Academic Task 1
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Public transport journeys (line graph)
Question type: Academic Task 1: line graph
The question
The line graph below shows the number of journeys, in millions, made each year by bus, train and tram in one city between 2000 and 2020.
- Bus
- Train
- Tram
View the data as a table
| 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus | 120 | 112 | 100 | 92 | 85 |
| Train | 60 | 72 | 88 | 105 | 118 |
| Tram | 0 | 0 | 14 | 26 | 35 |
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
- Notice that the tram line starts at zero: say when trams first appear instead of calling it a rise from nothing.
- Overview: buses fell steadily, trains almost doubled and took first place, trams grew quickly from a late start.
- Put buses and trains in one paragraph, because the story is that they cross, and trams in another.
Model answer
192 words (minimum 150). Written to show the features of a Band 8-level answer.
The line graph shows how many journeys were made each year on three types of public transport in one city between 2000 and 2020.
Overall, the bus was the most used form of transport for most of the period, but it lost passengers steadily, while train travel almost doubled and became the most popular by the end. Trams were not available at first, yet they grew quickly once they were introduced.
In 2000, people made 120 million journeys by bus, exactly twice the figure for trains, which was 60 million. From then on the two moved in opposite directions. Bus journeys fell in every five-year period, to 100 million in 2010 and 85 million in 2020. Train journeys, on the other hand, rose to 88 million in 2010 and overtook buses in 2015, when the figures were 105 million and 92 million respectively. By 2020 trains accounted for 118 million journeys.
There were no tram journeys in 2000 or 2005. The first figure, 14 million, was recorded in 2010. This almost doubled to 26 million in 2015 and reached 35 million in 2020, although trams were still far behind the other two.
Useful language from this answer
- exactly twice the figure for
- comparing two numbers without subtraction
- moved in opposite directions
- one line rises while another falls
- in every five-year period
- a change that never stops or reverses
- was recorded in
- saying when a figure first appears
- were still far behind
- a big gap remains at the end
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.
- Writing that tram journeys 'increased from 0 in 2000'. There were no trams until 2010, so say when they started.
- Mixing up journeys and passengers. The chart counts journeys, and one person can make many.
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.