Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

Annual consumption of regular ice cream in the United States

The column graph below shows the consumption of regular ice cream in the US market.

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

Regular Ice Cream, US (Million Gallons)

View the data

	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
Million Gallons	860	880	920	940	960	950

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 bar chart illustrates the amount of regular ice cream consumed in the United States over a six-year period, from 1995 to 2000. The figures are measured in million gallons.

Overall, the consumption of regular ice cream in the US experienced a general upward trend between 1995 and 2000, despite a slight decline in the final year. The peak of consumption was reached in 1999.

In 1995, the consumption stood at 860 million gallons. This figure rose steadily over the following years, reaching 880 million gallons in 1996 and 920 million gallons in 1997. The upward trajectory continued into 1998, with consumption climbing to 940 million gallons.

Growth peaked in 1999, when the total reached 960 million gallons, representing the highest level of consumption recorded during the period. However, this trend reversed slightly in 2000, as the figure fell to 950 million gallons. Despite this minor decrease, the final consumption level remained significantly higher than the initial figure recorded at the start of the period in 1995.

167 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.

upward trend: a general movement or direction towards higher levels
steady: changing in a regular and continuous manner
peaked: reached the highest point in a data set
trajectory: the path or direction followed by a trend
reversed: changed to the opposite direction or state
significantly: by a considerable amount or to a large degree

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Overall, the consumption of regular ice cream in the US experienced a general upward trend between 1995 and 2000, despite a slight decline in the final year.

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.