Writing Tips for Task 1 of Academic Paper

It's important to study the data and information carefully before you write. Then mentally structure your essay as if you're reporting the information to someone who are interested in knowing more about the subject.

Remember you have only 20 minutes to write 150 words. In other words, you can write a little bit more than 150 words.

Think about the overall structure as if it contains an introduction, main body and a conclusion. Since the essay is not meant to express your opinions but to describe and analyse the relevant data and/or information by comparing and contrasting the main findings.

Try not to directly copy words from the question, graphs and diagrams. But it takes time to rephrase or mentally search for synonyms, so you must practise writing various types of data descriptions: charts/Graphs - pie charts, flow charts, bar charts, line charts, trend charts, and flow charts ; diagrams - tables, maps, floor plans, life cycles, etc.

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First Paragraph

Assume that the examiner won't look at the charts or diagrams. Start by Briefly stating what it is about, i.e. The chart is about xxx. Please also mention the date and time if they are given. Also mention the overall information and trends that may emerge from your general analysis.

Other Paragraphs

Report the relevant information in terms of the main features or topics of the subject; e.g. length of route, number of visitors, means of vehicles, etc. Start with the key findings, i.e. important trends, summarize other data to support your key description. But avoid unnecessary details.

However, you need to write to ensure a full coverage of the task requirements. For example, you will provide all the names of cities ( London, Paris, Tokyo, Washington DC, Kyoto, Los Angeles). You must summarize as much information as you can with the skill to organize the relevant information by comparing and contrasting the data.

Last Paragraph

The conclusion can be as short as a couple of sentences. Briefly summarise the main points. You may also leave reader with a predictive thought drawn from the major trends of your findings.