Academic Writing Task 1 · line graph

Enrolment trends of overseas and local students in Australian universities

The graphs below show the enrolments of overseas students and local students in Australian universities over ten years.

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

Overseas Students (number of students)

Commencing
Total

View the data

	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Commencing	11,000	12,000	13,500	15,000	18,000	20,000	25,000	30,000	40,000	41,000
Total	20,000	27,000	30,000	39,000	45,000	52,000	59,000	66,000	77,000	81,000

Local Students (number of students)

Commencing
Total

View the data

	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Commencing	180,000	220,000	200,000	190,000	190,000	185,000	200,000	215,000	210,000	205,000
Total	400,000	460,000	500,000	540,000	560,000	580,000	605,000	605,000	605,000	605,000

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 provided line graphs illustrate the enrolment figures for overseas and local students in Australian universities between 2001 and 2010, distinguishing between commencing and total student numbers.

Overall, overseas student enrolments exhibited a steady upward trend throughout the decade. In contrast, local student numbers were significantly higher, though their growth rate slowed considerably, with total enrolments remaining constant from 2007 onwards.

Regarding overseas students, the total number rose from 20,000 in 2001 to 81,000 by 2010. Commencing overseas students followed a similar trajectory, increasing from 11,000 to 41,000 over the same period. The growth was particularly pronounced between 2008 and 2009, where commencing numbers jumped from 30,000 to 40,000.

Local student data presents a different pattern. Total enrolments grew from 400,000 in 2001 to a peak of 605,000 in 2007, after which the figure remained static until 2010. Commencing local students fluctuated more noticeably; after starting at 180,000, they reached a high of 220,000 in 2002 before experiencing a period of decline and recovery, eventually finishing at 205,000 in 2010. Despite these fluctuations, local student numbers remained substantially higher than their overseas counterparts throughout the entire ten-year timeframe.

188 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 towards a higher level
plateaued: reached a state of little or no change
trajectory: the path or development followed by something
pronounced: very noticeable, obvious, or strongly marked
fluctuated: changed frequently and irregularly in number
counterparts: people or things that have similar functions

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

While overseas student numbers experienced consistent growth across both categories, local student enrolments showed more stability, particularly in the total figures which plateaued after 2007.

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.