You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagram below shows the number of marriages and divorces in the UK between 1950 and 2000. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

---

Model Answer

The given line graph illustrates data about the number of first marriages, second marriages, total number of marriages and divorces from 1950 to 2000. It is manifest from the graph that the divorce rate showed a dramatic escalation after 1980.

Approximately 350,000 first marriages were solemnized in 1950. This number grew gradually and reached a peak of 430,000 marriages in 1980, after which it fell moderately and again reached 350,000 mark by 2000.

The total number of marriages showed a similar trend to the number of first marriages, as it was just the sum total of first marriages and remarriages. As the number of remarriages fluctuated between 90,000 and 120,000 between the years of 1950 and 2000, the line depicting the total number of marriages was almost parallel to that portraying the first marriages.

Divorce rates increased minimally from approximately 15000 to 20,000 between 1950 and 1980, but after that increased exponentially and touched the number of 300,000 by 2000.

Overall, it is clear that the year 1980 witnessed the maximum number of marriages and remarriages, and that was also the year when divorce rates started seeing a sharp upswing.