The topic of renewable energy production has become increasingly prevalent in IELTS Writing Task 1, particularly in line charts and bar graphs. Let’s explore how to effectively analyze and describe these trends to achieve a high band score.
Sample Question Analysis
Consider the following task:
“The graph below shows renewable energy production in four different countries between 2000 and 2023. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.”
Model Answer
The line graph illustrates the changes in renewable energy production across four major economies – Germany, China, the USA, and India – over a 23-year period from 2000 to 2023.
Overall, all four countries demonstrated an upward trend in renewable energy production, with China showing the most dramatic increase, particularly after 2010. While Germany maintained steady growth throughout the period, both the USA and India exhibited moderate but consistent rises in their production levels.
Looking at specific details, China’s renewable energy output started at approximately 50 TWh in 2000, similar to Germany’s level, but experienced exponential growth, reaching nearly 800 TWh by 2023. This remarkable increase was particularly evident between 2010 and 2020, when production more than quadrupled. For more detailed analysis of such trends, you may refer to Trends in Renewable Energy Production (2000-2023).
Germany, while starting from a similar baseline, showed more modest but steady growth, increasing from 40 TWh in 2000 to approximately 250 TWh by 2023. The USA followed a comparable pattern to Electricity Generation by Source (2000-2023), rising from 70 TWh to around 400 TWh over the period.
India’s renewable energy production, though initially the lowest at 20 TWh in 2000, saw consistent growth similar to Renewable Energy Policy Impacts (2000-2023), reaching approximately 300 TWh by the end of the period.
(Word count: 169)
Key Language Features
Grammar Points
- Use of past simple for completed actions: “China showed”
- Present perfect for continuing trends: “has increased”
- Passive voice: “was characterized by”
- Comparative structures: “more dramatic than”
Essential Vocabulary
- exponential growth (n) /ˌek.spəˈnen.ʃəl/ – very fast increase
- quadruple (v) /kwɒdˈruː.pəl/ – to increase by four times
- modest (adj) /ˈmɒd.ɪst/ – not very large or extreme
- baseline (n) /ˈbeɪs.laɪn/ – starting point for measurement
- output (n) /ˈaʊt.pʊt/ – amount produced
- dramatic (adj) /drəˈmæt.ɪk/ – sudden and significant
- consistent (adj) /kənˈsɪs.tənt/ – staying the same throughout
Tips for High Band Score
- Accurately identify main trends
- Use appropriate comparisons between data points
- Group similar patterns together
- Include specific figures to support observations
- Maintain a clear paragraph structure
- Use a range of vocabulary to describe changes
For deeper insights into comparative analysis, check out Comparing Levels of Renewable Energy Production in Different Countries (2000-2023).