Which tenses to use in Writing Task 1
Past, present, future or present perfect? How to choose tenses for charts with past dates, projections and processes.
By IELTSora teaching team · Updated · 2 min read
Past dates: past simple
If the chart shows finished years, such as 2010 to 2020, use the past simple: "The number of visitors rose from 2 million to 3.5 million."
Projections: future forms
For predicted figures, use "is expected to", "is predicted to", "is projected to" or "will": "By 2040, demand is projected to double."
- is expected to rise
- is likely to reach
- is forecast to fall
- will probably remain stable
No dates: present simple
For tables or maps without a time, and for processes, use the present simple. Processes often use the passive: "The leaves are picked by hand and then dried."
Up to now: present perfect
When a period continues to the present, the present perfect fits: "Since 2015, cycling has become more popular." Use it carefully: most Task 1 charts end in the past.
Mixed example
A chart from 2000 to 2030 (projected)
Car ownership increased steadily between 2000 and 2020.
It is expected to level off at around 600 cars per 1,000 people by 2030.
Keep it consistent
Once you choose a tense for a time period, stay with it. Jumping between "rises" and "rose" for the same years is a grammar error and makes the report harder to follow. Check your verbs once at the end: every finished year should be past, every projection should be future, and every process step should be present.
Verbs that describe change
Choose verbs that match the size of the change, and keep the tense correct:
- Big changes: soared, surged, plummeted, collapsed
- Steady changes: rose steadily, declined gradually
- Little change: remained stable, levelled off, fluctuated slightly
- Highest and lowest points: peaked at, reached a low of, bottomed out at