Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

Airline crew requirements, passenger complaints, and luggage weight by destination

The first chart below shows the number of airline crew (pilots, stewards, etc) needed to fly a passenger plane between Australia and a number of other countries. The second chart shows the number of passenger complaints per plane journey made on these routes, and the average kilogram (kg) weight of luggage (or baggage) carried per passenger.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Number of crew on each plane by destination (number of crew)

View the data

	Malaysia	New Zealand	Germany	Indonesia
Number of crew	8	6	15	11

Passenger complaints and luggage weight per passenger (number of complaints / kg)

Number of passenger complaints per flight
Weight of luggage (in kg) per passenger

View the data

	Malaysia	New Zealand	Germany	Indonesia
Number of passenger complaints per flight	3	6	1	3
Weight of luggage (in kg) per passenger	30	15	38	32

Chart redrawn by BandLadder from the data in the original IELTS practice task. Many IELTS practice tasks come from the Cambridge IELTS series (Cambridge University Press & Assessment); all rights in the original tasks remain with their owners.

Band 8 sample answer

The provided charts illustrate the crew requirements, passenger complaints, and average luggage weight for flights between Australia and four specific destinations: Malaysia, New Zealand, Germany, and Indonesia.

Overall, there is significant variation across the routes. Germany stands out for having the highest number of crew members and the heaviest luggage per passenger, whereas New Zealand flights record the most complaints despite having the lowest crew count.

Regarding crew numbers, Germany requires the most staff at 15, followed by Indonesia with 11. Malaysia and New Zealand require 8 and 6 crew members respectively. In terms of luggage, passengers travelling to Germany carry the heaviest bags, averaging 38 kg, followed closely by Indonesia at 32 kg and Malaysia at 30 kg. New Zealand has the lightest average luggage weight at 15 kg.

Conversely, passenger complaints show a different pattern. New Zealand flights generate the highest number of complaints at 6 per flight. Malaysia and Indonesia both record 3 complaints per flight. Notably, Germany, despite having the largest crew and heaviest luggage, records the lowest number of complaints, with only 1 per flight.

180 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

How to write about bar charts

Compare the biggest and smallest bars before anything else.
If the bars show years, describe change; if they show places, describe rank.
Round sensibly and say 'just over' or 'nearly' rather than guessing decimals.

significant variation: a notable difference between the values being compared
stands out: is clearly different or more noticeable than others
followed closely by: coming next in sequence with a small difference
conversely: introducing a statement that contrasts with the previous
record: to set down or register a specific value
averaging: calculating the mean value of a set quantity

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Germany requires the largest crew and has the heaviest luggage weight, while New Zealand flights experience the highest number of passenger complaints despite having the smallest crew.

How long should an IELTS Task 1 answer be?

At least 150 words; 170 to 200 is the safe range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

How do I describe bar charts?

Compare the biggest and smallest bars before anything else. If the bars show years, describe change; if they show places, describe rank. Round sensibly and say 'just over' or 'nearly' rather than guessing decimals.