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Example: 
The graph below shows the figures for imprisonment in five countries
between 1930 and 1980. 
 
We can change 3 elements of this sentence: 
1. 
graph shows = bar chart compares
2. 
figures for imprisonment = number of people in prison/prisoners
3. 
between ... and ... = over a period of … years 
Sample paraphrased introduction: 
The bar chart compares the number of people in prison in five different countries over a 
period of 50 years, from 1930 to 1980. (24 words) 
in
th
ous
ands

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IELTS
 JOURNAL 
 
25 
Useful Phrases 
You can use the words and the phrases below to start writing your introductory paragraph 
more quickly with more confidence. 
The … gives information about … 
The … compare(s) … 
The … makes a comparison between … and … 
The … shows changes in … 
The … illustrates …. 
The … shows data about … 

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IELTS
 JOURNAL 
 
26 
Writing the General Overview Paragraph 
In your task 1 essay, you need to write a general summary of the information. Examiners call this 
the 'general overview' or ‘overall trend’. The summary paragraph can be written straight after the 
introduction, but you can also put it at the end of the essay. One way to summarize graphs is to 
look for the overall change for example from the first year to the last year shown. You can also 
look for the main trends or the highest and lowest numbers.