IELTS · Guide 14 · 8 min read
IELTS Writing Task 1 sample answers: line graph on cycling journeys
An IELTS Academic Task 1 line graph on cycling in three cities, with sample answers at bands 8, 6.5 and 5 and commentary on each criterion.
How to use this worked session
This page takes one Academic Task 1 line graph and shows three answers at different levels, with comments on what lifted or limited each one. The data is given as a table, so you can sketch the graph yourself if it helps. Write your own answer first in 20 minutes, aiming for at least 150 words, then compare.
The task
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The line graph shows the average number of bicycle journeys made per day in three cities, Northport, Elmsford and Castlebridge, between 2005 and 2025.
Summarise the main features of the data, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
The figures on the graph are as follows (average journeys per day, in thousands):
| Year | Northport | Elmsford | Castlebridge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 12 | 30 | 8 |
| 2010 | 15 | 28 | 9 |
| 2015 | 24 | 27 | 11 |
| 2020 | 38 | 25 | 12 |
| 2025 | 45 | 26 | 14 |
The cities and figures are invented for practice.
What to notice before you write
- Northport rises steeply, nearly four times its starting figure, and overtakes Elmsford between 2015 and 2020.
- Elmsford starts highest, falls gradually, then recovers very slightly.
- Castlebridge is lowest throughout but grows steadily.
Those three movements, and the change of leader, are what your overview should capture.
Strong response (around band 8)
The line graph compares the average number of bicycle journeys made each day in three cities, Northport, Elmsford and Castlebridge, over a twenty-year period from 2005 to 2025. Overall, cycling increased considerably in Northport and modestly in Castlebridge, while it declined slightly in Elmsford. The most striking change is that Northport, which began with less than half of Elmsford's figure, had become by far the busiest city for cycling by the end of the period. In 2005, Elmsford recorded around 30,000 journeys a day, well ahead of Northport (12,000) and Castlebridge (8,000). Over the following decade, Northport's figure doubled to 24,000, and it continued to climb sharply after that, overtaking Elmsford shortly before 2020 and reaching 45,000 in 2025, almost four times its starting level. Elmsford, by contrast, saw a gradual fall to a low of 25,000 in 2020, followed by a marginal recovery to 26,000. Castlebridge remained the city with the fewest journeys throughout, although its figure rose steadily from 8,000 to 14,000, an increase of roughly three-quarters.
Commentary
- Task Achievement: The overview picks out all three trends and the key moment, Northport overtaking Elmsford. Figures are selected rather than listed, and they are given with the right unit (thousands of journeys). Calculations such as "almost four times" and "roughly three-quarters" add meaning to the numbers. There is no speculation about causes.
- Coherence and Cohesion: The answer moves from introduction to overview to detail. The details are grouped sensibly: the starting position and Northport's rise in one paragraph, the two other cities in the next. "By contrast" and "although" handle comparison neatly.
- Lexical Resource: Varied and accurate language for change ("climb sharply", "a gradual fall", "a marginal recovery", "rose steadily") and for comparison ("well ahead of", "by far the busiest"). The introduction paraphrases the question rather than copying it.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Past simple is used consistently for past data, with a past perfect ("had become") to show the end point. Participle clauses ("overtaking Elmsford ... and reaching") compress information smoothly. No noticeable errors.
What kept it from the top band: very little. A comparison of the gap between Northport and Elmsford in 2025 (almost 20,000) would have given the final picture even more precision.
Pass-level response (around band 6.5)
The graph shows how many bicycle journeys people made every day in Northport, Elmsford and Castlebridge from 2005 to 2025. Overall, the number of journeys went up in Northport and Castlebridge, but it went down a little in Elmsford. Northport had the biggest increase. In 2005, Elmsford had the highest number of journeys with 30,000 per day. Northport had 12,000 and Castlebridge had only 8,000. Between 2005 and 2015, the number in Northport increased to 24,000, while in Elmsford it decreased slightly to 27,000. After 2015, Northport increased dramatically and it became higher than Elmsford. In 2020 it was 38,000 and in 2025 it reached 45,000. On the other hand, Elmsford continued to decrease to 25,000 in 2020, and then it increased a little to 26,000 in 2025. Castlebridge was the lowest city during the whole period. It's number of journeys rose slowly from 8,000 in 2005 to 14,000 in 2025. To sum up, cycling became much more popular in Northport, but in the other two cities the changes were small.
