IELTS Writing Task 1: Music Festival Attendance
Concerts and music festivals
Answers and an explanation for each question appear once you add this activity to your own library.
How to Use This Lesson
📌 For the Teacher
• Guide learners through this 15-minute vocabulary build-up module to practice key chart-describing words before writing.
• Have students work through the auto-graded questions independently, then review tricky word forms and collocations together.
🚴 For the Learner
• Start by reviewing the example chart phrases to see how we describe changes over time in bicycle training data.
• Next, complete the four short activities below to test your skills before moving on to the main task.
🚴 Module 1: Describing Data & Trends (Learning to Ride a Bicycle)
When describing charts or tables in writing, you need clear words to show how numbers change over time. Below is a summary of how a student's progress was measured while learning to ride a bicycle over four weeks.
Example Sentence Pattern
"The number of wobbles fell sharply in week two, although the student was still practicing on uneven ground."
Upward Trends
Words like rose, increased, climbed, or grew describe numbers going up.
Downward Trends
Words like fell, dropped, declined, or decreased describe numbers going down.
Steady & Peaks
Phrases like remained steady or reached a peak describe stability or top points.
Part A Word Forms (5 items)
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the word in brackets to complete each sentence about cycling data.
1. The total practice time _____ (increase) steadily from 2 hours in week one to 8 hours in week four.
2. After a shaky start, rider confidence _____ (rise) gradually over the month.
3. The number of recorded falls has _____ (drop) significantly since balance training began.
4. Riding speed was _____ (fluctuate) between 5 km/h and 12 km/h during the first week.
5. By the end of the course, the maximum distance traveled without stopping had _____ (grow) to 15 kilometers.
Part B Data Describing Collocations (5 items)
Choose the single correct word that naturally fits the sentence describing bicycle training data.
6. The learner's balance rating _____ a peak of 95 out of 100 on day twenty.
7. The total number of wobbles _____ from 40 in week one to 5 in week four.
8. Average daily practice time _____ steady at 45 minutes for two full weeks.
9. The distance covered without assistance _____ a significant increase during the third week.
10. Riding speed _____ a low of 3 kilometers per hour during steering practice on day one.
Part C Common Phrases for Describing Figures (5 items)
Select the correct phrase from the word bank to fill in each sentence gap.
📦 Word Bank
11. The _____ shows a clear improvement in pedaling smoothness over the four-week period.
12. The proportion of practice time spent without assistance _____ 80 percent by week four.
13. Basic balance drills _____ nearly half of total practice time during the first week.
14. Successful turns rose to 30 in session five, _____ a brief drop in session six due to wet grass.
15. Learners completed 12 kilometers in week three, _____ just 4 kilometers in week one.
Part D Paraphrasing Sentences (3 items)
Choose the sentence that expresses the exact same meaning using different words.
16. Original Sentence:
"The number of wobbles fell sharply between day 2 and day 5."
17. Original Sentence:
"Riding distance doubled from 5 kilometers to 10 kilometers in week three."
18. Original Sentence:
"Practice time remained unchanged at 10 hours per week for the final fortnight."
📊 Module 2: Writing Your Task 1 Report
Now it is time to put your skills into practice and write a complete Task 1 report based on the data given below.
Writing Task Prompt
The table gives information about the ages of the people who bought tickets for one music festival in 2010 and in 2020, as a percentage of all the tickets sold. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 120 words.
| Age group | 2010 (%) | 2020 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20 | 12 | 18 |
| 20-29 | 38 | 34 |
| 30-39 | 28 | 22 |
| 40 and over | 22 | 26 |
(Figures are fictional.)
📋 Task 1 Checklist
Before submitting your response, verify that your writing includes all the essential elements of a successful Task 1 report:
✍️ Write Your Response
Type your full Task 1 summary below. Write at least 120 words. Your essay will be evaluated against official IELTS criteria.
____ (Write your report here...)⭐ Module 3: Model Answer & Useful Phrases
Here is a complete model report for the music festival task. Read through it to see how the table figures are reported accurately and compared.
📖 Model Answer
Task 1 reportThe table compares the proportion of music festival ticket buyers across four age groups in 2010 and 2020.
Overall, it is clear that people aged 20 to 29 made up the largest share of ticket buyers in both years, despite a decline. Additionally, while ticket sales to younger and older visitors increased, middle-aged buyers saw a drop.
In 2010, the 20 to 29 age group accounted for the largest share at 38%, but this figure fell by four percentage points to 34% in 2020. Conversely, sales for those under 20 experienced a steady rise, climbing from 12% to 18%.
In contrast to the youngest group, the percentage of buyers aged 30 to 39 dropped from 28% to 22%. Finally, the proportion of festival goers aged 40 and over increased slightly from 22% in 2010 to 26% ten years later.
💡 Why This Works: Useful Phrases Explained
Here are 8 key expressions used in the model report and a simple explanation of why each one is effective.
1. "compares the proportion of"
Why this works: Gives a clear, precise opening statement by paraphrasing the prompt topic without repeating the prompt words.
2. "Overall, it is clear that"
Why this works: Signals your summary paragraph smoothly so the reader can immediately spot the main overall trend.
3. "accounted for the largest share"
Why this works: Uses a natural, high-level collocation to highlight the biggest data category in a percentage table.
4. "fell by four percentage points"
Why this works: Uses exact mathematical language for percentage differences instead of incorrectly stating percent change.
5. "experienced a steady rise"
Why this works: Pairs a formal verb with an adjective and noun to create sentence variety when showing growth.
6. "In contrast to"
Why this works: Connects opposing data patterns directly, making comparative sentences easy to follow.
7. "Finally, the proportion of"
Why this works: Transitions smoothly to the final group while keeping an appropriate academic writing tone.
8. "increased slightly from"
Why this works: Accurately measures minor upward movement while clearly connecting starting and ending numbers.
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