The line graph below shows changes in the amount and type of fast food consumed by Australian teenagers from 1975 to 2000.
Sample Response
The line graph illustrates the consumption of three types of fast food by Australian youngsters during the period 1975 to 2000. Overall it is immediately apparent from the graph that, both pizza and Hamburgers were in increasing trend whereas the fish and chips were gradually decreased
To begin with, in 1975, the consumption of pizza and hamburgers was almost the same number of times (nearly 15 times per year). However, the depletion of hamburgers rose sharply in the next three years, approximately 80 times per year. After that, it slowly increased and stabilized in both 1995 and 2000.
To continue, the emaciation of pizza by Australians gradually increased peak of almost 80 times per year from 1975 to 1995. After that, the consumption of pizza remains stable. In contrast, fish and chips consumption began at 100 times per year in 1975. Subsequently, there was a slight fluctuation in the year 1985. Thereafter it dropped sharply from 1985 to 2000 finish just under 40 times.
As a comparison, it can be seen that in 2000 the highest depletion of fast food by Australian adults was hamburgers whereas the least consumption was fish and chips.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Lowercase the food name Original: Hamburgers Suggested revision: hamburgers Why it matters: The common noun should not be capitalized in the middle of the sentence.
- 2. Fix trend phrasing Original: were in increasing trend Suggested revision: showed upward trends Why it matters: The original phrase uses an incorrect article and collocation.
- 3. Remove the article Original: the fish and chips Suggested revision: fish and chips Why it matters: The food category is used generically and does not take 'the' here.
- 4. Use active trend verb Original: were gradually decreased Suggested revision: declined overall Why it matters: The data series declined; the passive form is ungrammatical in this context.
- 5. Use consumption Original: depletion Suggested revision: consumption Why it matters: 'Depletion' means exhaustion of a resource and cannot describe how often food was eaten.
- 6. Correct the interval Original: next three years Suggested revision: following ten years Why it matters: The sharp rise shown runs from 1975 to 1985, a ten-year interval.
- 7. Use consumption Original: emaciation Suggested revision: consumption Why it matters: 'Emaciation' describes extreme thinness and is inappropriate for food-frequency data.
- 8. Identify the population Original: by Australians Suggested revision: by Australian teenagers Why it matters: The graph specifically concerns teenagers rather than Australians generally.
- 9. Add the missing preposition Original: increased peak of Suggested revision: increased to a peak of Why it matters: The phrase requires 'to' before the peak value.
- 10. Correct pizza peak Original: almost 80 times per year Suggested revision: about 85 times per year Why it matters: Pizza reaches approximately 85 meals per year by 1995, not just under 80.
- 11. Keep past tense Original: remains Suggested revision: remained Why it matters: Past tense is needed for a period ending in 2000.
- 12. Use a time marker Original: As a comparison Suggested revision: By 2000 Why it matters: A direct time reference connects the final comparison more clearly to the graph.
Suggested Rewrites
- Hamburgers hamburgers
- were in increasing trend showed upward trends
- the fish and chips fish and chips
- were gradually decreased declined overall
- depletion consumption
- next three years following ten years
Why this response received Band 5.5
The response’s strongest feature is its clear overview of the opposite overall trends, supported by coverage of all three foods. Accuracy is less consistent because the starting values for pizza and hamburgers are misstated and the timing of the hamburger rise is compressed. Prioritize checking each year and value against the graph while using precise consumption vocabulary.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The main trends and final ranking are identified, but several starting values, dates, and intermediate changes are reported inaccurately.
Verify the 1975 values and describe the rises and crossings using the correct years and approximate figures.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information progresses from the overview to separate trend descriptions, although some linking is mechanical and comparison could be more integrated.
Organize the details around rising versus falling trends and compare the series directly at key points.
Lexical Resource
The response attempts varied trend vocabulary, but repeated misuse of depletion and emaciation seriously weakens precision.
Use consumption, rose, fell, levelled off, and fluctuated consistently instead of unsuitable synonyms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A mix of simple and complex forms conveys the main meaning, but tense, agreement, articles, and clause construction are frequently inaccurate.
Maintain past tense throughout and check that every complex sentence has complete, correctly linked clauses.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The line graph below shows changes in the amount and type of fast food consumed by Australian teenagers from 1975 to 2000.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.