Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

Bathing Suit Sales and Average Monthly Temperatures in New York 2012

The bar and line chart below shows average monthly temperatures and bathing suit sales in New York for the first 6 months of 2012.

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

Bathing Suit Sales (US$) and Temperature Figures for New York City - 2012 (Hundred Thousands US$ and Fahrenheit)

Revenue: Hundred Thousands US$
Average Temperatures (Fahrenheit)

View the data

	January	February	March	April	May	June
Revenue: Hundred Thousands US$	100	125	150	290	85	20
Average Temperatures (Fahrenheit)	31	30	38	49	59	65

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 and line chart illustrates the relationship between average monthly temperatures and bathing suit sales in New York City during the first half of 2012. Overall, it is evident that temperature and revenue do not follow a perfectly linear correlation, as sales peaked mid-spring despite temperatures continuing to rise into June.

In January, temperatures stood at 31°F, with sales reaching 100 hundred thousand US$. Over the next two months, temperatures rose gradually to 38°F in March, while revenue saw a steady increase to 150 hundred thousand US$. April marked a dramatic shift, as sales surged to a peak of 290 hundred thousand US$, even though the average temperature was only 49°F.

Following this peak, the trend for sales reversed sharply. By May, revenue plummeted to 85 hundred thousand US$, and it fell further to a low of 20 hundred thousand US$ in June. Conversely, the average temperature continued its steady climb, reaching 59°F in May and peaking at 65°F in June. Consequently, the highest sales figures occurred well before the warmest month of the period, indicating that peak temperature does not necessarily equate to peak bathing suit demand.

189 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.

fluctuated: changed frequently and irregularly in a set
upward trend: a general direction of increasing values
peaked: reached the highest point in a series
plummeted: decreased rapidly and by a large amount
correlation: a mutual relationship between two or more things
equate to: to be considered the same as something else

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

While temperatures showed a consistent upward trend throughout the six-month period, bathing suit sales fluctuated significantly, peaking in April before declining sharply.

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.