User-written IELTS example

Writing Academic Task 1 Band 5.0 Example

Original task prompt, user essay, band score, and related examples in the same report workspace.

188 words AcademicTask 1Line Graph

Task 1

Illustrative target band for this original model answer.

Plan your answer

Try your own response before reading the samples.

Ideas to explore

Identify the overall direction of each line separately: margarine and butter fall over the full period, while the low-fat variety rises after it appears and then declines.
Highlight key turning points: butter peaks in 1986, margarine reaches a plateau around 100 grams in 1991–1996, and the low-fat line surges by 2001.
Mention crossovers where they change the ranking: Low Fat & Reduced Spreads is highest in 2001, while butter and margarine are no longer the leading series.

Suggested structure

Introduce the graph, naming all three spreads, the years and the unit.
Give an overview that accurately summarises the different overall patterns and the late-period ranking.
Describe butter and margarine together, using their start values, peaks or plateaus and final values.
Describe the later-starting low-fat series and compare its 2001 peak with the other spreads.

Useful vocabulary & examples

reached a peak of: rose to its highest recorded value
Butter reached a peak of approximately 160 grams in 1986.
remained stable at: stayed at approximately the same level
Margarine consumption remained stable at around 100 grams from 1991 to 1996.
overtook both alternatives: became higher than the other two series
Low Fat & Reduced Spreads overtook both alternatives in 2001.
eased to: fell slightly or gradually to a lower value
The low-fat spread eased to about 70 grams by 2007.

Task Prompt

The graph below shows the consumption of 3 spreads from 1981 to 2007.

User Essay Analysis

Review the public answer with report-style highlights.

Band 5.0

The line graph illustrates the amount of 3 different kinds of spreads(Margarine, low fat & reduced spreads, Butter) which were consumed between 1981 and 2007. Units are measured in grams. Overall, margarine and butter spreads showed a downward trend over a period, while the percentage of low fat & reduced spreads rose. Initially, Butter was the most popular spread, at about 140 grams. Its consumption then climbed to a peak of approximately 160 grams in 1986 before dropping sharply to around 100 grams in 1991. It continued to decline, reaching about 70 grams in 1996 and roughly 50 grams by 2007. Margarine began at about 90 grams, dipped to 80 in 1986, and rose to around 100 in 1991, where it remained until 1996. After that, it fell to approximately 80 grams in 2001 and 40 grams in 2007. Low fat & reduced spreads first appeared in 1996, at only about 10 grams. Their consumption increased steeply to around 85 grams in 2001, then eased to about 70 grams at the end. Thus, butter led at the beginning, but margarine and the newer spread were higher by the final year.

Targeted Improvement Tips

Check the graph’s vertical-axis label before writing the overview; describe changes in grams rather than percentages.

Group detailed comparisons by spread, giving each line’s starting point, major peak or fall, and ending figure.

Leave time to proofread the opening sentence for concise wording, spaces around punctuation, and capitalization of common nouns.

AI Feedback

Overall Band

5.0

Modest

Words

188

Type

Line Graph

Criteria Breakdown

Task Achievement

6.0 Band

The response covers the full period and gives a clear overview in “margarine and butter spreads showed a downward trend,” then supports it with figures for all three lines. The comparisons, including butter’s peak and the rise in low-fat spreads, make the main changes clear. However, calling the increase a “percentage” is inaccurate because the graph reports grams. In future, check the unit label and make sure the overview describes the plotted measure.

Coherence & Cohesion

6.0 Band

The answer moves from an introduction and overview into chronological details, using markers such as “Initially” and “After that.” This makes the trends easy to follow, and the final sentence usefully compares the start and end years. The individual data points could be grouped more consistently by series rather than switching between butter, margarine and the new spread. Try one concise paragraph per trend, then add a brief end comparison.

Lexical Resource

5.0 Band

The response uses relevant trend language, including “climbed to a peak,” “dropping sharply” and “increased steeply,” with suitable approximate figures. Some phrasing is imprecise or repetitive: “amount of 3 different kinds” is cumbersome, and “percentage” does not match the graph’s unit. Use concise chart-reporting terms such as “consumption” and “figures,” and vary trend verbs only when they accurately describe the size and direction of a change.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

5.0 Band

Most sentences communicate the comparisons clearly, and the answer uses both simple and complex sentence forms. The opening phrase “spreads(Margarine” lacks a space before the parenthesis, while “which were consumed” makes the introduction unnecessarily awkward. “Butter” is also capitalised mid-sentence. Proofread punctuation and common-noun capitalization, and practise concise structures such as “The graph compares consumption of three spreads.”

Topic Band Distribution

Band 9.03 examples

Band 8.03 examples

Band 7.03 examples

Band 6.03 examples

Band 5.03 examples

Band 4.03 examples

Practice this prompt

Use the same topic in Hack Admission AI and compare your answer with this example.

Check your answer on this topic Browse all examples