These 5 phrases can help you score a Band 7+ in IELTS writing.

1. “Overall”

Use “Overall” to give a general description of the graphic. 

“Overall, from 2008 to 2018, the percentage of hybrid and fully electric vehicles on Norwegian roads increased significantly, though this positive trend was offset by the predominance of petrol and diesel vehicles. However, by 2028, this situation is projected to reverse substantially, with green-tech vehicles surpassing fossil-fuelled ones to become Norway’s dominant means of conveyance”.

Why use “Overall” in your answer?

It clearly shows the examiner that you have an overview in your answer. This is something they will be looking for. 

Remember to put the comma after “Overall”.

Find out more about how to write an overview in our Academic IELTS Writing Course

2. “Meaning that” / “This means that”

Use “meaning that” or “This means that” to improve the depth of analysis in your answer.

“The share of fully electric vehicles is predicted to increase to thirty two percent, meaning that it will be the most common vehicle type in 2028″.

“The share of fully electric vehicles is predicted to continue increasing, rising from four percent to thirty two percent. This means that fully electric vehicles will be the most common vehicle type in 2028″.

Why use “meaning that”/ “this means that” in your answer?

It shows the examiner that you have analysed the data in Task 1. 

3. “Respectively”

Use “respectively” to include date from two or more categories. It means “in the order mentioned”.

“In 2028, the proportion of fully electric and hybrid vehicles is expected to increase to 32 percent and 30 percent, respectively.” 

Why use “respectively” in your answer?

It is a good way to include a lot of data in your answer. Also, it is considered to be advanced IELTS vocabulary. 

4. “Albeit”

“Albeit” is a contrasting word. It is similar to “nevertheless” or “although”. 

“By 2028, the proportion of hybrid vehicles is expected to increase, albeit not as much as fully electric vehicles.”

Why use “albeit” in your answer?

It is advanced IELTS vocabulary and very useful for comparing data in different categories. 

5. “Compared to”

“Compared to petrol vehicles, hybrid vehicles made up a very small proportion of the total cars registered in Norway in 2008″

Why use “compared to” in your answer?

When you use “compared to” at the beginning of a sentence, you are automatically using a complex sentence. This will help you get a higher score for Grammatical Range and Accuracy. 

Find out more about advanced vocabulary in our Academic IELTS Writing Course