How to Describe Line Graphs for IELTS Writing Task 1

Written by David S. Wills · September 28, 2016

The IELTS Writing Task 1 often features a line graph. Describing a line graph is not as difficult as it seems. In fact, there are a few things to remember to help you gain a band 7.0 score.

Watch this lesson on YouTube (opens in a new tab)→

Grammar

You can learn these two structures and, with only a little bit of variation, you can describe almost any trend.

Interest rates decreased significantly.

Subject (what you’re describing) + verb + adverb

Or:

There was a significant decrease in interest rates.

There was + adjective + noun + (what you’re describing)

You can use these formulas to describe most trends in line graphs. Here are some more examples.

Unemployment levels dropped slightly.

The price of gas increased suddenly.

There was a steady decline in attendance.

Language

As you can see above, you can use verbs or nouns to describe changes given that you alter the grammar of the sentence. This is useful for avoiding repetition. For example, read the following passage:

Interest rates increased from 5% to 6% and then increased again from 6% to 8%. They decreased to 4% and then increased once more to 7.5% before decreasing back to 5%.

It sounds awfully repetitive! Let’s trying mixing it up:

Interest rates increased from 5% to 6% and then rose again from 6% to 8%. They fell to 4% and then there was an increase once more to 7.5% before dropping back to 5%.

Here are some comparable pairs:

Keep in mind that if you use the verb + to then you must follow with a number. Also, most of those words can be used interchangeably, except for “boom” which suggests a large, sudden increase.

Being Specific

There’s a big difference between the right word and the nearly right word… In the IELTS, getting a higher band can be achieved by using more specific and accurate language. Instead of simply saying that something went up or went down, try using adverbs and adjectives to say how it went up or down.

Here’s a list of some useful words:

They can be used together thusly:

More Information About Line Graphs

If you want to see how you can use the above language in a report on line graphs, you should take a look at this helpful YouTube video:

Try the Take your free IELTS writing practice test. →. Allow 25–40 minutes. Your score overview is free; the detailed report and practice plan are optional at US$9 once.