, the sales of Xbrand cars surpassed Ybrand car. By the year of 2020, nearly 3 million units of Xbrand cars were sold.  


Some other ways of explaining increase and decrease (other than point acheved) may include:

  • Difference, for example: In 2018, the sales of Zbrand cars was reduced by around five hundred thousand units
  • Multiplication, for example: The number doubled two years later, surpassing the sales of Zbrand cars in 2017
  • Fraction, for example: The sales was reduced almost by a half a year later.


We have discussed vocabulary range and accuracy in the previous explanation. Now, I would like to focus more on the use of cohesive device. Cohesive device is one aspect of writing that seems subtle, but extremely important. It helps us with the flow of our writing, so it can be easily understood by the readers. I will underline cohesive device in my explanation below, so that you can see how ideas are arranged in the rest of paragraph 2.



Unlike Xbrand, Zbrand used to have the highest sales in 2015, selling around 4 million units of cars. The sales was reduced almost by a half only a year later. In 2017, the sales hit its lowest point. Despite the dramatic fall, the sales of Zbrand cars slightly increased in the following period. As far as Ybrand is concerned, the sales experienced a slow but steady growth. The sales reached its peak in 2017, in which nearly 3 million units of car were sold. However, the sales decreased two years later.


 

Other cohesive device may include: in addition, in contrary, in contrast, furthermore, as for, etc.


Paragraph 3

You can write paragraph 3 the same way you have written your paragraph 2. In this paragraph, I will underline some of the words that are frequently used in IELTS Writing Task 1.


Moving to the pie chart, it can be seen that the majority of car buyers purchased a multi-purpose vehicle, which accounted for 35% of the sales. Hatchback city car and Sport Utility Vehicle were the second most favorite cars, which together made up more than half of the total sales. Sedan and sportscar together made up less than 15% of the sales.

 

 

The whole writing Task 1 will look like this:



The line graph presents the number of cars sold in a five-year period starting from 2015, while the pie chart outlines five types of cars purchased within that period. There are three car brands shown in the graph, which are Xbrand, Ybrand and Zbrand. Units are presented in millions.


The line graph indicates that the sales of Xbrand cars constantly increases. There were less than 1 million units of Xbrand cars sold in 2015, much lower compared to the two other brands. The number doubled two years later, surpassing the sales of Zbrand cars in 2017. In the following year, the sales of Xbrand cars surpassed Ybrand car. By the year of 2020, nearly 3 million units of Xbrand cars were sold.  Unlike Xbrand, Zbrand used to have the highest sales in 2015, selling around 4 million units of cars. The sales was reduced almost by a half only a year later. In 2017, the sales hit its lowest point. Despite the dramatic fall, the sales of Zbrand cars slightly increased in the following period. As far as Ybrand is concerned, the sales experienced a slow but steady growth. The sales reached its peak in 2017, in which nearly 3 million units of car were sold. However, the sales decreased two years later.


Moving to the pie chart, it can be seen that the majority of car buyers purchased an MPV, which accounted for 35% of the sales. Hatchback city car and SUV were the second most favorite cars, which together made up more than half of the total sales. Sedan and sportscar together made up less than 15% of the sales.


Wordcount: 272

 

I have tried my best to explain the combined graphs as concise as possible, but it turns out that the writing is a bit too long for Writing Task 1 (the ideal wordcount is between 150-190 words). If anyone has managed to write a more concise version of the writing, please give me some advice on comment section. Tell me which information should be omitted. You can also show us your sample writing here as a comparison.


That's end of our material on IELTS Writing Task 1. From this point on, I will focus on IELTS Writing Task 2. I really hope that the articles can become much of a help for everyone. 


Cheers 👋

IELTS Speaking Section Part 1, 2 and 3 - Advertisement



IELTS Speaking Section Part 1 - Talking about Familiar Topics

Advertisement

How businesses advertise their products in your country?

Businesses are now using a variety of media to promote their products. In the past, the most popular ones were TV advertisement and printed advertisement. But recently, there has a been a shifting towards digital ads, like the ones that we see on the internet, youtube, and social media. Products and services used to be promoted by celebrities that appear on TV but now, there are more and more social media influencers doing promotion on their platform. Some of them even become a brand ambassador of branded products like bags, cosmetics, and clothing


Why do you think there are so many advertisements now?

