What this converter does
Task 1 rewards precise description, not theories. A converter turns visual trends into sentences that report change, contrast, and ranking. You will choose one lens at a time: level, change, comparison, or pattern. A trend is the direction of change over time. A peak is the highest point. A trough is the lowest point. A baseline is the starting level you compare against. Rate is how fast something changes.

Three-step convert plan

1. Observe: mark start, end, peak, trough, and any plateau.
2. Select: decide your lens for this sentence: level, change by, change to, gap, or ranking.
3. Compose: use a safe blueprint and round numbers unless exactness matters.

Blueprints you can trust

• Change to: X rose to 70 percent by 2020.
• Change by: X rose by 15 percentage points between 2010 and 2020.
• From–to: X climbed from 35 to 70 percent between 2000 and 2010.
• Contrast: While X increased, Y declined over the same period.
• Gap: The gap between X and Y widened from 10 to 20 points.
• Ranking: X recorded the highest value, whereas Y had the lowest.
• Volatility: X fluctuated slightly before stabilising after 2015.
• Plateau: X levelled off at around 50 units from 2018 onward.

Words that scale safely

• Small change: slightly, marginally, a little.
• Medium change: steadily, gradually, moderately.
• Large change: sharply, rapidly, dramatically.
• Approximation: about, roughly, just under, just over, nearly.
  Use one adverb per change, not a stack.

Numbers discipline

• Prefer rounded values unless exact decimals are the point: about 1.3 million, roughly 52 percent.
• Use percentage points for differences between percentages.
• Limit yourself to three numeric mentions per body paragraph.
• Keep units consistent each time you mention a series.

Example 1 — Line graph to sentences

Prompt summary: Internet access in Countries A, B, C from 2000 to 2020.

Observation
A leads throughout, B follows, C catches up after 2010. Peaks: A near 90 percent in 2020; C late surge.

Selected sentences

• Overview: Access rose in all three countries, with A leading and C closing the gap after 2010.
• Change to: Country A rose to about 90 percent by 2020, up from roughly 35 percent in 2000.
• Contrast: Country B showed a steady climb to the mid-70s, whereas Country C remained below 25 percent until 2010 but then accelerated to roughly 70 percent.
• Gap: The A–C gap narrowed from about 25 points in 2000 to around 20 points in 2020.

Why this scores
Each sentence serves one lens. Numbers are rounded and limited. Verbs match the pattern: rose to, climbed from–to, accelerated, narrowed.

Example 2 — Multi-series with quarters

Prompt summary: Museum visitors per quarter in 2023 and 2024.

Observation
Both years rise into Q3, then fall in Q4. 2024 is higher in every quarter. Peak in Q3 2024.

Selected sentences

• Pattern: In both years, visits increased from Q1 to Q3 and then fell in Q4.
• Ranking with gaps: Each quarter in 2024 exceeded 2023 by about 10 to 15 thousand, with the largest gap in Q3.
• Peak: The peak occurred in Q3 2024 at approximately 90 thousand, before a moderate decline to around 70 thousand in Q4.

Why this scores
The sentences report pattern, gap, and peak without guessing causes.

Mini case — Salman in Dhaka

Salman wrote long number strings and mixed by vs to. He built a 10-day converter routine: for each chart he wrote one overview, then four single-lens sentences using the blueprints. He tracked two metrics: numeric mentions per paragraph and by/to errors. Results: numbers per paragraph dropped from eight to three, and by/to errors fell to zero. His Task 1 moved from 6.0 to 7.0 in mocks.

Measurable drills

• 4-sentence pack: For any chart, produce exactly four sentences: change to, change by, contrast, gap. Time limit 4 minutes.
• By–to swap test: After drafting, underline each change verb. If the sentence names the destination, keep to. If it names the difference, keep by. Aim for 100 percent accuracy.
• Three-number cap: Highlight more than three numbers in a body paragraph and cut until only the most informative remain.

Common mistakes

• Explaining causes: Task 1 describes what the chart shows. Do not write because of policy or weather unless the graphic states it.
• Copying labels: Paraphrase axes and titles.
• Decimal overload: avoid 53.27 percent unless precision is the focus.
• Mixed units: switching between thousands and percentages without signalling.
• Sequence confusion: claiming steady rise when the time axis has dips.

Edge cases and safe fixes

• Unequal time gaps: name the years and avoid “steady” unless it really holds across those gaps.
• Zeros and missing years: state what is present: “no data before 2012” or “values remained at zero until 2015”.
• Moving averages: describe the smoothed trend rather than month-to-month noise.
• Multiple scales: if two y-axes exist, report each series with its unit before comparing direction only.

Tips and tricks

• Draft the overview first. If it names direction and ranking, your bodies will stay focused.
• Use one comparison chunk set: by contrast, in the same period, the largest share, the narrowest gap.
• Read axes twice to catch units and ranges.
• Vary grammar with one relative clause and one participle phrase per answer if natural: “rising sharply after 2015, X reached…”.

To avoid

• Vague verbs like go up when rise, climb, or increase are cleaner.
• Double adverbs: sharply and dramatically together.
• Switching from percentages to percentage points loosely.
• Writing two lenses in one sentence, for example change and ranking mixed together.

Glossary
Baseline: the starting level used for comparison.
Peak: the highest recorded value.
Trough: the lowest recorded value.
Rate: speed of change over time.
Plateau: a period with little or no change.
Percentage point: the absolute difference between two percentages.

Next steps
Pick two charts today. For each, write an overview plus four single-lens sentences: change to, change by, contrast, gap. Round numbers, cap numeric mentions at three, and check by vs to. Track time per response and reduce it to under 15 minutes while keeping errors at zero for unit and by/to choice.

1. Actionable closing — How-to steps
2. Scan axes and legend. Mark start, end, peak, trough.
3. Write a two-line overview naming direction and ranking.
4. Choose one lens per sentence: change to, change by, contrast, or gap.
5. Apply a matching verb and adverb: rose to, increased by, fell sharply, remained stable.
6. Round numbers and keep units consistent.
7. Limit to three numbers per body paragraph and one adverb per change.
8. Run the by–to swap test and a quick unit check.
9. Read aloud. If a sentence holds two lenses, split it.
   CTA: Do a 4-sentence pack now on any chart. Time yourself for 4 minutes, cap numbers at three, and fix any by–to errors. Repeat tomorrow and cut total time by 10 percent.