IELTS Writing Task 1 Line Graph: Waste production by three companies over a fifteen year period

The question

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.

Model answer

Band 8 sample answer

Band 8187 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

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.

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Line graphs

How to write about line graphs: tips and vocabulary

→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

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 many words and how long for IELTS Writing Task 1?+

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 is IELTS Writing Task 1 scored?+

On four criteria: task achievement, coherence and cohesion, vocabulary, and grammatical range and accuracy. A clear overview of the main features is what most separates Band 6 from Band 7 and above.

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.

Keep practising

More line graphs

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