Academic Writing Task 1 · line graph

Household recycling rates in the UK, France, and Germany 2005-2015

The line graph below shows the household recycling rates in three different countries between 2005 and 2015.

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

Household recycling rates in three countries (%)

UK
France
Germany

View the data

	2005	2007	2009	2011	2013	2015
UK	36	40	40	55	58	61
France	50	47	39	33	29	40
Germany	20	27	33	46	50	57

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 percentage of household waste recycled in the UK, France, and Germany between 2005 and 2015. Overall, it is clear that the UK and Germany saw substantial growth in their recycling rates, whereas France experienced a period of decline before a late recovery.

In 2005, France had the highest recycling rate at 50%, followed by the UK at 36% and Germany at 20%. Germany’s rate grew steadily throughout the period, surpassing France by 2009 at 33% and continuing to rise to 57% by 2015. Similarly, the UK’s recycling rate climbed consistently, particularly after 2009, reaching 55% in 2011 and finishing the period as the highest of the three at 61%.

Conversely, France’s recycling rate followed a downward trajectory for most of the decade, falling from 50% in 2005 to a low of 29% in 2013. Although there was a notable recovery in the final two years, with the figure rising to 40% in 2015, this remained significantly lower than the rates achieved by the UK and Germany. By the end of the period, both the UK and Germany had successfully overtaken France in their respective recycling efforts.

191 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 direction in which something is developing
fluctuating: rising and falling irregularly in number or amount
substantial: of considerable importance, size, or worth
trajectory: the path followed by a development or trend
overtaken: to catch up with and pass while travelling
proportion: a part, share, or number considered in comparison

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

While the UK and Germany experienced significant upward trends in recycling rates over the decade, France saw a fluctuating pattern that ended lower than where it began.

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.