Academic Writing Task 1 · line graph

Trends in male and female gym membership from 1980 to 2010

The graph gives information about male and female gym membership between 1980 and 2010.

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

Gym Membership

men
women

View the data

	1980	1985	1990	1995	2000	2005	2010
men	2,100	3,900	3,000	1,700	2,000	5,000	900
women	1,050	1,800	2,000	2,800	2,300	2,800	2,200

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 fluctuations in gym membership numbers for men and women over a thirty-year period between 1980 and 2010. Overall, it is evident that male membership was far more volatile than that of women, reaching a dramatic peak before plummeting, whereas female participation remained relatively consistent with two distinct growth phases.

In 1980, male gym membership stood at approximately 2,100, rising sharply to reach a high of 3,900 by 1985. Following this, numbers declined steadily to a low of 1,700 in 1995. However, a massive surge occurred thereafter, with male membership soaring to a peak of 5,000 in 2005. This was followed by a precipitous drop, with figures falling to just 900 by 2010.

In contrast, female membership began at a lower point of 1,050 in 1980. Participation grew gradually, peaking at 2,800 in 1995, before dipping to 2,300 by 2000. A second period of growth saw female numbers return to 2,800 by 2005, before experiencing a slight decline to 2,200 by the end of the period. Notably, women outnumbered men in gym attendance only between 1992 and 1999.

182 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.

volatility: frequent and unpredictable changes in a trend
precipitous: a very sudden and dramatic downward movement
fluctuations: irregular rising and falling of numerical values
outnumbered: to be greater in quantity than another
soaring: increasing very rapidly to a high level
consistent: acting or done in the same way

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

While male gym membership experienced significant volatility with a sharp peak and subsequent decline, female participation followed a more stable, cyclical pattern throughout 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.