IELTS Writing Task 1 Line Graph: Band 7 Template (with Sample Answer)

Line graphs are the most common Task 1 prompt in Academic IELTS. They test your ability to identify trends over time, group key features, and use accurate trend vocabulary. This template gives you a Band 7 structure you can adapt to any line graph — without falling into the 2026 template penalty.

Band 7 line graph structure

Your essay should have four paragraphs and 170-190 words:

Introduction (1 sentence — paraphrase the prompt)
Overview (2 sentences — biggest trends, no numbers)
Body 1 (3-4 sentences — detailed data for one group of lines)
Body 2 (3-4 sentences — detailed data for the second group)

Use the Task 2 word counter to internalize length. Even though the tool is named for Task 2, it works perfectly for Task 1 word counting.

Step 1: Paraphrase the prompt (Introduction)

Do not copy the question. Replace 3-4 keywords with synonyms.

Original prompt: "The graph below shows the number of tourists visiting three European countries from 2000 to 2020."

Paraphrased introduction: "The line graph illustrates the volume of international visitors to three nations in Europe over a twenty-year period from 2000 to 2020."

Synonym swaps: shows → illustrates, tourists → international visitors, countries → nations, from X to Y → over a twenty-year period.

Step 2: Write the overview (Critical for Band 7)

The overview is the single most important paragraph for Band 7. Without a clear overview, you cap at Band 5 in Task Achievement.

Identify the 2-3 biggest patterns:

Which line ended highest / lowest?
Which line changed the most?
Are there any crossovers or stable lines?

Overview template: "Overall, [Country A] saw the most significant increase across the period and ended as the most-visited destination, while [Country B] experienced a steady decline. [Country C] remained relatively stable throughout."

Do NOT include numbers in the overview. Save numbers for the body paragraphs.

Step 3: Body paragraph 1 (Group similar lines)

Group your lines into two logical sets. Common groupings:

Increasing lines vs decreasing lines
High-volume lines vs low-volume lines
Stable lines vs volatile lines

Body 1 template (for an increasing line): "In 2000, [Country A] received approximately 5 million tourists. This figure rose steadily over the next decade, reaching 8 million by 2010. The growth accelerated in the following ten years, peaking at 14 million in 2020 — almost triple the initial level."

Step 4: Body paragraph 2 (Second group)

Body 2 template (for a declining line and a stable line): "By contrast, [Country B] began the period with the highest figure of 12 million visitors, but tourist numbers fell consistently to 7 million by 2020. [Country C] maintained relatively flat numbers, fluctuating only slightly between 4 and 5 million across the entire period."

Trend vocabulary for line graphs

Increases:

rose, climbed, increased, grew, surged, jumped, skyrocketed
a rise, an increase, growth, a surge

Decreases:

fell, declined, dropped, decreased, plummeted, slumped
a fall, a decline, a drop, a decrease

Stability:

remained stable, plateaued, levelled off, stayed constant
a plateau, stability, no change

Fluctuation:

fluctuated, varied, oscillated
fluctuations, variation

Adverbs of degree:

significantly, considerably, dramatically, sharply (large change)
gradually, slightly, marginally, modestly (small change)
steadily, consistently (uniform change)

Full sample Band 7 answer

Prompt: Tourist numbers in three countries (A, B, C) from 2000 to 2020.

The line graph illustrates the volume of international visitors to three nations in Europe over a twenty-year period from 2000 to 2020.

Overall, Country A saw the most significant increase across the period and ended as the most-visited destination, while Country B experienced a steady decline. Country C remained relatively stable throughout.

In 2000, Country A received approximately 5 million tourists. This figure rose steadily over the following decade, reaching 8 million by 2010. The growth then accelerated, with visitor numbers peaking at 14 million by 2020 — almost triple the initial level.

By contrast, Country B began the period with the highest figure of 12 million visitors, but tourist numbers fell consistently to 7 million by 2020. Country C maintained relatively flat numbers, fluctuating only slightly between 4 and 5 million across the entire period.

Word count: 165 — within the 150-180 sweet spot.

Common mistakes to avoid

Writing a separate sentence for every year — group similar trends instead
Forgetting the overview paragraph
Using "this graph shows" verbatim from the prompt
Mixing up tense (Task 1 historical data is past tense)

For more Task 1 templates, see bar chart, pie chart, process diagram, and map templates.

For Task 1 mistakes that block Band 7, see Top 10 IELTS Writing Mistakes.