Consumer spending on six different products across four European nations
The chart below shows the amount spent on six consumer goods in four European countries.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
- Britain
- France
- Italy
- Germany
View the data
| Photographic film | Toys | CDs | Perfumes | Tennis racquets | Personal stereos | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Britain | 170 | 167 | 165 | 160 | 155 | 155 |
| France | 165 | 157 | 158 | 147 | 145 | 145 |
| Italy | 155 | 157 | 150 | 155 | 155 | 150 |
| Germany | 150 | 145 | 145 | 150 | 150 | 147 |
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 expenditure on six distinct consumer goods—photographic film, toys, CDs, perfumes, tennis racquets, and personal stereos—across Britain, France, Italy, and Germany. Overall, it is evident that Britain was the highest spender in the majority of categories, whereas Germany frequently occupied the lowest position.
Regarding photographic film, Britain led with a spend of 170, followed by France at 165, Italy at 155, and Germany at 150. A similar trend is observed for CDs, where Britain spent 165, France 158, Italy 150, and Germany 145. For toys, Britain and France recorded the highest figures at 167 and 157 respectively, while Italy and Germany spent 157 and 145.
In the remaining categories, spending patterns were more varied. For perfumes, Britain spent 160, followed by Italy at 155, Germany at 150, and France at 147. Tennis racquets saw Britain and Italy tied at 155, with Germany at 150 and France at 145. Finally, for personal stereos, Britain spent 155, followed by Germany at 147, and France and Italy both at 145. Overall, Britain maintained a dominant position in consumer spending across these six items.
184 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.
- expenditure
- the total amount of money spent by someone
- consistently
- in every case or on every occasion
- dominant
- having the most power or influence over others
- varied
- incorporating a number of different types or elements
- recorded
- set down in writing or some other permanent form
- occupied
- to fill or hold a specific position or place
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Frequently asked questions
What should the overview say?
Britain consistently recorded the highest expenditure across most categories, while Germany generally showed the lowest spending levels among the four countries.
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.
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