IELTS Writing Task 1 Vocabulary: Describing Trends, Comparisons and Proportions
Why vocabulary matters in Task 1
Task 1 requires accurate language for describing data. Lexical Resource rewards precise words and variety, while repetition of 'increase' and 'decrease' limits your band. Learn a small set of flexible words and the grammar that goes with them.
Verbs and nouns for change
Upward change: rise, increase, grow, climb, go up, a rise, an increase, growth. Downward change: fall, decrease, decline, drop, decline, a fall, a decrease, a drop. Stability: remain stable, stay constant, level off, show little change. Highest and lowest points: peak at, reach a peak of, hit a low of, bottom out at. Fluctuation: fluctuate, vary, show an unsteady pattern.
Adverbs and adjectives of degree
Use adverbs to show the speed and size of change: sharply, dramatically, significantly, considerably, steadily, gradually, slightly, marginally. The matching adjectives are sharp, dramatic, significant, steady, gradual and slight. For example, 'There was a sharp rise in sales' and 'Sales rose sharply' have the same meaning but different grammar. Do not overuse extreme words unless the data justifies them.
Comparisons and proportions
For comparison: higher than, lower than, the highest, the lowest, twice as high as, nearly three times as many as, a similar proportion, in contrast, whereas. For proportions: a quarter, a third, a half, the majority, a small minority, around 40 per cent, just over a fifth. Be careful to match the verb with the noun: 'the number of cars' (countable) and 'the amount of energy' (uncountable).
Prepositions and tenses
Common prepositions are: rise by 10% (the amount of change), rise from 20% to 30% (starting and ending points), peak at 50% (a level), and in 2015 or between 2010 and 2020 (time). Use past tenses for past dates, present tenses for current data and future forms for projections. Example sentence: 'The proportion of internet users rose sharply from 20% in 2005 to 85% in 2020.' Practise writing sentences with the Task 1 prompts on the IELTS Writing practice page and read our guide to the Task 1 overview.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to use all the vocabulary above?
No. Choose a small set that you can use accurately and vary it.
Is 'increase' a verb or a noun?
Both. As a verb, 'Sales increased'. As a noun, 'There was an increase in sales'.
Which preposition follows 'rise'?
'By' for the amount of change and 'from ... to' for starting and ending points.