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Writing Academic Task 1 Band 9.0 Example

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

200 words AcademicTask 1Line Graph
Task 1

Illustrative target band for this original model answer.

Plan your answer

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Ideas to explore

  • The coast grows overall despite a small dip between 1987 and 1992, then finishes with the highest visitor total.
  • The lakes show the largest fluctuation: a sharp rise to a 2002 peak followed by a substantial fall.
  • The mountains remain the least visited area at the end, but their numbers increase gradually rather than decline.

Suggested structure

  1. Introduce the graph, its subject, locations and time period.
  2. Give an overview of the broad trends, the lakes’ peak and the final ranking.
  3. Describe the coast’s starting point, brief decline and subsequent rise.
  4. Compare the mountains’ steady increase with the lakes’ rise and later fall.
Useful vocabulary & examples
rose steadily
increased gradually over a period

Visitor numbers for the mountains rose steadily from about 20,000 to 35,000.

peaked at
reached the highest point

The number of visitors to the lakes peaked at approximately 75,000 in 2002.

fell to
decreased and reached a particular level

The lakes’ figure fell to around 50,000 by 2007.

ended as the most popular destination
had the highest visitor figure at the end of the period

The coast ended as the most popular destination, at about 75,000 visitors.

Task Prompt

The graph below shows the number of overseas visitors to three different areas in a European country between 1987 and 2007 Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant
IELTS Writing Task 1 visual

User Essay Analysis

Review the public answer with report-style highlights.

Band 9.0

The line graph illustrates the trends in overseas visitors to three distinct regions—coast, mountains, and lakes—in a European country from 1987 to 2007, measured in thousands. Overall, while the coast remained the most frequented destination throughout the period, the lakes exhibited the most significant growth in visitor numbers, contrasting with the decline experienced by the lakes after their peak in 2002. Strictly speaking, however, the coast did not lead in every year: the lakes overtook it in 2002, before falling back by 2007.

In 1987, visitor numbers stood at 40,000 for the coast, compared with 20,000 for the mountains and 10,000 for the lakes. The coastal figure dipped to 35,000 in 1992, then rose to 45,000 in 1997 and 60,000 in 2002, ending at 75,000 in 2007. Mountain visits increased gradually, reaching 25,000 in 1992 and 30,000 in both 1997 and 2002, before finishing at 35,000. The lakes saw the sharpest rise, from 10,000 to 25,000 in 1992 and 40,000 in 1997, then surging to 75,000 in 2002. Despite falling to 50,000 in 2007, their visitor total remained well above its starting point.

Targeted Improvement Tips

1
Before drafting the overview, compare the three lines at each year; note that the lakes, not the coast, had the highest figure in 2002.
2
Use a compact overview that captures the coast’s eventual rise, the lakes’ sharp peak and subsequent fall, and the mountains’ gradual increase.
3
After writing, check that each figure is paired with the correct region and year, especially at the crossover in 2002.

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