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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.

197 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

The chart gives information about oil production and consumption in China from 1982 to 2006. Overall, the general trend is to go up, the highest number belongs to oil consumption in 2006. In 1982, the amount of oil production and consumption were nearly the same at bout 2 million oil barrels per day. The production rose to about 3 million barrels per day and then remained almost stable for several points, before edging up to around 3.5 million at the end. Consumption, by contrast, began at just under 2 million barrels per day and increased only slightly at first, reaching about 2 million. It then rose much more sharply, to approximately 3.3 million, and continued upward to 4 million and 5 million at later points. By the final point, consumption had climbed to roughly 6.3 million barrels per day. Thus, consumption overtook production around the middle of the period, and the difference between the two measures became progressively larger. Production, in comparison, showed a modest overall rise and little movement after its early increase. These figures are approximate readings from the graph. The main contrast is the much faster and stronger growth in consumption.

Targeted Improvement Tips

1
Write a one-sentence overview that directly contrasts the slower rise in production with the much faster increase in consumption.
2
Use consistent units throughout: write “million barrels per day,” and include the unit when introducing figures.
3
Before submitting, check subject–verb agreement and sentence boundaries, especially in the opening overview.

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