How to Analyze and Present Data in the IELTS Academic Writing Task

To many people, writing poses a big problem. Many people consider writing activities to be boring and tedious. However, in an English competency test such as the IELTS or the International English Language Testing System, writing examinations cannot be avoided.

Writing is one of the most important skills one has to gain fluency as people always use written communication. In the IELTS examination, the writing section in the Academic Module is believed to be difficult because of the topic presented in the first task of the writing section.

The first task in the Academic writing section is to analyze and present a data. What makes this difficult is coming up with ideas on how to describe figures most especially if a candidate is someone not really into graphs and data analysis. Here are some ways to help examinees present the data to be analyzed.

When presented a data, one must think of how these two are connected or related. Though a candidate realizes the connection, putting it into writing is the problem. First, introduce the graph. Examinees need to indicate what the graph is all about by paraphrasing the title. Consequently, it will be better to analyze the first data presented. Take note of the trend it shows and try to outline the details that the data shows. This can be written in a separate paragraph. The next paragraph will be a description of the other data. In the same way, describe the trend that it depicts and the other details that are relevant presented in the data. Following this paragraph will be the relationship shown between the two. Explain how the two are connected by doing a comparison and contrast of the trends mentioned in the other paragraphs. Interpret the relevance of this trend through elaboration of the ideas. Then finally, write a conclusion summarizing and paraphrasing the thoughts in the paragraphs written.

Interpreting data can be difficult if one does not fully understand what the date represents. Examinees should use words that will clearly state the trends. They should not overlook relevant information and be sure that the description candidates are writing should only be found in the given data.

To be able to help candidates write effectively in the IELTS Academic Module, assistance from IELTS review centers are very beneficial. The more exposure one gets into writing, the better ideas they generate that will be of standards in the IELTS.