PTE Describe Image line graph: template and sample answers

Use the template for the order of your sentences and fill every [slot] with facts from the line graph in front of you. Describe the trend from the first point to the last, name the peak or the lowest point, and say whether the gap between lines widened or narrowed.

This line graph shows how [what is measured] changed between [first year] and [last year].
[Line A] rose steadily from [figure] to [figure], [peaking in year / levelling off after year].
[Line B], by contrast, [stayed almost flat / fell] at around [figure].
The gap between the two [widened / narrowed] over the period.
Overall, [the long-term trend and what it suggests].

What it shows: This [type of image] shows [what is measured] for [who or where], [unit or time period].
Main feature: The most noticeable point is that [the highest, largest or clearest change], at [figure].
Compare: By contrast, [the lowest or opposite item] is [figure], while [the middle items] are around [figure].
Relationship: [how two features connect: twice as many, both rise until, higher in every case].
Conclusion: Overall, the [image] suggests that [implication or likely reason].

About 70–90 words fills the 40 seconds at a natural pace. Drop the labels when you speak.

Keep it flexible: if the image is a photo or an unusual diagram that no frame fits, drop the wording and keep only the order (what it is, the main features, how they relate, what it suggests).

Do not memorise sentences. Generic filler that would fit any image, such as "The image gives a lot of useful information." Pearson treats memorised material as irrelevant, and a Content score of 0 means Pronunciation and Oral Fluency are not scored at all.

Speak your answer first, then open the sample. Sample answers are shown here only where the practice set already shows them; for the others, record on the set page to see the sample answer and key points.

1. Question 1 · Dynamics of Informal Settlements, question 1

   Rooftop Solar Adoption Rates

   Household Rooftop Solar Uptake Over Five Years (%). Informal Settlement: Year 1 4, Year 2 9, Year 3 18, Year 4 31, Year 5 48. Planned Suburb: Year 1 12, Year 2 19, Year 3 27, Year 4 36, Year 5 44.

   • Informal Settlement
   • Planned Suburb

   Swipe across the chart to see every label, or open the data below.

   View the data

   	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4	Year 5
   Informal Settlement	4	9	18	31	48
   Planned Suburb	12	19	27	36	44

   Show sample answer

   The line chart illustrates the percentage of households adopting rooftop solar systems across five consecutive years in an informal settlement and a planned suburb. Uptake in the informal settlement expanded rapidly from 4% in Year 1 to 48% in Year 5. In contrast, adoption in the planned suburb increased steadily from 12% to 44% over the same duration. Notably, informal settlement uptake surpassed planned suburban rates by Year 5. Overall, off-grid solar technology is accelerating faster in informal areas to bypass grid deficits.

   • Rapid increase in informal settlement solar adoption from 4% to 48%
   • Informal uptake overtaking planned suburban rates by Year 5
   • Informal areas relying heavily on autonomous renewable energy options
   Practise this image with AI feedback →

2. Question 2 · Dynamics of Oral Storytelling, question 1

   Epic Recitation Memory Retention

   Verse Recall Accuracy Over Time (%). Formulaic Verse: Month 1 92, Month 3 88, Month 6 85, Month 12 82. Novel Narrative: Month 1 78, Month 3 64, Month 6 48, Month 12 32.

   • Formulaic Verse
   • Novel Narrative

   Swipe across the chart to see every label, or open the data below.

   View the data

   	Month 1	Month 3	Month 6	Month 12
   Formulaic Verse	92	88	85	82
   Novel Narrative	78	64	48	32

   Show sample answer

   This line graph compares the verse recall accuracy of formulaic verse and novel narrative over a 12-month period. Formulaic verse shows high stability, declining only slightly from 92% in Month 1 to 82% in Month 12. In sharp contrast, recall for novel narrative drops steeply from 78% down to 32% over the same duration. The gap between the two styles widens significantly over time. Overall, the data suggests that rhythmic and formulaic structures provide strong mnemonic advantages for long-term oral preservation.

   • Formulaic verse shows minimal decline from 92% to 82%
   • Novel narrative accuracy drops sharply from 78% to 32%
   • Formulaic composition strongly aids long-term memory retention
   Practise this image with AI feedback →

3. Question 3 · Environmental Systems and Climate Dynamics, question 1

   Atmospheric Methane Concentrations

   Global Atmospheric Methane Levels (parts per billion). Methane Concentration: 1985 1620, 1995 1740, 2005 1770, 2015 1830, 2025 1920.

   Swipe across the chart to see every label, or open the data below.

