6 ways to make comparisons

1. More – less – fewer

30% fewer females choose engineering degrees.
Among students of engineering degrees, there are almost 30% fewer females than males.
Males comprise a significantly higher percentage of all engineering students (over 65%).
Twice as many males decide to study engineering at university as females.
Use ‘fewer’ with countable nouns and ‘less’ with uncountable nouns: ✓Fewer people, fewer women,
fewer hobbies, and fewer changes. ✓Less water, less time, less money, and less growth.
2. The most – the least
The most popular university subject remains business management. The improvements in the southeast
of the country were the least noticeable.
The most common – the least common
The most common form of transport in both cities is underground.
3. To differ/difference/different
The difference in the numbers of male and female students at university remains insignificant.
Subject choice preferences of male and female students differ substantially.
Male and female students prefer to study different subjects.
… differ from … in that
Male students differ from female students in that they are more likely to choose STEM subjects at
university.
4. Grouping similar data
Both
At university, business degrees are popular among both male and female students.
Equally
At university, business degrees are equally popular among male and female students

5. Linking words (comparison within a sentence)

Although
Although fewer females study engineering at university, the percentage is growing steadily.
While
While fewer females study engineering at university, the percentage is growing steadily.
Whereas/while
Male students are drawn to STEM subjects, whereas/while female students are more likely to choose
social sciences.
Unlike
Unlike males, who are drawn to STEM subjects, female students are more likely to choose social
sciences.
Compared to
Compared to the girls, the boys spend more time playing computer games.
6. Linking words (comparison between sentences)
Similarly
One of the most popular subjects among male students is business management. Similarly, it is one of
the top choices for female students.
Meanwhile
Many male students are drawn to STEM subjects. Female students, meanwhile, are more likely to
choose social sciences.
However
Fewer females study engineering at university. However, the percentage is growing steadily.
In comparison
Over 20 per cent of all male students choose STEM subjects. In comparison, less than 10 per cent of
female student do so.
In contrast
Over 20 per cent of all male students choose STEM subjects. In contrast, less than 10 per cent of female
students do so.
IELTS WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The line graph below provide information about the incomes of four
restaurants in a city in 2010
Summarise the information, write at least 150 words.
 

IELTS academic writing task 1

Sample Answer:
The line graph provides information about the amount of money which was earned
monthly by four restaurants in a city in 2010.
Overall, what stands out from the graph is that there were considerable upwards trends
in the income of Delicacy, Evening paradise and Grand Fiesta, while the earnings of
Spicy Fortune witnessed a considerable fall over the year. Another interesting point is
that Spicy Fortune was the most popular restaurant in January, but in December,
Evening Paradise earned more money than the others.
Looking at the details, in January 2010, Spicy Fortune was the biggest earner with a
monthly income of almost $160,000. In the following months, its earnings first fluctuated
and then declined steadily before ending at nearly $50,000 in December.
In contrast, the monthly incomes of other three restaurants went up by varying degrees.
There was a rise in Delicacy’s earnings over the first ten months, followed by a sudden
increase to $120,000 in December. Grand Fiesta and Evening Paradise started with
significantly different figures in January, about $100,000 and $50,000, respectively. The
former experienced a steady fall until June, but after that, income rose significantly to
just under $140,000 in December. Likewise, the trend for Evening Paradise was
upward. From January to July, earnings doubled from about $50,000 to nearly $100,000
and ended the year with the highest income of around $190,000.
 
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