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.
02 · Band 9 sample answer
196 words · Band 9The line graph shows global water consumption by the agricultural, industrial and domestic sectors from 1900 to 2000, while the table compares water-related figures for Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2000.
Overall, agriculture was by far the largest consumer of water throughout the century and grew most rapidly. The table, meanwhile, reveals a striking gap between the two countries, with Brazil using far more water per person than Congo.
Throughout the period, agricultural use dwarfed the other two sectors. It rose gradually from around 500 km³ in 1900 to roughly 1,000 km³ by 1950, then surged to approximately 3,000 km³ by 2000. Industrial and domestic use, though also rising, remained comparatively low, reaching only about 1,200 km³ and 400 km³ respectively.
The table underlines how usage relates to irrigation. Brazil, with a large population of 176 million and 26,500 km² of irrigated land, consumed 359 m³ of water per person. The Democratic Republic of Congo, by contrast, with just 5.2 million people and a mere 100 km² of irrigated land, consumed only 8 m³ per person — a tiny fraction of Brazil's figure.
03 · Why this scores Band 9
The response integrates both the line graph and the table, opens with an overview covering agriculture's dominance and the Brazil–Congo gap, and then reports the key figures with comparisons. It links the table to the graph by noting that heavy irrigation drives high per-person consumption, rather than treating the two as unrelated.
The report is logically split — overview, then one paragraph for the line graph and one for the table. Cohesion is smooth and varied — "Throughout the period, agricultural use dwarfed...", "though also rising, remained comparatively low", "The table underlines how usage relates to irrigation", "by contrast".
Vocabulary is precise and varied — "the largest consumer", "dwarfed the other two sectors", "rose gradually", "surged to", "comparatively low", "a tiny fraction of" — describing both trends and comparisons without repetition, with hedging ("around", "roughly", "approximately") for read-off values.
A range of structures presents the data accurately: a participle contrast ("though also rising, remained comparatively low"), a "respectively" comparison ("about 1,200 km³ and 400 km³ respectively"), and a dash-led comparison ("only 8 m³ per person — a tiny fraction of Brazil's figure"). The figures are reported without error.
04 · Useful collocations for this task
Tap a phrase to see what it means and how to use it. Natural collocations like these lift your Lexical Resource score.
05 · Frequently asked questions
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.
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