General information about Task 1

3. Using how much, how many and how+...
If the topic is about an uncountable noun, like money, you should use how much
or the amount of.
The graph shows information about how much money was earned by three
bakeries in London, over a decade between 2000 and 2010.
The graph highlights data about the amount of money which was earned by three
bakeries in London, over a ten-year period between 2000 and 2010
Look at the following examples to see how such phrases can help you in
paraphrasing the question and can be used in place of prompt instructions:
• The line graph shows the number of students who visited the museum in the past
month.
The line graph shows how many (countable noun) students visited the museum in
the past month.
• The graph shows the amount of water used for domestic purposes.
The graph shows how much water was used for domestic purposes.
• The graph shows different devices which were used to access the Internet by
university students in a dormitory over the last year.
The graph shows how the Internet was accessed by university students in a
dormitory over the last year.
Useful phrases……

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 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 
The graph / table shows / indicates / illustrates / reveals / represents
It is clear from the graph / table
It can be seen from the graph / table
As the graph / table shows,
As can be seen from the graph I table,
As is shown by the graph / table,
As is illustrated by the graph / table,
From the graph / table it is clear
 Paraphrasing
The easiest way to start your Task 1 essay is by paraphrasing the question.
Here are some simple changes you can make:
• graph = line/bar graph
• chart = line/bar chart
• diagram = figure
• shows = illustrates (or 'compares' if the graph is comparing)
• proportion = percentage
• information = data (data is plural and requires a plural verb)
• the number of = the figure for
• the proportion of = the figure for
• people in the USA = Americans
• from 1999 to 2009 = between 1999 and 2009
• from 1999 to 2009 = over a period of 10 years
• how to produce = the process of producing
• in three countries = in the UK, France and Spain (i.e. name the countries)