How to Write A Task 1 Line Graph Band 9 Report
Line graph is a line that connects individual data points that show quantitative variations over time. This is a very common question type for IELTS Academic Writing Task 1.
On this page, you will find a complete discussion on IELTS Task 1 Line Graph question. The discussion will proceed under the following 7 major steps:
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Analyse the question
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Identify the major features
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Remember the 4 paragraph structure
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Paraphrase the question sentence
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Write an Overview paragraph
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Write the Body paragraph 1
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Write the Body paragraph 2
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Example
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph below shows the production levels of main fuels in a European country from 1981 to 2000. Measured in tones.
Write at least 150 words.
Source: Cambridge English IELTS Past Papers
1. How to Analyse A Task 1 Line Chart Question
To answer the question effectively, we should identify three key aspects:
Topic words or keywords: These are the main themes or subjects in the question that we need to focus on.
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In this case, the topic words are related to the production levels of the primary fuels.
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Micro keywords: These are specific terms or details that can help us prepare a precise answer. For this question, the micro keywords are petroleum, coal, and natural gas, as well as the time period of 1981 to 2000.
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Action words: These are the words that tell us what we need to do to answer the question. In this case, the action word is "compare," which means we need to identify similarities and differences between the production levels of the three primary fuels.
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Once we have identified these key aspects, we can then look for major features in the diagrams that will help us to answer the question. You can get more in-depth discussion on this part in the eBook.
2. How to Identify the Main Points in A Task 1 Line Chart
Finding the major features in an IELTS task-1 Line Chart question involves the following steps:
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Identify the Variables: The first step is to identify what the line chart is measuring or comparing. These variables could be anything from economic data to demographic trends. The chart's title and the labels on the x and y axes will provide this information.
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Look for Trends: Once you know what the chart is about, look for the most noticeable trends. These could be increases or decreases over time, periodic fluctuations, or any patterns that are repeated.
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Note Key Changes: Apart from general trends, also note any key changes or turning points in the data. For example, if the line dramatically rises or falls at certain points, these would be significant features.
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Compare Different Lines: If there are multiple lines on the chart, you'll also need to compare them. Look for any interesting similarities or differences. For instance, you might find that two lines follow the same pattern but at different scales, or that they move in opposite directions.
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Consider Extremes: Look for the highest and lowest points on each line. These extremes often represent significant features of the data.
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Don't Forget Timeframes: Pay attention to the period of time that the line chart covers. Major features could be related to specific years or periods.
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Remember, the task is not to describe every detail, but to highlight and explain the major features. Always interpret the data in your own words, rather than simply repeating the information presented in the chart. Use appropriate vocabulary to describe trends and changes, and make sure your report is well-organized and clear.
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Going through these steps, we can find the followings:
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Petroleum production showed fluctuations but consistently remained the highest among the three primary fuels.
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Coal production experienced a gradual decline over time.
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Natural Gas production saw a sudden increase after a prolonged period of stagnation.
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At the end of the time period, only Natural Gas production showed an upward trend, while the other two fuels showed a decline.
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The units of measurement for production levels are in tonnes.
3. Task 1 Line Chart Report Writing Structure
IELTS Task 1 line chart writing template is pretty straight forward. You can complete the essay using only 10 sentences! Yes, it is that much simple! Take a look how we place the 10 sentences in our 4 paragraph report. However, if you want to learn how to write each paragraph most effectively, please check the eBook where you get step by step detailed demonstration covering all the possible types of task 1 questions.
1. Paraphrasing the Question Sentence
Paraphrase the question statement using just one or two sentences.
2. Overview Paragraph
Sentence 1: summary statement 1(preview of the essay without presenting data)
Sentence 2: summary statement 2 (more preview without presenting data)
3. Body Paragraph 1
Sentence 1: first major point
Sentence 2: second major point
Sentence 3: extension sentence 1 (compare/combine the major points stated above)
Sentence 4: extension sentence 2 (extension of the previous sentence, or adding an exceptional feature).
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4. Body Paragraph 2
Sentence 1: exceptional feature
Sentence 2: extension of the exceptional feature
Sentence 3: final sentence (wrapping-up the whole essay, completely based on the discussion above, nothing new)
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Let's develop the answer step by step applying the above-stated 4 paragraph essay structure.
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4. Paraphrasing the Question Sentence
In the first paragraph of our IELTS Task 1 essay, we aim to rephrase the question statement accurately without altering its meaning. This process is known as paraphrasing, and it requires a solid understanding of the relevant techniques that we have discussed in detail in the eBooks.
Crafting this paragraph flawlessly showcases to the examiner that you understand the question thoroughly.
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Let's look at the actual question statement that we are using on this page:
"The graph below shows the production levels of main fuels in a European country from 1981 to 2000. Measured in tonnes."
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We can paraphrase this statement as below:
"The diagram depicts the quantity of Petroleum, Coal, and Natural Gas produced in a country over two decades, from 1981 to 2000, measured in tonnes."
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That's it, quite simple. Our first paragraph is complete, and you have already used 25 out of 150 words. Let's move to the next part of the essay, the Overview Paragraph.
5. Overview Paragraph
The second paragraph of our IELTS Writing Task 1 essay is known as the Overview, and it's the most crucial section. Without an Overview paragraph, you cannot score above band 5 in the IELTS Writing section. So, it's vital to give special attention to this part in the eBook.
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An overview is a brief summary of the significant aspects that you'll discuss in the body paragraphs. It's not necessary to include any data in this section, just mention the obvious features you notice in the diagrams. The main objective of this paragraph is to give the readers a general idea about your essay.