   View the data

   	1985	1995	2005	2015	2025
   Methane Concentration	1,620	1,740	1,770	1,830	1,920

   Show sample answer

   The line graph illustrates the rise in global atmospheric methane levels between 1985 and 2025, measured in parts per billion. Overall, methane concentrations grew steadily over the forty-year period, rising from 1620 parts per billion in 1985 to 1920 parts per billion by 2025. Although growth slowed slightly between 1995 and 2005, where levels only increased by 30 units, the upward trend accelerated considerably after 2015. In conclusion, the data demonstrates an intensifying accumulation of methane in the atmosphere in recent decades.

   • Overall upward trend rising from 1620 to 1920 parts per billion
   • A temporary plateau between 1995 and 2005 followed by rapid acceleration after 2015
   • Atmospheric methane accumulation is intensifying over time
   Practise this image with AI feedback →

4. Question 4 · Global Festival Operations and Trends, question 1

   Fringe Festival Audience Growth

   Annual Fringe Festival Ticket Sales (thousands of tickets). Comedy: 2018 120, 2019 135, 2020 40, 2021 75, 2022 140, 2023 165. Theatre: 2018 95, 2019 100, 2020 25, 2021 50, 2022 90, 2023 110.

   • Comedy
   • Theatre

   Swipe across the chart to see every label, or open the data below.

   View the data

   	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
   Comedy	120	135	40	75	140	165
   Theatre	95	100	25	50	90	110

   Show sample answer

   The line graph illustrates annual ticket sales for comedy and theatre performances at a fringe festival between 2018 and 2023, measured in thousands. Comedy consistently attracted higher attendance than theatre across the entire period. Both genres suffered a severe drop in 2020, with comedy falling to 40 thousand and theatre dropping to 25 thousand. However, sales rebounded rapidly afterwards, reaching peaks of 165 thousand for comedy and 110 thousand for theatre by 2023. Overall, the festival experienced strong post-disruption recovery.

   • Comedy consistently outsold theatre throughout the period.
   • Both categories experienced a sharp decline in 2020 before recovering to record highs in 2023.
   • The data demonstrates the festival sector resilience following major disruptions.
   Practise this image with AI feedback →

5. Question 5 · Origins of Jazz, question 1

   Early Jazz Record Production

   Early Jazz Record Production (thousand discs). Acoustic Recordings: 1917 12, 1920 48, 1923 95, 1926 40, 1929 10. Electrical Recordings: 1917 0, 1920 0, 1923 15, 1926 110, 1929 210.

   • Acoustic Recordings
   • Electrical Recordings

   Swipe across the chart to see every label, or open the data below.

   View the data

   	1917	1920	1923	1926	1929
   Acoustic Recordings	12	48	95	40	10
   Electrical Recordings	0	0	15	110	210

   Show sample answer

   The line chart illustrates the volume of early jazz record production between 1917 and 1929 across two recording formats. Acoustic recordings rose steadily from 12 thousand discs in 1917 to a peak of 95 thousand in 1923, before declining sharply to 10 thousand by 1929. Conversely, electrical recordings emerged around 1923 at 15 thousand discs and expanded rapidly to 210 thousand in 1929. Overall, electrical recording technology quickly surpassed older acoustic methods to dominate the commercial distribution of early jazz.

   • Acoustic recordings peaked in 1923 before declining sharply
   • Electrical recordings expanded rapidly after 1923 to reach 210 thousand discs
   • Technological adoption shifted the industry entirely towards electrical recording by 1929
   Practise this image with AI feedback →

6. Question 6 · Patterns in Gift Giving, question 1

   Seasonal Gift Spending Trends

   Average Monthly Gift Spending per Household (GBP). Adult Gifts: Jan 25, Mar 30, May 45, Jul 35, Sep 40, Nov 85, Dec 210. Children Gifts: Jan 20, Mar 25, May 35, Jul 40, Sep 30, Nov 95, Dec 260.

   • Adult Gifts
   • Children Gifts

   Swipe across the chart to see every label, or open the data below.

   View the data

   	Jan	Mar	May	Jul	Sep	Nov	Dec
   Adult Gifts	25	30	45	35	40	85	210
   Children Gifts	20	25	35	40	30	95	260

   Show sample answer

   This line graph illustrates average monthly household expenditure on adult and children gifts in pounds across seven selected months. Overall, spending remains modest between January and September, fluctuating between 20 and 45 pounds for both categories. However, expenditure surges sharply from November, reaching a substantial peak in December at 260 pounds for children gifts and 210 pounds for adult gifts. Throughout the final quarter, children gifts consistently exceed adult gifts. In conclusion, holiday periods strongly drive gift purchases across households.

