How do I combine a line graph and a table in one answer?

Give a single overview that names the headline from each, then take one paragraph per source. Try to link them — here, the table's per-person figures are tied to irrigation, which echoes the graph's agricultural dominance. Connecting the two, rather than describing them separately, lifts the answer.

The graph and table use different units — is that a problem?

No. Report the graph in km³ and the table in m³ per person and hectares/km², exactly as given. Just be careful not to confuse total global use (graph) with per-person national use (table).

What tense should I use?

Past simple throughout, since both the 1900–2000 graph and the 2000 table are in the past ("agriculture rose", "Brazil consumed 359 m³"). Keep it consistent.

How long should a Task 1 answer be?

At least 150 words; a band-9 answer is usually 170–200. This model is 196 words, enough for an overview plus the key features of both the graph and the table. Spend about 20 minutes on Task 1.

Academic Task 1

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Global Water Use Graph & Table (Band 9 Sample)

This Academic Task 1 combines a line graph showing global water use by sector over a century with a table giving water data for Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2000. A band-9 response gives an overview that draws both together, then reports the key figures with comparisons. Below is a model answer of roughly 195 words, followed by why it scores 9 on all four criteria.

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01 · The task

The line graph below shows how much water was used worldwide by the agricultural, industrial and domestic sectors between 1900 and 2000, and the table shows water-related data for Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2000. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

A line graph and a table about water use. The line graph shows that global agricultural water use was the highest of the three sectors throughout the 1900–2000 period, rising gently from about 500 km³ in 1900 to roughly 1,000 km³ by 1950 and then climbing steeply to around 3,000 km³ by 2000. Industrial use rose from near zero to about 1,200 km³ and domestic use to around 400 km³, both far below agriculture. The table shows that Brazil, with a population of 176 million and 26,500 km² of irrigated land, consumed 359 m³ of water per person, whereas the Democratic Republic of Congo, with 5.2 million people and only 100 km² irrigated, consumed just 8 m³ per person.

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Global Water Use Graph & Table (Band 9 Sample)

01 · The task

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Global Water Use Graph & Table (Band 9 Sample)

01 · The task

02 · Band 9 sample answer

03 · Why this scores Band 9

04 · Useful collocations for this task

05 · Frequently asked questions