The most obvious reason why ads are ubiquitous these days is the competition. In the past, there were not so many companies in my country, so there wasn't much competition between companies. But now, there are a lot of new products sold in the market. It's good for the people though, in a way that they have a lot more options when it comes to buying the stuff they need. As for the companies, competition means that they have to not only persuade the buyers, but also to convince them that their products are better.  


Can you mention some places where advertisements can be found?

Advertisement can be found all over the place. When we are browsing the internet, we often see online ads appearing on the website. In fact, I see that some businesses are still using conventional advertising strategy like distributing flyer on the street. 


How do you feel about advertisement?

Most of the time, I see advertisement quite positively. But, it is inevitable that some advertisements are just extremely annoying. For example, I'm always blinded by the light emitted from billboards that are located near a T-junction. People have to stop in the red light, and these billboards look extremely bright at night. It is so bright that I often have to cover my face with my palm if I have to stop near a billboard for quite a long time.

Online advertisement can also be annoying at times. Well, banner ads are fine with me. Banner ads are actually a good way of finding the products and services that I need. But I'm really not okay with pop up ads. Pop up ads really ruin user's experience on a website, since they often appear in places where links are closely put together, forcing us to click on them. If we click close or x sign, the ads are still directing us to another page, distracting us from our main objective of visiting a website.


Do you think that advertisement is an effective way of promoting products and services?

Yes I do. Advertisement is a way of reaching out to the prospective buyers. Without advertisement, people will not know why they want to buy certain product but not the others. These days, advertisement is not merely persuasive, but also informative. It not only persuades the people to buy things, but also explain why they have to do so. 

Some advertisement even explains the vision of a company, convincing the audience that their products are the manifestation of their values. For example, some food and beverage companies are promoting healthy lifestyle while promoting their healthy food products. So, the advertisement not only serves as a way of boosting their sales, but also a way of motivating the public to eat healthy food and live a healthy life.

 

Which one do you think is more effective? TV advertisement or online advertisement?


IELTS Speaking Section Part 2 - Self-Presentation

Favorite Advertisement



Describe an advertisement that you like

You should say:

What advertisement is it?

What product/service it advertises?

Where you first saw it?

Explain why you like that advertisement



What advertisement is it?

One advertisement that really impresses me was a commercial called "giving". It was about a man who sold veggie soup in a market. One day, he saw a boy who was beaten by a woman. Apparently, the boy had stolen some painkillers from the drugstore, and was caught by the owner. The man who sold veggie soup asked him why he stole the painkillers, and found out that the boy was trying to help his sick mother. The man who sold veggie soup then paid for the painkillers he had stolen, and even gave him a bowl of veggie soup. Thirty years later, the man who sold veggie soup was seriously ill. He had to be hospitalized. His daughter couldn't pay the medical expenses, so she sold the food stall. One morning, the daughter woke up beside her father, who was still unconscious. She saw the medical bill beside her, and it turned out that someone had paid for it. Below the medical bill, there was a note from the doctor who treated her father. It said "the medical bill was already paid off thirty years ago, with some painkillers and a bowl of veggie soup". Apparently, the boy whom the veggie soup vendor was helping had grown up being a doctor. When he saw the man fell ill, he decided to help the man like the way he helped him thirty years ago. 


What product/service it advertises?

If I'm not mistaken, it was a commercial of a Thai phone company called True Move.


Where you first saw it?

I first saw this commercial on youtube, as it appeared on my recommended videos. 


Explain why you like that advertisement

I like this commercial because it has a story, a story that makes me reflect on humanity. At first, I didn't even realize it was a commercial. The story was so touching that I even thought it was a drama movie. I am really amazed by how the advertiser really put an effort to not only advertise their product, but also inspire those who watch the commercial. I was also amazed by the director who created such a great commercial.

 

IELTS Speaking Section Part 3 - Discussion

Advertisement and Consumerism

Do you think advertisement influence what people buy?

