Why grouping matters

Task 1 is not a list of numbers. Examiners reward selection and comparison. Grouping turns many items into a few clear messages. Compare sentences then prove your overview with selective data.

Rule of three

• 1 overview idea
• 2 body paragraphs
• 3 focused comparisons per body

How to group fast in 30 seconds

1. Find extremes: highest, lowest, biggest rise or fall.
2. Spot patterns: up, down, stable, fluctuating.
3. Build clusters: high vs low, early vs late, majority vs minority, winners vs laggards.
4. Name the clusters with short labels: Leaders, Mid group, Tail.

Compare sentence anatomy

Compare frame
Subject A + trend or value + linking phrase + Subject B + trend or value.

Good linking phrases

• compared with, while, whereas, than, in contrast to, slightly more than, roughly double, almost half of

Precision boosters

• slightly, marginally, steadily, sharply, dramatically, by contrast, on the other hand

Model frames by task type

Line or bar charts

• X rose from 20 to 40, whereas Y fell from 35 to 22.
• Country A remained the highest throughout, compared with Country C, which stayed lowest.

Pie charts

• In 2020, online sales formed nearly half, while store sales made up about one third.
• The share of A overtook B by the end of the period.

Tables

• City B’s cost increased by 18, slightly more than City A’s rise of 15.
• Hotels were the most expensive, whereas transport was the cheapest in all cities.

Processes

• Earlier stages focus on preparation, while later stages involve assembly and packaging.
• Two inputs merge at Stage 4, in contrast to single input steps elsewhere.

Maps

• The area shifted from farmland to housing, whereas the river bank remained unchanged.
• New roads were added in the north, while the southern path was removed.

Grouping recipes

Time series

• Group 1: early years
• Group 2: later years
  Write: Early values were low and stable, whereas later values rose sharply.

Categories

• Leaders: top two
• Middle: next two
• Tail: last one or two
  Write: Leaders outperformed the rest by a wide margin, while the tail remained below 10.

Proportions

• Majority vs minority
  Write: A and B together accounted for the majority, in contrast to the remaining segments which stayed under one fifth each.

Numbers that prove, not drown

• Use two to four figures per paragraph.
• Prefer ranges and endpoints to long lists.
• Use about, roughly, nearly when estimation is safer.

Example
Overview: Car use rose, bus fell, cycling stayed low.
Body: Car trips climbed from 20 to about 40. Bus declined from roughly 35 to 22. Cycling hovered near 5 to 7.

Upgrade verbs and nouns

• rise, climb, grow, increase
• fall, decline, drop, decrease
• peak, plateau, dip, surge, plunge
• proportion, share, segment, category, figure

Adjectives for magnitude

• slight, modest, steady, marked, sharp, dramatic

Mini drills with keys

Drill 1: Build clusters

Data: A 48, B 45, C 18, D 16, E 12.
Task: Create clusters and one compare sentence.

Sample answer
Clusters: Leaders A and B; Tail C to E.
Sentence: A and B were the leaders near the mid 40s, whereas C, D, and E remained in the teens.

Drill 2: Convert raw notes to comparisons

Notes: A up 10, B down 5, C stable near 20.
Sentence: A increased by 10, while B fell by 5, and C remained close to 20.

Drill 3: Pie chart switch

Notes: 2015 store 60, online 25; 2020 store 40, online 45.
Sentence: Online sales grew from a quarter to nearly half, overtaking store sales which fell from three fifths to two fifths.

Paragraph blueprints

Body 1: Leaders and majors

1. Topic sentence: who leads or biggest change
2. Compare sentence 1: leader vs second
3. Compare sentence 2: leader vs tail with one figure
4. Micro conclusion: pattern over time or size

Body 2: Remaining and exceptions

1. Topic sentence: the rest and any outlier
2. Compare sentence 1: mid group vs tail
3. Compare sentence 2: exception against the trend
4. Micro conclusion: stability or reversal

Common errors and quick fixes

• Listing numbers without links → Add whereas or compared with.
• Over precision with many decimals → Use about and round sensibly.
• No cluster labels → Name groups before comparing.
• Mismatched units → Check axes, years, and symbols first.
• Repeating the same verb → Rotate increase, rise, climb; fall, decline, drop.

10 minute practice plan

• Minute 1: circle extremes and mark patterns.
• Minutes 2 to 3: draw three clusters and write labels.
• Minutes 4 to 7: write two body paragraphs with three compare sentences total.
• Minutes 8 to 9: add selective numbers that prove each sentence.
• Minute 10: check units, articles, and variety of linkers.

Quick checklist before you finish

• Do I have clear clusters with names
• Does each body contain compare sentences, not lists
• Are numbers selective and accurate
• Are units and years consistent
• Did I vary linking phrases and verbs

Build your unique study system

1. Keep a cluster notebook with common patterns and model sentences.
2. Create a linker wheel and spin to avoid repetition.
3. Make a data to sentence drill: three figures in, one compare sentence out.
4. Weekly, rewrite two old answers using new clusters and stronger linkers.

Final advice

Group first, then compare. Two strong clusters and three precise comparisons will support your overview and keep your report clear and concise. With short daily drills and careful verb choice, Task 1 becomes quick to plan and confident to write.