Learner produces a complete four-paragraph Task 1 response using reliable frames, without memorised template language.
10 micro-lessons
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Order the Response
Eight sentences, shuffled. Rebuild the four paragraphs in order.
Put these eight sentences into the order of a complete Task 1 response. Do not read for meaning first — look at the frame that opens each sentence and let it tell you which paragraph it belongs to.
Four paragraphs, four jobs. Decide what belongs in each before you read on.
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Tick the ones you think belong in the FIRST paragraph
Now the four jobs, in order
Frames Carry Data, Templates Carry Nothing
The difference between a sentence that holds your figures and one that holds nothing.
The test
Could you have written this sentence before you saw the chart?
If yes, it is a template and it earns nothing.
❌ In today's modern world, graphs are a very important way of showing information.
❌ This essay will discuss the given data in detail.
If no, it is a frame — a shape with your data inside it.
✅ The graph shows car ownership in one city between 2010 and 2020.
✅ Overall, ownership rose over the period, with a slight fall after 2017.
Examiners see the template sentences hundreds of times a day. They are not neutral — they take up your word count and signal a memorised answer.
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The Four Paragraphs
The shape of a Task 1 response, and what belongs in each part.
Click to zoom
Numbers live in the bottom two boxes only. The top two describe the shape.
Frame Cards
Each frame with the paragraph it belongs to and what has to go in the gap.
The graph shows …para 1
In the gap: what is measured, where, and over what period. No figures.
The graph shows the percentage of households owning a car in one city between 2010 and 2020.
The table gives information about …para 1
In the gap: the same thing, for a table rather than a graph.
The table gives information about average weekly spending in four countries.
Overall, …para 2 · overview
In the gap: what anyone would notice from across the room. Still no figures.
Overall, car ownership rose considerably over the period.
The most noticeable feature is that …para 2 · overview
In the gap: the single most striking thing. A turning point, a crossing, a gap.
The most noticeable feature is that growth stopped after 2017.
In the first year, …para 3
In the gap: the starting figure. This is where numbers begin.
In the first year, the figure stood at 42 per cent.
In the final year, …para 4
In the gap: the closing figure. Pairs naturally with the frame above.
In the final year, it had fallen back to 64 per cent.
The figure for … was …para 3 or 4
In the gap: a place or a year, then its number. ⚠️ for, never of.
The figure for Spain was 62 per cent.
A similar pattern can be seen in …para 4
In the gap: the second line or category that behaves the same way. Saves repeating yourself.
A similar pattern can be seen in the figures for Portugal.
Orange cards are the overview. If you write nothing else well, write those two sentences — a response with no overview is capped however good the detail is.
Frame or Template
Sixteen sentences. Which ones could have been written before seeing the chart?
Sort each item into the correct category
Frame — it holds data
Template — it holds nothing
Unassigned
The graph shows car ownership between 2010 and 2020.
Overall, ownership rose over the period.
The most noticeable feature is that growth stopped after 2017.
In the first year, the figure stood at 42 per cent.
The figure for Spain was 62 per cent.
A similar pattern can be seen in the Portuguese figures.
In the final year, it had fallen back to 64 per cent.
The table gives information about spending in four countries.
In today's modern world, graphs are very important.
This essay will discuss the given data in detail.
It is a well-known fact that data can tell us many things.
The chart is very interesting and gives us much information.
Last but not least, I will describe the final category.
In conclusion, the graph shows a lot of different things.
Nowadays, statistics play a vital role in our society.
As can be seen, there are both advantages and disadvantages.
Complete Every Frame
A whole Task 1 response with the frames removed. The data is supplied.
Fill each gap with the frame that belongs there. The data is given above, so nothing has to be invented — this is about the shapes, not the numbers.
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Percentage of adults using public libraries, three cities (%)
The gives information about the percentage of adults using public libraries in three cities in 2005 and 2015.
, library use fell in two of the three cities over the decade. The most feature is that Cardiff moved in the opposite direction to the other two.
In the year, Bristol had the highest usage of the three, at 48 per cent, while the figure Cardiff was less than half that, at 22 per cent.
By 2015 the picture had changed considerably. Bristol had fallen to 31 per cent, and a pattern can be seen in Leeds, which dropped from 44 to 30 per cent. Cardiff, however, rose slightly, from 22 to 24 per cent.
In the year, therefore, the three cities were far closer together than they had been at the start, and the gap between the highest and lowest had narrowed from 26 percentage points to just seven.