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

211 words · Illustrative target band

The graph illustrates the consumption of three types of spreads (margarine, butter, and low-fat spreads) from 1981 to 2007 in grams. Overall, butter consumption started high but experienced a sharp decline, margarine fluctuated over the period, and low-fat spreads saw a significant rise in the 1990s but fell towards the end of the period. In terms of the figures, butter began at about 140 grams in 1981 and rose to a …

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AI-completed learning example

183 words · Illustrative target band

The line graph illustrates the consumption of three types of spreads (margarine, low-fat spreads, and butter) from 1981 to 2007. Overall, the consumption of butter and margarine decreased during this period, while the consumption of low-fat and reduced spreads increased. Butter and margarine started at approximately 140 grams and 90 grams, respectively. In the first six years, butter rose from about 140 to 160 grams,…

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AI-completed learning example

201 words · Illustrative target band

The line graph illustrates changes in the consumption of three different spreads in grams over the period from 1981 to 2007. Overall, the consumption of margarine and butter showed a declining trend throughout the period, while the consumption of low fat & reduced spreads experienced fluctuations over the years. Margarine consumption started at approximately 140 grams in 1981, although the chart puts margarine at abo…

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