Academic Writing Task 1 · line graph

Line graph showing the number of passengers at a Paris metro station

The line graph shows Paris Metro station passengers.

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

Paris metro station passengers (Number of People)

View the data

	6:00	7:00	8:00	9:00	10:00	11:00	12:00	13:00	14:00	15:00	16:00	17:00	18:00	19:00	20:00	21:00	22:00
Passengers	100	200	400	300	190	210	290	300	300	210	90	200	390	300	110	180	120

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 hourly passenger numbers at a Paris metro station between 6:00 and 22:00. Overall, the data reveals a volatile trend, characterised by two major surges in footfall during the morning and evening periods, interspersed with significant troughs.

At 6:00, the station recorded 100 passengers, which doubled to 200 by 7:00 before climbing sharply to a morning peak of 400 at 8:00. Following this, numbers dropped to 300 at 9:00 and reached a low of 190 at 10:00. Between 11:00 and 14:00, the figures showed a steady recovery, rising from 210 to a plateau of 300 passengers.

Subsequently, the volume of commuters declined sharply to 210 at 15:00, hitting the lowest point of the day at 90 passengers by 16:00. A dramatic recovery followed, with numbers rising to 200 at 17:00 and peaking again at 390 at 18:00. After 19:00, when the count was 300, the figures plummeted to 110 at 20:00. The final two hours saw a minor recovery to 180 at 21:00, before finishing at 120 passengers at 22:00.

174 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.

fluctuated: changed frequently and irregularly in number or amount
surges: sudden powerful forward or upward movements of numbers
troughs: the lowest points in a series of data
plateau: a state of little or no change after growth
plummeted: fell or dropped straight down at high speed
interspersed: scattered among or between other things at intervals

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

The number of passengers fluctuated significantly throughout the day, with two distinct peaks occurring during the morning and evening rush hours.

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.