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This lesson is based on task 1 of the Academic IELTS Writing exam, in which you write a report about some data. There is a model answer and six exercises, practising various common writing errors. You must complete each exercise before moving on to the next.

Task type: bar chart and line graph
Key skills: eliminating persistent basic grammatical errors

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The figures below show how much energy (measured in kilowatt hours) the average UK house and apartment used in different months of the year and the average monthly temperature across the same period.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

The bar chart and line graph provide information about the amount of energy that is used at different times of the year by two types of households (i.e. houses and apartments) in the UK, as well as the average outside temperature in each month. Overall, it is evident that more energy is consumed by those who live in houses than people in apartments throughout the year, and that energy usage is at its highest in the winter months when temperatures are the lowest, for both kinds of dwellings.

The average energy consumption for a house is between 575 kilowatt hours (in the spring and autumn months when temperatures are between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius) and about 800 kilowatt hours (in December and January when the weather is at its coldest, i.e. 3 to 4 Celsius) per month. The months of June (17 C; roughly 630 kWh) and August (19 C; 650 kWh) were the only slight variations from the otherwise steady trend of more energy use in colder weather. The trend is virtually exactly the same for the amount of energy consumed by those living in apartments. The only difference is that energy use in apartments is approximately 50 kWh lower (e.g. 750 kWh in December) than in houses every month.

This lesson is based on task 1 of the Academic IELTS Writing exam, in which you write a report about some data. There is a model answer and three exercises, practising one aspect of writing. You must complete each exercise before moving on to the next.

Task type: bar chart and table
Key skills: appropriately and accurately reporting data

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The chart and table below show the amount of money made through cinema box office sales in different areas of the world from 2013 to 2016, as well as the top earning box office countries in 2016.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

The bar chart and table provide information about box office revenues in three different regions (Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America) over the course of four years beginning in 2013, and which individual countries made the most amount of money through box office sales in 2016. The figures are in US dollars. Overall, sales in the Asia Pacific region were the highest and grew steadily over the period, with China and Japan as the top international markets in 2016.

The Asia Pacific market saw a steady increase in box office sales from roughly US$11 billion in 2013 to a little more than US$15 billion in 2016, whereas there was a gradual, slight decline in the EMEA region from about US$10.5 billion to just under US$9 billion in the same period. Box office revenues in Latin America were consistently under one-third as big (i.e. approximately US$3 billion every year) as the other two regions.

China and Japan were the top two box office earners in 2016, earning 6.7 and 2.1 billion US dollars respectively. Other top earning countries were India (US$1.9 billion), the UK (US$1.8 billion) and France (US$1.6 billion). Mexico and Brazil (both US$0.7 billion) were the only Latin American countries in the top ten. Clearly, China had by far the best sales in film tickets internationally.

You are going to read a text and then answer 7 questions.

You have 20 minutes to do this. This time has already started.

For many people, the idea of working 100% through the Internet is a dream, allowing freedom and flexibility that most office jobs do not. But, could this work for you? There are many ways to earn money online, but here are four tried-and-tested possibilities to get you thinking.

A. Stock Photographer
The photography industry has changed dramatically in recent years; it is often no longer necessary or financially viable for companies to hire a photographer to shoot simple scenes. Through online platforms it is possible to upload photos of any subject, tag them correctly with useful keywords, and when somebody downloads your photo you will receive a small commission. Though the money for individual photos is often quite small—typically under one US dollar per download—the same photo can be used many times, meaning that over time stock photographers who offer a wide range of photos can receive a steady passive income.

B. English Teacher
Nowadays, many English students are turning away from the traditional model of classroom language learning, opting instead for online classes. While online learning is growing in popularity generally, English teaching in particular has seen rapid growth in recent years. With the right qualification it’s now possible to teach students from almost anywhere in the world from the comfort of your own home.

C. Social Media Manager
The rise of social media has led to the creation of thousands of new jobs that did not exist just twenty years ago. Social media management involves building communities and followers for businesses, or even individuals, by posting regularly and generating comments and interest among social media users. The pay for this position can vary greatly, with large companies paying over $50,000 a year for a successful social media manager who is solely dedicated to their brand, while smaller companies will often look for a cheaper freelance manager, who may work for many companies at once.

