This is an IELTS writing task 1 sample answer essay on the topic of a volcanic island chain from the real IELTS exam.
It is an extremely strange topic so I thought I’d give it a try to help out some students who asked me about it!
Find all the most recent task 1 topics here and my full IELTS Ebooks here.
Dave
IELTS Essay: Volcanic Island Chain in Hawaii
The presented diagram details an island chain in Hawaii located in the Pacific Ocean. Looking from an overall perspective, it is readily apparent that volcanic formation begins deep under the Earth’s mantle and is visibly the result of multiple eruptions over the years.
Considering first of all the deepest layer buried in solid dense rock (2883 km down), there are vast repositories of magma in a central ‘hot spot’ where spume remains static. The magma spume then rises in a narrow channel and the shifting (7-9cm a year) Pacific tectonic plate to reach the surface and create the least mature volcanoes through multiple eruptions.
The diagram also contains information about Hawaii more specifically including that the oldest volcano was formed 80,000,000 years ago and the major islands include Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Hahoolawa, Maui, and, the largest, Hawaii.
Analysis
1. The presented diagram details an island chain in Hawaii located in the Pacific Ocean. 2. Looking from an overall perspective, it is readily apparent that volcanic formation begins deep under the Earth’s mantle and is visibly the result of multiple eruptions over the years.
- Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
- Write a general over for the process. Include the major changes and group them generally.
1. Considering first of all the deepest layer buried in solid dense rock (2883 km down), there are vast repositories of magma in a central ‘hot spot’ where spume remains static. 2. The magma spume then rises in a narrow channel and the shifting (7-9cm a year) Pacific tectonic plate to reach the surface and create the least mature volcanoes through multiple eruptions.
- Begin to describe the diagram fully – for this one just follow the formation of the volcanoes.
- Be sure to detail everything fully.
1. The diagram also contains information about Hawaii more specifically including that the oldest volcano was formed 80,000,000 years ago and the major islands include Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Hahoolawa, Maui, and, the largest, Hawaii.
- Don’t include any opinion and don’t forget any areas in the diagram.
- Try to keep it to 3 paragraphs but if there is an extra detail that is better in another paragraph, that is fine!
Vocabulary
What do the words in bold below mean? Take some notes on a piece of paper to aid your memory:
The presented diagram details an island chain in Hawaii located in the Pacific Ocean. Looking from an overall perspective, it is readily apparent that volcanic formation begins deep under the Earth’s mantle and is visibly the result of multiple eruptions over the years.
Considering first of all the deepest layer buried in solid dense rock (2883 km down), there are vast repositories of magma in a central ‘hot spot’ where spume remains static. The magma spume then rises in a narrow channel and the shifting (7-9cm a year) Pacific tectonic plate to reach the surface and create the least mature volcanoes through multiple eruptions.
The diagram also contains information about Hawaii more specifically including that the oldest volcano was formed 80,000,000 years ago and the major islands include Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Hahoolawa, Maui, and, the largest, Hawaii.
Answers
Try to write down or think of an antonym/opposite word for further practice:
presented shown
details describes
island chain group of islands
Hawaii an island state in the United States
located found in
Pacific Ocean water between China and the United States
Looking from an overall perspective, it is readily apparent that overall
formation creation
deep under the Earth’s mantle far inside the world
visibly can be seen
result of because of
multiple eruptions over the years many times the volcano exploded
considering first of all looking initially at
deepest layer fruther down
buried in covered deep in
solid dense rock very hard rock/stone
vast repositories of magma lots of lava
central in the middle
spume a foamy initial form of magma/lava
static unchanging
magma spume before it become lava
then next
rises comes up
narrow channel small passageway
shifting moving
Pacific tectonic plate the discs under the Earth that slide and create earthquakes and eruptions
reach the surface comes to the top
least mature youngest
multiple eruptions exploding many times
contains information gives details about
specifically in specific
major main
largest biggest
Pronunciation
Practice saying the words below using this tip with Google voice dictation:
