The overview is the most important part of your Writing Task 1 answer — and it is only two sentences long. It is a short summary of the main points in the chart, graph, map or process. You write it right after your introduction. The examiner reads it first to check that you understood the data. Without an overview, you cannot reach Band 7, even if the rest of your answer is good.

Where does the overview go?

Put it in the second paragraph. Your answer has four parts: introduction, overview, main points 1, and main points 2. Never put the overview at the end, and never hide it in the middle of your details. Make it easy to find.

How to write it in two sentences

Before you write anything, look at the whole chart. Ask two questions. What is the biggest change? What is the biggest difference? Your overview answers those two questions — nothing more. Do not put numbers in it. Numbers belong in the main points. Use general words like "increased", "decreased", "was the highest" and "was the lowest".

An example you can copy

Imagine a bar chart. It shows how many people visited three museums in 2010 and 2020. Here is the overview for that chart:

"Overall, visitor numbers rose at all three museums between 2010 and 2020. The science museum saw the largest rise, while the history museum remained the least popular in both years."

That is all you need. Two sentences. No numbers. The main trend is clear.

Three mistakes to avoid

First, do not put details in the overview. "The science museum had 50,000 visitors in 2010 and 90,000 in 2020" belongs in the main points, not here. Second, do not start with "In conclusion". The overview is not a conclusion. Third, do not copy the question. Use your own words. Say "rose" instead of "went up a lot". Say "remained the least popular" instead of "was the smallest".

Band 8–9 model overview

Here is a Band 8–9 overview for a line graph about mobile phone use from 2000 to 2020:

"Overall, the use of mobile phones grew sharply over the period, while the use of landlines fell steadily. By 2020, mobile phones had become the most common way to make calls."

The underlined words are the past perfect — "had become". It shows a change that finished before 2020. Use one past perfect verb in your overview when you describe a change that finished by the end of the period.

Try it tonight — 5 minutes

Take any Task 1 chart. Spend 2 minutes finding the biggest change and the biggest difference. Spend 2 minutes writing two overview sentences. Spend 1 minute checking your work. Did you use numbers? Take them out. More than two sentences? Cut it down. Do this once a day for a week, and the overview will become fast and easy.

Keep learning — free

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