What is Lexical Resource in IELTS Writing Task 1 and how to reach Band 7+?

In Task 1, Lexical Resource mainly covers:

• Range of vocabulary
  Whether you can use a variety of words and phrases (not just “go up”, “go down”, “big”, “small”) to describe changes, amounts, and comparisons.
• Precision
  How accurately your words describe the data (e.g. “gradual increase”, “sharp decline”, “remain stable”, “peak at 80%”).
• Collocation and naturalness
  How naturally your word combinations sound (e.g. “experience a slight rise”, “reach a peak”, “show a downward trend”).
• Spelling and word form
  Whether you spell words correctly and use the right forms (increase – increased – an increase; percentage – proportion).

A higher band means you can choose vocabulary that fits the graph type and data pattern, with relatively few mistakes.

Also read:

An Overview of IELTS Writing Task 1

How IELTS Writing Task 1 is Assessed

What is Task Achievement in IELTS Writing Task 1 and how to reach Band 7+

What is Coherence and Cohesion in IELTS Writing Task 1 and how to reach Band 7+

What is Grammatical Range and Accuracy in IELTS Writing Task 1 and how to reach Band 7+

An Introduction to the Visuals in IELTS Writing Task 1

Range of vocabulary

Band 6: Some variety, but many basic words repeated.

Band 7: Good range to describe trends, comparisons, and amounts flexibly.

Precision

Band 6: Often general or vague (goes up a lot).

Band 7: Generally precise (rises sharply, remains relatively stable, peaks at…).

Collocation & naturalness

Band 6: Some awkward or incorrect phrases.

Band 7: Mostly natural collocations; occasional errors do not impede understanding.

Synonym use

Band 6: Attempts synonyms, but sometimes unnatural or inaccurate.

Band 7: Uses variety without distorting meaning; avoids “weird” synonyms.

Spelling & word forms

Band 6: Noticeable errors in common words or forms.

Band 7: Occasional errors, but not frequent or systematic.

Overall impression

Band 6: Vocabulary is enough but repetitive and sometimes inaccurate.

Band 7: Vocabulary supports a clear, accurate description of the data.

Also read:

How IELTS Writing Task 1 is Assessed

An Introduction to the Visuals in IELTS Writing Task 1

Band 6

“Overall, car production went up in all three countries between 2000 and 2020. In 2000, Country X produced about 1 million cars, which was more than Country Y and Country Z, at around 0.5 million each. After that, the figures for all countries increased a lot. By 2010, Country X went up to about 2 million, while Country Y and Country Z grew to about 1 million. In 2020, car production in Country X reached around 3 million, and the other two countries also rose to about 1.5 million.”

• Repetition of basic verbs: “went up”, “increased a lot”, “went up to”, “grew to”, “rose”.
• Limited range of trend phrases; “a lot” is vague.

Band 7

“Overall, car production rose steadily in all three countries over the period, with Country X experiencing the most substantial growth and ending the highest. In 2000, manufacturers in Country X produced just over one million vehicles, compared with approximately half a million in both Country Y and Country Z. During the following decade, output increased markedly in all three nations: by 2010, Country X’s production had doubled to around two million units, while the figures for Country Y and Country Z had climbed to roughly one million each. By 2020, car production in Country X had reached a peak of about three million, whereas output in the other two countries had grown more moderately to around 1.5 million.”

• More precise trend language: “rose steadily”, “experienced the most substantial growth”, “increased markedly”, “reached a peak”.
• More precise quantity language: “just over one million”, “approximately half a million”, “doubled”, “roughly”, “moderately”.
• Natural collocations: “car production rose”, “experienced growth”, “reached a peak”, “output increased”.

Also read:

How IELTS Writing Task 1 is Assessed

An Introduction to the Visuals in IELTS Writing Task 1

Instead of repeating “increase” and “decrease”, learn a small set of precise alternatives and degree words:

• Verbs: rise, climb, grow, go up, fall, decline, drop, decrease, fluctuate, level off, remain stable
• Nouns: a rise, an increase, a growth, a fall, a decline, a drop, fluctuations
• Adverbs/adjectives for degree: slightly, gradually, steadily, sharply, dramatically, significantly

Example

Band 6: “The number went up a lot from 2000 to 2010.”

Band 7: “The number rose sharply from 2000 to 2010.”

Also read:

How IELTS Writing Task 1 is Assessed

An Introduction to the Visuals in IELTS Writing Task 1

Vocabulary Strategies for IELTS Writing Task 2

Common Task 1 phrases:

• a small minority, a minority, a majority
• just under / just over (e.g. just under 50%, just over 30%)
• roughly / approximately / around
• twice as high as, three times as many as
• the highest / the lowest / the smallest share / the largest proportion

Example

Band 6: “Country A was about 50% and Country B was about 25%.”

Band 7: “The figure for Country A was roughly twice as high as that for Country B.”

