Academic Writing Task 1 · line graph

Waste production by three companies over a fifteen year period

The graph below shows the amounts of waste produced by three companies over a period of 15 years.

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

Waste production by three companies (tonnes)

company A
company B
company C

View the data

	2000	2005	2010	2015
company A	12	11	9	8
company B	8	10	7	3
company C	4	6	7	10

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 amount of waste, measured in tonnes, generated by three distinct companies between 2000 and 2015.

Overall, it is evident that company A and company B followed a downward trend in waste production by the end of the period, whereas company C showed a consistent upward trajectory. Company A remained the largest producer of waste for the majority of the timeframe, despite a steady decline.

In 2000, company A started at a peak of 12 tonnes, gradually decreasing to 11 tonnes in 2005, 9 tonnes in 2010, and finally 8 tonnes in 2015. Company B, conversely, saw its waste output rise from 8 tonnes to a high of 10 tonnes in 2005. However, this was followed by a sharp decline to 7 tonnes in 2010 and a final low of 3 tonnes in 2015.

In contrast, company C began as the smallest waste producer at 4 tonnes in 2000. Its waste output grew steadily to 6 tonnes in 2005 and 7 tonnes in 2010. By 2015, company C had overtaken both other companies, reaching a final figure of 10 tonnes of waste produced.

187 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.

trajectory: the path or direction something is following
downward trend: a general movement towards a lower level
upward: moving or pointing towards a higher position
overtaken: to catch up with and pass in progress
steady decline: a gradual and continuous decrease in amount
peak: the highest point or level of something

Write your own report and get a band

Take a timed Academic writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

Practise IELTS Academic writing

On your phone? Get the BandLadder app.

Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

While company A and company B both reduced their waste output over the period, company C experienced a significant increase in waste production.

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.