Welcome back to the IELTS Writing section on englishlanguagestudies.com! If you are taking the IELTS Academic exam, there is a very high chance you will be asked to describe a Line Graph in Writing Task 1.
Line graphs always show how data changes over a period of time. To score a Band 7.0 or higher, you must demonstrate to the examiner that you can use a wide variety of “trend vocabulary.” Instead of repeating the word “went up,” you need to use words like surged, climbed steadily, or peaked. Instead of saying “went down,” use declined, plummeted, or dipped.
In this guide, we will break down the perfect structure for describing a line graph, provide a historical practice prompt, and reveal a flawless Band 9 sample answer. Let’s get writing!
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
Learn how to describe trends over time, analyze the data below, and write your own 150-word response before checking the Band 9 sample.
1. The Practice Prompt
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph below shows the percentage of households in a European country with electrical appliances from 1920 to 2019.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Or use the data table below to practice!
| Year | Washing Machine | Refrigerator | Vacuum Cleaner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 40% | 0% | 30% |
| 1960 | 70% | 33% | 70% |
| 1980 | 80% | 90% | 90% |
| 2000 | 95% | 100% | 100% |
| 2019 | 98% | 100% | 100% |
2. The Perfect 4-Paragraph Line Graph Structure
To score highly on a line graph, you need to group the lines logically. Follow this layout:
Paragraph 1: The Introduction
Write one sentence that paraphrases the prompt. Introduce what the graph is measuring and the timeframe. (e.g., The provided line graph illustrates changes in the proportion of families owning three distinct household appliances…)
Paragraph 2: The Overview
Look at the “big picture.” What happened from the beginning to the end? For this graph, the most obvious trend is that all three appliances became significantly more common over the century. Mention this without using any specific percentages!
Paragraph 3: Body Paragraph A (Refrigerators & Vacuum Cleaners)
Group the appliances that behaved similarly. Refrigerators and vacuum cleaners both started low and experienced a dramatic, rapid surge to 100%. Use strong vocabulary like skyrocketed or climbed steeply.
Paragraph 4: Body Paragraph B (Washing Machines)
Use the final paragraph to discuss the outlier. Washing machines started much higher than the others but grew at a slower, steadier pace. Make sure to compare it back to the other appliances.
3. Check Your Work
Set a timer for 20 minutes and write your response. Once you are finished, open the accordion below to read a Band 9 sample answer and analyze its use of “trend vocabulary.”
🏆 Click Here to Reveal the Band 9 Sample Answer
Sample Response:
The provided chart illustrates changes in the proportion of families in a specific European nation owning three distinct household appliances—washing machines, refrigerators, and vacuum cleaners—over a period of 99 years, from 1920 to 2019.
Overall, it is clear that the ownership of all three electrical appliances increased significantly over the century. While washing machines were the most common appliance at the beginning of the period, refrigerators and vacuum cleaners experienced a much more rapid surge in popularity, eventually becoming ubiquitous in all households.
Looking at the details, in 1920, vacuum cleaners were present in 30% of homes, while refrigerators were completely non-existent (0%). Over the next 40 years, ownership of both items grew steadily, with vacuum cleaners reaching 70% and refrigerators rising to 33% by 1960. Following this, both appliances experienced a dramatic acceleration. By 1980, they had climbed steeply to 90%, and by the year 2000, both had reached a plateau at 100%, indicating that every surveyed household owned them. This universal ownership remained constant through to 2019.
Conversely, the trajectory for washing machines was much more gradual. In 1920, they were already the most widely owned item at 40%. This figure rose steadily to 70% in 1960 and 80% in 1980. Although ownership continued to creep upward to 95% in 2000 and 98% in 2019, it never quite achieved the 100% saturation rate seen with the other two appliances.
(241 words)
How did your response compare? Take a close look at the vocabulary used in the sample answer. Words and phrases like “rapid surge,” “climbed steeply,” “reached a plateau,” and “creep upward” are exactly what examiners look for when grading your Lexical Resource score for a line graph.
Remember, when dealing with multiple lines on a graph, you do not need to list every single year for every single item. Group the data logically (like putting Refrigerators and Vacuum Cleaners in the same paragraph) and focus on the major milestones: the beginning, the end, and any major shifts in the middle.
Let us know in the comments: Which trend vocabulary word is your favorite to use in Task 1?
Check out more IELTS Academic Writing Task 1