Past, Present and Future in IELTS Writing Part One

Past, present and future in IELTS Writing Task One

Work in groups of two or three. Look at a line graph, table, etc which includes past, present and future data, and work together to make as many true sentences about the data as you can (including rephrasing the same information in different ways if you like).

Try to find a point or points on the graph that can be described with the language on each line below, then make at least one sentence using each expression. You can start with the easiest lines below if you like, and repeating the same information with different language is fine.

 

Tenses to describe data with

• is/ are + v+ing (= Present Continuous)

 

• will/ is expected to/ is predicted to/ is forecast(ed) to/ in projected to
• will be + v+ing (= Future Continuous)
• will have + PP (= Future Perfect)
• is/ are about to…

 

• +ed (= Past Simple)
• was +v+ing (= Past Continuous)
• had + PP (= Past Perfect/ Past Perfect Simple)
• had been + v+ing (= Past Perfect Continuous)
• has/ have + PP (= Present Perfect/ Present Perfect Simple)
• has/ have + been +v+ing (= Present Perfect Continuous)

 

Compare as a class and/ or ask about any tenses which you couldn’t use or weren’t sure that you used correctly.

Perhaps after changing partner(s), try to find as many points on the graph or in the table which can be used with each of the time expressions on the next page below as you can, and make a sentence with each of those time expressions, using the correct tense each time. Some of those time expressions might not be possible with the data that you have been given, in which case you can skip that line. Your teacher will tell you if you can look at the tenses above to help or not.

Try to think of or find at least one typical time expression for each line above.

Read an IELTS Writing Task One line graph or table question and underline the key words. Discuss which data you should select and summarise, and which is probably not worth mentioning. Then describe just the relevant parts with a range of different language, making sure you use the right past, present and future verb forms and time expressions.

 

Times to find on a graph and use to describe it

• … ago
• (a…/ …s) after that
• at that moment/ at that time
• at the beginning of…
• at the end of…
• at the moment
• at…
• at/ on/ in + approximately/ around/ more or less/ about…
• (a…/…s) before that
• between… and…
• by…
• by the time…
• during…
• for a…
• for…s
• from…
• from… to…
• in …s
• in a…
• in the following…(s)
• in the last…
• in the middle of…
• in the near future
• in the next…
• in the previous…
• in the recent past
• in…
• next,…
• now
• on…
• over the next… (s)
• previously
• recently
• since…
• still
• subsequently,…
• when that happens,…/ when…