Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

Employment rates for men and women in three countries across 2005 and 2015

The bar charts below show the percentages of men and women in employment in three countries in 2005 and 2015.

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

Employment rates by country in 2005 (%)

Male
Female

View the data

	Canada	South Korea	Sweden
Male	62	75	78
Female	38	30	45

Employment rates by country in 2015 (%)

Male
Female

View the data

	Canada	South Korea	Sweden
Male	70	78	70
Female	55	35	50

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 charts compare the employment percentages of men and women in Canada, South Korea, and Sweden during 2005 and 2015. Overall, it is evident that female employment rates rose across all three nations over the ten-year period. Furthermore, men consistently recorded higher employment figures than their female counterparts in both years.

In 2005, male employment was highest in Sweden at 78%, followed by South Korea at 75% and Canada at 62%. Conversely, female employment was significantly lower, peaking at 45% in Sweden, while Canada and South Korea stood at 38% and 30% respectively.

By 2015, the landscape had shifted. Female employment rates saw notable growth, reaching 55% in Canada, 50% in Sweden, and 35% in South Korea. Regarding male employment, the rate in Canada increased to 70% and in South Korea to 78%. However, Sweden experienced a decline in male employment, falling to 70%. Despite these changes, the gender gap remained prevalent in all three countries, although it narrowed slightly in Canada and Sweden by the end of the period.

171 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.

counterparts: people or things that have the same function
prevalent: existing very commonly or happening often
notable: worthy of attention or striking
shifted: moved or changed from one position to another
narrowed: became smaller in width or range
varied: incorporating a number of different types or elements

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Overall, employment rates for women increased in all three countries over the decade, while male employment trends were more varied, with men consistently maintaining higher employment rates than women.

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.