LINE GRAPHS

I. Pre-writing
1. Definition and Characteristics
- Line graphs typically show trends which can be upward, downward or they can remain at
the same level.
- IELTS Task 1 Line graph consists of:
+ a brief description of the information in the line graph
+ a line graph and a title.
+ a key (legend) that tells you what each line represents.
- In the line graph:
+ The horizontal axis usually involves units of time: days, months, years, etc. The time can
be in the past or the future.
+ The vertical axis can show almost any kind of data: costs, temperatures, rainfall, amounts
of some commodity, population figures, etc.

- An example of a line graph:

The graph below gives information about the technology that households in one US
city used for watching television between 2004 and 2014.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make
comparisons where relevant.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

 (Rogers, B., & Kenny, N. (2016). The Complete Guide to Ielts: Students book: Band 5.5-7+. National Geographic
Learning, Cengage Learning.)

2. General outline for a line graph report

Outline of a line graph report

Explain in your own words what the line graph shows by
paraphrasing the question in 1 sentence.
Make sure that your introduction can answer these questions:
Introduction:
1. What does the line graphshow or represent?
Information about the graph
2. What time period is reported?
3. What place is reported?
4. What is the unit of measurement?

Report the 2 most general trends you see when you look at the
Overview:
graph whether these lines all increase, decrease, or fluctuate,
General features
and the highest point, the lowest point in the graph in 1-2
sentences.

- Select the lines with the same trend to describe and compare,
Body 1 for example, rising or falling trends, or where lines intersect
Main features - Give comparisons of data in each line and between the lines.
- Include relevant data to support your points.

- Select and write about the remaining lines (rising trend, falling
Body 2 trend or staying the same).
Main features - Give comparisons of data in each line and between the lines.
- Include relevant data to support your points.

*Notes:

- Do not discuss specific data in the overview.

- If you do NOT give any overview, you will get below band 5 for the Task Achievement
criterion.
- You do not have to describe every single detail in the body paragraphs. Focus on the
biggest or most important proportions instead.
3. Language for Writing
a. Introduction
Using introductory verbs to write an introductory sentence.
Type of
Verb Noun phrase Time (optional)
chart
The line indicates  how + S+ change(d)  in 2010
graph shows  noun/ noun phrase  between 2010 and
illustrates 2020
compares  from 2010 to 2020
provides information  over a 10-year
about period

Example:

1. The line graph indicates birth rates in China and the US and how these rates changed
from 1920 to 2000.
2. The line graph illustrates the performance of two programs over a ten-year period.

b. Overview

Using linking words (cohesive devices) and suggested structures to write an overview.
there is/ was + a between A and B.
Overall, significant difference/
In general, similarity
Generally, there is/ was+ a in + the + N+ of A and B
As can be seen from the graph, steady decrease/
increase
It is obvious/ apparent that S + V + O.

Example: 1. In general, there was a significant difference in the number of smokers

between men and women. While the number of male smokers steadily increased over a ten-
year period, the number of female smokers fell dramatically.
2. Overall, there was a steady decrease in the birth rates of both nations over an 80-year
period. Although the two trends were similar in terms of a general decline, the birth rate of the
USA in most years was higher than that of China.
3. It is obvious that prices increased for the three food product groups, despite
fluctuations. Only the increase in the prices for fresh fruits and vegetables was significantly
higher than the rise in the general consumer price index.

c. Body paragraphs (Details)

1. Describing trends

- Common verbs and phrases that are used to describe trends.

Trends Verbs/ Phrases Nouns/ Phrases
to rise a rise
to increase an increase
to grow a growth
to soar * a soar * from
to surge * from a surge * to
to decrease to a decrease of
to fall by a fall in
to drop a drop
to decline a decline
to plunge * a plunge *
to plummet * a plummet *
to remain unchanged/
stable/ steady at
to stay the same
to fluctuate between … and …
to fluctuate around
a fluctuation
to be inconsistent/ unstable

to stabilize at
a stabilization
to level off
 to reach a plateau at

to peak at

to bottom out at

Note: The words with “*” do not take Advs or Adjs.

2. Describing the speed of change

- Adjectives and adverbs that are used to describe the speed of change.

Slow Moderate Fast Sudden

gradually steadily quickly suddenly
 slowly rapidly unexpectedly
slightly

3. Preposition

Verbs/ Nouns Preposition Example

from Sales increased from $1 million => sales were
Using verbs: at a level of $1 million at the beginning of the
To rise / period.
To drop to Sales increased to $2 million => sales were at a
level of $2 million at the end of the period.
by Sales increased by 2 million dollars => sales
increased 2 million dollars during the period.
from... to... There was a decline from 1000 smokers to 100
Using nouns: smokers over the 10-year period => There were
An increase/ 1000 smokers at the beginning of the period and
A drop 100 smokers at the end of the period.
of There was a decline of 900 in the number of
in smokers => The number of smokers declined
900 during the period.

4. Useful structures to describe trends

 Basic Structures Advanced structures

1 Time, S + V + Adv. Before/ After + Ving (+time 1), S + V + Adv

In 2001, the number of cars (+time 2).

declined rapidly. After declining rapidly in 2001, the number of

cars climed dramatically in 2005.

2 Time + saw/ witnessed + S + V + Time 1 + saw/ witnessed + S + V1 + Adv 1

Adv. + before/ prior to + Ving 2 + Adv 2 + time

The year 2010 saw the number of 2.

students drop quickly. The year 2010 witnessed the number of

students drop quickly prior to recovering
slightly in the following year.

