Compare how many working-age women were in the labour force across Germany, the US, Japan and Italy across three decades.
20 min·≥ 150 words
The line graph below shows the female labour force participation rate, expressed as a percentage of the female working-age population, in four countries between 1990 and 2020. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
World Bank, SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS (CC BY 4.0)
How to crack it
A 4-step structure for the figure report
Read the axes twice.
Units, time span, and what's being measured. Misread the axis and the whole report is off.
Open with the overview.
The 1–2 biggest trends in one sentence — before any numbers.
Group the data, don't tour it.
Compare movers vs laggards. Describing each series in turn caps you at 6.
Quote exact values.
“Roughly a third” + the precise figure — data is your evidence. No opinions in Task 1.
What loses you the band
The four traps this question sets
No overview
One clear trends sentence is the biggest Task Achievement factor.
Touring every series
Group and compare — a line-by-line tour reads as a list, not a report.
Opinions or causes
Task 1 is report writing. No "because", no recommendations.
Copying the question
Paraphrase the rubric — copied wording doesn't count toward 150.
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