Line graph The line graph below shows the production of paper, wood pulp and sawn-wood in the UK from 1980 to 2000.
Sample Response
The line graph illustrates the amount of wood products in the UK from 1980 to 2000.
The production of paper and packaging saw a continuous increase, standing at the highest position over the entire period. In addition, there was a switch in the position of sawn-wood and wood-pulp, with the former’s figure decreasing nonstop and the latter’s remaining relatively unchanged
In 1980, the UK produced around 240 million tonnes of paper and packaging, compared to 200 million tonnes of wood pulp and around 175 million tonnes of sawn-wood. 10 years later, the production of paper and packaging rose slightly to 250 million tonnes while the other two figures dropped to the same point of 150 million tonnes.
In 2000, the amount of paper and packaging leaped to a high of 350 million tonnes while sawnwood saw a continual drop in production to just over 125 million tonnes. The production of wood pulp, on the other hand, recovered and exceeded the figure for sawn-wood by roughly 30 million tonnes.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use a natural comparison Original: standing at the highest position Suggested revision: remaining the highest category Why it matters: Highest position is an unnatural way to describe a series that stays above the others.
- 2. Use formal trend language Original: decreasing nonstop Suggested revision: declining throughout the period Why it matters: Declining throughout the period is more appropriate language for a graph description.
- 3. Clarify overall stability Original: the latter’s remaining relatively unchanged Suggested revision: the latter’s remaining broadly stable overall Why it matters: Wood-pulp production fell and then recovered, ending only slightly below its initial level.
- 4. Correct the 1980 value Original: 240 Suggested revision: 230 Why it matters: The 1980 point for paper and packaging is plotted at approximately 230 million tonnes.
- 5. Correct wood-pulp data Original: 200 million tonnes of wood pulp Suggested revision: around 170 million tonnes of wood pulp Why it matters: The chart shows wood-pulp production at about 170 million tonnes in 1980.
- 6. Correct sawn-wood data Original: 175 Suggested revision: 200 Why it matters: The chart places sawn-wood production at 200 million tonnes in 1980.
- 7. Spell out sentence start Original: 10 Suggested revision: Ten Why it matters: A number beginning a sentence should be written as a word in formal prose.
- 8. Use level for values Original: point Suggested revision: level Why it matters: Level is the natural term for two series sharing the same numerical value.
- 9. Correct the compound Original: sawnwood Suggested revision: sawn timber Why it matters: The product name should be written consistently as sawn wood.
- 10. Sentence rewrite Original: The line graph illustrates the amount of wood products in the UK from 1980 to 2000. Suggested revision: The line graph illustrates the production of three forest products in the UK from 1980 to 2000. Why it matters: Production is the measured quantity, and the chart covers three distinct forest products.
Suggested Rewrites
- standing at the highest position remaining the highest category
- decreasing nonstop declining throughout the period
- the latter’s remaining relatively unchanged the latter’s remaining broadly stable overall
- 240 230
- 200 million tonnes of wood pulp around 170 million tonnes of wood pulp
- 175 200
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response is clearly structured, presents a useful overview, and describes the 1990 and 2000 figures with strong grammatical control. The main weakness is inaccurate reporting of the 1980 values, especially the reversal of wood-pulp and sawn-wood production; the highest priority is to verify each series against the legend and check every starting figure before writing comparisons.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The overview identifies the three principal trends, but the 1980 wood-pulp and sawn-wood figures are reversed and several starting values are inaccurate.
Match each line carefully to the legend and report the 1980 figures as roughly 230, 200, and 170 million tonnes for paper, sawn wood, and wood pulp respectively.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information progresses logically through an overview and chronological detail paragraphs, with comparisons integrated smoothly.
Preserve this organisation while linking the corrected starting values more explicitly to the later crossover between wood pulp and sawn wood.
Lexical Resource
The response uses a good range of trend vocabulary, although phrases such as "highest position", "decreasing nonstop", and "same point" are not fully natural or precise.
Prefer precise graph language such as "remained the highest", "declined steadily", and "converged at 150 million tonnes".
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide variety of sentence structures is used accurately, and the few slips do not impede communication.
Proofread sentence endings and punctuation, particularly the missing full stop after the overview paragraph.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
Line graph The line graph below shows the production of paper, wood pulp and sawn-wood in the UK from 1980 to 2000.
Your response
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