IELTS Sample Line Graph – overseas visitors to Australia

This IELTS Sample Line Graph is about overseas visitors to Australia and the countries that the visitors originate from. 

It’s important in a line graph that you select and report the main features but you should not write about every single change that takes place. You must also make comparisons.

Organizing your answer

You need to ensure your answer is well-organized otherwise the examiner will get lost as they try to follow what you have written.

So keep it simple and coherent. 

To do this look for ways in which you can link similar things together and highlight differences. 

Also, try to just write about each category (countries in this case) in chronological order as this is much easier to do for you and for someone who is reading it to understand. 

Now take a look at the IELTS sample line graph and see how it has been organised. 

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The graph below shows four countries of residence of overseas students in Australia. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Model Answer

The line graph illustrates the changing trends in the numbers of students, in 1000s, who visited Australia for education from four different countries between 1982 and 2000. Overall it is evident that visitor numbers from all four countries increased over the time period. 

At the start of the period, while Malaysia had around 5,000 students per year visiting Australia, the other countries had none. However, though remaining at the highest number up until 1990 and increasing after this, the number from Malaysia finished at the lowest levels of all the countries, at around 18,000.

The lack of student visitors continued in Hong Kong and Singapore up until 1987. At that point arrivals from Singapore gradually increased over the years, culminating in nearly 20,000 visitors per year in 2000, while arrivals from Hong Kong showed a more erratic pattern, fluctuating after 1996 and finishing at 19,000 per year.

However, the biggest change was seen in numbers coming from Indonesia. Though this started low, arrivals kept increasing over the years. Numbers peaked in 1998 at approximately 28,000, before dropping to final arrival numbers of 23,000, which exceeded all the other countries.

(189 Words)

Evaluation of the model answer

Your response to the line graph task is well-structured, clear, and concise. You provide a good overview of the trends and make effective comparisons between the four countries. However, there are a few areas where you could improve clarity and precision.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8

• The overall structure is logical, with the main trends introduced clearly and followed by detailed analysis of each country’s data.
• Transitions like “however” and “at that point” are used effectively to link ideas.

Language and Grammar: Band 7-8

• Verb tense: There’s some inconsistency in verb tense usage. For example, in “had none” and “finished at the lowest levels,” try to use consistent past tense forms. A slight rephrase could make the sentence smoother, such as “Malaysia had around 5,000 students visiting Australia per year, while the other countries had none at the start.”
• Phrasing: In “the lack of student visitors continued in Hong Kong and Singapore up until 1987,” rephrase for clarity, e.g., “no students visited from Hong Kong and Singapore until 1987.”
• Article usage: In “arrivals from Hong Kong showed a more erratic pattern,” adding “a slightly more erratic pattern” could soften the comparison.

Task Achievement: Band 8

• You successfully report the main features of the line graph and compare the trends between countries.
• Including more specific data points (e.g., for Malaysia before 1990) would strengthen your response, ensuring you’re not overly focused on the final numbers.

Lexical Resource: Band 7

• Some words like “culminating” and “fluctuating” demonstrate a good range of vocabulary. However, the word “remaining” in “remaining at the highest number up until 1990” could be more clearly expressed by rephrasing: “Malaysia remained the leading source of students until 1990.”

Suggestions for Improvement:

• Clarify the timeline and consistently refer to time periods and trends.
• Use more precise language to describe fluctuations or changes, such as “peaked briefly” or “experienced a steady rise.”
• Ensure consistency in verb tenses when describing trends.

Overall Evaluation: Band 7.5-8

This is a solid response, with strong coherence and a clear understanding of the task. With more precise language and minor adjustments to verb tense and phrasing, it could achieve a higher band.