IELTS Writing Task 1 line graph: question, model answer and structure
Line graphs are the most common Academic Task 1 visual. They test one thing above all: can you describe change over time and compare the lines, without listing every number? Try the question below in 20 minutes, then compare your report with ours.
Updated 2026-10-23
What a line graph question asks you to do
A line graph shows how one or more things change over a period of time. The instruction is always the same: summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. That sentence contains the whole marking scheme for Task Achievement:
- select, so you choose the important points rather than reporting everything;
- main features, so you describe overall trends, highs, lows and crossings;
- comparisons, so you show how the lines relate to each other, not just what each one does.
A structure that works every time
| Paragraph | What goes in it | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Introduction | Paraphrase the question: what, where, when, units | 1 sentence |
| 2. Overview | The two or three biggest trends, no numbers | 2 sentences |
| 3. Body 1 | The first group of lines with key figures | 3–4 sentences |
| 4. Body 2 | The second group, with comparisons back to the first | 3–4 sentences |
How you group the lines matters. Put lines that behave in a similar way together, or give the most dramatic line its own paragraph. Do not just take the lines in the order of the legend.
Practice question
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph below shows the average amount of water used per person each day in three countries between 1990 and 2020.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
The figures are invented for practice.
Band 9 model answer
The line graph compares how much water one person used on average each day in Australia, Japan and Brazil between 1990 and 2020.
Overall, water use per person fell in Australia, rose steadily in Brazil and stayed almost unchanged in Japan. By the end of the period, the three countries had converged, with figures between 210 and 230 litres.
Australia began as the heaviest user at 280 litres a day and rose to a peak of 310 litres in 2000. After that, consumption dropped sharply, to 250 litres in 2010 and 210 litres in 2020, a fall of roughly a third from its peak.
Japan's figure was remarkably stable. It started at 230 litres, edged up to 245 litres in 2000 and 2005, and then drifted back to 230 litres, exactly where it had been thirty years earlier.
Brazil followed the opposite path to Australia. Starting from the lowest level, 120 litres, its consumption climbed in every five-year period, reaching 200 litres in 2010 and 215 litres in 2020. As a result, Brazilian usage overtook Australian usage in the final years shown.
Word count: 182
Why this answer scores highly
Task Achievement. The overview names all three trends and the most striking feature, the convergence at the end, without a single number. The body paragraphs choose the figures that matter: start points, Australia's peak, and the crossing of the Brazil and Australia lines. Nothing is invented and no causes are guessed.
Coherence and Cohesion. Each country has its own paragraph, and the last paragraph links back ("the opposite path to Australia"). Linking words are varied but not forced: after that, as a result, then.
Lexical Resource. Trend language is precise and varied: edged up, drifted back, dropped sharply, climbed, converged, overtook. The writer avoids repeating "water use" by switching to consumption, figure and usage.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy. There are participle clauses ("Starting from the lowest level"), a relative clause, a noun phrase in apposition ("a fall of roughly a third from its peak") and accurate past simple throughout.
Language for describing trends
| Direction | Verbs | Nouns | Adverbs / adjectives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up | rise, increase, climb, grow, edge up, surge | a rise, an increase, growth, a surge | sharply, steadily, gradually, slightly |
| Down | fall, drop, decline, decrease, dip | a fall, a drop, a decline | dramatically, significantly, marginally |
| No change | remain stable, level off, plateau | stability, a plateau | relatively, broadly |
| Top / bottom | peak at, hit a low of, bottom out at | a peak of, a low of | — |
| Up and down | fluctuate | fluctuation | considerably, slightly |
Watch the prepositions, because examiners notice them:
- rose to 310 litres: the final figure;
- rose by 30 litres: the size of the change;
- a rise of 30 litres: the size of the change after a noun;
- stood at 230 litres in 1990: a figure at a point in time.
Common mistakes on line graphs
- No overview, or an overview full of numbers. Without a clear overview, Task Achievement is usually capped at band 5.
- Describing each year in turn. "In 1990 … in 1995 … in 2000 …" is a list, not a report. Describe the movement instead.
- Copying the question. Change the wording of the introduction: "average amount of water used per person each day" becomes "how much water one person used on average each day".
- Wrong units. If the graph is in litres, percentages or millions, say so and keep the unit consistent.
- Adding reasons. "Water use fell because of droughts" is not in the graph, so it does not belong in your answer.
Before you hand it in
- Does the overview mention the main trend of every line?
- Did you compare lines, not just describe them one at a time?
- Is every number you quote correct, with its unit?
- Is the answer over 150 words but under about 200?
Next, try a bar chart, or go back to the Task 1 overview.
Frequently asked questions
How many paragraphs should a Task 1 line graph answer have?
Four works best: a one-sentence introduction that paraphrases the question, an overview of the main trends, and two body paragraphs that group the lines and give key figures. The overview is the paragraph examiners look for first.
Should I mention every number on a line graph?
No. Select the figures that show the story: start and end points, peaks, low points and any point where lines cross. Listing every value is a common reason Task Achievement stays at band 5 or 6.
Can I give my opinion or explain why a trend happened?
No. Academic Task 1 is a factual report. Explaining causes that are not in the graph is irrelevant content and does not earn marks.
Which tense should I use?
Use the past simple for dates in the past, as in the model answer. For a forecast, use future forms such as 'is expected to' or 'is projected to'. For a graph with no dates, use the present simple.