Task 1:概覽句
8 分鐘
IELTS band descriptors for Task 1 mention one feature by name: the overview. An overview is one or two sentences that state the main pattern of the whole chart — what goes up, what goes down, what dominates — without quoting any specific figures. A response with accurate details but no overview is capped at band 6 for Task Achievement, while a clear overview is the single fastest route to band 7. The overview usually starts with a signpost word such as 'Overall,' and answers one question: if a reader saw nothing but your sentence, would they know the chart's story?
雅思 Task 1 的評分標準中點名提到一個要素:概覽(overview)。概覽是一到兩句話,概括整張圖表的主要模式——什麼在上升、什麼在下降、什麼佔主導——並且不引用任何具體數字。細節準確但沒有概覽的作文,任務完成度最高只能拿 6 分;而一個清晰的概覽是通往 7 分最快的路徑。 概覽通常以 'Overall,' 這樣的路標詞開頭,並且只回答一個問題:如果讀者只看你這一句話,能否知道圖表講了什麼故事?
To find the overview, ignore individual bars and points. Ask three questions in order: (1) What is the overall direction — rising, falling, or stable? (2) Which category is highest or lowest for most of the period? (3) Is there a crossover — a moment where two lines swap positions? Any two of these answers, joined in one sentence, make a complete overview. Two common mistakes to avoid: copying a number into the overview ('rose to 45%') — numbers belong in the detail paragraphs — and listing every category one by one, which is description, not overview.
要找出概覽,先忽略單個柱形和數據點。按順序問三個問題:(1)總體方向是什麼——上升、下降還是平穩?(2)在大部分時間裡,哪個類別最高或最低?(3)有沒有交叉點——兩條線互換位置的時刻?任選其中兩個答案,合成一句話,就是一個完整的概覽。 要避免兩個常見錯誤:把數字寫進概覽('rose to 45%')——數字屬於細節段;以及把每個類別逐一羅列,那是描述,不是概覽。
例題講解
Chart: percentage of households owning a car in three regions (North, Central, South), 1990-2020. North: 30% → 85%. Central: 45% → 60%. South: 70% → 65%. Overview written by a candidate: "Overall, car ownership rose in the North and Central regions while declining slightly in the South, with the North overtaking both other regions to become the highest by the end of the period."
This overview works because it answers question (1) — direction for each group — and question (3) — the crossover, the North overtaking the others. It contains no figures at all: 'rose', 'declining slightly', and 'overtaking' carry the story. Every number (30%, 85%…) is saved for the detail paragraphs, where it belongs.
這個概覽之所以有效,是因為它回答了問題(1)——每組的走向——和問題(3)——交叉點,即北部反超其他地區。全句沒有任何數字:'rose'、'declining slightly' 和 'overtaking' 就把故事講完了。所有數字(30%、85%……)都留給了細節段,那才是它們該在的地方。