Writing · Free lesson
IELTS Task 1: stable or fluctuating?
In IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, your description must match the visual information. Before choosing a trend word, inspect the values between the start and finish.
Professor Scott MendozaThe short answer
Use remained stable or remained at for an unchanged level. Use fluctuated when values move up and down. Identical first and last values do not prove that the series stayed stable.
Describe the path, not just the endpoints.
For monthly visits of 40, 40, 40 and 40, the number remained at 40. For 40, 60, 35 and 55, it fluctuated between 35 and 60. Between names the lowest and highest values, not necessarily the first and last. A series of 40, 45, 50 and 55 rose steadily; it did not move down as well as up.
Compare the examples
The number of visits remained at 40.
The number fluctuated between 35 and 60.
The number rose steadily.
Stable is an adjective: remained stable. Fluctuated is a verb: the number fluctuated. Avoid “the number was fluctuated.”
Build the meaning step by step
Read every value
40 → 60 → 35 → 55
Find the movement
up → down → up
Describe it
The number fluctuated between 35 and 60.
Try it now
Match the description to the data
Read all answers and explanations
Weekly visits: 70, 70, 70, 70. Which description fits?
Visits remained at 70.Every value is 70, so the series is unchanged.
Weekly visits: 50, 80, 40, 70. Choose the accurate range and movement.
Visits fluctuated between 40 and 80.The minimum is 40 and the maximum is 80. The series rises, falls and rises again.
Weekly visits: 20, 30, 40, 50. Which description fits the direction?
Visits rose steadily.The values rise each week; there is no fall in this series.
Put it into practice
Look beyond the matching endpoints
Monthly visitors: January 100, February 140, March 80, April 100. Repair the description without inventing a cause.
Visitor numbers remained stable at 100 throughout the period.
See a model answer
Visitor numbers fluctuated between 80 and 140, ending at 100.
A matching start and finish can hide considerable movement in between.
A little more clarity
Common questions
A few useful details before you move on.
Can a series end where it began and still fluctuate?
Yes. Check the intervening values. Returning to the starting level does not mean that every value stayed there.
50 → 70 → 30 → 50: the figure fluctuated.
What if the changes are very small?
Choose wording that fits the scale, such as remained relatively stable. Do not call minor movement dramatic without evidence.
The figure remained relatively stable.
Take it into your day
Stable and fluctuating describe different movement patterns.
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