Writing: The Language of Numbers and Statistics

When a numerical graph, table or chart is given in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, it is important to describe percentages, counts and changes over time accurately. Visuals such as maps and processes may instead require descriptions of spatial changes or stages. In this lesson, statistics is the engine room for numerical data; not every visual response should be built around numbers.

Under Lexical Resource, the examiner considers vocabulary range, precision and appropriacy. Repeating increased and decreased alone does not determine Band 5–6 or another score. Use proportion words (a quarter, the vast majority), change verbs (double, triple) and approximation expressions (roughly, just under) when they fit the data; language quality is assessed across the complete response.

In this material you will master these three blocks with tables, model sentences and a short self-quiz at the end.

Proportion words describe shares in the diagram — how much each group takes up. When accurate and appropriate, fraction words (50% → half) can help reduce repetition; there is no rule to replace every figure or gain marks through a single substitution.

Grammar note: in the fraction expressions with of below, agreement follows the quantity and noun intended — Two-thirds of students were satisfied with a plural count noun, but Half of the budget was spent on rent with a singular or uncountable quantity. Do not generalise this into a rule that a following noun controls the verb in every such construction.

Change words show the movement of a number over time. In diagrams comparing two dates, the verbs double, triple, halve and noun phrases like a threefold increase are the most effective tools, because with one word they convey both direction and scale.

Learn verbs together with their noun forms:

An exact number cannot always be read from the diagram; moreover, giving an exact percentage in every sentence does not sound natural either. Approximation expressions solve both problems at once: writing just over half instead of 51% both sounds natural and enriches your vocabulary.

An important nuance: just over/under is only for close values; if the gap is large, choose well over/well under. If there is an exact number, don't hesitate to write it in full too — you don't need an approximation in every sentence.

Prepositions can change the meaning of numerical information. Practise using these distinctions accurately:

• rise **by** 15% — the size of the change (how much it has risen).
• rise **to** 65% — the end point (where it has reached).
• rise **from** 50% **to** 65% — both the starting point and the end.
• stand **at** 40% — the level at a specific moment.
• an increase **of** 15 percentage points — in the noun form of is used.

Percent change is relative to the starting value; percentage points measure the difference between two percentage levels. Do not read the list as alternative expressions of the same change.

Also note the difference between percent and percentage: percent comes with a number (60 percent of people), while percentage is used as a separate noun (a large percentage of people).

The most typical mistakes:

• ❌ The sales increased to 20%. (you meant: they increased by 20 percent) → ✅ Sales increased by 20%.
• ❌ the amount of people → ✅ the number of people (with countable nouns, use number).
• ❌ A quarter of students was absent. → ✅ were absent (in this fraction expression, the verb agrees with the plural noun after of).

Now let's see how these three blocks work together. In the short description below, proportion, change and approximation devices are used together:

The pie charts show household spending in one country in 2000 and 2020. Housing accounted for roughly a third of expenditure in both years, making it the largest category throughout. Transport doubled its share, climbing from 10% to a fifth of the total, while food fell to half its previous level, dropping from 30% to under a fifth. Overall, the vast majority of income still went to essentials, despite a threefold increase in leisure spending.

What to notice:

• accounted for roughly a third — a combination of a proportion word and an approximation expression.
• doubled its share — a change verb with an object; alternative: its share doubled.
• climbing / dropping — participle structures attached to the main verb create sentence variety.
• despite a threefold increase — a noun form used in the final sentence here; there is no rule that noun forms must dominate or be used in introductions and overviews. Choose a construction that fits the meaning.

Fill in the gaps with the suitable option. The answers are below — check yourself first.

1. Car ownership ______ between 1990 and 2000. (doubled / majority)
2. ______ two-thirds of the population lived in urban areas. (Roughly / Peaked)
3. There was a ______ increase in mobile phone sales. (threefold / standing)
4. Just ______ half of the respondents were women. (over / by)
5. Sales grew ______ almost 50% last year. (by / at)
6. Women ______ up 55% of the workforce. (made / took)
7. Figures reached a ______ of 88% in August. (peak / quarter)
8. The share of coal dropped ______ 35% to 18%. (from / at)

Answer key:

1. doubled — the verb double expresses a twofold increase.
2. Roughly — gives an approximate quantity at the beginning of the sentence.
3. threefold — a threefold increase is a standard collocation.
4. over — just over half = a little more than half.
5. by — grow by + amount shows the size of the change.
6. made — make up = to form a part.
7. peak — reach a peak of = to hit the highest point.
8. from — from X to Y shows a range.

Try applying these tables to several real graphs a week as a practice plan and compare accuracy and working speed. Progress varies; more automatic recall does not guarantee a particular Task 1 mark.