APIEIELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Energy Security
Energy security and nuclear power
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:
This 40-minute lesson builds key vocabulary and phrasing for describing charts before students write a full report.
Use the built-in answer checks so students can review their work independently or discuss items in pairs.
For the learner:
Work through the four warm-up tasks first to refresh your vocabulary for trends, numbers, and comparisons.
Next, check your answers, review any mistakes, and carry these useful expressions into your writing.
📚 Module 1: Vocabulary & Phrasing Warm-Up
Get ready for data tasks with these quick practice exercises.
Part A: Word Forms
Complete each sentence by writing the correct form of the word in brackets.
1. Borrowing figures for children's fiction showed noticeable [fluctuate] throughout the summer months.
2. Non-fiction loans dropped [sharp] in November, falling to under 300 volumes per week.
3. A large [proportionate] of all loans consisted of academic textbooks during exam terms.
4. The total number of loans remained relatively [stability] from January through April.
5. Audiobook requests grew [steady] throughout the final quarter of the year.
Part B: Describing Data Collocations
Choose the single word that naturally fits the gap in each sentence.
6. There was a ______ rise in biography borrowings between March and May.
7. Daily lending figures reached a ______ of 1,200 books in mid-August before declining.
8. Weekend loans experienced a ______ drop right after the semester ended.
9. Reference book consultations saw a ______ change across the autumn term.
10. Young adult fiction experienced an ______ upward trend in the second half of the year.
Part C: Useful Phrases for Describing Figures
Use the words from the bank below to complete each common report phrase. Each word is used once.
11. Digital catalogue downloads ______ for nearly 40% of all monthly borrowing.
12. At the beginning of the year, total registered loans ______ at approximately 5,000 items.
13. Fiction loans were three times higher ______ with poetry collections.
14. The winter period ______ a substantial decline in visits across every branch.
15. With ______ to magazine loans, the trend remained flat over all four quarters.
Part D: Paraphrasing Sentences
Select the sentence that expresses the same meaning in different words.
Original sentence:
"Adult fiction borrowings doubled between March and September."
Which option accurately rewrites this statement?
Original sentence:
"Roughly half of all borrowed items were returned after their due date."
Which option accurately rewrites this statement?
Original sentence:
"Children's book loans exceeded those of teen fiction in every recorded month."
Which option accurately rewrites this statement?
⚡ Module 2: Academic Writing Task 1
Write a report about this power generation data.
Writing Task
The table gives the yearly output of five types of power station in one country in 2000 and in 2020, in terawatt-hours. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
| Power station | 2000 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 40 | 120 |
| Gas | 90 | 45 |
| Coal | 150 | 20 |
| Wind | 5 | 60 |
| Hydro | 55 | 58 |
(Figures are fictional.)
☑️ General Task 1 Checklist
Every Task 1 report requires these core elements. Tick each item as you review your draft:
Your Response
AI GradedWrite your complete report in the box below. When finished, submit for instant feedback across the four official IELTS criteria.
____ (The table illustrates the annual electricity generation of five different categories of power plant...)📖 Module 3: Model Answer & What Makes It Work
Review this example report and see why it works.
📝 Model Answer (177 words)
Band 9 Standard • Open ReferenceThe table compares electricity generation across five types of power station in a single nation between 2000 and 2020, with all figures measured in terawatt-hours.
Overall, the country experienced a decisive transition away from fossil fuels toward low-carbon energy sources. While nuclear and wind output expanded substantially, generation from coal and gas contracted sharply, and hydroelectric supply remained virtually unchanged throughout the two decades.
In 2000, nuclear facilities generated 40 terawatt-hours. Over the subsequent twenty years, this figure tripled to 120 terawatt-hours, establishing nuclear as the single largest electricity supplier in the country. Wind energy witnessed an even more dramatic rise, climbing twelvefold from a modest 5 terawatt-hours to 60 terawatt-hours by 2020.
Conversely, coal had been the dominant source of power in 2000 at 150 terawatt-hours, yet its yearly output plummeted to merely 20 terawatt-hours two decades later. In parallel, generation from gas halved, falling from 90 to exactly 45 terawatt-hours. Hydroelectric stations stood apart from these broad shifts; their annual output remained remarkably stable, edging up from 55 to 58 terawatt-hours over the same timeframe.
💡 Why This Works: 7 Useful Phrases to Steal
Here is why each highlighted expression from the model answer is worth remembering:
"experienced a decisive transition away from"
Why it works: Summarises the big picture in your overview immediately without getting bogged down in individual numbers.
"remained virtually unchanged"
Why it works: Perfect for data that moves very little (such as 55 to 58). It sounds more natural than saying "rose by a very tiny amount".
"this figure tripled to"
Why it works: Mathematically exact for 40 to 120. Using ratio verbs instead of just listing two numbers shows higher precision and control.
"establishing [nuclear] as the single largest"
Why it works: Explains what the number actually means in the wider context, rather than just leaving an isolated statistic on the page.
"witnessed an even more dramatic rise"
Why it works: Links two related categories (nuclear and wind) smoothly so your writing flows like a story instead of a dry list.
"plummeted to merely"
Why it works: Pairs a strong verb for a steep crash (150 down to 20) with "merely" to highlight how tiny the ending figure became compared with its starting point.
"stood apart from these broad shifts"
Why it works: Signposts an exception clearly. When four items change heavily and one stays flat, this phrase shows you have grouped your information thoughtfully.
Related lessons
Class activity: Veltra Figure Match (Energy Security)
Energy security and nuclear power
Speaking · 20 min
Grammar: Energy Security and Comparison Phrases
Energy security and nuclear power
Grammar · 12 min
IELTS Speaking: Energy Security and Nuclear Power
Energy security and nuclear power
Speaking · 30 min
Vocabulary & Pronunciation: Energy Security
Energy security and nuclear power
Vocabulary · 20 min
IELTS Writing: Household Energy Use
Environment
Writing · 20 min
C1 Writing: Office Waste Reduction Proposal
Environment
Writing · 25 min