English Me · Task 1 · Lesson 2 · line graph · key features · comparisons · sequencing

IELTS Academic Writing — Task 1 Lesson 2

Key features, comparisons and sequence markers, on one worked line graph.
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Focus
Key features
Focus
Comparisons
Focus
Sequence markers

This lesson uses one line graph — international tourist arrivals in four countries, 1995–2020 — to practise three of the moves that separate a Band 5 Task 1 answer from a Band 7 one.

  1. 1Select the key features. Task 1 rewards choosing the few big things that matter and putting them in an overview — not listing every number, and not inventing reasons the data doesn't show.
  2. 2Make comparisons. The instruction says "make comparisons where relevant." Marks come from relating the four countries to each other and quoting the figures accurately, not describing each line in isolation.
  3. 3Use sequence markers well. Guide the reader through the time period — but cohesion is scored on appropriacy, not on how many linkers you can pile in.
Figure 1. International tourist arrivals in four countries, 1995–2020 (millions)
France USA China Turkey
Show the figures as a table
YearFranceUSAChinaTurkey
Move 1

Select the key features

The single most repeated criticism of weak Task 1 answers is that they have no overview — they walk down every data point instead of standing back and naming the big picture. Reporting the data accurately also means you must not invent causes: the graph shows what happened, never why. Speculating ("because of the pandemic") is off-task.

"The candidate would be expected to summarise the most important features of the graph in an overview… [this script] fails to present an overview and some of the key features are not adequately covered." — IELTS examiner comments, Band 5 Task 1 scripts (notes/writing-assessment-criteria.md §10)
Sort the statements 0 / 8 sorted

For each statement about the graph, decide whether it is a key feature (belongs in your overview or main body), a minor detail (true, but too small to lead with) or not supported (an opinion, a cause, or a prediction the graph cannot show — leave it out).

Move 2

Make comparisons — and get the figures right

A Band 7 answer "handles individual trends and the overall comparison." Weak answers describe France, then the USA, then China, then Turkey, with nothing tying them together. Strong answers relate the lines to each other — which is higher, which overtakes which, where the gap widens — and back every comparison with accurate figures. Build a comparison below and check it against the data before you trust it.

Comparison checker 0 checked

Assemble a comparison, then check whether the figures actually support it. When it is accurate, practise rewriting it in your own words — don't copy the frame.

In , .
Move 3

Sequence markers — enough to guide, not to clutter

Sequence markers move the reader through time: at the start of the period, over the following decade, by the final year. They make a trend easy to follow. But cohesion is marked on appropriacy, not quantity — bolting Firstly, Secondly, Moreover, Furthermore onto every sentence is a Band 5–6 habit. Order the markers first; then see how over-linking reads.

Put the period in order 0 / 4 placed

Click these markers in the order they would guide a reader through 1995–2020, from first to last.

    See what "too many linkers" looks like
    Over-linked — mechanical, Band 5–6

    Firstly, France began at 60 million. Secondly, it rose to 85 million. Moreover, the USA also rose. Furthermore, China rose too. In addition, Turkey rose. Finally, all of them fell.

    Cohesive — carried by sequencing & reference, Band 7+

    France started the period as the most-visited country, at 60 million, and climbed steadily to a peak of 85 million in 2015. The other three followed the same upward path before all four fell sharply in 2020.

    The stronger version uses far fewer markers. It leans on referencing ("the other three", "all four") and one clear time signal instead of a linker per sentence.

    Now write the paper this lesson is built on

    You've picked the key features, checked a comparison against the figures, and ordered the period. The next step is the tourist-arrivals paper itself — the same line graph, as a full Task 1 response under exam timing. Practice papers can be marked by AI against all four official criteria — that step needs a free account and credits; this lesson does not.

    Go to the practice paper
    Data is invented for practice purposes and does not describe real tourism figures. Task phrasing and marking criteria follow the format described in IELTS's official Writing Key Assessment Criteria and Writing Band Descriptors (ielts.org). This is an English Me lesson, styled after the official test format — it is not an IELTS product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by IELTS, the British Council, IDP, or Cambridge Assessment English. The lesson exercises are learning aids, not scored elements. This lesson is completely free and needs no account; AI band-score marking is a separate paid step on the practice papers, scored against the same official band descriptors.