Skip to main content

IELTS Writing 1 — 4 Paragraph Guide

· Updated: Mar 1, 2026 · English, IELTS

Paragraph 1 — Introduction

Purpose:

Point

Chart type vocabulary:

Key Term Usage

Term / PhraseUseExample
shows / illustrates / presentsUse to paraphrase the title”The chart shows sales by month.”
broken down by / by / acrossUse to say categories”broken down by age group”
in / in the / forUse to say time or place”in 2022”, “for the UK”

The Formula

[Chart type] + [verb] + [what] + [broken down by category] + [time period/location]

Starting the paragraph

Template:

The [chart type] shows/illustrates [what], broken down by [category], for/from [time period/location].

Example 1:

The bar chart shows the average weekly hours spent on exercise by men and women in three age groups in the UK in 2022.

Example 2:

The bar chart illustrates the proportion of household spending, broken down by food, rent, and leisure, in France, in 2018.

Word-Boosting Templates — Intro

These longer openers help you hit the word count while still paraphrasing:

Example:

Looking at the bar chart, we can see how much people in France and the UK spent on five different items — cars, computers, books, perfume, and cameras — back in 2010.

Paragraph 2 — Overview (2–3 sentences)

Purpose: Give the main trends, big picture, major point, most changedw. NO numbers.

Important: No numbers here. Only big patterns and comparisons.

Comparing two things

Describing similarity

Useful adjectives (no numbers!)

Template:

Overall, it is clear that [main trend]. Additionally / However, [second trend or comparison].

Example:

Overall, it is clear that men exercise more than women across all age groups. Additionally, activity falls with age for both sexes.

Key Term Usage

Term / PhraseUseExample
Overall, it is clear that…Start the overview”Overall, it is clear that demand rose.”
It is noticeable that…Point to main idea”It is noticeable that urban areas grew.”
The main trend is…Say the biggest trend”The main trend is a steady increase.”
remains relatively stableUse for little change”Prices remain relatively stable.”

Word-Boosting Templates — Overview

These phrases add natural length to your overview without using numbers:

Example:

The UK generally outspent France in four out of the five areas. Both countries put the biggest slice of their budget toward cars.

Example - Social Media Chart

Paragraphs 3 & 4 — Details (3–4 sentences each)

Purpose: Give specific numbers, units, and comparisons. Use two small groups of data (group A and group B). Descibe the data

What are they? These are where you describe the specific data and numbers from the chart.

Important: Always write the unit (%, $, hours). Check numbers carefully.

Template — Para 3:

In [group/time], [subject] stood at [number][unit]. This figure then [rose/fell] to [number] for [next group], and [declined/increased] to [number].

Template — Para 4:

By comparison / Meanwhile, [subject 2] stood at [number][unit] in [group/time]. This figure [dropped/rose] to [number] for [next group], and [fell/increased] further to [number].

Example:

In the 18–30 group, men exercised 8 hours per week. This fell to 5 hours for 31–50 year olds and to 3 hours for those 51 and over. By comparison, women aged 18–30 exercised 6 hours per week. This dropped to 4 hours for 31–50 year olds and to 2 hours for those 51 and over.

Key Term Table — Paragraphs 3 & 4

Introducing data

Describing numbers

Showing change

Linking between points

Word-Boosting Templates — Details

These phrases add natural length and variety to your detail paragraphs:

Highlighting a gap

Approximate values

Exceptions & contrast

Wrapping up a paragraph

“while” to compare in one sentence

Example:

Interestingly, computers were the only area where the French actually spent more than British consumers. French buyers hit nearly £380,000 in this category, while British consumers stayed around £350,000. The most striking gap between the two nations showed up in camera sales — British consumers spent more than double that of the French, coming in at £360,000 compared to just £150,000.

