Academic Task 1
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Meat and fish consumption (line graph)
Question type: Academic Task 1: line graph
The question
The line graph below shows the average amount of chicken, beef, lamb and fish, in grams, that each person in one country ate per week between 1990 and 2020.
- Chicken
- Beef
- Lamb
- Fish
View the data as a table
| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 140 | 190 | 230 | 250 |
| Beef | 220 | 180 | 130 | 110 |
| Lamb | 150 | 100 | 70 | 55 |
| Fish | 60 | 55 | 50 | 45 |
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
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How to approach it
- Look at the direction of each line: one rises, two fall steeply and one is almost flat.
- Overview: chicken was the only food that rose and it became the most popular, while fish stayed lowest.
- Describe the moment the lines cross, when chicken overtook beef and lamb, because that is the main change.
Model answer
198 words (minimum 150). Written to show the features of a Band 8-level answer.
The line graph compares how much chicken, beef, lamb and fish the average person in one country ate each week over a thirty-year period, from 1990 to 2020.
Overall, chicken was the only food whose consumption rose, and it became by far the most popular of the four. The amounts of beef and lamb both fell sharply, while fish was eaten least throughout and changed very little.
In 1990, beef was the most widely eaten, at 220 grams per person per week, followed by lamb at 150 grams and chicken at 140 grams. Over the next decade these positions changed. Chicken climbed to 190 grams in 2000, overtaking both beef, which dropped to 180 grams, and lamb, which fell to 100 grams. The increase continued more slowly afterwards, and chicken reached 250 grams in 2020.
By contrast, beef consumption halved over the period, ending at 110 grams, and lamb declined even more steeply to just 55 grams, roughly a third of its original level. Fish remained the least popular food. Its figure decreased only slightly, from 60 grams in 1990 to 45 grams in 2020, so by the end it was only a little below that of lamb.
Useful language from this answer
- the only food whose consumption rose
- picking out the one line that goes up
- overtaking both
- one line moving above two others
- halved over the period
- fell to 50% of the first figure
- declined even more steeply
- comparing two falls
- roughly a third of its original level
- a fraction instead of repeating numbers
Common mistakes with this question
- Missing the overview. A report without a clear summary of the main features cannot score above Band 5 for Task Achievement.
- Explaining the trends, for example by saying chicken is healthier or cheaper. Task 1 only asks you to describe the data.
- Giving all sixteen figures. Choose the first and last year for each food and the point where the lines cross.
Now write your own answer
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This model answer was written by TestWise Prep to show the features of a high-scoring answer. It is not official IELTS material. Use it for ideas and language, not to memorise.