Annual water usage in millions of cubic meters by various industries
The graph below shows annual water usage (in millions of cubic meters) by industries in some countries.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
- Ground Water
- Public Supply
View the data
| Fuel | Foods / Drinks | Machinery | Metal | Chemicals | Paper | Textiles | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Water | 70 | 110 | 10 | 240 | 430 | 190 | 80 |
| Public Supply | 10 | 190 | 100 | 90 | 240 | 20 | 10 |
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 annual water consumption, measured in millions of cubic meters, across seven distinct industrial sectors, comparing the usage of ground water against public supply.
Overall, it is evident that the chemical industry is the most significant water user, whereas the fuel and textile sectors consume the least. Furthermore, ground water serves as the predominant source for the majority of industries, with the notable exception of the food and drink sector.
Regarding the highest consumption, the chemical industry utilizes 430 million cubic meters of ground water and 240 million cubic meters from public supply. Metal production also relies heavily on ground water, with 240 million cubic meters compared to only 90 million from public sources. Similarly, the paper industry uses 190 million cubic meters of ground water, significantly outstripping its public supply usage of 20 million.
In contrast, the food and drink industry is unique in its reliance on public supply, consuming 190 million cubic meters, while using 110 million of ground water. Machinery production shows a preference for public supply at 100 million cubic meters, compared to 10 million of ground water. Finally, fuel and textiles show the lowest overall consumption, both utilizing only 10 million cubic meters from public supply.
205 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.
- predominant
- the most common or main source or type
- outstripping
- exceeding or being greater than another amount
- consumption
- the amount of a resource that is used
- reliance
- the state of depending on something for supply
- distinct
- clearly different or belonging to different categories
- significant
- sufficiently great or important to be noted
Write your own report and get a band
Take a timed Academic writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.
Practise IELTS Academic writingOn your phone? Get the BandLadder app.
Frequently asked questions
What should the overview say?
The chemical industry is the largest consumer of water overall, while ground water is the primary source for most sectors except for food and drink production.
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.
More bar charts
- A bar chart illustrating vehicle ownership trends in China from 1987 to 1999
- A breakdown of drinking habits among different age groups in America
- A comparison of housing preferences in three UK cities in 2005
- A comparison of physical and cyber bullying across different age groups
- A Comparison of the Age Structures of France and India in 1984
- Adolescent perceptions of age-related rights and responsibilities across five countries
- All 677 Task 1 samples · Task 2 sample essays