Structure
How to describe a bar chart
- →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.
1–55 of 164
Bar charts: all sample answers
- 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
- Aid provided by six developed nations to developing countries 2008-2010
- Air pollution levels by three different causes across four countries in 2021
- Airline crew requirements, passenger complaints, and luggage weight by destination
- Annual consumption of regular ice cream in the United States
- Annual film rentals and sales trends from 2002 to 2011
- Annual GDP growth rates for Tunisia, Japan, and Ecuador 2007-2010
- Annual housing construction in the cities of Derby and Nottingham 2000-2009
- Annual income of language-related professions across five international cities
- Annual Performance of Winners in Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
- Annual salaries of doctors and other workers across seven nations in 2004
- Annual UK investments in clean energy sectors between 2008 and 2015
- Annual visitor numbers for three London museums between 2007 and 2012
- Annual water usage in millions of cubic meters by various industries
- Average class size in six selected countries versus the world average in 2006
- Average Daily Calorie Intake Across Eight Different Countries in 2003
- Average daily car journeys into the city centre from 1996 to 2005
- Average daily sales of five food items at Brisk Cafe by season
- Average hours of housework performed by different employment groups over time
- Average housing costs in rural, suburban, and urban areas 1990-2000
- Average monthly rainfall levels in the town of Marley UK
- Average percentage of reported challenges faced by people living abroad by age
- Average retirement ages for men and women in six countries
- Average weekly hours of unpaid work by marital and parental status
- Changes in sales of four different book categories from 2002 to 2012
- Comparison of actual and predicted population growth in three major cities
- Comparison of Annual Working and Holiday Hours in Five European Countries
- Comparison of community website visits over two consecutive years
- Comparison of education and scientific development in two country types
- Comparison of family weekly spending patterns between 1968 and 2018
- Comparison of global oil resources and annual consumption by region
- Comparison of household size distribution in the UK between 1981 and 2001
- Comparison of housework participation and time spent by gender
- Comparison of mobile phone and landline ownership across seven selected countries
- Comparison of railway route length and passenger numbers in six European cities
- Comparison of Residential Property Sales in Three Iowa Areas 2008-2009
- Comparison of resources required to manufacture 1000 polystyrene and paper cups
- Comparison of University Applications and Admissions from 1993 to 2003
- Comparison of weight distribution in Charlestown between 1955 and 2015
- Comparison of worker distribution across three economic sectors in four countries
- Computer ownership trends and education level correlations from 2002 to 2010
- Consumer goods spending across four European countries in 2012
- Consumer spending on six different products across four European nations
- Daily minimum and maximum air pollutant levels in four major cities
- Daily study hours of students at five different universities
- Daily water consumption for Americans in their homes with and without conservation
- Destinations of UK graduates and postgraduates not in full-time work 2008
- Electricity production and consumption in the top ten countries in 2014
- Electronic gaming trends and preferences in South Korea in 2006
- Employment figures in five tourism-related industries between 2009 and 2019
Frequently asked questions
How do I describe an IELTS bar chart in Task 1?+
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.
What band are these bar chart sample answers?+
Each of the 164 bar chart samples has a Band 8 model answer. The chart is redrawn with its data, and every figure in the answer comes from that chart.
How many words and how long for Task 1?+
At least 150 words in about 20 minutes. 170 to 200 words is the safe range; leave 40 minutes for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.
How is IELTS Writing Task 1 scored?+
On four criteria: task achievement, coherence and cohesion, vocabulary, and grammatical range and accuracy. A missing or unclear overview is the most common reason a report stays below Band 7.
Next
Other Task 1 chart types
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