Average house prices in five different cities between 1990 and 2002 compared with average house prices in 1989
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Line-Graph

IELTS Writing Task 1 Question
Average house prices in five different cities between 1990 and 2002 compared with average house prices in 1989

Common Questions for the Line-Graph
1. Diagram Type: Line graph
2. Title: Average House Prices in Five Cities (1990-2002) Compared with 1989
3. What are the units of measurement? Percentage change in average house prices
4. Who: Homebuyers or property investors in the cities
5. When: 1990-2002 compared with 1989
6. Where: New York, Tokyo, London, Madrid, Frankfurt
7. Topic: Trends in average house price changes in five cities
Detailed Process and Observations
Summary of Data: The graph compares the percentage change in average house prices from 1989 to 2002 in five cities: New York, Tokyo, London, Madrid, and Frankfurt. Overall, house prices generally increased in most cities, except Frankfurt, which saw a decline in the latter period.
- New York:
- House prices saw a significant drop of approximately 5% between 1990 and 1995.
- From 1996 to 2002, house prices rebounded, increasing by about 5%.
- Tokyo:
- Tokyo experienced a similar pattern, with a dramatic fall of about 7% from 1990 to 1995.
- The upward trend in house prices from 1996 to 2002 was comparatively smaller, with a 5% decline overall.
- London:
- London saw a sharp decrease of around 7% between 1990 and 1995, similar to Tokyo.
- However, London had the largest increase in house prices from 1996 to 2002, at more than 10%.
- Madrid:
- Madrid showed a smaller decrease of around 2% between 1990 and 1995.
- From 1996 to 2002, Madrid experienced a moderate increase of about 4%.
- Frankfurt:
- Frankfurt’s house prices remained relatively stable, with only a slight drop of 2% from 1990 to 1995.
- In the latter period, the rate of house price increase in Frankfurt was the lowest, at just 2%.
Sample Answer
The graph compares the percentage change in average house prices in five cities—New York, Tokyo, London, Madrid, and Frankfurt—between 1990 and 2002, with a reference to the 1989 figures.
Overall, while most cities experienced growth in house prices over the period, London stood out with the highest increase, while Frankfurt had the least significant change.
Between 1990 and 1995, New York, Tokyo, and London witnessed significant house price declines, with Tokyo and London experiencing the steepest drops of about 7%. In contrast, Madrid and Frankfurt had much smaller reductions, with Madrid seeing only a 2% decrease.
From 1996 to 2002, London had the largest increase in house prices, rising by over 10%. New York and Madrid also saw moderate increases, of around 5% and 4%, respectively. Frankfurt, however, had the lowest increase, with house prices rising by only 2%. Tokyo, meanwhile, saw a continued decline of about 5%.
Top 25 Vocabularies
Vocabulary | Meaning | Synonyms | Examples | Verb Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
Rebound | To recover or rise again after a decline | Recover, bounce back, bounce | New York’s house prices rebounded by 5% after a drop in the early years. | Verb |
Decline | A decrease in amount or quality | Drop, decrease, reduction | There was a notable decline in house prices in Tokyo between 1990 and 1995. | Verb, Noun |
Significant | Important or considerable in degree | Notable, considerable, substantial | London saw a significant increase in house prices after 1995. | Adjective |
Modest | A moderate or small amount | Moderate, slight, minimal | Madrid experienced a modest increase in house prices, at 4%. | Adjective |
Recession | A period of economic decline | Downturn, slump, contraction | The house price recession in Tokyo lasted from 1990 to 1995. | Noun |
Trend | A general direction in which something changes or develops | Pattern, direction | The trend in London showed a significant rise in house prices after 1995. | Noun |
Steep | Rising or falling sharply | Sharp, abrupt | Tokyo experienced a steep decline in house prices during the early 1990s. | Adjective |
Fluctuation | Irregular rise and fall in value or amount | Variation, oscillation | The fluctuation in house prices was more evident in Tokyo compared to other cities. | Noun |
Recovery | A return to a normal or improved state | Improvement, rebound | New York showed a recovery in house prices after 1995. | Noun |
Plummet | To fall or drop sharply | Drop, plunge | House prices plummeted by 7% in London during the early period. | Verb |
Stagnant | Showing little or no activity or progress | Inactive, static | Frankfurt’s housing market remained stagnant compared to other cities. | Adjective |
Boom | A period of significant growth | Surge, expansion | London experienced a housing boom from 1996 to 2002. | Noun |
Consistent | Steady and uniform over time | Stable, constant | Madrid showed consistent growth in house prices throughout the period. | Adjective |
Growth | An increase in size, value, or importance | Rise, expansion | London recorded the highest growth in house prices among the five cities. | Noun |
Surpass | To exceed or go beyond | Outperform, overtake | London’s housing market growth surpassed that of other cities in the given period. | Verb |
Moderate | Average in amount, intensity, or degree | Reasonable, modest | Madrid saw a moderate rise in house prices compared to London. | Adjective |
Contrast | A difference or disparity between things | Difference, distinction | There was a clear contrast between the declines in Tokyo and the growth in London. | Noun |
Lagging | Failing to keep up with progress | Sluggish, trailing | Frankfurt was lagging behind other cities in terms of house price growth. | Adjective |
Increment | A small, gradual increase | Increase, rise | Frankfurt’s house prices showed only a minor increment over the years. | Noun |
Peak | The highest point of growth | Summit, apex | London’s house prices reached their peak after 2000. | Noun |
Divergence | A movement or development in different directions | Difference, deviation | The divergence between Tokyo and London’s housing markets was stark during this period. | Noun |
Dip | A temporary decrease in value | Drop, decline | House prices in Madrid experienced a small dip before recovering. | Noun |
Resilient | Capable of recovering quickly | Strong, adaptable | New York’s housing market proved to be resilient after the initial decline. | Adjective |
Stabilize | To become steady or constant | Steady, settle | Frankfurt’s house prices stabilized after a minor increase. | Verb |

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