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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.

200 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

  • Compare which series begins higher and which one ends higher; here, production starts slightly above consumption, but consumption finishes much higher.
  • Identify the different rates of change: production rises gradually, while consumption accelerates after the early plotted years.
  • Mention the axis-label problem: the task’s stated dates do not match the displayed years, and the last year is printed twice.

Suggested structure

  1. Introduce the graph, measures, and units.
  2. Give an overview of the overall direction and the main contrast between the two lines.
  3. Describe production’s starting level, plateau, and gradual later rise.
  4. Describe consumption’s early stability and sharper increase, then compare the final plotted values.
  5. Briefly note that the displayed dates are inconsistent or duplicated where this affects interpretation.
Useful vocabulary & examples
rose gradually
increased slowly over time

Oil production rose gradually after remaining near 3 million barrels per day.

remained stable
stayed at approximately the same level

Production remained stable at around 3 million barrels per day for a period.

increased substantially
went up by a large amount

Consumption increased substantially and reached about 6.3 million barrels per day at the final plotted point.

the gap widened
the difference between two values became greater

The gap between oil consumption and production widened as consumption climbed.

Task Prompt

The line graph below shows the oil production and consumption in China between 1982 and 2006.
IELTS Writing Task 1 visual

User Essay Analysis

Review the public answer with report-style highlights.

Band 5.0

This line graph provides information about the consumption and production of oil in China from 1982 to 2006.The data is measured in millions of oil barrels per day. Overall,there is an upward trend in both consumption and production of oil in China.But the consumption of oil increases very fast with the passage of time. In the first observation, production stands at about 2 million barrels per day, slightly above consumption, at just under 2 million. Production then rises to around 3 million and remains almost unchanged for a time, before edging up gradually to approximately 3.4 million at the end. By contrast, consumption grows only slightly at first, reaching about 2 million, but then climbs much more sharply. It overtakes production around the middle of the period, at roughly 3.4 million barrels daily, and continues rising to about 4 million and then 5 million. At the final point, consumption is approximately 6.3 million barrels per day, almost twice the production figure. Thus, while both measures increase overall, the gap between them widens substantially because the rise in consumption is far steeper. Production shows a modest overall increase, whereas consumption experiences the most pronounced change.

Targeted Improvement Tips

1
Add a space after each comma and full stop in the opening, then check that every sentence begins with a capital letter.
2
Keep the overview brief, then compare both series at the beginning, around their crossover, and at the final point.
3
Use approximate language for graph readings, such as “about” or “approximately,” and avoid repeating the same overall contrast in both the overview and conclusion.

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