prɪˈzɛntɪd
ˈdiːteɪlz
ˈaɪlənd ʧeɪn
həˈwaɪiː
ləʊˈkeɪtɪd
pəˈsɪfɪk ˈəʊʃən
ˈlʊkɪŋ frɒm ən ˈəʊvərɔːl pəˈspɛktɪv, ɪt ɪz ˈrɛdɪli əˈpærənt ðæt
fɔːˈmeɪʃən
diːp ˈʌndə ði ɜːθs ˈmæntl
ˈvɪzəbli
rɪˈzʌlt ɒv
ˈmʌltɪpl ɪˈrʌpʃənz ˈəʊvə ðə jɪəz
kənˈsɪdərɪŋ fɜːst ɒv ɔːl
ˈdiːpɪst ˈleɪə
ˈbɛrid ɪn
ˈsɒlɪd dɛns rɒk
vɑːst rɪˈpɒzɪtəriz ɒv ˈmægmə
ˈsɛntrəl
spjuːm
ˈstætɪk
ˈmægmə spjuːm
ðɛn
ˈraɪzɪz
ˈnærəʊ ˈʧænl
ˈʃɪftɪŋ
pəˈsɪfɪk tɛkˈtɒnɪk pleɪt
riːʧ ðə ˈsɜːfɪs
liːst məˈtjʊə
ˈmʌltɪpl ɪˈrʌpʃənz
kənˈteɪnz ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃən
spəˈsɪfɪk(ə)li
ˈmeɪʤə
ˈlɑːʤɪst
Vocabulary Practice
Remember and fill in the blanks. Note it on a piece of paper so you can remember better:
The p_____________d diagram d_________s an i_________________n in H_________i l_________d in the P____________n. L_______________________________________________t volcanic f____________n begins d_____________________________________e and is v_______y the r__________________________s o_________________s.
C_______________________l the d______________r b_____________n s___________________k (2883 km down), there are v____________________________a in a c__________l ‘hot spot’ where s________e remains s________c. The m____________e t____n r_______s in a n_______________l and the s___________g (7-9cm a year) P___________________e to r__________________e and create the l_______________e volcanoes through m___________________s.
The diagram also c_________________n about Hawaii more s_____________y including that the oldest volcano was formed 80,000,000 years ago and the m_______r islands include Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Hahoolawa, Maui, and, the l_______t, Hawaii.
Listening Practice
Listen to the related topic below and practice with these activities:
Reading Practice
Read more and use these ideas to practice:
Explainer: Is a Volcano in Hawaii going to Erupt Again?
Speaking Practice
Practice with the following related questions from the real IELTS speaking exam:
Picnics
- Did you go on picnics when you were a kid?
- Do you still go on picnics now?
- Do you like eating outside?
- Where do people usually go for picnics?
Writing Practice
Practice with the strange task 1 below and then check with my sample answer:
The diagrams compare the different designs of the arch bridge, concrete girder bridge and suspension bridge.
The arch bridge is the smallest which is conducted without a pier to support it. The concrete girder bridge is bigger than the arch bridge with abounding piers. The suspension bridge is the biggest, but with only a small number of piers.
The distance to the deepest position of these bridges is different, which leads to different applications. In particular, the arch bridge and concrete girder birdge is much lower than suspension bridge with no more than 100 meters and 300 meters, respectively. As a result, only small ships are allowed to pass under the arch bridge. As for concrete girder bridge, a middle sized ship is able to drive underneath it. The suspension bridge is the deepest, which is too deep to describe, and it allows large size ships to swim through.
These three kinds of bridge are applied in different circumstances. Arch bridge is always built on a lake and the length is no more than 200 meters. Because of the support from piers, concrete girder bridge and suspension bridge are much longer, which can be constructed on a river and on the ocean, respectively. The piers supporting the concrete girder bridge are less than 200 meters away from each other and the length of concrete girder bridge depends on the amount of piers. Finally, the suspension bridge is extremely long as the piers are 400 meters to 2 kilo meters from each other.
Good again Gakki, though maybe a little on the long side and informal in parts as well.
This picture portrays details of 3 different bridges, an arch bridge, a concrete girder bridge, and a suspension bridge. From an overall perspective it is readily apparent that each of these bridges are built over contrasting water bodies and are of various strengths, heights as well as lengths.
Firstly, the arch bridge, suitable over a lake is not more than 100m in height and not more than 200m in length, allowing only small ships to pass under. Whereas the concrete bridge placed over a bigger water body, a river, is maximum 300m in height being the reason middle sized ships can sail under. Moreover, the distance leads to an unlimited extent which depends on the number of piers that contain an utmost breadth of 200m between them.
Lastly, the strongest bridge of the three, the suspension bridge, is built over the largest water body, the sea. The distance between each pier of the bridge lays in between 400m to 2000m. Meanwhile, large size ships cross under the bridge detailing that the height is much greater than that of the arch and concrete girder bridge.