Academic Writing Task 1 · mixed chart

Comparison of spending habits and life milestones in Canada and Poland

Charts 1 and 2 below show the proportion of income spent on different areas by young people in Canada and Poland. Chart 3 shows the average age of certain life events for these countries and an estimated global average age.

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

Chart 1: % Income spent in Canada
  • Housing: 16
  • Food: 16
  • Clothing: 19
  • Leisure: 20
  • Transport: 14
  • Studies: 15
View the data
CategoryValue
Housing16
Food16
Clothing19
Leisure20
Transport14
Studies15
Chart 2: % Income spent in Poland
  • Housing: 5
  • Food: 5
  • Clothing: 11
  • Leisure: 10
  • Transport: 26
  • Studies: 43
View the data
CategoryValue
Housing5
Food5
Clothing11
Leisure10
Transport26
Studies43
Chart 3: Average age of events in life before age 35
01020304050CanadaPolandEstimated Global Average
  • Leaving home
  • Buying first car
  • Getting Married
View the data
CanadaPolandEstimated Global Average
Leaving home202627
Buying first car192726
Getting Married313021

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 charts illustrate the expenditure patterns of young people in Canada and Poland, alongside the average age of key life milestones in these countries compared to global averages.

Regarding spending, young Canadians distribute their income fairly evenly, with leisure (20%) and clothing (19%) being the highest, while housing, food, and studies range between 15% and 16%. In contrast, Polish youth show a starkly different pattern, with studies accounting for a substantial 43% of their income, followed by transport at 26%. Housing and food represent the smallest proportions in Poland, at only 5% each.

Turning to life events, Canadians tend to leave home and buy their first car earlier than their Polish counterparts, at ages 20 and 19 respectively, compared to 26 and 27 in Poland. Conversely, Canadians marry later, at age 31, whereas the average age for marriage in Poland is 30. Notably, the estimated global average for getting married is significantly lower at 21, while the global average for leaving home and buying a car is higher than the Canadian figures, at 27 and 26 respectively.

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

How to write about mixed charts

allocate
to distribute resources or money for a purpose
starkly
in a way that is very clear and obvious
proportion
a part or share of a whole amount
conversely
introducing a statement that reverses a previous one
milestones
significant events or stages in a person's life
expenditure
the total amount of money spent by someone

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

While young Canadians allocate their income relatively evenly across categories, young Poles spend significantly more on studies and transport, and the age at which major life events occur varies considerably between these two nations.

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 mixed charts?

Write one overview sentence that links the two visuals. Give each visual its own detail paragraph. Point out where one chart explains the other.

More mixed charts