Write your own answer first20 minutes and at least 150 words, like the real test. Use the editor below, then compare with the Band 8 model answer.
Line graphs show change over time, so this is where trend language matters most: rose steadily, dipped slightly, overtook, reached a peak. The challenge is choosing which changes to describe and grouping the lines so your answer doesn’t become a list of numbers. Here is the structure, a practice question, a Band 8 model answer and the vocabulary you need.
How Task 1 is marked#
You have 20 minutes and must write at least 150 words. Task 1 is worth one third of your Writing score, and is marked on four criteria: Task Achievement (an accurate overview and key features), Coherence and Cohesion (logical grouping and linking), Lexical Resource (precise vocabulary) and Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
The 4-paragraph structure for a line graph#
| Paragraph | What to write | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Introduction | Paraphrase the question in one sentence: what, where, when. | 1 sentence |
| 2. Overview | The 2–3 most important features, with no numbers. | 2 sentences |
| 3. Body 1 | The first group of details, with figures and comparisons. | 3–4 sentences |
| 4. Body 2 | The second group of details. | 3–4 sentences |
How to describe a line graph#
- Look at the start and end points of every line. Which went up, which went down, and which ended highest? That gives you the overview.
- Notice key moments: where lines cross (one overtakes another), peaks, lowest points and sudden changes.
- Group lines with similar trends. Lines that rose can go in one paragraph and lines that fell in another, or describe the most dramatic change separately.
- Use the past tense for past periods, and the future forms (is expected to) only if the graph includes projections.
Practice question#
The line graph below shows the number of visitors to three museums in the city of Riverton between 2000 and 2020.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
- Science Museum
- Art Gallery
- History Museum
Show the data as a table
| 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Science Museum | 1.2 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
| Art Gallery | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 3.1 |
| History Museum | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.7 |
The figures are invented for practice, like real IELTS Task 1 questions.
Essay practice editor
Model answer (Band 8 style)
Write your own answer first, then compare structure and vocabulary. Task 1 (Academic): line graph · 174 words.
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The line graph shows the number of people who visited three museums in Riverton between 2000 and 2020.
Overall, visitor numbers at the Science Museum and the Art Gallery rose over the period, whereas the History Museum became steadily less popular. By 2020, the Science Museum had become the most visited of the three.
In 2000, the Art Gallery was the most popular attraction, with 2.5 million visitors, followed by the History Museum (1.8 million) and the Science Museum (1.2 million). Attendance at the Art Gallery dipped slightly to 2.2 million in 2010, but then recovered, climbing to 3.1 million by the end of the period.
The Science Museum saw the most dramatic growth. Its visitor numbers rose steadily throughout the twenty years, overtaking those of the Art Gallery between 2005 and 2010 and almost tripling to 3.4 million in 2020. In contrast, the History Museum experienced a continuous decline, with its visitor numbers falling by more than half, from 1.8 million to just 0.7 million.
Overview with the big picture
Two lines up, one down, and which ended highest. No numbers in the overview.
Key moments, not every point
The answer mentions the starting order, the Art Gallery’s dip, the moment the Science Museum overtakes, and the end points.
Varied trend language
*dipped slightly*, *recovered*, *climbing to*, *rose steadily*, *almost tripling*, *a continuous decline*.
Accurate data
“Almost tripling” (1.2 → 3.4 million) and “more than half” (1.8 → 0.7 million) are checked against the graph. Approximations must still be true.
Want your own writing scored? With Worddemy Pro, paste it into the app and get a band score with feedback on all four criteria.
Useful language for line graphs#
| Purpose | Words and phrases |
|---|---|
| Upward trend | rose · increased · climbed · grew · went up · a rise / an increase / growth in… |
| Downward trend | fell · declined · dropped · decreased · went down · a fall / a decline / a drop in… |
| Size and speed | sharply · dramatically · significantly · steadily · gradually · slightly · marginally |
| Top and bottom | peaked at · reached a high of · hit a low of · bottomed out at |
| Other movements | fluctuated · remained stable / unchanged · levelled off · overtook · recovered |
Common mistakes#
- Mentioning every single year. Describe the overall direction and the key turning points.
- Using the same verb again and again (“increased… increased… increased”). Mix verbs and noun forms: There was a sharp rise in….
- Wrong prepositions with numbers: rose to 3.4 million (final figure), rose by 2.2 million (the change), a rise of 2.2 million.
- Forgetting the overview, the single most common reason Task 1 answers stay at Band 6.
More Task 1 guides#
Each guide has a practice question, a 20-minute editor and a Band 8 model answer:
New to Task 1? Start with the complete IELTS Writing Task 1 guide, and learn how to describe trends and choose the right tense.