How to Analyze Diagrams for IELTS Task 1

Below are steps and techniques we teach in our English writing classes for how to analyze IELTS Diagrams for Task 1 Writing questions for the Academic IELTS test. Also, you will learn how to use your analysis of diagrams to write an effective Task 1 Writing response.

Creating an IELTS Writing Task 1 response analyzing Diagrams

Remember, for the IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 question, you need to analyze a chart, table, diagram, map, or graph (or a combination of these). The Academic Writing Task 1 assignment is always the same: “Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.”

Let’s use the following sample question to see how we can analyze IELTS Task 1 diagrams to build an effective Task 1 response.

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Diagram — Source: https://visibleearth.nasa.gov/images/54219/cloud-effects-on-earths-radiation

Before we begin writing your IELTS Task 1 response, we need to spend a few minutes analyzing the diagram and planning what we will write. During this analysis we want to ask a few questions:

What seems most important to know about the effect of high clouds on different kinds of radiation?

What seems most important to know about the effect of low clouds on different kinds of radiation?

Step 1: Analyzing different types of Radiation for a Main Feature

First, when you analyze IELTS diagrams you need to look at each part of the graphic, one by one, and notice what processes you see in various parts of the diagram. Here, we should focus on the differences between shortwave and longwave radiation, paying attention to what happens when they interact with high and low clouds.

What happens to shortwave radiation when it hits different kinds of clouds?

How do different kinds of clouds affect what happens to longwave radiation?

What happens to shortwave radiation when it hits the Earth’s surface?

For example, when analyzing this diagram, you might notice the following about shortwave radiation:

When shortwave radiation hits high clouds, very little reflects back into space; nearly all of it passes through high clouds to reach the Earth’s surface.
For shortwave radiation that hits low clouds, around 1/3 reflects back into space; a large amount of shortwave radiation seems to be absorbed by the low clouds, with very little of it reaching the Earth’s surface.

Regarding longwave radiation, we can see the following:

When longwave radiation hits high clouds, very little is passes through into space; about equal amounts of the remaining radiation seems to be either absorbed or reflected by the high clouds.
For longwave radiation that hits low clouds, about equal amounts of the remaining radiation seems to be either pass through or is reflected by the low clouds; it seems like no longwave radiation is absorbed by the low clouds.

That is a lot to think about! We should now be able to use these pieces of information as Main Features for each of the cloud effects on short- and longwave radiation.

Step 2: Comparing Main Features to each other

Next, however, we need to compare the effects of clouds on longwave and shortwave radiation to each other. One thing we could compare are the absorption rates of short- and longwave radiation. These comparisons could help us to create a plan for our body paragraphs.

How do high clouds absorb shortwave radiation differently than low clouds?

How do high clouds absorb longwave radiation differently than low clouds?

For example, when analyzing this diagram, you may notice the following about shortwave radiation:

About half of the shortwave radiation that hits low clouds seems to be absorbed by the clouds.
When shortwave radiation hits high clouds, none of it is absorbed.

These effects of clouds on shortwave radiation could form the basic focus of one body paragraph.

For longwave radiation, you may notice the following:

About half of the longwave radiation that hits high clouds seems to be absorbed by the clouds.
When longwave radiation hits low clouds, none of it is absorbed.

So, we could compare how clouds affect longwave radiation in another body paragraph.

By focusing on how cloud absorb radiation, we have been able to discover a way of comparing shortwave and longwave radiation. We can now use these groupings to build an outline for our body paragraphs (paragraphs #2 and #3). Because this diagram is simple, we only need to write a three-paragraph response.

Step 3: Choosing information for the Overview statement

Now we have to think about what information should go in our Overview statement. Remember, an ‘Overview Statement’ states what we think is most important to know about the diagram.

How do the effects of high and low clouds on radiation compare to each other?

For example, when we analyze IELTS diagrams here, the comparison of Main Features made two things clear:

Low clouds have a greater effect on shortwave radiation than high clouds.
High clouds have a greater effect on longwave radiation than low clouds.

All of these pieces of information would be good to include in our Overview when we analyze IELTS diagrams.

NOTE: In Overview Statements for graphs, charts, or tables, it can often be useful to focus on the the ‘rankings’ (highest, lowest, etc.) of different parts of a graph, chart, or table. This is especially true when you are having a hard time deciding what information feels ‘most important’!

Step 4: Writing the Overview Paragraph

Now we need to start writing our response. First, we need to write the first paragraph: the ‘Overview Paragraph’. In this paragraph we only need to include two items: 1) paraphrase of the Description Sentence and 2) an Overview Statement.

Paraphrasing the Description Sentence

The Description Sentence is the one-sentence description given to you above the diagram: “The diagram shows how clouds affect radiation in the Earth’s atmosphere.” We need to rephrase this using as much of our own grammar and vocabulary as possible. Also, we need to get a little more specific about what kind of information is in the diagram.