   • Spending surges dramatically in November and peaks in December
   • Children gifts exceed adult gifts during the late-year peak
   • Gift expenditure is heavily concentrated in the holiday season
   Practise this image with AI feedback →

7. Question 7 · Pedestrian Street Planning and Dynamics, question 1

   Microclimate Comfort in Urban Alleys

   Pedestrian Thermal Comfort Ratings Over Twelve Months (comfort score out of 100). Canopied Walkway: Jan 55, Mar 62, May 78, Jul 84, Sep 76, Nov 58. Open Boulevard: Jan 42, Mar 50, May 61, Jul 45, Sep 59, Nov 44.

   • Canopied Walkway
   • Open Boulevard

   Swipe across the chart to see every label, or open the data below.

   View the data

   	Jan	Mar	May	Jul	Sep	Nov
   Canopied Walkway	55	62	78	84	76	58
   Open Boulevard	42	50	61	45	59	44

   Show sample answer

   The line graph compares pedestrian thermal comfort ratings between a canopied walkway and an open boulevard across six points in the year. The canopied walkway maintained higher comfort scores throughout all months, peaking at 84 in July. In contrast, the open boulevard experienced a sharp midsummer decline, falling to 45 in July after reaching 61 in May. Overall, overhead canopy cover significantly moderates extreme summer microclimates to ensure consistent comfort for walking.

   • Canopied walkways provide consistently higher comfort ratings than open boulevards
   • Open boulevards suffer a marked midsummer drop in comfort due to exposure
   • Overhead shading plays a crucial role in regulating pedestrian comfort during hot seasons
   Practise this image with AI feedback →

8. Question 8 · The Craft of Pottery, question 1

   Kiln Temperature Curves

   Kiln Temperatures During Firing Cycles (°C). Earthenware: Hour 2 250, Hour 4 550, Hour 6 800, Hour 8 1050, Hour 10 900, Hour 12 400. Stoneware: Hour 2 250, Hour 4 600, Hour 6 950, Hour 8 1200, Hour 10 1280, Hour 12 750.

   • Earthenware
   • Stoneware

   Swipe across the chart to see every label, or open the data below.

   View the data

   	Hour 2	Hour 4	Hour 6	Hour 8	Hour 10	Hour 12
   Earthenware	250	550	800	1,050	900	400
   Stoneware	250	600	950	1,200	1,280	750

   Show sample answer

   The line graph illustrates temperature changes inside a kiln over a twelve-hour firing cycle for earthenware and stoneware. Stoneware reaches a considerably higher peak temperature of 1,280 °C at Hour 10, whereas earthenware peaks earlier at Hour 8 at 1,050 °C. Throughout the firing process, stoneware consistently maintains higher temperatures than earthenware from Hour 4 onwards. In conclusion, the data demonstrates that stoneware vitrification requires a longer heating duration and significantly higher thermal energy than low-fire earthenware.

   • Stoneware peaks at 1,280 °C at Hour 10 while earthenware peaks at 1,050 °C at Hour 8
   • Stoneware maintains higher temperatures than earthenware from Hour 4 onwards
   • Stoneware requires greater thermal energy and time to mature than earthenware
   Practise this image with AI feedback →

9. Question 9 · The Rise of the Novel, question 1

   Growth of Novel Production

   Annual Novel Titles Published (titles). New Titles: 1720 20, 1740 35, 1760 70, 1780 120, 1800 280.

   Swipe across the chart to see every label, or open the data below.

   View the data

   	1720	1740	1760	1780	1800
   New Titles	20	35	70	120	280

   Show sample answer

   This line graph illustrates the total number of new novel titles published per year between 1720 and 1800. Overall, novel production expanded dramatically over the eighty-year period. In 1720, only 20 new titles were released, which rose steadily to 70 titles by 1760. After this point, growth accelerated considerably, reaching 120 in 1780 and peaking sharply at 280 titles in 1800. In conclusion, the data demonstrates that prose fiction transformed from a minor literary genre into a dominant commercial publishing industry by the turn of the century.

   • Dramatic growth from 20 titles in 1720 to 280 in 1800
   • Steady early rise followed by sharp acceleration after 1760
   • Transition of the novel into a major commercial print form
   Practise this image with AI feedback →

10. Question 10 · Animation Production and Technology, question 3

    Render Times Across Resolutions

    Average Frame Rendering Time by Resolution (Minutes per Frame). Stylised Shading: 720p 4, 1080p 8, 1440p 15, 4K 28. Photorealistic Raytracing: 720p 12, 1080p 25, 1440p 48, 4K 95.

    • Stylised Shading
    • Photorealistic Raytracing

    Swipe across the chart to see every label, or open the data below.

    View the data

    	720p	1080p	1440p	4K
    Stylised Shading	4	8	15	28
    Photorealistic Raytracing	12	25	48	95

    Practise this image with AI feedback →