Also read:

How IELTS Writing Task 1 is Assessed

An Introduction to the Visuals in IELTS Writing Task 1

Vocabulary Strategies for IELTS Writing Task 2

Some typical collocations:

• show / illustrate / compare / depict (the chart shows / the graph illustrates)
• experience a slight increase
• reach a peak of…, hit a low of…
• remain relatively stable at…
• follow a similar / different pattern
• be significantly higher / lower than…
• undergo several stages (for processes)
• be converted into, be processed into, be transported to (for processes)

These make your writing sound natural and more academic.

Also read:

How IELTS Writing Task 1 is Assessed

An Introduction to the Visuals in IELTS Writing Task 1

Collocation Strategies for IELTS Writing Task 2

Band 7+ writing:

• Avoids repeating the exact same simple words in every sentence, but
• Also avoids strange synonyms that don’t fit (e.g. “the graph presents the information” is fine; “the graph donates the information” is wrong).

Good strategy:

• Vary “shows”: illustrates, compares, gives information about.
• Vary “increase”: rise, grow, go up, record an increase.
• Vary “decrease”: fall, drop, decline, see a fall.

But keep words you are fully comfortable with; accuracy is more important than variety.

Also read:

How IELTS Writing Task 1 is Assessed

An Introduction to the Visuals in IELTS Writing Task 1

Paraphrasing in IELTS Writing Task 2 for Introduction

Paraphrasing Strategies for IELTS Writing Task 2

Common Task 1 words to master:

• percentage, proportion, figure, amount, number
• population, production, consumption, expenditure
• increase / increased / an increase
• decrease / decreased / a decrease

Typical mistakes that keep you at Band 6:

• “precentage”, “proportion of people are” (agreement issue but often linked with lexical use)
• mixing forms: “it increased a growth” instead of “it increased”, or “it showed a growth”.

Band 7+ has occasional errors, but they are not frequent or repeated.

Also read:

How IELTS Writing Task 1 is Assessed

An Introduction to the Visuals in IELTS Writing Task 1

Vocabulary Strategies for IELTS Writing Task 2

Spelling Strategies for IELTS Writing Task 2

Before writing

• Do I know 8–15 useful topic words and collocations for this question (e.g. “reach a peak”, “significant increase”, “public transport usage”, “environmental damage”)?
• Do I have natural alternatives ready for my most common basic words (good, bad, big, small, very, a lot)?
• Am I clear which academic style words fit (e.g. “children” not “kids”, “advantages” not “good things”)?

While writing

• Am I avoiding over-repetition of very basic words in each paragraph (good/bad/important/problem/thing)?
• Am I using precise words for trends and ideas (e.g. “decline”, “remain stable”, “workplace stress”, “housing affordability”) instead of vague phrases?
• Do my word combinations sound natural (e.g. “take responsibility”, “pose a risk”, “heavy traffic”, “online learning platforms”)?
• Is my tone formal and academic, with no slang or texting language?

After writing

• Can I quickly upgrade 3–5 very basic words (good → beneficial/positive; a lot → many/numerous; very big → significantly large)?
• Are spelling and word forms correct for common IELTS words (environment, government, development, technology, education, percentage, proportion)?
• Have I avoided strange or forced advanced words that I’m not fully sure about?
• Did I avoid copying long phrases from the question; did I paraphrase key terms instead?

Also read:

How IELTS Writing Task 1 is Assessed

An Introduction to the Visuals in IELTS Writing Task 1

Common Mistakes to Avoid in IELTS Writing Task 1

Reaching Band 7+ in Lexical Resource for Academic Writing Task 1 does not require rare or overly complex vocabulary; it requires the right words used in the right way. By building small topic-based word banks for trends and proportions, using natural collocations like “reach a peak” or “experience a gradual increase,” and reducing spelling and word-form errors, you make your data descriptions much more precise and professional. With regular practice upgrading basic phrases and rewriting Band 6-style sentences into stronger Band 7 versions, your vocabulary will start to support clear, accurate reporting of visuals, which is exactly what examiners reward in higher bands.

An Introduction to IELTS Academic Test

Everything You Need to Know about IELTS Academic Writing Test

An Overview of IELTS Writing Task 1

How IELTS Writing Task 1 is Assessed

What is Task Achievement in IELTS Writing Task 1 and how to reach Band 7+

What is Coherence and Cohesion in IELTS Writing Task 1 and how to reach Band 7+

What is Grammatical Range and Accuracy in IELTS Writing Task 1 and how to reach Band 7+

An Introduction to the Visuals in IELTS Writing Task 1

General Test Skills for IELTS Writing Task 1

Time Management Skills for IELTS Writing Task 1

Proofreading Skills for IELTS Writing Task 1

Common Mistakes to Avoid in IELTS Writing Task 1

Vocabulary Strategies for IELTS Writing Task 2

Collocation Strategies for IELTS Writing Task 2

Spelling Strategies for IELTS Writing Task 2

Paraphrasing in IELTS Writing Task 2 for Introduction

Paraphrasing Strategies for IELTS Writing Task 2