Writing

Task 1 — Line Graph

Describe trends over time across one or more lines.

FREQUENCY · CAMBRIDGE 10–20 (RECENT 17–20 HIGHLIGHTED)

4 total appearances · 4 in books 17–20.

TIME BUDGET

20 min for Task 1: 3 min plan, 14 min write, 3 min check

Example — what it looks like

TRY IT

Line graph descriptions need an overview that captures the BIG picture without numbers.

Graph: A line graph showing rainfall in mm in three cities (Sydney, Cairo, London) across 12 months. Sydney is highest year-round, Cairo is lowest with near-zero summer rainfall, London has a moderate but very flat curve.

Which sentence is the best OVERVIEW (not a body paragraph)?

A — 'In January, Sydney had 110 mm of rain, while Cairo had only 5 mm.'B — 'Overall, Sydney consistently received the most rainfall, Cairo the least, and London showed comparatively stable values throughout the year.'C — 'Sydney had a lot of rain. Cairo had less. London was in between.'D — 'The graph is interesting because it shows different climates.'

Tactics

Use a 4-paragraph structure: Introduction, Overview, Body 1, Body 2. Open with: 'The line graph illustrates the trends in...' or 'The graph provides information regarding changes in... between [year] and [year].' Paraphrase by swapping the verb ('shows' → 'depicts/illustrates'), the noun ('the number of' → 'figures for'), and rearranging clauses. Overview must capture the big picture without numbers: identify the highest line, the lowest line, the steepest change, and whether overall trends rose, fell, or fluctuated. Template: 'Overall, [X] showed an upward trend throughout the period, while [Y] experienced the opposite.' Group lines logically—either by trajectory (rising vs falling) or by similarity (lines that move together).

Trend vocabulary is essential: rose, climbed, surged, soared, peaked at, reached a high of vs declined, decreased, dropped, plunged, bottomed out at, hit a low of. For stable periods: remained stable, leveled off, plateaued, stayed constant. For fluctuation: fluctuated, oscillated, varied. Modify with adverbs of degree: sharply, dramatically, significantly, considerably vs gradually, steadily, slightly, marginally.

Convert verbs to nouns to vary structure: 'There was a sharp rise in...' / 'X witnessed a dramatic increase.' Always cite specific data points (with units and years) when describing peaks, troughs, and starting/ending values. Comparison transitions: 'In contrast,' 'Conversely,' 'Meanwhile,' 'By comparison.' Sequence transitions: 'From [year] to [year],' 'Subsequently,' 'In the following decade,' 'By the end of the period.' For projections (future years on the graph), use future forms: 'is expected to,' 'is projected to,' 'will likely.' Mix tenses appropriately—past simple for historical data, future for forecasts. End the second body paragraph naturally; do not write a conclusion. Aim for 170–190 words to give yourself a buffer above the 150 minimum.

How it's scored

Task Achievement: examiners reward accurate trend description, correct figures at key points (start, end, peak, trough), and a clear overview that summarizes without raw data. Missing the overview caps you at Band 5. Coherence & Cohesion: chronological or thematic ordering of body paragraphs, smooth transitions between time periods, and clear paragraph breaks. Lexical Resource: variety in trend verbs and adverbs is heavily rewarded; repeating 'increase' lowers your score. Use noun-verb conversions for flexibility. Grammatical Range & Accuracy: prepositions of change (rise BY 10%, rise TO 50, rise FROM X TO Y) must be precise. Use present perfect for trends extending to now, past simple for completed periods, and articles correctly with figures.