Key Term Usage — Paragraphs 3 & 4

Term / PhraseUseExample
stood at / was recorded atStart a specific value”Exports stood at 50%.“
rose / increased / climbedShow increase”Sales rose to 200 units.”
fell / decreased / droppedShow decrease”Profit fell to $5,000.”
remained stable / levelled offNo big change”The rate remained stable at 10%.“
peaked at / reached its peakHighest value”The figure peaked at 80%.“
meanwhile / by comparison / in contrastCompare groups”Meanwhile, women showed lower rates.”
slightly less/more thanSmall difference”6 hours, slightly less than men.”
significantly higher/lower thanBig difference”is significantly higher than…“
stood at X / accounted for X / reached XNumber phrases”stood at 30%, accounted for 20%"

"by” vs “to”

“by” = the change amount

“Rainfall increased by 20mm” (it went up 20mm)

“to” = the final number

“Rainfall increased to 80mm” (it ended at 80mm)

Example:

“In January, London’s rainfall stood at 80mm, which was significantly higher than Paris at 45mm. London’s rainfall subsequently rose to its peak of 120mm in November, an increase of 40mm from October."

"by” vs “to” — Key Term Card

byto
Meansthe change amountthe final number
Question”how much?""how many now?”
Examplerose by 50 unitsrose to 200 units
Combinedrose by 50 units to 200 units

BY vs TO — Use in Details

WordMeaningExample
byAmount of change (difference)“rose by 10%“
toFinal value (end point)“rose to 60%“
bothUse both to show change and end”rose by 10% to 60%“

Full Detail Paragraph Key Terms

Introduce the number

Going UP

Going DOWN

Staying same

Linking sentences

Short Checklist

Full 4-paragraph Sample Answers

Sample 1 — Exercise by Age Group

Intro:

The bar chart shows the average hours of exercise per week by men and women in three age groups in the UK in 2022.

Overview:

Overall, men exercise more than women in all age groups. Activity falls with age for both sexes.

Details 1:

In the 18–30 group, men exercised 8 hours per week. This fell to 5 hours for 31–50 year olds and to 3 hours for those 51 and over.

Details 2:

By comparison, women aged 18–30 exercised 6 hours per week. This dropped to 4 hours for 31–50 year olds and to 2 hours for those 51 and over.

Sample 2 — France vs UK Consumer Spending

Intro:

Looking at the bar chart, we can see how much people in France and the UK spent on five different items — cars, computers, books, perfume, and cameras — back in 2010.

Overview:

From what can be seen in the data, the UK generally outspent France in four out of the five areas. Both countries put the biggest slice of their budget toward cars. The UK spent about £450,000 on them, while France followed closely at around £400,000.

Details 1:

Interestingly, computers were the only area where the French actually spent more than people in the UK. France hit nearly £380,000 in this category, while the UK stayed around £350,000. The most striking gap between the two nations showed up in camera sales. In that market, the UK spent more than double what France did, coming in at £360,000 compared to just £150,000.

Details 2:

To wrap things up, even though the UK spent more on books, France clearly had a stronger preference for perfume. They spent £200,000 on it, while the UK only spent £140,000.

Sample 2

Para 1

Intro “The bar chart illustrates the average hours per week spent on exercise, broken down by men and women across three age groups, in the UK in 2022.”

Para 2

Overview “Overall, it is evident that men exercise significantly more than women across all age groups. Additionally, the 18–30 age group shows the highest levels of physical activity, while older age groups tend to exercise less.”

Para 3

Men “In the 18–30 age group, men’s exercise hours stood at 8 hours per week, representing the highest figure across all groups. This subsequently fell to 5 hours among 31–50 year olds, a decrease of 3 hours. This declined further to just 3 hours for those aged 51 and over, making it the lowest recorded figure for men.”

Para 4

Women “Meanwhile, women in the 18–30 age group stood at 6 hours per week, slightly lower than their male counterparts. This subsequently fell to 4 hours among 31–50 year olds. This declined further to only 2 hours for those aged 51 and over, the lowest figure overall across both genders.”