Academic Writing Task 1 · line graph

Population trends of various turtle species in India from 1980 to 2012

The graph below shows the population figures of different types of turtles in India between 1980 and 2012.

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

Population of turtles in India: 1980-2012 (Index (1980 = 100))

Leatherback Turtles
Green Turtles
All species
Olive Ridley Turtles

View the data

	1980	1982	1984	1986	1988	1990	1992	1994	1996	1998	2000	2002	2004	2006	2008	2010	2012
Leatherback Turtles	100	103	100	108	113	98	83	81	68	67	71	60	63	63	56	58	58
Green Turtles	100	108	106	107	98	95	104	101	91	99	101	86	87	90	91	95	90
All species	100	105	108	112	108	104	110	102	106	103	109	100	100	105	105	110	109
Olive Ridley Turtles	100	105	104	106	113	117	121	125	132	137	134	137	130	135	128	135	130

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 population changes of three specific turtle species in India between 1980 and 2012, using an index where 1980 equals 100. Overall, the population of Olive Ridley turtles grew substantially, whereas the other two species faced declines.

Olive Ridley turtles began at an index of 100 in 1980 and experienced a consistent upward trend, peaking at 137 in 1998 and 2002, before finishing at 130 in 2012. In contrast, Leatherback turtles saw a sharp decline after 1986, when they reached a high of 113. By 2000, their index had dropped to 71, and they remained relatively stable at a low of 58 by the end of the period.

Green turtles fluctuated more noticeably. After an initial rise to 108 in 1982, they experienced volatility, dropping to 86 in 2002. Although they recovered slightly to 95 in 2010, they ended the period at 90. The 'All species' category remained relatively stable, hovering between 100 and 112 throughout the three decades, reflecting the balancing effect of the differing trends among the individual species.

175 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 value or amount
upward trend: a general direction in which something is developing
sharp decline: a sudden and significant decrease in value
peaking: reaching the highest point of a value
hovering: staying at or near a particular level
substantially: to a great or significant extent

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

While the population of Olive Ridley turtles saw a significant overall increase, the numbers for Leatherback and Green turtles experienced a downward trend over the period.

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.