Verb Tenses
Describing data, trends, and arguments
Using the correct tense establishes the timeline of your arguments and data. Shifting tenses randomly is a severe penalty in IELTS.
🧠 Core Principles
- Task 1: Always check the chart's years. Use Past Simple for finished years (e.g., 2005) and Future forms for projections.
- Task 2: Use Present Simple for stating absolute facts, broad truths, and personal opinions.
- Use Present Perfect to describe actions that started in the past and continue to affect the present.
🎯 In Practice (IELTS Context)
Between 1990 and 2000, the population of the city has increased rapidly.
Between 1990 and 2000, the population of the city increased rapidly.
Why? The time period (1990–2000) is finished. Therefore, Past Simple ("increased") is strictly required, not Present Perfect.