Academic Writing Task 1 · line graph

International Tourist Arrivals in Five Selected Countries from 1995 to 2010: IELTS Writing Task 1 sample answer

An IELTS Writing Task 1 line graph question with a Band 8 sample answer, the chart redrawn with its data, the vocabulary that lifts the report and how to write about line graphs.
  • 188 words
  • Line graphs
  • Academic
  • 20 minutes

The question

The graph below gives information about international tourist arrivals in five countries.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

International Tourist Arrivals (millions) (millions)
0204060801001995200020052010
  • Brazil
  • Egypt
  • Malaysia
  • France
  • USA
View the data
1995200020052010
Brazil8101418
Egypt7121622
Malaysia22283548
France32627090
USA72859290

Chart redrawn by BandLadder from the data in the original IELTS practice task. Many IELTS practice tasks come from the Cambridge IELTS series (Cambridge University Press & Assessment); all rights in the original tasks remain with their owners.

Model answer

Band 8 sample answer

Band 8188 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

The line graph illustrates the number of international tourist arrivals in Brazil, Egypt, Malaysia, France, and the USA between 1995 and 2010. Overall, it is clear that all five nations saw growth in their tourism sectors, although the scale of these increases varied significantly across the countries.

In 1995, the USA led with 72 million arrivals, followed by France at 32 million. By 2010, France had experienced a dramatic surge, reaching 90 million, matching the USA, which had peaked at 92 million in 2005 before declining slightly. Malaysia also showed steady growth, rising from 22 million in 1995 to 48 million by the end of the period.

In contrast, Brazil and Egypt started with much lower figures. In 1995, Brazil recorded 8 million arrivals, while Egypt had 7 million. Both countries followed a similar upward trajectory throughout the period. By 2010, Egypt had overtaken Brazil, reaching 22 million visitors, while Brazil concluded the period with 18 million. While the growth in these two nations was modest compared to the leaders, their figures more than doubled over the fifteen years, reflecting a consistent expansion in their international tourism markets.

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Line graphs

How to write about line graphs: tips and vocabulary

  • →Overview first: the overall direction of each line and which was highest.
  • →Group lines that move together instead of describing each one in turn.
  • →Give the start and end figures plus the peak or low point, not every value.
  • surge

    a sudden and powerful upward movement or increase

  • trajectory

    the path or direction something follows over time

  • overtaken

    to catch up with and pass in progress

  • modest

    relatively moderate or limited in size or amount

  • consistent

    acting or done in the same way over time

  • concluded

    brought or came to an end at a point

Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?+

Overall, all five countries experienced an upward trend in tourist arrivals over the 15-year period, with France and the USA consistently attracting the highest numbers of visitors.

How many words and how long for IELTS Writing Task 1?+

At least 150 words; 170 to 200 is the safe range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

How is IELTS Writing Task 1 scored?+

On four criteria: task achievement, coherence and cohesion, vocabulary, and grammatical range and accuracy. A clear overview of the main features is what most separates Band 6 from Band 7 and above.

How do I describe line graphs?+

Overview first: the overall direction of each line and which was highest. Group lines that move together instead of describing each one in turn. Give the start and end figures plus the peak or low point, not every value.

Keep practising

More line graphs

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