Short answer: Most Task 1 marks come from comparing the key features in the data, so you need comparison grammar that is both accurate and varied: comparatives (higher than), superlatives (the highest), equality (as high as), multiples (twice as many as) and modifiers (considerably higher).
Add fewer versus less, and whereas for contrast, and you can describe almost any chart.
The Task 1 descriptor asks you to "cover the requirements of the task" and to highlight "key features". For bar charts, tables and pie charts, that mostly means comparisons. The same grammar also counts toward Grammatical Range and Accuracy. All figures and examples below were written for this article.
Forming comparatives and superlatives
| Adjective type | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| One syllable: high, low, large | higher, lower, larger | the highest, the lowest, the largest |
| Two syllables ending in -y: busy, early | busier, earlier | the busiest, the earliest |
| Two or more syllables: popular, expensive | more popular, more expensive | the most popular, the most expensive |
| Irregular: good, bad, far | better, worse, further | the best, the worst, the furthest |
Never combine the two forms: more higher and most highest are errors.
Making comparisons precise
A correct comparison is not yet a precise one. Modifiers tell the reader how big the difference is:
- Small difference: slightly, marginally, a little: Spending on food was slightly higher in 2020.
- Large difference: considerably, significantly, far, much: Car use was far more common than cycling.
- Ranking: the second highest, the third most popular, by far the largest.
Choose the modifier from the numbers. Calling a gap of 2% "significant" misreports the data, and accurate reporting is part of the Task 1 score.
Equality and multiples
- Equal: Rail travel was as popular as bus travel in 2010.
- Not equal: Online sales were not as high as in-store sales.
- Multiples: Three times as many people cycled in Amsterdam as in London. Spending doubled and spending was twice as high are both fine.
"Three times more than" is common in journalism but can be read two ways. "Three times as many as" is unambiguous, so it is the safer choice in Task 1.
Fewer or less? Number or amount?
| Countable nouns (people, cars, students) | Uncountable nouns (money, water, energy) |
|---|---|
| fewer people | less water |
| the number of cars | the amount of energy |
| many students | much money |
Percentages and proportions work with both: the proportion of students who..., the percentage of energy from coal.
Contrast: whereas, while, compared with
Comparisons often come in pairs. Join them in one sentence to show range:
- Men spent more time on sport, whereas women spent more time reading.
- While coal use fell, solar power rose sharply.
- Compared with 1990, households in 2020 used twice as much electricity.
Common comparison errors
| Error | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|
| Double comparative | more higher | higher |
| than after same | the same than 2010 | the same as in 2010 |
| less with countable nouns | less people | fewer people |
| Missing the in superlatives | Japan had highest rate. | Japan had the highest rate. |
| Comparing the wrong things | Italy's rate was higher than Spain. | Italy's rate was higher than Spain's. |
Practice: correct the sentences
- Germany produced more larger amounts of solar power than France.
- There were less cars on the road in 2020.
- The price in 2015 was the same than in 2010.
Answers: (1) Germany produced larger amounts of solar power than France. (2) There were fewer cars on the road in 2020. (3) The price in 2015 was the same as in 2010.
Chart-by-chart practice: the Band 8 Trainer lessons on bar charts, tables and pie charts. For the overview sentence that frames your comparisons, see how to write a Task 1 overview.