Academic Task 1BeginnerTarget: Band 5.5–6.0

Line/Bar Chart (Trend) Template

Focuses on clearly stating the basic direction of the lines (up, down, same) using beginner vocabulary and a simple paragraph structure.

Paragraph Structure

Introduction

The graph or chart shows the changes in Subject from Year to Year.

Write a very simple sentence saying what the graph is about. Use "shows the changes in...".

Overview

Overall, we can see that Category A went up, but Category B went down. Category A was the highest at the end.

Don't use numbers here! Just say which line went up the most, and which one went down.

Details 1 (The Upward Trend)

In Year, the number for Category A was Number. Then it increased to Number in Year. It reached a peak of Number in Year.

Focus on the line that went UP. Give the starting number, middle number, and ending number.

Details 2 (The Downward Trend)

For Category B, the figure started at Number. It stayed the same for two years and then dropped to Number at the end.

Focus on the line that went DOWN. Give the starting number and ending number.

Useful Phrases

The graph or chart shows the changes in...
Overall, we can see that... went up
...was the highest at the end.
In Year, the number for... was Number.
Then it increased to...
It reached a peak of...
the figure started at...
stayed the same for two years

Sample Answer

The line graph shows the changes in the number of people visiting two museums from 2010 to 2015. Overall, we can see that visits to the History Museum went up, but visits to the Art Museum went down. The History Museum was the highest at the end. In 2010, the number for the History Museum was 20,000 visitors. Then it increased slowly to 30,000 in 2013. Finally, it reached a peak of 50,000 in 2015. For the Art Museum, the figure started higher at 40,000 in 2010. It stayed the same for two years and then dropped quickly to 15,000 at the end of the period.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Writing every single number

If the line goes up from 2000 to 2010, you do NOT need to write the number for 2001, 2002, 2003, etc.

Fix: Only give the Start point, any Major Changes (peaks or drops), and the End point.

Using 'increase' in every sentence

Repeating the same word makes your vocabulary score drop to Band 5.

Fix: Use synonyms: went up, rose, grew, climbed.

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Line/Bar Chart (Trend) (Beginner) - IELTS Writing Template