Writing Task 1: Line Graph: Question 6
Syllabus W.task1
The line graph below shows mobile phone subscriptions and internet subscriptions per 100 people in the country of Verdalia between 2000 and 2020.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
| Year | Mobile phone subscriptions (per 100 people) | Internet subscriptions (per 100 people) |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 20 | 5 |
| 2005 | 65 | 25 |
| 2010 | 95 | 45 |
| 2015 | 110 | 70 |
| 2020 | 118 | 88 |
The graph plots two lines at five-year intervals from 2000 to 2020: mobile phone subscriptions, which rise steeply before levelling off in the final decade, and internet subscriptions, which climb at a steadier, more constant rate throughout the period and remain below the mobile phone line at every point shown.
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Worked solution
Examiner notes: why this is a band 9 response
Task Achievement
The response opens with a paraphrase of the graph’s title, then gives a distinct overview sentence identifying the two central features an examiner looks for: the overall increase in both lines, and the contrast between mobile phone’s early surge and internet’s steadier climb. Supporting paragraphs then select and report the most significant figures (the starting points, the 2010 turning point, and the 2020 endpoints) rather than mechanically listing all five years, and every figure quoted matches the table exactly.
Coherence & Cohesion
Information is organised logically, one line per paragraph after the overview, with clear sequencing markers (“then rose sharply,” “followed a steadier upward path”). Referencing ties sentences together without repetition (“this level,” “the gap with mobile phone subscriptions”), and the report is easy to follow from start to finish.
Lexical Resource
A range of precise trend language is used without repetition: “expanded,” “rose sharply,” “growth slowed,” “climbed,” “picked up pace,” “closing the gap.” Numbers are integrated naturally into sentences rather than simply listed, and collocations such as “a fivefold increase” and “levelling off” show accurate, flexible vocabulary for describing change.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including participle clauses (“a level implying that…”) and comparative structures (“far more quickly,” “considerably higher”), all with full grammatical control and no errors of tense, agreement or article use.
Common pitfalls specific to this task
See commonMistakes above: the most damaging is turning the report into a year-by-year list instead of an overview-plus-detail structure, since Task Achievement specifically rewards identifying and highlighting the main features rather than describing every data point with equal weight.