IELTS writing task 1 selecting main points and details

IELTS Writing Task 1: how to select main points
After a short introduction, I always try to write a paragraph which summarises the main
points. When there is a lot of information (like in the bar chart below), it can be difficult
to select the main points.
The table below shows the figures for imprisonment in five countries between 1930
and 1980. (The y axis shows numbers of prisoners in thousands)

(Cambridge IELTS 2)
Usually I look for a change from the beginning to the end of the period. However, there is
no overall trend because the figures fluctuate. So, I'll talk about the highest and lowest
figures instead.
Here is my summary of the main points:
While the figures for imprisonment fluctuated over the period shown, it is clear that the
United States had the highest number of prisoners overall. Great Britain, on the other
hand, had the lowest number of prisoners for the majority of the period.

IELTS Writing Task 1: selecting details
Last week's lesson was about selecting the main points. After that you need to describe
specific details.
The bar chart we saw last week contains a lot of information, so you will not be able to
include everything.


Make sure that you write something about
each country. Select the most relevant point for each country, and don't forget to mention
some figures. I've written an example sentence about each country below.
United States
The United States had the highest number of prisoners in four out of the six years shown
on the chart, and in 1980 the figure for this country peaked at nearly 140,000 prisoners.
Canada
Canada had the highest figures for imprisonment in 1930 and 1950, with about 120,000

prisoners in both years.
New Zealand and Australia
The figures for New Zealand an Australia fluctuated between 40,000 and 100,000
prisoners, although New Zealand's prison population tended to be the higher of the two.
Great Britain
In contrast to the figures for the other countries, the number of prisoners in Great Britain
rose steadily between 1930 and 1980, reaching a peak of about 80,000 at the end of the
period.