IELTS Writing Task 1: line graphs

Line graphs always show changes over time. Here's some advice about how to describe them:

• Try to write 4 paragraphs - introduction, summary of main points, 2 detail paragraphs.

• For your summary paragraph, look at the "big picture" - what changes happened to all of the lines from the beginning to the end of the period shown (i.e. from the first year to the last). Is there a trend that all of the lines follow (e.g. an overall increase)?

• You don't need to give numbers in your summary paragraph. Numbers are specific details. Just mention general things like 'overall change', 'highest' and 'lowest', without giving specific figures.

• Never describe each line separately. The examiner wants to see comparisons.

• If the graph shows years, you won't have time to mention all of them. The key years to describe are the first year and the last year. You should also mention any 'special' years (e.g. a peak or a significant rise/fall).

• Start describing details (paragraph 3) with a comparison of the lines for the first year shown on the graph (e.g. In 1990, the number of...).

• Use the past simple (increased, fell) for past years, and 'will' or 'is expected/predicted to' for future years.

• Don't use the passive (e.g. the number was increased), continuous (e.g. the number was increasing), or perfect tenses (e.g. the number has increased).

Comments

[MT]

This is one of my favorite posts on your blog, Simon!
Would you mind writing guidelines, like this post for line graphs, for other possible question types in the weeks to come? I'm sure this'd be of great help.

Many thanks!

[Simon]

I'm glad you like the lesson MT. I'll try to do others like this soon.

[reema]

HI Simon hru? hope u r doing well. I have got task 1 question and i have tried to write introduction can u plz tell me, wheather is it right or tell me mistakes plz.
Q? The pie chart below shows the main reasons why agricultural land becomes less productive. The table shows how these causes affected three regions of the world during the 1990s.

Ans)The pie chart illustrates the causes of land degradation in praticular deforestation, over grazing,overcultivation and others.The table chart gives information about land degradation rates due to these causes among three regions in 1990s.

Simon can you plz reply me on this question.And i want to ask u one thing more if i want use namely in the sentence do i need to give (,or:and;) which sign i can use or none of them.
thanx
regards
reema

[Vera]

Hi Simon,

It is me Vera. I want to say thank you for so generous to share IELTS lessons online. Your website and tips are really useful and helping a lot.

I just checked my result online today, I got 8 with Reading and Listening 8.5, Writing 7, and Speaking 8..

For reading and listening -- I mainly practicing with Cambridge IELTS books series.

For Writing --I mainly used your guidelines and tips through the website.

I really would recommend this website for any potential IELTS candidate..

Thanks Simon

:)

[Ed]

Hi Simon,
Thanks for sharing these tips again. However,I don't quite understand the rationale of your last suggestion above. I don't know why I cannot say, for example, energy consumption had increased(or was increased to) two times in 2000, compared to that the year in 1990.

Thanks

[young]

Hi Simon,
Thank you very much for sharing good tips.
It is really useful for me.

Thank you.

[ahmed S]

Thank you Simon for your advice.
I think you will be lucky if you get such line chart in the exam.

Congratulation Vera.

Reem, When are you going to set for the exam? I thought you got the score you want.

[Simon]

Hi Reema,

Your introduction is a good example of the paraphrasing technique. You could use 'namely' instead of 'in particular' (don't write 'and namely', just put 'namely' after a comma).

...

Hi Vera,

Congratulations on getting such fantastic scores! I'm really pleased that my lessons helped.

...

Hi Ed,

It's sometimes possible to use 'had increased' (e.g. "BY the year 2000, ... had increased to...).

However, you should avoid the passive "was increased" because this gives the impression that someone decided to raise consumption. We use the passive for things like "taxes were increased (by the government)".

In the right context you can sometimes use passives and perfect tenses. However, I find that students often make mistakes when trying to use them. It's better to simply avoid them because they are certainly not necessary for task 1.

[Masuma Aghariya]

Hi Simon

In task 1, we should use simple present, past or future tense only. passive voice and other tenses are not needed to use..Am I right?? but of the information of line chart is likely to describe by other tenses like continues and perfect tense.. Can you give me advice regarding this confusion?

[Simon]

Hi Masuma,

You might need to use passives to describe process diagrams, but not graphs.

You don't need continuous or perfect tenses. I'm not sure why you think you need them. Can you give an example of when you think you need a continuous tense to describe a line graph?

[Masuma Aghariya]

Hi Simon
EX..In line graph, The population of migrants in Australia was increasing from 2000 to 2008.

For this kind of information may be in the line graph.. Should I need to use continues tense or just simple tense is ok.

[Simon]

Hi Masuma,

English speakers would use present simple for that: "The population of migrants in Australia increased from 2000 to 2008"

[shane]

Hi Simon,
what will I do if there are two graphs in a task?

[Simon]

Hi Shane

Have a look at this lesson:

http://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2010/06/ielts-writing-task-1-two-charts-or-graphs.html

[Medo]

Hi Simon

the link for the 2 charts or graphs don't seem to work

[Sam]

This is so useful. Thank you very much.

[mohammad]

hi dear Simon, if we are given 2015(current year) how we should describe it, based on your comment which says don't use preset perfect