Academic Writing Task 1 · line graph

Survey results regarding reasons for moving to a capital city

The line chart below shows the results of a survey giving the reasons why people moved to the capital city of a particular country.

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

Survey results: reason for moving (number of people)

employment
study
family/friends
adventure

View the data

	2000	2005	2000	2015
employment	61,000	85,000	92,000	87,000
study	25,000	47,000	54,000	87,000
family/friends	12,000	14,000	22,000	23,000
adventure	11,000	12,500	14,000	15,000

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 line chart illustrates the primary motivations for individuals relocating to a capital city between 2000 and 2015. Overall, employment consistently remained the most significant factor for migration, although the number of people moving for study purposes saw a remarkable surge, eventually matching employment figures by the end of the period.

In 2000, employment was the leading reason for moving, with 61,000 people, followed by study at 25,000. Both categories experienced upward trends over the following decade. By 2010, employment peaked at 92,000, while study reached 54,000. However, between 2010 and 2015, the number of people moving for employment dipped slightly to 87,000. Conversely, the study category saw a sharp increase, also reaching 87,000 by 2015, effectively tying with employment as the most common reason for relocation.

In contrast, family/friends and adventure remained less common motivations. Moving for family or friends started at 12,000 in 2000 and rose steadily to 23,000 by 2015. Adventure was the least cited reason throughout the period, showing a very gradual increase from 11,000 in 2000 to 15,000 in 2015, maintaining a relatively stable trajectory compared to the other categories.

185 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.

surge: a sudden and powerful upward movement or increase
dipped: a slight and temporary decrease in a value
conversely: introducing a statement that reverses a previous one
trajectory: the path or development followed by something
consistently: in every case or on every occasion
stable: not likely to change or fail; relatively constant

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Employment was the primary driver for relocation throughout the period, while the number of people moving for study purposes experienced the most dramatic growth.

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.