IELTS • Writing Band 6-7 2026-05-19

IELTS Task 1 Data Comparison Language

Move from description to analysis using proportional comparisons, gap-tracking, and simultaneous contrasts.

What this lesson covers

Task 1 Academic requires you to compare data, not just describe it. Describing is listing numbers in order; comparing is explaining the relationship between them. The language of comparison — proportions, ratios, contrasts, rates of change — is what separates a Band 6 from a Band 7 response.

Examples

Weak

In 2000, Country A had 20%. In 2010 Country A had 30%. Country B had 25% in 2000 and 40% in 2010.

Stronger

Country A’s figure rose by 10 percentage points over the decade, while Country B’s growth was steeper — a 15-point increase that reduced the gap between the two nations from 5 points to zero by 2010.

The strong version calculates the change (not just the endpoint), uses “while” to compare simultaneously, quantifies the gap, and tracks how it changed. These moves make the comparison analytical rather than descriptive.

How It Works

Core patterns

Pattern	Meaning / Use	Example
rose/fell by X (percentage points)	Describe the amount of change, not just start and end values	Internet access rose by 35 percentage points, from 15% to 50%, between 2000 and 2020.
X was twice/half as high as Y	Express proportional comparisons	The UK's renewable energy share was roughly twice that of France throughout the period.
while/whereas + contrast	Compare two data points simultaneously in one sentence	Solar adoption increased steadily in Germany, while nuclear capacity declined sharply in France.
the gap narrowed/widened	Track how the relationship between two data sets changed	By 2020, the gap between the highest and lowest-earning groups had widened to its largest point in 30 years.

Use this when

Comparing two or more countries, groups, or time periods in the same sentence.
Describing the rate of change rather than just the values at each point.
Writing the overview and needing to note a striking proportional difference.

Common Mistakes

Avoid	Prefer	Why
”In 2000 it was 20% and in 2020 it was 60%."	"The figure tripled — rising from 20% to 60% over two decades.”	Calculate the proportional change (tripled, doubled, fell by half) rather than just listing start and end.
”Country A is big and Country B is small."	"Country A’s figure was approximately three times that of Country B throughout the period.”	Use precise language: “approximately three times” instead of “big/small.”
Writing one country per sentence for the whole essay.	Combining two countries in one sentence using “while/whereas.”	Sentences that compare two things simultaneously are more efficient and show higher Coherence.

Practice Lab

Self-mark each task. Retry until every answer is correct.

Score: 0/3

1. Quick pick

Which sentence best compares two data points in Task 1 Academic style?

2. Build it

Put the sentence in the correct order.

Tap a chunk to move it between the bank and answer area.

3. Sort it

Sort each sentence: uses comparison language or only describes?

The proportion of car owners tripled in Vietnam, whereas in Japan it barely changed over the same period.

In 2005 the figure was 30%. In 2010 it was 40%. In 2015 it was 50%.

By 2020, urban areas had twice the recycling rate of rural ones, a gap that had doubled since 2005.

Australia had 25% in 2000. The UK had 30% in 2000.

Why It Matters

Lexical Resource in Task 1 is assessed partly on your ability to paraphrase chart data using varied language. Using only “increased” and “decreased” limits your band score. The comparison structures in this lesson — proportional language, simultaneous contrasts, gap-tracking — are exactly what examiners reward in Band 7 and 8 model answers.

Get targeted corrections and a practical improvement plan.

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