Task 1 · line graph · 18 samples

The line graph below shows the oil production and consumption in China between 1982 and 2006.

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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.

Sample answers

AI-completed learning example

210 words · Illustrative target band

The line graph illustrates the trends in oil production and consumption in China from 1982 to 2006, measured in millions of barrels per day. Overall, both production and consumption exhibit an upward trajectory, with consumption significantly outpacing production in the later years. In 1982, China’s oil production stood at 2 million barrels per day, showing the starting point for a subsequent modest rise. It then cli…

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AI-completed learning example

189 words · Illustrative target band

The line graph illustrates the amount of oil production and consumption in China from 1982 to 2006. Overall, production and consumption were at the same level only twice: in 1982 and around 1994. It is evident that consumption surpassed production after 1994. In 1982, both production and consumption were approximately 2 million barrels of oil per day. By the next recorded point, production had risen to about 3 millio…

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AI-completed learning example

230 words · Illustrative target band

The given graph illustrates how much oil was produced and consumed in China over the 24-year course from 1982 to 2006. Overall, it is evident that oil output and consumption in China witnessed an upward trend over the examined span, despite an 8-year stability recorded in both figures. Also of note is that the gap between the two measures widened considerably as consumption eventually overtook production. The chart’s…

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