Task 1 · line graph · 18 samples

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

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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

  1. Introduce the graph, naming all three spreads, the years and the unit.
  2. Give an overview that accurately summarises the different overall patterns and the late-period ranking.
  3. Describe butter and margarine together, using their start values, peaks or plateaus and final values.
  4. 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.

Sample answers

AI-completed learning example

214 words · Illustrative target band

The line graph illustrates the amount of three kinds of spreads(margarine, low fat and reduced spreads and butter) which were consumed over 26 years from 1981 to 2007. Units are measured in grams. Overall, the consumption of margarine and butter decreased over the period given, while for low fat and reduced spreads, it rose. At the start of the period, butter was the most popular spread, at about 140 grams, compared …

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AI-completed learning example

170 words · Illustrative target band

The line graph illustrations depict three types of spreads (margarine, low-fat & reduced spreads, and butter) over a period of 26 years from 1981 to 2007. The units are measured in grams. Overall, at the start of the period, butter was the most popular spread, but its consumption has sharply decreased over the years. However, low-fat and reduced spreads showed a contrasting trend, becoming the most consumed option by…

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AI-completed learning example

203 words · Illustrative target band

The graph illustrates the consumption rates of three spreads – margarine, low-fat and reduced spreads, and butter – from 1981 to 2007. It is evident that margarine and butter were used earlier compared to low-fat and reduced spreads. Butter was the preferred spread from the early 1980s to the early 1990s. Margarine consumption showed fluctuations between 1981 and 2007, although it rose and fell over the period. Butte…

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