Academic Writing Task 1 · line graph

Daily consumption of three different spreads from 1981 to 2007

The graph below shows the daily consumption of three spreads per person from 1981 to 2007 in a country.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Daily consumption of three spreads per person (Grams)

Margarine
Low fat & reduced spreads
Butter

View the data

	1981	1986	1991	1996	2001	2007
Margarine	95	80	100	100	80	40
Low fat & reduced spreads	–	–	–	10	80	70
Butter	142	160	100	70	60	50

Chart redrawn by BandLadder from the data in the original IELTS practice task. Many IELTS practice tasks come from the Cambridge IELTS series (Cambridge University Press & Assessment); all rights in the original tasks remain with their owners.

Band 8 sample answer

The line graph illustrates the daily per-person consumption of butter, margarine, and low fat and reduced spreads between 1981 and 2007.

Overall, butter consumption experienced a significant decline over the period, while low fat and reduced spreads saw a rapid rise after their introduction, and margarine consumption fluctuated before falling sharply.

In 1981, butter was the most popular spread at 142 grams, peaking at 160 grams in 1986. However, it subsequently plummeted to 50 grams by 2007. Margarine consumption began at 95 grams in 1981, dipped to 80 grams in 1986, and then recovered to reach a plateau of 100 grams between 1991 and 1996. Following this, it declined steadily to 40 grams by the end of the period, making it the least consumed spread.

Low fat and reduced spreads were not recorded until 1996, starting at a low of 10 grams. Their popularity surged dramatically to 80 grams by 2001, briefly overtaking margarine. Although consumption dipped slightly to 70 grams in 2007, these spreads became the most consumed option by the end of the timeframe, surpassing both butter and margarine.

181 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

How to write about line graphs

Overview first: the overall direction of each line and which was highest.
Group lines that move together instead of describing each one in turn.
Give the start and end figures plus the peak or low point, not every value.

plummeted: fell or dropped straight down at high speed
surged: increased suddenly and powerfully in a short time
plateau: reached a state of little or no change
fluctuated: rose and fell irregularly in number or amount
surpassing: becoming greater in quantity than something else
timeframe: a specified period of time for an event

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

How long should an IELTS Task 1 answer be?

At least 150 words; 170 to 200 is the safe range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

How do I describe line graphs?

Overview first: the overall direction of each line and which was highest. Group lines that move together instead of describing each one in turn. Give the start and end figures plus the peak or low point, not every value.