For example, this might be a good paraphrase of the Description Sentence:

The diagram describes the impact clouds have on radiation entering and cycling through the Earth’s atmosphere.

Notice that our paraphrase gets a little more specific about what information is in the diagram. Our paraphrase mentions that the table gives data about radiation “entering and cycling” through the atmosphere, which was not in the original Description Sentence.

Creating the Overview Sentence

Then, we will write our Overview Statement. For all your Overview Statements, we recommend you always start with “Overall, it is notable that…”.

For example, this might be a good paraphrase of the Description Sentence:

Overall, it is notable that while clouds at different altitudes have varying effects on radiation that hits them, low-lying clouds have a greater effect on shortwave radiation and high-altitude clouds have a larger impact on longwave radiation.

In this sentence, we have included two pieces of information in a complex sentence with a lot of high-level grammatical structures and a few high-level vocabulary words.

So, with those two sentences, I have now completed my Overview Paragraph. This paragraph is 53 words long!

The diagram describes the impact clouds have on radiation entering and cycling through the Earth’s atmosphere. Overall, it is notable that while clouds at different altitudes have varying effects on radiation that hits them, low-lying clouds have a greater effect on shortwave radiation and high-altitude clouds have a larger impact on longwave radiation.

Step 5: Writing Paragraphs #2 and #3 (and possibly #4)

Now I need to write two body paragraphs where I describe the Main Features I came up with earlier. Also, I will need to add some statistics (i.e., numbers) that ‘support’ some of these Main Features. Typically, I will add statistics to most, but not all, of the sentences in my body paragraphs.

In my analysis, I already grouped some of the different purchasing methods, which I will use to build my body paragraphs:

- I’ll focus on shortwave radiation in Paragraph #2.
- I’ll focus on longwave radiation in Paragraph #3.

Using words and phrases to introduce, connect, and contrast

When writing my body paragraphs, it is very important to use words and phrases that introduce, connect, and contrast these different purchase methods. Words and phrases like “according to…”, “however”, “similarly”, and “regarding” are very useful to do this.

Adding statistics to provide “evidence” for Main Features

The last thing I need to think about with what statistics (i.e., numbers) I will add to my response. For the most effective, high-level responses, we need to provide ‘evidence’ that various purchase methods are increasing or decreasing. So, in most of the sentences in paragraph #2 and #3, I will add short prepositional phrases in various ways. Sometimes I will add them to the end of a sentence and sometimes I will add them somewhere in the middle.

See how I use various words and phrases to introduce, connect, and contrast the different pieces of information in these following paragraphs. Also, notice also how I add statistics to support most of the Main Features in each sentence.

According to the diagram, over half of the shortwave radiation that hits low clouds seems to be absorbed by the clouds, with one-third being reflected back into space–very little of it reaches the Earth’s surface. In contrast, when this type of radiation hits high clouds, none is absorbed; nearly all of it passes through to the Earth’s surface.

A somewhat inverse process is seen with longwave radiation (radiation emanating from the Earth’s surface); high clouds seems to absorb around half of the longwave radiation that hits them. Very little of this radiation passes through high clouds into space, with roughly equal amounts of the remaining radiation seeming to be either absorbed or reflected by the high clouds. In the case of low clouds, about equal amounts of the remaining longwave radiation seems to be either pass through or is reflected by the low clouds; it appears that no longwave radiation is absorbed by the low clouds.

You can find more information about how to use transition words and statistics in our Top 5 IELTS Academic Task One Writing Tips blog post! Also, study the sample responses found on our Sample IELTS Writing Task 1 Charts & Responses blog post!

Complete Response for IELTS Writing Task 1 Diagrams

And that’s it! For IELTS Writing Task 1, we do NOT need a conclusion paragraph. Again, some IELTS Writing Task 1 responses may require a fourth paragraph because you are analyzing more complex diagrams.

See the complete responses for this IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Diagram Question

Summary

So, you need to practice how to analyze IELTS diagrams and see what parts of the sample response above you can use for other Task 1 responses. Many parts of the above response could be used for Task 1 questions focused on graphs, pie charts, bar charts, maps, and tables, too! The more you practice writing Academic IELTS Task 1 responses, the more you will see your IELTS Writing score improve!

More IELTS Writing Tips!

Want to know how to prepare for the IELTS exam at home? You can learn many IELTS preparation tips for how to improve your IELTS score with PELA Online’s Academic IELTS Preparation course, with Modules to help you with listening, reading, writing, and speaking test questions.

Watch Lesson 1, Module 1 for IELTS Writing Task One for FREE!

Want to learn more IELTS Writing tips? Learn how to start paragraphs for IELTS Task 1 Writing!

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