IELTS Task 1 Set-Phrase Mastery · B2 · Lesson 3 of 3
Twelve cards. Start the timer, click each one, say the answer aloud before it flips. If you get 10+, move on. If not, revisit Lesson 2 Tab 1 (Cold Recall) first.
Three chart facts. For each, write THREE versions: (A) verb + adverb, (B) "There was…" + adj + noun, (C) "saw / experienced" + adj + noun. Then reveal the models.
A. Online banking rose dramatically, climbing from 10% to 80% between 2005 and 2020.
B. There was a dramatic rise in online banking, from 10% of users in 2005 to 80% in 2020.
C. Online banking saw an eightfold increase over the 15-year period.
A. CD sales collapsed, falling sharply from 800 million units in 2000 to just 30 million in 2020.
B. There was a dramatic fall in CD sales, from 800 million units to only 30 million over two decades.
C. CD sales experienced a near-total collapse, dropping by over 95%.
A. Library visits remained stable throughout the decade, hovering at around 120 million a year.
B. There was virtually no change in library visits, which stayed at roughly 120 million annually.
C. Libraries saw minimal fluctuation, with annual visits holding steady at about 120 million.
Exam conditions. Study the chart, plan for 2 minutes, write for 18. Target: 150+ words, with at least one verb+adverb sentence, one adj+noun sentence, one contrast linker.
The chart below shows the percentage of households in one country with access to three technologies between 2000 and 2020.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Smartphone: 0% → 95% · Broadband: 5% → 92% · Landline: 95% → 20%
Words: 0
Model (176 words)
The line graph shows the percentage of households with access to three technologies — smartphones, broadband, and landlines — in one country between 2000 and 2020.
Overall, smartphone and broadband access rose dramatically over the 20-year period, while landline use fell sharply. By 2020, smartphones had overtaken both older technologies.
In 2000, smartphones were essentially non-existent (0%), and broadband reached only 5% of households, whereas landlines dominated at 95%. Over the next two decades, smartphones saw the most dramatic increase of the three, surging from 0% to 95%. Broadband followed a similar pattern, climbing steadily from 5% to 92%.
Meanwhile, landline access experienced a considerable decline. After remaining stable at around 85% until 2005, it fell steeply, reaching only 20% by 2020 — a drop of roughly three-quarters.
By the end of the period, smartphones and broadband had changed from being marginal technologies to near-universal, while landlines had moved in the opposite direction.
Target language: rose dramatically (V+adv), saw the most dramatic increase (V + adj+N), experienced a considerable decline (V + adj+N), while and meanwhile (contrast linkers), had changed from being (ranking change). That's the full toolkit.
Tick each box that your response achieves. Be honest — this is for you, not me.
11+ out of 13 ticks → Set-Phrase Master. Move to Mastery tab.
7–10 → nearly — redo The Write with the missed ticks in mind.
Below 7 → repeat Lesson 2 before you try The Write again.
If you scored 11+ on the scorecard, you've got the set-phrase toolkit for Task 1. Print this if it made you happy:
IELTS Writing Task 1
This certificate confirms that
can describe charts and graphs using verb + adverb forms, adjective + noun forms, and linking verbs, with accurate strength matching and contrast structures.
Rose dramatically. Saw a dramatic rise. There was a dramatic rise.
Issued by Malcolm the Teacher · preply-lessons
Set phrases work on every chart, but each type (line, bar, pie, table, process) has its own extras. See Task 1 Graphs workshop.
Spaced repetition works best with a fourth pass. Redo Lesson 3's Speed Drill and The Write in a week. If it's still fluent, it's yours for the exam.
Different game — structured argument, hedging, concession. Try the full IELTS Writing Pathway.