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.
111–164 of 164
Bar charts: all sample answers
- Percentage of people in Britain who purchase pop music albums
- Percentage of students passing high school competency exams by subject and gender
- Percentage of UK adults using the Internet by age group 2003-2006
- Percentage of UK and international students achieving second-class degrees in 2009
- Percentage of UK males and females consuming five portions of fruit and vegetables daily in 2006
- Percentage of UK people consuming recommended daily fruit and vegetables 2002-2010
- Percentage of UK population consuming five daily fruit and vegetable portions
- Percentage of unemployed graduates aged 20-24 in a European country
- Percentage participation of men in senior development positions across three companies
- Percentages of male and female US citizens who never married
- Percentages of students proficient in a foreign language across six countries
- Performance metrics of a bus company between 1999 and 2003
- Population distribution trends in the Northwest Region from 1900 to 2050
- Preferred leisure activities of Australian children aged 5 to 14
- Proportion of Canadian businesses making e-commerce purchases by industry 2015-2019
- Proportion of people within a 15-minute drive of essential services
- Proportions of different groups of people visiting various Canadian locations
- Proportions of English men and women living alone by age in 2011
- Proportions of UK children aged 11 to 16 by school transport
- Public transport passenger numbers in Somewhere Town from 2012 to 2015
- Quarterly percentage sales of four trainer brands over one year
- Quarterly sales figures for four Woodward chocolate bars in 2010
- Reasons for study and employer support across different age groups
- Reasons for university education and employer support by age group
- Reliability of Print and Non-Print Academic Materials at Three Universities
- Rhino Poaching Statistics in South African Provinces from 2010 to 2012
- Riverdale Public School spending and student academic performance from 1990 to 2010
- Road transport and commuting habits across several European countries
- Science qualification levels held by people in Malaysia and Singapore
- Scotland's export values by industry to the UK and world in 2014
- Stock price performance of four major technology companies from 2011 to 2016
- Student involvement in three different sports across three school grades
- Survey results on effective solutions to global warming in four countries
- Survey results on factors affecting work performance by age group
- Survey results regarding coffee and tea habits in five Australian cities
- Teaching hours per year across three school levels in four countries
- Telephone call duration in Finland by category from 1995 to 2004
- The growth of the global robotics market between 2000 and 2025
- The impact of various fertilizer brands on bean plant growth
- The scores achieved by three different teams over four seasons
- Top business priorities for US companies of different sizes in 2016
- Top ten countries with the highest spending on travel in 2014
- Total minutes of telephone calls in Australia by category 2001-2008
- Total minutes of UK telephone calls by category from 1995 to 2002
- Total number of internet users in Vietnam from 2003 to 2012
- Transport preferences of young people across four different countries
- Trends in American marriage and divorce rates and marital status
- TV viewing preferences for reality and game shows in Australia
- UK survey of Internet access locations between 1998 and 2004
- Unemployment and emigration in Ireland in three selected years
- Waste disposal methods across four international cities
- Waste disposal methods in a European country from 2005 to 2008
- Weekly hours spent by teenagers on various activities in Chester 2002-2007
- Weekly working hours in the industrial sector of four European countries
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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