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Overview Paragraph Structure
Remember our Overview paragraph structure:
Sentence 1: summary statement 1(preview of the essay without presenting data)
Sentence 2: summary statement 2 (more preview without presenting data)
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Let's form the paragraph:
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Sentence 1(Summary Statement 1)
"Despite some fluctuations, Petroleum consistently maintained its position as the primary fuel produced throughout the given period, while Coal exhibited a gradual decrease."
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Sentence 2(Summary Statement 2)
"In contrast, Natural Gas underwent a notable upsurge following a prolonged period of stagnant production levels."
Complete Overview Paragraph
"Despite some fluctuations, Petroleum consistently maintained its position as the primary fuel produced throughout the given period, while Coal exhibited a gradual decrease. In contrast, Natural Gas underwent a notable upsurge following a prolonged period of stagnant production levels."
Excellent, we've made good progress on our line graph Task 1 report. After paraphrasing the question in the first paragraph with 25 words, we've added 36 more words for the overview paragraph, completing two of our recommended four paragraph report. As a result, we're now halfway done and ready to tackle the first and second body paragraphs.
6. Body Paragraph 1
In the overview paragraph, we have given just a general statement of significant features, we haven't discussed any detail. Now it's time to explain them in the body paragraphs.
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Body Paragraph 1 Structure
Remember our body paragraph 1 structure:
Sentence 1: first major point
Sentence 2: second major point
Sentence 3: extension sentence 1 (compare/combine the major points stated above)
Sentence 4: extension sentence 2 (extension of the previous sentence, or adding an exceptional feature).
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Let's form the paragraph following the above-stated structure:
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Sentence 1(First Major Point)
"Petroleum has consistently been the largest fuel source, despite fluctuations in its production levels."
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Sentence 2(Second Major Point)
"In 1981, coal was the second-largest fuel production, with an annual output of 80 million tonnes."
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Sentence 3(Extension Sentence 1)
"Over time, however, coal's production levels have witnessed a gradual decline, while petroleum's production levels have remained variable between 100 and 120 million tonnes."
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Sentence 4(Extension Sentence 2)
"Eventually, by 2000, coal's production had reached its lowest point among the three major fuels."
Complete Body Paragraph 1
"Petroleum has consistently been the largest fuel source, despite fluctuations in its production levels. In 1981, coal was the second-largest fuel production, with an annual output of 80 million tonnes. Over time, however, coal's production levels have witnessed a gradual decline, while petroleum's production levels have remained variable between 100 and 120 million tonnes. Eventually, by 2000, coal's production had reached its lowest point among the three major fuels."
We're making great progress on our IELTS Task 1 essay, with 69 additional words added to the first body paragraph, bringing us to 75% completion. It's simple – we're just describing the main features we see in the diagrams.
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So far, we've used 130 words out of the total 150 for our IELTS Task 1 essay. We just need to write at least 20 more words and one more paragraph to finish. That's awesome! Let's move on to the final paragraph, Body Paragraph 2.
7. Body Paragraph 2
The second body paragraph is the last one for our IELTS Task 1 essay and happens to be the easiest. It involves briefly stating other features in the first sentence, adding an overall comparison statement in the second sentence, and concluding with a final sentence summarizing the entire essay. We'll apply this structure to our second body paragraph.
Body Paragraph 2 Structure
Sentence 1: exceptional feature
Sentence 2: extension of the exceptional feature
Sentence 3: final sentence (wrapping-up the whole essay, completely based on the discussion above, nothing new)
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Let's form the paragraph following the above-stated structure:
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Sentence 1(Exceptional Feature)
"While coal production witnessed a steady decline, natural gas production never decreased throughout the entire period, despite starting in the third position in 1981 and maintaining a long stagnant production level."
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Sentence 2(Extension of the Exceptional Feature)
"By surpassing coal at 50 million tonnes, natural gas experienced a sharp increase, ultimately becoming the only rising fuel by the end of the period."
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Sentence 3(Final Sentence)
"Therefore, as for petroleum, it remained at the highest level of production without any significant fluctuations, and natural gas was the only fuel that demonstrated a positive trend over the entire period."
Complete Body Paragraph 2
"While coal production witnessed a steady decline, natural gas production never decreased throughout the entire period, despite starting in the third position in 1981 and maintaining a long stagnant production level. By surpassing coal at 50 million tonnes, natural gas experienced a sharp increase, ultimately becoming the only rising fuel by the end of the period. Therefore, as for petroleum, it remained at the highest level of production without any significant fluctuations, and natural gas was the only fuel that demonstrated a positive trend over the entire period."
We've added 58 more words to the previous 130, and just finished the final part of our 4 paragraph essay. That means we have completed an IELTS Task 1 essay with 188 words, which is absolutely okay. In fact, you should write somewhere between 170 and 220 words to give a smart description.
To summarise, mastering the art of crafting a high band task 1 line graph report is a strategic process that requires close attention to details, accurate data interpretation, and skilful writing. By incorporating descriptive language for line graph trends, linking words for data comparison, and accurately representing and interpreting data, you will significantly boost your chances of scoring high bands.
Remember, consistent practice, utilizing sample IELTS task 1 line graph questions, and critical feedback are your ultimate keys to success. With patience and persistence, you will see noticeable improvement in your line graph report writing skills, thereby setting a foundation for a high band score in IELTS academic writing.
Don't forget to check the following resources:
Check the detailed discussion on all the question types