Task 1 · line graph · 18 samples

The line graph shows the percentages of Australian export with four countries. The graph below shows the percentage of Australian exports to 4 countries from 1990 to 2012

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Plan your answer

Try your own response before reading the samples.

Ideas to explore

  • Highlight the main crossover: Japan leads in the earlier years, while China overtakes it between 2005 and 2010.
  • Contrast China’s steep late increase with Japan’s gradual decline.
  • Note that the smaller series do not follow one pattern: the US fluctuates, whereas India rises to a peak and then falls.

Suggested structure

  1. Paraphrase what the graph measures and give the years covered.
  2. Summarise the overall ranking change and the main trends without listing every figure.
  3. Compare Japan and the US, using starting points, changes and final values.
  4. Describe China and India together, emphasising China’s sharp late rise and India’s smaller peak and decline.
Useful vocabulary & examples
accounted for
formed a particular percentage or share of the total

Japan accounted for about 26% of Australian exports in 1990.

rose sharply
increased quickly and substantially

China’s share rose sharply after 2005.

fluctuated
went up and down rather than changing steadily in one direction

The percentage for the US fluctuated over the period.

peaked at
reached its highest point at a particular value

India’s share peaked at about 7% in 2010.

Sample answers

AI-completed learning example

193 words · Illustrative target band

The line graph compares the proportion of Australian international trade with different countries over a 12-year period from 1990 to 2012. It can be clearly observed that the figures for both Japan and the US experienced a rapid rise at the end of the period, whereas the figures for China and India were reversed. They followed different trajectories. Japan's share fell from about 26% in 1990 to 20% in 1995, then decl…

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AI-completed learning example

184 words · Illustrative target band

The line graph illustrates the proportion of exports from Australia to four different nations over a period of 22 years starting from 1990. Overall, the percentage of Australian exports to China and India increased, while this rate to US and Japan decreased over the period. The figure for the proportion of Australian goods exported to China rose from about 2% in 1990 to approximately 28% in 2012, making it the larges…

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AI-completed learning example

205 words · Illustrative target band

The line graph elaborates on the exports of Australia to Japan, the US, China, and India from 1990 to 2012. The data is given in percentages. Overall, after observing the figure closely, it is evident that China was the highest importer from Australia in 1990. Whereas, India was lowest at the beginning of the survay. However, this initial comparison is inaccurate: Japan, not China, accounted for the largest share in …

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