APIEIELTS Academic Writing: Herbal Product Trends
Traditional medicine and health myths
Answers and an explanation for each question appear once you add this activity to your own library.
Build-Up: Data & Vocabulary Foundations
Welcome to Module 1! In this lesson, you will practice key words and sentence patterns for describing figures and trends using a survey about birthday gift preferences.
💡 How to use this lesson
👩🏫 For Teachers (40-minute session)
Guide students through these foundational language activities to prepare them for report writing. You can monitor student responses and check answers in real time via the teacher dashboard.
🎓 For Learners
Start by practicing word forms, collocations, and data phrases here in Module 1. Once you feel confident with these language patterns, move on to Module 2 to write your full Task 1 report.
A Part (a): Word Forms (5 items)
Complete each sentence about birthday gift preferences by putting the word in brackets into the correct form.
1. There was a noticeable ____ (grow) in the number of people who preferred receiving gift cards over physical items.
Hint: Change the verb 'grow' into a noun.
2. The demand for personalized gifts was ____ (proportion) higher among younger shoppers.
Hint: Change the noun 'proportion' into an adverb to describe 'higher'.
3. The preference for spending money on experiences has ____ (rise) sharply throughout the holiday season.
Hint: Use the form of 'rise' that follows 'has' (rise, rose, ...).
4. Most shoppers made a clear ____ (divide) between practical presents and sentimental keepsakes.
Hint: Change the verb 'divide' into a noun.
5. The popularity of online gift registries varied ____ (significant) depending on the age group.
Hint: Change the adjective 'significant' into an adverb to describe the verb 'varied'.
B Part (b): Data Collocations (5 items)
Choose the natural word that best completes each sentence about survey findings on gift shopping.
6. The total amount spent on handmade birthday gifts _____ a peak of $80 per person in December.
7. Sales of store gift certificates _____ steady throughout the spring months.
8. Electronics _____ for the largest share of birthday gift choices among teenagers.
9. The number of shoppers buying books _____ sharply after the discount period ended.
10. Online purchases for birthday presents _____ a slight dip in the middle of the year.
C Part (c): Common Data Phrases (5 items)
Fill in the blanks using phrases from the word bank below.
📦 Word Bank
11. Gift cards were the most popular choice, ____ books and clothing items.
12. ____ shoppers preferred giving digital gift vouchers over cash.
13. Spending on custom photo gifts showed ____ over the three-year period.
14. Sales of high-tech gadgets grew rapidly, ____ to board games, which fell.
15. Shoppers spent an average of $50 on electronics, ____ just $15 on flowers.
D Part (d): Paraphrasing (3 items)
Read the original sentence and choose the option that expresses the same idea in different words.
Original Sentence
"More than half of the shoppers preferred buying clothing items as birthday gifts."
Which sentence has the same meaning?
Original Sentence
"Spending on gift cards rose sharply from $20 to $65 over five years."
Which sentence has the same meaning?
Original Sentence
"Books and music vouchers recorded equal shares of popularity among buyers."
Which sentence has the same meaning?
The Task: Practice Report Writing
Now it's time to put your skills into practice and write a full Task 1 report based on the provided table.
Writing Task Prompt
The table shows the percentage of adults who bought a herbal product in the last month in four regions of one country in 2008, 2016 and 2024.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
| Region | 2008 | 2016 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Coast | 12 | 19 | 33 |
| River Valley | 25 | 27 | 24 |
| Highlands | 38 | 31 | 22 |
| Capital Region | 16 | 29 | 41 |
(Figures are fictional.)
📋 Task 1 Writing Checklist
Every Task 1 report needs to include the following essential components:
Overview
Include a clear general trend or overall summary of the main pattern.
Key Features
Select and highlight the most prominent trends, highs, and lows.
Comparisons
Make relevant comparisons between categories and time periods.
Accurate Figures
Support your points with precise data directly from the chart/table.
Word Count
Write a minimum of 150 words to complete the task fully.
Write Your Report
AI Graded AssessmentType your full Task 1 report below. When you are done, your submission will be evaluated on IELTS writing criteria.
____ (Write your Task 1 report here (at least 150 words)...)Model Answer & Analysis
Read this high-scoring model answer to see how to organize your ideas, group data, and use precise language.
Model Response
The table compares the proportion of adults buying herbal products across four regions in 2008, 2016, and 2024.
Overall, it is clear that herbal product purchases increased in the Capital Region and North Coast, whereas figures for the Highlands declined and River Valley remained relatively stable. By the end of the period, the Capital Region recorded the highest percentage.
In detail, in 2008, the Highlands registered the highest figure at 38%, followed by River Valley at 25%. Over the next 16 years, buying in the Highlands dropped steadily to 22%, while River Valley fluctuated slightly, ending at 24% in 2024.
In sharp contrast, the remaining two regions experienced significant growth. The percentage in the Capital Region more than doubled from 16% in 2008 to 41% in 2024, becoming the highest of all regions. Similarly, the North Coast saw purchasing figures almost triple, rising from 12% to 33% over the same timeframe.
💡 Useful Phrases & Why They Work
Here are the key phrases used in the model answer and why each one helps raise your writing score.
Why this works
Signals the start of your overview paragraph clearly so the examiner immediately sees your main summary.
Why this works
Connects the final year's outcome back to the whole timeframe without repeating year numbers.
Why this works
A high-level lexical phrase to report peak numbers without repeating simple verbs like "was".
Why this works
Links items in rank order smoothly within a single comparison sentence.
Why this works
Accurately describes data that moves up and down within a narrow range over time.
Why this works
Creates a strong, clear logical transition when moving from declining trends to rising trends.
Why this works
Expresses a mathematically accurate ratio change (16% to 41%) dynamically instead of just stating raw numbers.
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