IELTS Line Graph: What's the problem with the paragraph?

ScottsEnglish

There's something wrong here .

Here's part of what one student wrote in response to the graph below.  Can you identify the problem and fix it?  Please write your ideas in the comments box below.

With regard to water and rail, the number of tonnes were at similar levels from 1974 to 1978 (around 40 million tonnes).  However, the former rose significantly and reached about 63 million tonnes by 2002 while the latter declined to almost 30 million tonnes in 1994 but recovered just over 40 million tonnes in 2002.

(hint: the problem is in the last part of the last sentence ).

lonelyrabah

????? can not get it

ScottsEnglish

Click below to see the answer displayed! 

The problem is in the last part of the final sentence: '...the latter declined to almost 30 million tonnes in 1994 but recovered just over 40 million tonnes in 2002.'  

This is a small but extremely significant problem.  What's the difference between these two sentences:

A. '...but recovered just over 40 million tonnes in 2002.'
B. '...but recovered to just over 40 million tonnes in 2002.'

In option A, the total = 30 + 40 = 70 million tonnes
In option B, the total is 'just over 40 million tonnes.

The problem with answer option A is that it's missing the word 'to'.  Make sure you don't make the same mistake in your Task 1 writing .