After writing your introduction and overview paragraphs, you need to describe the information in detail. Here are my tips for describing line graph details:
- Try to write two paragraphs. This isn't a 'rule', but it's a good idea because it forces you to group the information, and this should improve the organisation and coherence of your report. One big paragraph full of numbers can look messy, whereas two separate paragraphs will look neater and be easier to read.
- Aim for just two or three sentences in each 'details' paragraph. Some of your sentences will be quite long, because you'll be comparing several numbers, so two sentences can sometimes be enough.
- Always compare the lines; never describe each line separately.
- Select key numbers only. You won't have time to describe every number in every year.
- Start at the beginning, with the first year on the left of the x axis. Compare the numbers (i.e. all lines) in that year.
- Then choose an interesting point towards the middle of the graph, and compare the figures at that point.
- OR: Summarise the line trends over the first half of the period (to somewhere around the middle of the graph).
- Then start a new paragraph for the second half of the time period.
- Compare the figures for all of the lines at any key points. Or summarise the line trends over the second half of the period.
- Finish at the end, with the last year shown. Compare the numbers (i.e. all lines) in that year.
Here's a short version of the advice above:
Paragraph 3
Compare the lines (giving numbers) in the first year shown, then describe any significant numbers or overall trends in the first half of the time period.
Paragraph 4
Describe any significant numbers or overall trends in the second half of the time period, then compare the lines (giving numbers) in the last year shown.
Task:
See if you can follow this advice to write two 'details' paragraphs about the line graph in last week's lesson.
Thanks Mr Simon.
I would like to ask about different thing, when I'm preparing for the exam I do a very silly mistakes, every time I revise my writing or speaking I find faults that really related to concentration!!
Any advice please to improve concentration..
Posted by: Asim | April 27, 2017 at 13:20
hello sir
do you have pdf socuments of your advice?
Posted by: Jamshid | April 27, 2017 at 13:54
What chart depict is how much food and oil worth worldwide from 2000 to 2011.
In 2000, oil price was slightly higher than food price, which was around $30. Both food and oil prices saw a token dent between 2001 and 2003. However, it could be seen that the trend for two lines has gone up from nearly $30 in 2003 to approximately $60 in 2007. In 2004, food price went over oil prices. Then, two lines met each other at about $50 in 2005.While there was a sharp rise in oil price up to over $60 between 2005 and 2007, food price has gradually increased to $60.
Between 2007 and 2008, a sharp rise has been illustrated from $60 to over 80.Trends have seen a peak at around $130 in the middle of 2008. After that, a sudden decline has occurred for both lines until 2009. Whereas food price has experienced a decrease down to $60, further fall can be observed in oil price to just over $40. A continuous growth again has happened from 2009 to 2011 for both lines. Although both prices have risen, food price was obviously more than oil price this time. Food price has grown to $140 while oil price has reached at $100 in 2011.
Overall, line graph indicates the prices for food and oil within eleven years between 2000 and 2011 around the world. Despite seeing nearly the same growth, food price has met a considerable growth compared to oil price at the end.
Posted by: Kami | April 27, 2017 at 18:32
Thank you very much, Teacher Simon! That's very detailed and useful! It helps me to revise how to report a line graph!
Posted by: Nam Anh | April 28, 2017 at 05:52
Dear Simon,
I am not sure where to leave a short comment for your wonderful work so I just write below your recent article.
I struggled a lot with writing component as I was severely lacking some topic-relevant ideas. Plus, my essay was not logical at all, presenting no logical flow.
Your essay planning tips proved to be extremely helpful and almost immediately my score increased more than two bands. Now I received the score I needed and I can register myself to national nursing board and further proceed with my visa.
I want to thank you for all the hard work you put in for this absolutely amazing website. I hope I can help my friends to enhance their language skills so that they can pursue their goals in life.
I render my sincere appreciation to you.
Sincerely,
L.K
Posted by: Lindsay Kim | April 28, 2017 at 06:25
The line graph compares the figures for the average price of a barrel of oil with the food price index over a period of 11 years.
It is clear that te average global prices of both food and oil rose considerably between 2000 and 2011, although many price fluctuations can be seen during those 11years. Furthermore, the trends of both commodities are very similar.
