Academic Writing Task 1 · mixed chart

Global causes of land degradation and regional impacts during the 1990s

The pie chart below shows the main reasons why agricultural land becomes less productive. The table shows how these causes affected these regions of the world during the 1990s.

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

Causes of worldwide land degradation (%)

over-grazing: 35%
deforestation: 30%
over-cultivation: 28%
other: 7%

View the data

Category	Value (%)
over-grazing	35
deforestation	30
over-cultivation	28
other	7

Causes of land degradation by region

Region	deforestation	over-cultivation	over-grazing	Total land degraded
North America	0.2	3.3	1.5	5%
Europe	9.8	7.7	5.5	23%
Oceania*	1.7	0	11.3	13%

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 pie chart illustrates the primary global causes of agricultural land degradation, while the table provides a breakdown of these factors across three specific regions during the 1990s.

Overall, over-grazing is the most significant contributor to land degradation worldwide, accounting for 35% of the total. In contrast, Europe stands out as the region with the most substantial total land degradation, whereas North America shows the lowest impact.

Regarding global causes, over-grazing (35%) is closely followed by deforestation at 30% and over-cultivation at 28%. Only 7% of land degradation is attributed to other factors.

In terms of regional data, Europe suffered the most severe land degradation, with a total of 23%, primarily driven by deforestation (9.8%) and over-cultivation (7.7%). Oceania recorded a total degradation rate of 13%, with over-grazing being the dominant factor at 11.3%, while over-cultivation was non-existent in this region. North America experienced the least degradation overall at just 5%, with over-cultivation being the most notable cause at 3.3%. While deforestation is a major global issue, it had a negligible impact in North America (0.2%) and Oceania (1.7%) compared to Europe.

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

How to write about mixed charts

Write one overview sentence that links the two visuals.
Give each visual its own detail paragraph.
Point out where one chart explains the other.

contributor: a factor that helps to cause something
in contrast: used to show a difference between two things
attributed to: regarded as being caused by a specific factor
dominant: the most important, powerful, or influential factor
negligible: so small or unimportant that it is ignored
breakdown: a detailed analysis or categorization of data

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Over-grazing is the primary global cause of land degradation, while Europe experienced the highest total percentage of land degradation among the three regions surveyed.

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 mixed charts?

Write one overview sentence that links the two visuals. Give each visual its own detail paragraph. Point out where one chart explains the other.