Lexical Resource accounts for 25% of your Task 1 score. To reach Band 7, you need to demonstrate 'sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision'. This means avoiding repetition of basic words like 'went up' and 'went down' by rotating through a rich vocabulary of trends, comparisons, approximations, and proportions. This guide organises 60 essential Task 1 words and phrases with example sentences in context.
1Trend Verbs: Rising and Falling
Upward trends — weak to strong: inched up, edged up, rose, increased, climbed, grew, surged, soared, skyrocketed. Downward trends — weak to strong: dipped, fell slightly, declined, decreased, dropped, fell sharply, plummeted, plunged. Use adverbs to add precision: rose slightly, climbed steadily, increased dramatically, fell sharply, dropped marginally. Example: 'The number of students enrolled rose steadily from 2010 to 2015, before surging sharply between 2016 and 2018.' Notice how using two different verbs — 'rose steadily' and 'surging sharply' — in one sentence immediately demonstrates Lexical Resource.
2Nouns for Trends (Paraphrase Verbs into Nouns)
Converting verbs into nouns paraphrases your language and varies sentence structure: a rise, an increase, a growth, a climb, a surge, a fall, a decline, a decrease, a drop, a dip, a plunge, a fluctuation, a plateau, a peak, a trough. Example: 'There was a sharp rise in exports during Q3, followed by a gradual decline in Q4.' Or nominalise completely: 'The sharp rise in exports during Q3 was followed by a gradual decline in Q4.' Both are equally correct — rotating between verb and noun forms demonstrates grammatical range.
3Approximation and Precision Language
Examiners value precise language but also reward correct use of approximation: exactly (use sparingly, only when data is clear), approximately, roughly, around, about (all interchangeable), just over, slightly above, marginally more than, nearly, almost, just under, slightly below, marginally less than. Example: 'The figure stood at approximately 4.5 million, just under the peak recorded in 2008 of 4.7 million.' Also useful: 'reached a peak of', 'fell to a low of', 'levelled off at', 'stabilised at around'. These phrases are concise, precise, and show strong command of academic English.
4Comparison and Contrast Language
Comparisons are essential for graphs with multiple data sets. More than: exceeded, surpassed, was greater than, outstripped, was higher than. Less than: was lower than, fell short of, was below, underperformed. Similar: was comparable to, was broadly similar to, mirrored, paralleled. Different: contrasted with, differed from, diverged from. For degree of difference: twice as high, three times as large, 50% more than, considerably higher, significantly lower, marginally above. Model sentence: 'The UK's figure of 42% considerably exceeded that of France at 28%, while Germany's 35% fell between the two.' This single sentence demonstrates four vocabulary items and uses all three countries in one comparison.
🎯 Key Takeaway
The most efficient vocabulary revision strategy for Task 1 is to create a personal word bank organised by category — trends, comparisons, approximations — and practise writing one example sentence per item. After one week, these expressions become automatic tools you can deploy under exam pressure without thinking.