D. Blogger
This is certainly not the fastest way to make money, but with a love of writing or creating online content—and plenty of perseverance—blogging can lead to success. It must be said that most blogs don’t make a considerable amount of money, but that shouldn’t put anyone off. Sites like Travel Dude and How Much? have gone from small blogs with a handful of readers to making over $100,000 a year and being read by tens of thousands every week. The key here is content: what can you say that is both unique, and interesting?

You are going to read a text and then answer 7 questions.

You have 20 minutes to do this. This time has already started.

The number of British people working from home, or working remotely, has been steadily rising for years, with a record 1.5 million people working from home in the UK in 2016. As technology improves, this number seems set to increase still further. There are obvious benefits to working remotely, such as flexible hours, reduced travel time, and possibly reduced expenses, especially for workers who live far from their office. However, there are some common pitfalls which can cause problems for many remote workers. Based on readers’ comments, here is our advice to get the most from your homeworking experience.

First and foremost, it is important to establish a work routine. That means starting and ending work at a set time, and also assigning set breaks. This will help you to stay focused; given that the human brain is so prone to laziness and distraction, it helps to have a clear structure to your day.

Next, try to create an environment that is somewhat reminiscent of a typical office, especially at first. If possible, select a room in your home and dedicate it to work. If this is not practical, at least create a dedicated work area that is separate from the spaces where you relax, so that you have a clear separation between work and leisure time. Turn off the TV and make a conscious effort not to spend an excessive amount of time using the Internet for things unrelated to work.

Thirdly, make sure you start your day in the right way. Rolling out of bed five minutes before you have to start work might sound nice, but as the day progresses this is likely to lead to fatigue. One benefit of working away from home is that your body gets at least a little activity before settling down at a desk. You can recreate this by going for a short walk or doing some light stretching before you start work.

Unless you specifically need to be at home, remote working can open up some great possibilities. Why not try working from a cafe one morning a week, or even in a co-working space? One of the principal reasons that people feel frustrated in an office environment is that nothing changes from day to day. In theory, working remotely allows you to choose your own environment, so why not take advantage of this?

You are going to read a text and then answer 7 questions.

You have 20 minutes to do this. This time has already started.

Health and safety training for new hires
All new hires, without exception, are to attend our in-house health and safety training program. As a manager, you are responsible for enrolling any new employees in a training session as soon as possible after their start date. You are also responsible for ensuring the employee’s attendance, as well as dealing with any questions or concerns the employee might have.

The mandatory training consists of a two-hour session. Workers in certain roles might require further, more specialised training. This will be arranged separately, as it might not be possible to provide suitable training in-house.

Goals of health and safety training
Basic health and safety training aims to reduce the risk and incidence of common workplace injuries. Last year, over 5 per cent of employees (36 individuals), suffered a workplace-related injury, the vast majority of which resulted from ignorance of correct procedures. Workplace injuries are often banal in their origins, with the most common being sprains caused by lifting heavy objects with poor technique. Slips and falls were another common cause of injuries.

Workplace injuries can incapacitate employees, resulting in lower productivity for your department. Furthermore, workplace injuries caused by negligence on our side can carry a risk of expensive litigation.

Topics covered during health and safety training
– Common causes of workplace accidents
– Correct lifting technique
– Developing a ‘health and safety mindset’
– Fire safety
– How to report a potential health and safety risk

Follow up
If you have new hires in your department, schedule a short meeting with them after they have attended the training session. Check that everything is clear, and encourage them to give feedback on the session through the intranet page—they will receive an email with a link a few hours after the session takes place.

If you have any concerns that your new employees have not fully understood the contents of the health and safety training, please share your concerns with Jamie Hills in the HR department: [email protected]

Finally, consider arranging your own departmental training sessions to remind your team of good health and safety practices. Standards can slip over time, but ‘booster’ sessions can be an effective way of keeping your team on message.