Academic Writing Task 1 · line graph

Energy production and consumption trends in the United States from 1950 to 2025

The graph below compares figures for the production and consumption of energy in the US from 1950 to 2000. It also predicts figures for 2025.

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

U.S. Energy Production and Consumption (quadrillion British thermal units)

U.S. consumption
U.S. production

View the data

	1950	1975	2000	2025
U.S. consumption	35	65	95	140
U.S. production	30	60	70	90

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 historical data and future projections for energy production and consumption in the United States between 1950 and 2025. The data is measured in quadrillion British thermal units.

Overall, both energy consumption and production in the US experienced a steady upward trend throughout the period, with consumption consistently exceeding production, a gap that is projected to widen significantly by 2025.

In 1950, US energy consumption stood at 35 units, while production was slightly lower at 30 units. By 1975, both figures had doubled, with consumption reaching 65 units and production at 60 units. This upward trajectory continued through the turn of the millennium; in 2000, consumption rose to 95 units, whereas production grew more slowly to 70 units, resulting in a noticeable increase in the reliance on energy imports.

Looking ahead to 2025, the gap between the two metrics is expected to expand further. Projections indicate that consumption will climb to 140 units, while production is anticipated to reach only 90 units. Consequently, the disparity between energy demand and domestic supply is set to become more pronounced than at any point in the previous seven decades.

190 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.

upward trend: a general movement or direction towards higher levels
exceeding: being greater in quantity or number than something
widening gap: an increasing difference between two sets of data
trajectory: the path or development followed by a trend
disparity: a great difference between two or more things
pronounced: very noticeable, obvious, or strongly marked in nature

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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.