#IELTS Writing Task 1: a common mistake 📊

And a quiz right off the bat.

Do you see the difference between the two sentences in each set in terms of grammar?

1️⃣

1. Turning to the table, she muttered, "I think we should get divorced."

2. Turning to the table, the figures for chicken consumption increased.

2️⃣

1. Focusing on the line graph, the professor provided the historical background of the trend.

2. Focusing on the line graph, the number of students with an arts major increased.

In each set, the second sentence contains a mistake called "dangling modifier."

A dangling modifier is a word or phrase that doesn't logically modify the subject of the main clause.

In other words:

- Turning to the table, the figures for chicken consumption... reads as if the figures turned to the table.

- Focusing on the line graph, the number of students ... reads as if the number of students focused on the line graph.

To avoid the mistake, you must make sure that the subject of the main clause does the thing in the modifier, like in each first sentence in the sets above.

- Turning to the table, she muttered...: She turned and she muttered.

- Focusing on the line graph, the professor provided...: The professor focused and the professor provided.

❗️In short, all these transition phrases in IELTS writing task 1 are wrong if used like this:

- Turning to the table, the figures ...

- Focusing on the data in the bar chart, the consumption...

- Examining the data provided in the pie chart, the percentage of women ...

💡 Alternatives:

- As for ...
- As regards ...
- When it comes to ...

What else?

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