Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

Average daily sales of five food items at Brisk Cafe by season

The graph below shows the average daily sales of selected food items at the Brisk Café, by season.

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

Average Daily Sales (Number of servings)
020406080100Hot coffeeIced coffeeIce creamSoupSalad
  • Winter
  • Summer
View the data
Hot coffeeIced coffeeIce creamSoupSalad
Winter752255025
Summer3040352525

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 average daily sales of five distinct food and drink items at Brisk Café, comparing figures between the winter and summer seasons.

Overall, it is evident that seasonal variations significantly influence consumer preferences. Hot coffee and soup are clearly preferred during the winter, while iced coffee and ice cream experience a notable surge in popularity during the summer. Salad sales remain consistent throughout the year.

In winter, hot coffee is the most popular item, with 75 servings sold daily, compared to only 30 in summer. Similarly, soup sales reach 50 servings in winter, which is double the 25 servings recorded in summer. Conversely, iced coffee is rarely consumed in winter, with only 2 servings sold, but this figure rises dramatically to 40 in summer. Ice cream also shows a seasonal increase, rising from 25 servings in winter to 35 in summer.

Finally, salad sales remain stable, with 25 servings sold daily regardless of the season. In summary, while some items like hot coffee and soup show a strong winter bias, others like iced coffee and ice cream are distinctly summer-oriented, with salad being the only item unaffected by seasonal changes.

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

How to write about bar charts

illustrates
provides a visual representation of the given data
seasonal variations
changes that occur according to the time of year
surge
a sudden and powerful upward movement or increase
conversely
introducing a statement that reverses the previous one
stable
not likely to change or fluctuate significantly
unaffected
not changed or influenced by a specific factor

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Overall, hot beverages and soup are significantly more popular in winter, whereas iced coffee and ice cream see higher demand during the summer months.

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.

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