Commentary
- Task Achievement: There is a clear overview of the trends, and the main figures are accurate. The answer reports most data points rather than selecting the most telling ones, and the change of leader is mentioned only in passing ("became higher than Elmsford") instead of being highlighted in the overview. The closing summary repeats the overview.
- Coherence and Cohesion: Logical and easy to follow, with a sensible order. Linking is clear but basic ("On the other hand" is used where "Meanwhile" or "By contrast" would fit better). Short paragraphs break the information up more than necessary.
- Lexical Resource: Adequate language for trends ("increased dramatically", "decreased slightly", "rose slowly"), with some repetition of "increase" and "decrease". "Northport increased" is loose: it was the number of journeys that increased, not the city. "Castlebridge was the lowest city" has the same problem.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Tenses are correct and consistent. Sentence structures are mostly simple or compound. One error, "It's" for "Its", is a common slip but still counts.
What would lift it: put the overtaking in the overview, select fewer figures and compare them more, and make sure the subject of each sentence is "the number of journeys", not the city.
Weaker response (around band 5)
The graph show the bicycle journeys in three city from 2005 to 2025. In 2005 Northport was 12, in 2010 was 15, in 2015 was 24, in 2020 was 38 and in 2025 was 45. Northport is going up very much. I think the government build many bicycle roads in this city and people like cycling for health. Elmsford in 2005 was 30 and 2010 was 28 and 2015 was 27 and 2020 was 25. In 2025 it was 26. Elmsford is going down but in the last year is going up a little. Castlebridge is the smallest city. In 2005 was 8 and in 2025 was 14. It is going up slowly every years. In conclusion, Northport is the best city for bicycle and Castlebridge is the worst city.
Commentary
- Task Achievement: The answer is well under 150 words, which is penalised. There is no overview near the start, and the figures are listed without units, so "12" could mean anything. The writer guesses at a reason ("the government build many bicycle roads"), which goes beyond the data. "Castlebridge is the smallest city" misreads the graph: it shows journeys, not city size. The conclusion's "best" and "worst" are judgements the data does not support.
- Coherence and Cohesion: One paragraph per city is a workable plan, but there is no comparison between cities until the final line. Long chains of "and ... and ... and" replace real linking.
- Lexical Resource: Very limited language for trends ("going up", "going down"), repeated throughout. "Bicycle roads" is understandable but not the usual term ("cycle lanes").
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Frequent errors: agreement ("The graph show", "the government build"), missing subjects ("in 2010 was 15"), plurals ("three city", "every years") and the present continuous for past data.
What would lift it: write an overview in the second paragraph, add units to every figure, compare the cities directly, and remove any explanation of causes.
The three answers side by side
| Feature | Band 8 | Band 6.5 | Band 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | Clear, includes the change of leader | Clear but basic | Missing |
| Data | Selected, compared, accurate | Mostly listed, accurate | Listed, no units, one misreading |
| Trend language | Varied and precise | Adequate, repetitive | Very limited |
| Grammar | Accurate, varied | Correct tenses, simple structures | Frequent errors |
| Length | Over 150 words | Over 150 words | Under 150 words |
Self-check checklist
- Does my answer have an overview that a reader could understand without the graph?
- Did I mention the most important single change (here, the change of leader)?
- Have I selected key figures and compared them, rather than listing every year?
- Does every figure have the right unit?
- Have I avoided giving reasons or opinions about the data?
- Is the subject of my sentences the right thing ("the number of journeys", not "the city")?
- Have I used past tenses for past data consistently?
- Is my answer at least 150 words?
About the band levels
The band levels on this page are our own estimates for practice purposes. They are not official scores and are not produced or endorsed by any IELTS partner. Only a certified examiner marking a real test can give you an official band.