In 2000, the average oil price was sold around $28 per barrel and the food price index was around 84 points. Over 6-years later, there was a dramatic increase of oil price by $32 per barrell, while the index of price rose by 36 points at the same period.
During 2008-2009, the average global price of oil rose and reached a peak around $122 per barrel before it decreased drammatically by $80. Similarly, the index of food price peaked at 220 points and it fell considerably by 80 points at the same period. In 2011, while the global oil price was around $98 per barrel, the food price index increased considerably around 238 points.
Posted by: Mohammad Vicky | April 28, 2017 at 10:49
The line chart demonstrated the variation of food price index in points and the average oil price of a barrel during a eleven-year period.
It is obvious that both food and oil price rose between 2000 and 2011, although there are many price fluctuations. Besides the trend of tow commodities are very similar, therefore the correlation is very strong.
The food price increased gradually to a peak around 220 points in 2008, while the price of fuel came to 130 per barrel at the same time. Nevertheless, the price of both goods plummeted in 2009, with a decrease of food by 80 points and oil by 90.
After the trough in 2009, food price indicate an abrupt increase in 2011 to nearly 240 points which was higher than 2008 whereas petrol ramped up to 100 lower than 2008. Yet, food price was strongly correlated to the price of fuel, up to 93%.
Posted by: Joanne | April 29, 2017 at 06:45
The line graph demonstrates the average oil price of a barrel and the food price index from 2000 to 2011.
It is clear that both the global food and oil prices fluctuated and escalated over the 11 years.We can also see that there is a highly positive connection between the prices of these two commodities.
In 2000,the food price index was around 90 while the average oil price was around $25.The average oil price came to about $72 in the middle of 2006.Meanwhile the food price index increased to 28 approximately.
In the subsequent years,the average prices of both food and oil reached to high points which are 220 and $130 respectively.But then,they slumped considerably in the next year.After that,food price index hit the highest point,about 240,in the last year among the 11 years,and the average oil price ascended after 2009 and reached to about $100 per barrel in 2011.
Posted by: Tracy | April 29, 2017 at 06:55
The line graph compares figures for food price index and average price of a barrel during the period from 2000 to 2011.
It is clear that the price of both commodities rose significantly in those 11 years, although numerous fluctuations are indicated over the period. Besides, the two lines followed a similar trend over the 11-year period and a strong correlation is suggested.
Looking at the diagram in more detail, we can see that food price index started at around 90 points in 2000 while the oil price per barrel was slightly higher in the same year. The food price increased steadily and peaked at about 220 points between 2008 and 2009 and average oil price followed a similar trend and amounted to around $130.
The price of both commodities experienced a fluctuation from 2008 and 2011.Finally, in 2011, the average oil price reached $99, surpassed by food price index which arrived at approximately 240 points.
Posted by: Frank | April 29, 2017 at 12:01
Dear Simon,
Can you explain me about why you use "saw" in that task 1??
http://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2016/11/ielts-writing-task-1-waste-graph-answer.html
Posted by: Bai | April 29, 2017 at 16:10
In 2000, the price index of food stood at just over 80 points, while the average oil price was around $30, this is the lowest figures throughout the period as a whole. Over the following 8 years, the price of both goods increased significantly by about 140 points and $100 respectively.
From 2008 and 2009, there was a dramatic fall in the food and oil prices by approximately 80 points and $90. By 2011, the figure for food had risen to 240 points, compared to $100 of the oil price per barrel.
Posted by: Rio | May 01, 2017 at 06:18
Congratulations Lindsay Kim!
I'm glad my lessons helped you to get the scores you needed.
Posted by: Simon | May 01, 2017 at 14:05
I took an exam in 29/04/2017 and wrote task 2 completely. Task 2 was two bar charts which had two trends. I couldn't write the for second trend of the second chart and miss overall. Is it possible to get 7 yet?
Posted by: Ehsan Sadeghi | May 02, 2017 at 12:50
Dear Simon,
Could you please recommend some English websites for us to show how data is discribed in daily news reports? I think sometimes find my vocabulary is still not enough for Ielts task 1(and task2 of course).
Thank you,
Sunggie
Posted by: Sunggie | May 03, 2017 at 11:11
Dear Simon,
I'd like to ask whether this tips can be used for line chart only or I also can use in other charts (i.e. bar chart) Thanks
Posted by: Anindya | May 09, 2017 at 23:25