The graph below shows the production of three forest industry products in a European country, namely timber, pulp, and paper from 1980 to 2000.

Forest Industry Products Timber Pulp Paper European Country 1980-2000 Line Graph - IELTS Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

A student's answer to this task, and the feedback on it

Written by an IELTSX user under exam conditions and published unedited and anonymously. Band 9 · 169 words.

The bar chart illustrates the production levels of three forest industry products—timber, pulp, and paper—in a European country over three selected years: 1980, 1990, and 2000. Overall, timber remained the most dominant product throughout the period, while paper production experienced the most significant growth.

In 1980, timber volume stood at approximately 400,000 units, far exceeding both pulp (around 250,000) and paper (roughly 200,000). Over the next decade, timber production rose steadily to about 450,000 units in 1990, before climbing further to nearly 500,000 by 2000.

Pulp production showed a more modest upward trend. It increased from 250,000 units in 1980 to 300,000 in 1990, and reached around 350,000 in 2000. Paper, however, demonstrated the most dramatic change. Starting at just 200,000 units in 1980, it more than doubled to 420,000 by 1990, and continued to rise to approximately 480,000 in 2000—almost catching up with timber.

In conclusion, while timber consistently led production, paper showed the sharpest increase and narrowed the gap significantly by the end of the period.

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Examiner feedback

This is a model Band 9 response. It provides a clear, concise overview and supports it with accurate data while using a sophisticated range of vocabulary and grammatical structures.

Task Achievement - 9

- All requirements of the task are fully and appropriately satisfied, with a clear summary of the three forest products over the 20-year period. - Key features are skillfully selected; the response highlights the dominance of timber and the rapid growth of paper without becoming a mechanical list of numbers. - Data points (400k, 250k, 200k, etc.) are accurately extracted from the chart and used effectively to support the description.

Coherence & Cohesion - 9

- The message is followed effortlessly with a logical progression from the overview to specific product trends. - Cohesive devices (e.g., 'Over the next decade', 'before climbing further', 'however', 'by the end of the period') are used naturally and vary the sentence flow. - Paragraphing is expertly managed, grouping the data logically by time and product comparison.

Lexical Resource - 9

- A wide range of vocabulary is used with sophistication (e.g., 'stood at', 'exceeding', 'modest upward trend', 'dramatic change', 'narrowed the gap'). - Lexical choices are precise and natural for an academic report, showing full control of collocations. - There are no errors in spelling or word formation.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 9

- A wide range of structures is used with full flexibility, including complex participial phrases ('Starting at...', 'before climbing...') and comparative structures. - Grammar and punctuation are used appropriately throughout with no discernible errors. - Tenses are handled correctly, maintaining the past tense consistently for the historical data provided.

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