3 There + be + a/an + Adj+ N + in + … which led to/ was followed by + a/an +

S + time Adj 2 + N2 + time.
There is a quick fall in the number OR
of students in 2010. This led to/ was followed by + a/an + Adj 2
+ N2 + time.
There is a quick fall in the number of
4 S + saw/ witnessed/ experienced
students in 2010, which was followed by a
+ a/an+ Adj + N + time
slight decrease two years later.
The number of students
experienced a quick fall in 2010.
The number of students experienced a quick
5 Time + witnessed/ experienced/ fall in 2010. This led to a more dramatic
experienced + a/an + Adj+ N + in decrease two years later.
+S

The year 2010 experienced a

The year 2010 experienced a quick drop in
quick drop in the number of
the number of students, which was followed
students.
by a further plunge in 2012.
6 A + Adj + N + be + recorded + in While/ whereas + a/ an + Adj 1 + N1 + be +
+ S + time. recorded + in + S + time 1, time 2

A quick drop was recorded in the witnessed/ experienced + a/ an + Adj 2 +

number of students in 2010. N2.

Whereas a quick drop was recorded in the

number of students in 2010, the year 2012
witnessed a considerable growth.

4. Analyze a sample report

Task 1. Read the writing task below and answer the following questions.
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task
The graph below gives information about the technology that households in one US
city used for watching television between 2004 and 2014.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make
comparisons where relevant.

(Adapted from Rogers, B., & Kenny, N. (2016). The Complete Guide to Ielts: Students book: Band 5.5-7+. National
Geographic Learning, Cengage Learning.)

1. What basic information does the graph provide?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

2. What do four lines on the graph indicate?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

3. What is measured on the vertical axis? What unit of measurement is used?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

4. What is measured on the horizontal axis?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

5. What trends do you see in the graph?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

6. What are some of the most important features of this graph (e.g. the highest/ lowest
point, similarities/ differences)?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Task 2. Read the sample report for the line graph in Task 1 above and fill in the
blanks with suitable words or phrases.

gradual rose fall overall

dramatically changed slightly indicates
dropped peak gradually had been continuously falling

The information illustrated in the graph (1)_____________ how the use of technology for
watching TV (2)_____________ over a 10-year period, from 2004 to 2014, in one city in the
United States.
(3)_____________, use of the Internet rose (4)_______________, favour for satellite rose
(5)______________, whereas the use of broadcast and cable both (6) _________ (7)________.

In 2004, cable and broadcast were the principal methods for watching TV in this city of about
90,000 and 100,000 households, respectively. The Internet, however, was of very little use. In
the next ten years, great changes occurred. Use of broadcast (8) _______ from being the most
widespread way of watching TV to the least common one, with very few households watching
broadcast TV in 2014. Use of cable had been popular with over 80,000 households at the
beginning of the period, but this figure (9) __________ to only 60,000 households at the end of
the period after reaching its (10) __________ at nearly 100,000 households' usage in 2008.

Satellite viewing showed a (11) ____________ rise in the number of households using it from
approximately 70,000 to 110,000 during the examined years. Following the same trend, use of
the Internet (12) ____________ significantly from almost 0 to virtually 200,000 households
using it in 2014, making it the most widely used technology in the reported city.

5. Brainstorm ideas

Task 3. Read the Writing task below and brainstorm the ideas for the tasks based
on the given words/ phrases.

The graph below gives information about how teenagers (aged 12-19) in one state in
the United States communicated with each other.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make
comparisons where relevant.
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
 (Rogers, B., & Kenny, N. (2016). The Complete Guide to Ielts: Students book: Band 5.5-7+. National Geographic
Learning, Cengage Learning.)

Task 3.1. Read the sentences that describe the graph. Fill in the blank with the
preposition from the box. You can use the preposition more than once.
from to between at by

1. The percentage of text messaging by teenagers rose steadily from about 28%______ just
under 40% from November 2006 to November 2007, before leveling off in the next 3
months.
2. Then, this figure increased ________ 15% between Feb 2008 and Sep 2009 to become a
common means of communication
3. The number of people using a cell phone to make calls remained stable with a gradual rise
_______ 35%______ 38%
4. The proportion of face-to-face communication fluctuated ________ 30% and 35% during the
reported period, before reaching a peak ________ 40% in Nov 2007.
5. Starting with 15% ______ the beginning of the period, the percentage of email usage slightly
dropped ______ about 15% to 10%, after a slight increase ______ nearly 20% in Nov 2007.
Task 3.2. Write sentences that describe important trends of the lines in the grap.
Remember to use the useful language on pages 9-10.
1. Describing Text messages line
E.g.: There was a slight increase in the percentage of all teenagers using text messages
between Nov 2006 and Feb 2008, which was followed by a considerable rise to Sep 2009.
2. Describing Calls on cell-phones line

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

3. Describing Talk face-to-face line

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

4. Describing Email line

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Task 4. Complete the outline for the charts based on the ideas in Task 3 and the
useful language in Pre-writing.

Paragraph 1: _____________________________________________________
Introduction _____________________________________________________

Paragraph 2: _____________________________________________________

Overview _____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________
Paragraph 3: Body 1
_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________
Paragraph 4: Body 2
_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________