IELTS Writing Task 1 line graph: sample answers and how to write one
IELTS Writing Task 1 line graph sample answers at band 6.5, 7.5 and 9, with the structure to follow, the language of trends and the mistakes that cost marks.
A line graph shows change over time, so the examiner is looking for trends, not a list of values. The strongest answers describe the overall direction of each line, pick out the highest and lowest points and the moments lines cross, and compare lines that move together — using only the figures that prove those points.
4 line graph sample answers
Each question is answered three times — at about band 6.5, 7.5 and 9 — with commentary on every criterion, so you can see exactly what moves the score.
- How shoppers paid over twenty yearsFour payment methods over twenty years: cash collapses, debit cards rise and then turn, and mobile phones arrive from nowhere — a graph where the interesting line is the one that changes direction.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 186 / 203 / 234 words
- Music sales by format over twenty-five yearsFour lines, three changes of leader and a total that shrinks by a fifth before recovering — a graph where the market's shape changed far more than its size.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 181 / 184 / 228 words
- Regional unemployment before and after a shockThree regions take an almost identical hit and recover at three different speeds — a graph where the interesting movement is the widening gap, not the lines themselves.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 180 / 196 / 220 words
- Visits to libraries, museums and cinemasA line graph with a genuine reversal in it, showing how a strong overview does more for the score than any amount of extra data.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 187 / 199 / 209 words
How to structure a line graph answer
- 1Introduction. Paraphrase the prompt in one sentence: what is measured, where, and over which period.
- 2Overview. Two sentences on the big picture — the overall trend of each line and the most striking feature (a crossover, a peak, a widening gap). No figures are needed here.
- 3Body paragraph 1. One group of lines, or the first period, with the key figures that support the overview.
- 4Body paragraph 2. The other group or period, with comparisons back to the first.
Useful language for a line graph
Rising and falling
- rose steadily
- climbed sharply
- fell back
- declined gradually
- dropped to a low of
- recovered to
Peaks and plateaus
- peaked at
- reached a high of
- levelled off
- remained stable at around
- fluctuated between
Comparing lines
- overtook
- the gap between them widened
- followed a similar pattern
- moved in opposite directions
- by contrast
Mistakes that cost marks
- Describing every year of every line, so the trends disappear under the numbers.
- Leaving out the overview, which limits Task Achievement to band 5.
- Using only 'increased' and 'decreased' for every movement.
Now write one yourself.
Timed Task 1 practice with an AI band for each criterion.
Common questions
How many figures should I include in a line graph answer?
Enough to support each trend you describe — usually the start and end values of each line, plus any peak, low point or crossover. Reporting every data point is a band 5–6 habit, because it hides the trends the question asks you to select.
Should I organise by line or by time period?
Either works. With two or three lines that move differently, describe them by group; with a clear turning point that affects every line, organise by period before and after it. What matters is that the reader can compare the lines.
Which tense should I use?
The past simple for past years, and future forms such as 'is projected to' or 'is expected to' for projections. If the graph mixes both, switch tense at the point where the data changes from recorded to forecast.