Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

Employment figures in five tourism-related industries between 2009 and 2019

The bar chart below shows employment figures in different tourism-related industries between 2009 and 2019.

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

Employment figures in tourism-related industries (2009-2019) (thousands)
010020030040050020092019
  • Sports
  • Culture (mueums, galleries, etc.)
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Hotel (and other accomodation)
View the data
20092019
Sports284.7345.7
Culture (mueums, galleries, etc.)82.877.4
Travel60.9114.2
Food283.4357.7
Hotel (and other accomodation)299.2306

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 changes in employment figures across five tourism-related industries between 2009 and 2019. Overall, the total number of people employed in these sectors rose during the ten-year period, with food and sports industries recording the most substantial growth, whereas the culture sector experienced a slight contraction.

In 2009, the hotel industry led with 299.2 thousand employees, closely followed by sports at 284.7 thousand and food at 283.4 thousand. By 2019, the food sector had become the largest employer, reaching 357.7 thousand, followed by sports at 345.7 thousand. The hotel sector saw a modest increase to 306.0 thousand over the same period.

Regarding the remaining categories, the travel industry showed the most notable proportional growth, nearly doubling its workforce from 60.9 thousand in 2009 to 114.2 thousand in 2019. Conversely, the culture sector, which includes museums and galleries, was the only industry to witness a decline in employment, falling from 82.8 thousand to 77.4 thousand. In summary, while most tourism-related industries expanded their workforce over the decade, the culture sector bucked this trend by recording a decrease in total employment.

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

How to write about bar charts

contraction
a process of becoming smaller in size or amount
substantial
of considerable importance, size, or worth
modest
relatively moderate, limited, or small in amount
notable
worthy of attention or notice; remarkable
bucked this trend
to resist or go against a general tendency
witness
to see or experience a particular event or change

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Overall, total employment across these sectors increased over the decade, with food and sports industries experiencing the most significant growth, while culture was the only sector to see a decline.

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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