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Writing Academic Task 1 Band 5.0 Example

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

229 words AcademicTask 1Line Graph
Task 1

Illustrative target band for this original model answer.

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Ideas to explore

  • Petroleum was the leading fuel throughout, reaching about 140 in the mid-1980s, dipping around 1990–91, then recovering to a similar level.
  • Coal had a sharp early fall, a partial rebound, and then a longer decline to about 35 by 2000.
  • Natural gas stayed near 40 for much of the 1980s, rose strongly after 1991, and ended at about 100, above coal but below petroleum.

Suggested structure

  1. Introduce the graph by naming the three fuels, the UK, the years and the unit.
  2. Give an overview of the overall ranking and the contrasting directions of change.
  3. Describe petroleum’s rise, dip and recovery with key dates and approximate figures.
  4. Compare coal’s decline with natural gas’s later growth, including their end values.
Useful vocabulary & examples
remain the leading source
continue to have the highest production level among the categories.

Petroleum remained the leading source throughout the period.

fall sharply
decrease quickly and substantially over a relatively short interval.

Coal production fell sharply to around 40 in 1984.

recover to approximately
rise again after a decline to reach a similar or specified level.

Petroleum recovered to approximately 140 in 1996.

overtake
become greater than another category after previously being lower.

Natural gas overtook coal in the early 1990s.

Task Prompt

The graph below shows the production levels of the main kinds of fuel in the UK between 1981 and 2000. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparison where relevant.
IELTS Writing Task 1 visual

User Essay Analysis

Review the public answer with report-style highlights.

Band 5.0

The graph gives information about amount of extracted petroleum, coal and natural gas in the UK from 1981 to 2000, measured in energy units. It is noticeable that petroleum and natural gas have upward trend, as opposed to coal. Also, fuel with less production level at the beggining was natural gas, but coal overtooked it around 1985, although natural gas moved above coal again in the early 1990s. Overall, petroleum was the leading fuel for most of the period and finished at a high level, while coal ended as the least-produced fuel. Natural gas rose steadily after remaining almost unchanged during the first part of the period.

In 1981, petroleum production was about 90 energy units, compared with roughly 80 for coal and 40 for natural gas. Petroleum climbed sharply to around 140 units in the mid-1980s, then fell to approximately 100 by 1990. It subsequently recovered, reaching about 140 in 1996 and staying close to this level through 2000.

Coal output fell steeply from about 80 units to around 35 in 1984, before rebounding to just over 60 in 1986. It then generally declined, fluctuating around 35–50 units during the 1990s and ending at roughly 35. By contrast, natural gas stayed near 40 units until the late 1980s, then increased, particularly after 1991. It reached approximately 75 by 1994 and continued rising to about 100 in 2000.

Targeted Improvement Tips

1
Write an overview that distinguishes petroleum’s overall dominance from its mid-period fall, rather than suggesting that it rose continuously.
2
Check the graph’s crossover points: coal is below natural gas around 1984 but above it by 1986, and natural gas moves above coal again in the early 1990s.
3
Before submitting, proofread the opening for articles and spelling, especially “an upward trend,” “beginning,” and “overtook.”

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