Select the main trends, compare key figures, and avoid listing every number.
Lesson
Start with an overview
After a one-sentence paraphrase of the task, write a clear overview of the main trend or comparison. Examiners look for this.
Key strategies
Name the biggest rise, fall, or contrast
Group categories that behave similarly
Use data in the body paragraphs, not in the overview
Avoid
Give opinions or reasons the chart does not show
Copy the question word for word as your first sentence
Examples
Overall, energy from wind grew steadily, while coal declined, and solar remained the smallest source throughout the period.
Compare, don’t catalogue
Pick 6–8 striking figures. Pair them: highest vs lowest, start vs end, or two categories that cross.
Key strategies
Use comparative language: whereas, overtook, twice as high as
Round figures where exactness is not required (about 18%)
Aim for 160–180 words. Under 150 is penalised; a long list of numbers is also penalised.
Question 1 of 1
A chart shows coffee consumption in two countries from 2000 to 2020. Country A rises from 2kg to 5kg per person; Country B falls from 6kg to 4kg. Which overview is best?