Hi, Fellas. Today we are still going to discuss IELTS Writing Task 1. However, this discussion will focus on the use of tenses.

Past Tenses

1. Past Simple Tense. This tense is used to report events or trends occurring in the past.
   • Example:
     • “In 2008, British parents spent an average of around £20 per month on their children’s sporting activities.”
2. Past Perfect Tense. Past perfect tense is used when we report what happened before a particular time in the past. It can also be used to mention an event or trend taking place earlier.
   • Example:
     • “By 2000, 12.4% of the US population had reached the age of 65 or more.”

Present Simple Tense

Present simple tense is used to describe a process.

Example:

• “The cycle of the honey bee begins when the female adult lays an egg; the female typically lays one or two eggs every 3 days. Between 9 and 10 days later, each egg hatches and the immature insect, or nymph, appears.“

Future Tense

1. Simple Future Tense. Simple future tense is used to describe events or trends which will occur in a particular time in the future.
   • Example:
     • “The proportion of foreign students will reach a peak at 60% in 2020.”
2. Future Perfect Tense. Future perfect tense is used to describe events or trends which will occur before a particular time in the future.
   • Example:
     • “The number of cars will have increased significantly by 2024.”

In formal writing, expressions other than will are used to predict the future, e.g. “be likely to,” “be predicted to,” “be projected to,” and “be going to.”

Example:

• “The population is predicted to rise to 22 million in 2025.”
• “By 2021, the population of Australia is projected to have reached 23.3 million.”

Sources:

• Ebrahim Tahasoni, Master IELTS Visuals (Academic Writing Task One): Course Materials & Supplements for Academic Candidates
• Diana Hopkins and Pauline Cullen, Cambridge Grammar for IELTS with answers: Self-study grammar reference and practice
• http://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2016/09/ielts-writing-task-1-separate-line-graphs-answer.html
• http://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2013/01/ielts-writing-task-1-life-cycle-essay.html

Compiled and written by @fathrahman for @englishtipsforyou on Thursday, June 14, 2018.

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^MD