Hi, I’m Jonathan Mitchell, an IELTS Writing examiner and academic English specialist.
If you’re preparing for IELTS Academic Task 1, one of the most important paragraphs in your report is the Overview.
An effective overview shows that you can summarise data clearly — without copying, guessing, or describing every number. In this guide, I’ll explain what an overview is, why it’s essential for a high band score, and how to write it perfectly every time.
An overview is a short summary of the main trends, patterns, or key features in the visual information.
It comes after the introduction and gives the examiner a clear snapshot of what the chart, graph, or process shows overall.
Example Task:
The line graph below shows the percentage of households with Internet access in three countries between 2000 and 2020.
Overall, Internet access increased significantly in all three countries, with the UK maintaining the highest level throughout the period.
This one sentence already demonstrates understanding, organisation, and accuracy — all highly valued by examiners.
The Task Achievement criterion directly measures whether your overview is clear and accurate.
Without one, your score is immediately capped at Band 5.0–6.0, even if your grammar and vocabulary are strong.
Examiners look for:
A good overview acts like a “map” — it guides the reader through the data before the details begin.
You can place your overview either:
The preferred and most examiner-friendly structure is:
This ensures your summary is visible immediately and sets the tone for the rest of your writing.
In the overview, aim for 2–3 key points that summarise the data.
You should not include specific numbers or years — just describe the general direction or relationship.
What to Include | Examples |
General trend | Overall, all figures increased during the period. |
Highest and lowest points | The USA had the highest rate, while Japan recorded the lowest. |
Main comparisons | Employment in the service sector was higher than in manufacturing. |
General stability or fluctuation | The number of tourists remained stable after 2015. |
Band 8 Tip: Keep the overview factual and objective — never explain why the trend happened.
Introduction:
The bar chart illustrates the proportion of students choosing different fields of study in 2020.
Overview:
Overall, science and business were the most popular fields, while arts and law attracted the fewest students.
Body 1 & 2:
Describe details with data and comparisons.
Function | Phrases |
Introducing general trends | Overall, it is clear that… / In general, it can be seen that… / The chart indicates that… |
Describing increases or decreases | There was a steady rise in… / A gradual decline was observed in… |
Highlighting extremes | The highest proportion was recorded in… / The lowest figure belonged to… |
Summarising patterns | In summary, most categories experienced growth. |
Example Overview:
In general, car ownership rose significantly in all countries, with the UK showing the greatest increase.
Use Present Simple when describing data shown as a general fact or pattern, and Past Simple for completed time periods.
Situation | Tense | Example |
Historical data | Past Simple | Employment levels rose steadily from 2000 to 2020. |
General summary | Present Simple | It is clear that renewable energy accounts for the largest share. |
Process diagrams | Present Passive | The process begins with raw material collection and ends with packaging. |
Avoid using future tenses unless the chart includes projections.
Mistake | Why It’s Wrong | Correction |
Including data | Too detailed — not a summary | Remove figures and focus on trends |
Copying the question | No paraphrasing shown | Restate in your own words |
Writing only one trend | Incomplete summary | Mention 2–3 main features |
Giving reasons or opinions | Inaccurate task response | Stay objective and factual |
Misplacing the overview | Harder for examiner to locate | Put it directly after the introduction |
Task:
The pie charts below show the proportion of electricity generated from different sources in France in 1990 and 2020.
✅ Model Overview:
Overall, nuclear energy became the dominant source of electricity by 2020, while the share of coal and oil declined significantly over the period.
Why it works:
Question:
The table shows average monthly household spending in five categories in the UK and Ireland.
Write an overview:
✅ Overall, both countries spent the largest proportion of their income on housing and food, while the least money was allocated to entertainment.
Before finishing your overview, ask:
If yes, you’ve written a high-scoring overview.
A strong overview is the heart of IELTS Task 1. It demonstrates that you can see the “big picture,” organise ideas logically, and write concisely.
Without it, even excellent data description cannot achieve Band 7+.
Next, move on to Process & Map Description to learn how to describe non-graph visuals using sequencing and passive forms.
You can also return to the IELTS Writing Overview: Format, Scoring & Key Skills page or consult IELTS.org for official examiner marking guidance.
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