Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

Average housing costs in rural, suburban, and urban areas 1990-2000

The graph below shows the average cost of housing in three different areas.

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

Average cost of housing in three different areas (USD)

Rural
Suburban
Urban

View the data

	1990	2000
Rural	75,000	125,000
Suburban	100,000	275,000
Urban	150,000	300,000

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 housing prices across rural, suburban, and urban locations over a ten-year period from 1990 to 2000. Overall, it is clear that housing costs experienced a marked upward trend in all three categories, with urban areas maintaining the highest average prices throughout the decade.

In 1990, the average cost of housing was lowest in rural areas at $75,000, followed by suburban areas at $100,000, and urban areas at $150,000. By 2000, these figures had risen considerably. Rural housing costs increased to $125,000, while urban housing prices doubled to reach $300,000.

The most dramatic growth was observed in the suburban sector. Between 1990 and 2000, the average cost of suburban housing surged from $100,000 to $275,000, representing a substantial increase of 175%. While urban housing remained the most expensive overall, the gap between suburban and urban prices narrowed significantly by the end of the period. In contrast, rural areas remained the most affordable option throughout the decade, despite the overall rise in property values across all regions.

171 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 values
marked: clearly noticeable or significant in its extent
surged: increased very quickly and by a large amount
narrowed: became smaller in range or difference between items
affordable: reasonably priced and within one's financial means
doubled: increased to be twice the original amount

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Housing costs in all three areas increased significantly between 1990 and 2000, with urban areas consistently remaining the most expensive.

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.