Task 1 at band 8: grouping data and sharp overviews

At band 7, your Task 1 has a clear overview and selected data. At band 8, the selection is sharper, the comparisons are smarter, and the language handles numbers smoothly. The difference is subtle, but you can learn it. This lesson shows you what a band 8 Task 1 does differently.

Why this matters

Task 1 counts for less than Task 2, but it still matters. A strong Task 1 can protect your overall Writing score if Task 2 has a weaker moment. And Task 1 skills are very learnable, because the patterns repeat.

Habit 1: An overview that compares, not just lists

Band 7 overview: "Overall, coal decreased, while gas and solar increased."

Band 8 overview: "Overall, the country's electricity mix shifted markedly away from coal towards cleaner sources, with solar power growing from almost nothing to overtake coal by the end of the period."

The band 8 version describes the big picture (a shift in the mix) and the most striking single feature (solar overtaking coal).

Habit 2: Group by pattern, not by order

Don't describe items in the order they appear in the chart. Group them by what they did.

Items that rose together
Items that fell
The exception

This shows the examiner you understand the data, not just read it.

Habit 3: Compare inside sentences

Instead of two separate facts, put them in one comparison.

Band 6.5: "Coal was 75 TWh in 2010. Solar was 5 TWh in 2010."

Band 8: "In 2010, coal generated 15 times as much electricity as solar, at 75 TWh compared with just 5 TWh."

Habit 4: Use numbers inside flexible structures

Band 8 writers vary how they present figures:

"..., reaching a peak of 75 TWh"
"..., which was more than double the 2000 figure"
"..., accounting for almost half of the total"
"With 60% of commuters using buses, City B..."
"..., a rise of 20 percentage points"

Habit 5: Percentage vs percentage points

This is a precise detail examiners notice. If a figure goes from 20% to 30%:

It rose by 10 percentage points.
It rose by 50 percent (because 10 is half of 20).

Many students say "rose by 10%". At band 8, say percentage points.

Habit 6: Zero slips

At band 8, there's no room for wrong units, wrong years or misread numbers. Check every figure against the chart before you finish.

A band 8 body paragraph (using the W21 data)

The most dramatic change occurred in solar power. From a negligible starting point, solar output grew slowly at first, reaching only 5 TWh by 2010, but it then accelerated sharply, rising tenfold to 50 TWh in 2025. Coal followed the opposite trajectory: after peaking at 75 TWh in 2010, it declined steadily to 35 TWh, meaning that by the end of the period solar was producing considerably more electricity than coal.

Try it yourself

Rewrite as one band 8 comparison sentence: "In City A, 55% drove. In City D, 20% drove."

Sample answer: "Car use in City A was nearly three times as high as in City D, at 55% compared with only 20%."

Honest note

Band 8 Task 1 still needs simple, clear English. Sophistication comes from smart selection and comparison, not from difficult words.

Your task today

Take your last Task 1 answer. Rewrite the overview using Habit 1, and three sentences using Habit 3.