Academic Writing Task 1 · line graph

Energy consumption trends in the United States from 1980 to 2030

The graph below gives information from the Annual Energy Outlook 2008 about the consumption of energy in the USA since 1980 with projections until 2030.

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

U.S. Energy Consumption by Fuel (1980-2030) (Quadrillion units)

Petrol and Oil
Natural Gas
Coal
Nuclear
Solar/Wind
Hydropower

View the data

	1980	1985	1990	1995	2000	2005	2010	2015	2020	2025	2030
Petrol and Oil	35	31	34	33	36	40	41	42	43	47	49
Natural Gas	20	17	18	19	23	22	22	24	25	25	25
Coal	16	17	18	22	22	22	22	24	26	29	32
Nuclear	3	4	5	6	6	7	7	7	7	7	8
Solar/Wind	3	4	4	3	4	4	5	5	5	5	6
Hydropower	3	4	4	4	3	4	3	3	3	3	3

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 consumption of various energy sources in the United States between 1980 and 2030. Overall, petrol and oil consistently represent the primary energy source, while coal, nuclear, and renewable energy sources show a general upward trend, contrasting with the relative stability of hydropower.

Petrol and oil consumption started at 35 quadrillion units in 1980, dipped slightly, and then climbed steadily to reach 49 quadrillion units by 2030. Coal consumption, which began at 16 quadrillion units, experienced a notable increase, particularly after 1990, and is projected to reach 32 quadrillion units by 2030, surpassing natural gas. Natural gas consumption fluctuated between 17 and 25 quadrillion units, remaining relatively flat after 2020.

In contrast, nuclear energy consumption grew from 3 quadrillion units in 1980 to 8 quadrillion units by 2030. Solar and wind energy also saw a gradual rise, starting at 3 quadrillion units and reaching 6 quadrillion units by the end of the period. Meanwhile, hydropower remained the lowest and most stable source, hovering between 3 and 4 quadrillion units throughout the entire fifty-year timeframe.

178 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.

consistently: always behaving or happening in the same way
upward trend: a general direction in which something is developing
surpassing: to be greater in amount than something else
fluctuated: to rise and fall irregularly in number
hovering: remaining at or near a particular level
timeframe: a period of time during which something occurs

Write your own report and get a band

Take a timed Academic writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

Practise IELTS Academic writing

On your phone? Get the BandLadder app.

Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Petrol and oil remain the most consumed energy sources throughout the period, while coal consumption is projected to rise significantly, overtaking natural gas.

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.