Of course, it does. Making a good product is just not enough, especially when there's a lot of competitors.  Companies use creative commercials to attract people's attention, a jargon that is hard to forget, and even use celebrities to form a good impression of the product.


Do advertisement gives a valid information or do they just persuade people to buy things they don't need?

I have seen advertisement of various products and services, and they seem pretty genuine. I think advertisements that appear on mainstream media like newspaper and television are mostly genuine, because these media have a very strict rule of what products should or should not be advertised. In contrary, online advertisement can sometimes be fraudulent, because there's no clear regulation just yet. I have seen a lot of people become a victim of online scam, so I suppose advertisement can be misleading sometimes.   


Do you think there should be control on advertising?

Of course. For example, cigarette advertisement is strictly regulated in my country. Cigarette factories can still advertise their product, but they are not allowed to depict cigarette in the advertisement. In the case of TV commercials, cigarette commercials can only be aired after 10 PM. Cigarette factories also have to include a warning for the audience, explaining that smoking could be detrimental to their health, giving detailed information of what disease can be caused by smoking.

 

Do you think that cigarettes advertisement should be allowed?

Yes, I think they should be allowed. But, the promotion has to be strictly regulated. Recently, there is a debate about the sponsorship of cigarette factories in sports competition. In my country, famous cigarette brands often give sponsorship to young and talented athletes. Some people are concerned because the athletes wear jersey with cigarette brand on it, fearing that such display will encourage people to smoke. There are also some people who argue that this is not a problem, because cigarette factories are actually not advertising in the sporting events per se. They have a separate organization for such sponsorship, the one whose focus is to support athletes. After the controversy arose, athletes no longer have sponsors, which is a bad, considering their contribution to the nation in international sporting events.


Can you mention an example of a false advertising?

One of the false advertisings that I often see is height pills advertisement. I don't think that the supplement actually works. Once someone reaches certain age, they just stop growing, and there's nothing they can do about it. But, people are generally insecure about their height, especially men, as they consider height as the most important factor for being successful in career and dating. Scammers like to use their insecurity and offer a counterfeit or illegal product, knowing that some people will easily fall for it. Besides fake height pills, I have seen fake skin whitening ads, weight loss ads, facial cream ads, and other online fake ads. I think people should be more careful when buying cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, and become more selective when buying things on the internet.

IELTS Speaking Part 1, 2 and 3 - Talking about Jokes

IELTS Speaking Part 1, 2 and 3 - Talking about Jokes


IELTS Speaking Section Part 1 - Talking about Familiar Topics

Laughter

Do you laugh a lot as a person?

Yes, I do. Sometimes, I can laugh so hard remembering old jokes that I heard in the past, because something happens and reminds me of that joke. 

 

What sort of things that usually make you laugh?

All sort of things, from online memes to stand up comedy. From a clean comedy to dark jokes. Sometimes, I don't even understand certain joke due to the lack of context, but I still can laugh seeing the facial expression of the people who tell that jokes.


Do you like to tell jokes?

Yes, I do, very much. I am always seen as a funny guy. Those who are close to me are generally a funny person too. I remember hanging out with my friends one time, telling a joke about mad dog for five hours straight. One of my friends started that stupid joke, and I replied with the same stupid joke. It went on and on and we couldn't stop laughing. People actually came to us asking if we were okay, knowing that we almost died laughing.


Are you a funny person?

Yes, I am. People who know me for the first time often think that I don't have a sense of humor whatsoever. People tend to judge me by appearance, telling me that I look like a very serious guy. But once they get to know me better, they will know that I'm actually a witty guy.


What is the funniest thing that you have ever seen/heard?

One of the funniest jokes that I have ever seen is the Chuck Norris memes. We can find these memes all over the internet. Basically, it is just a picture of Chuck Norris with funny sentences like, Chuck Norris never pays his bills, the bill is paying him, or Chuck Norris never dials the wrong number, you just pick up the wrong call. I often see those memes here and there and I still laugh every time I see it.


Are there any jokes that you personally dislike? 

