Scorify.uzThe question
The line graph shows the percentage of the population who used the internet in four countries between 2000 and 2020.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
What to notice before you write
Look for the overall direction first: all four lines rise. Then compare the starting points, the end points and the speed of growth. Country C starts highest but slows down, while Country A overtakes it and finishes first. Country D is lowest throughout but grows steadily after 2010. Group countries with similar patterns in the detail paragraphs.
Band 7 sample report
The line graph illustrates the proportion of people using the internet in four countries over a twenty-year period from 2000 to 2020.
Overall, internet use increased significantly in all four countries. Country A showed the strongest growth and had the highest figure by the end of the period, whereas Country D remained the lowest throughout.
In 2000, Country C had the largest share of users at 10%, compared with only 1% in Country D. Over the next decade, Country A rose rapidly from 5% to 45% and then overtook Country C between 2010 and 2015, whereas Country C, which reached 50% in 2010, grew only slowly to 65% in 2020.
Country A continued to climb and reached 88% by 2020. Country B followed a similar upward trend, increasing from 2% to 75%. Although Country D started from the lowest base, it experienced faster growth after 2010, rising from 12% to 52% in the final decade.
155 words.
Useful language for this chart type
- illustrate / show / depict — verbs for introducing the graph
- rise significantly / increase steadily — describing upward trends
- overtake — pass another line to become higher
- remain the lowest — stay at the bottom throughout
- reach a peak of — go up to the highest point
- in the final decade — a time phrase for the last ten years
- whereas / while — contrasting two groups
Common mistakes
- Giving an opinion or reasons (“because people bought smartphones”) when the chart gives no reasons.
- Describing every number instead of selecting the key trends.
- Forgetting the overview paragraph.
Study guides
Computer-Delivered IELTS: What Changes and What Stays the Same
Thinking about taking IELTS on a computer? Here is what stays the same, what feels different in Writing, Reading and Listening, and how to prepare for the screen.
IELTS Writing Task 1 Vocabulary for Graphs, Charts and Processes
Useful verbs, nouns, adverbs and sentence patterns for describing line graphs, bar charts, tables and processes in IELTS Task 1, with more than twelve example sentences.
Linking Words for IELTS and How to Use Them Correctly
A practical list of IELTS linking words grouped by function, with correct and incorrect examples, punctuation rules and a warning about overusing connectors.
Frequently asked questions
How many words should an IELTS Task 1 report be?
Write at least 150 words. Strong reports are usually 160–190 words and take about 20 minutes, leaving a minute or two to check.
What is an overview in Task 1?
The overview is a short paragraph, written without detailed numbers, that states the main trends or the most important features of the data. Reports without a clear overview are limited to a lower band.
Should I give my opinion in Task 1?
No. Describe and compare only what the data shows. Do not explain reasons or add information that is not in the chart.