Of course there is. I don't really like offensive jokes. There's a clear difference between telling a joke and harassing people, so we always have to draw a line somewhere. Recently, there are a lot of people who use jokes as an excuse to hurt someone's feeling. They claim that the jokes are intended for social critics, and that they are exercising their right to speak. One thing that these people seem to neglect is the fact that just because you have a right to speak, doesn't mean that you can talk trash to other people.

Satirical jokes are also a good way of criticizing absurd behavior, or absurd policy taken by the government. But I really don't like it when people are talking nonsense and being edgy. They seem to look for things to be criticized, but don't do any research to substantiate their claim, which eventually makes their jokes sound dumb.


IELTS Speaking Section Part 2 - Self-Presentation

Comedy Show



Describe a funny TV show that you like to watch

You should say:

What show is it?

What is it about?

Why do you like watching the show?

Why do you think it's funny?



What show is it?

One of the funniest shows that I like is a sitcom called The Big Bang Theory. The sitcom was first aired on CBS in 2007, and went on until its last season.


What is it about?

It is the story of Sheldon Cooper and Leonard Hofstadter, two scientists who live in the same apartment. They meet a girl named Penny, who also lives in that apartment. She is an aspiring actress who is trying to start her acting career, but fails. Sheldon and Leonard make friends with her, and this is where the story begins.


Why do you like watching the show?

I like watching the show because it's very entertaining, and to certain extent, educative. The sitcom uses scientific facts to support the roles, and even has a science consultant to help with the 'scientific element' of the show. Some episodes featured a real scientist like Stephen Hawking, and entrepreneurs like Bill Gates and Elon Musk, which makes it even more impressive.


Why do you think it's funny?

It is funny when two nerdy scientists try to interact with a cool girl across the hall, having no idea of how to impress her. Penny, the girl who lives across the hall, often finds it hard to understand her geeky neighbors. She tries to comprehend why they like doing nerdy stuff. The story becomes even funnier when the two other characters, Raj and Howard, are introduced. 


IELTS Speaking Section Part 3 - Discussion

Sense of Humor


Is it important to have a good sense of humor?

Of course it is. Laughing can really be a stress reliever. We will easily be stressed out if we always take ourselves too seriously, especially during a difficult time when people keep talking about global pandemic, economic downfall, political turmoil, social unrest, and things like that. We have to be able to laugh at ourselves, laughing at the dumb things that we do as a person, whether intentional or not.


What kind of jokes that people in your country like to hear?

It's difficult to describe people's preference to comedy, since comedy is very universal and people's preference seems to change over time. In the past, people in my country liked slapstick comedy, but now there are more genres of humor performed by comedians. The only genre that I rarely see here in my country is the one-line comedy, like that of Mitch Hedberg.


How difficult is it to understand a humor in a foreign language?

Not that difficult, I suppose. I like watching foreign comedy shows like The Simpsons or Rick Morty although English is not my first language. I also like watching stand up comedians like Bill Burr, Jimmy O Yang, and Kevin Hart, and I can understand them just fine. In my case though, I don't think language becomes a barrier to understand a joke. The only problem will probably be the context or knowledge required to understand certain joke. For example, George Carlin often comments on political, social, and cultural issues in his stand up, and not all people are familiar with these topics.


Is it common for people in your country to laugh very loudly in public?

It's an okay thing in here, although it is sometimes considered as a nuisance if you do it in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Once I was hanging out in the local coffee shop and joking with my friends, being extremely loud most of the time. It was okay for us to do that because people there were basically chill. It would be a different story if we do that in places where people have to be quiet.


Is it okay for us to make fun of other people?

It would depend on who the person is and how they respond to the joke. In my friendship circle, guys are pretty chill and we make fun of each other a lot. But I never tell the same jokes outside the circle because I know they can be too harsh to some people. Making fun of people is fine as long as they also think it's funny and they laugh with us. If we make a joke about someone and it's only us who's laughing, then something may have gone wrong.


What do you think of offensive jokes?

As far as I know, it's okay only for a small number of people. In my country, I only know two comedians telling this kind of joke. Some people actually find their dark jokes quite funny, but many others give a negative response. I often have to restrain myself from laughing uncontrollably every time someone tells a dark joke, although the joke is actually funny.