Academic Writing Task 1 · mixed chart

Main reasons and weekly hours for working from home in 2019

The diagrams below show the main reasons workers chose to work from home and the hours males and females worked at home for the year 2019.

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

Main reasons for working from home, 2019 (%)

Males
Females

View the data

	To save money	More productive	Easier childcare
Males	45	24	4
Females	42	11	26

Hours worked from home, 2019

Hours of work per week	Males	Females
Under 10	3%	74%
10 to 30	16%	22%
Over 30	81%	6%

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 provided charts illustrate the primary motivations for working from home and the weekly hours spent doing so by gender in 2019. Overall, saving money was the most common reason for both males and females, yet there was a stark contrast in the amount of time spent working from home between the two groups.

Regarding the reasons for working from home, 45% of males and 42% of females cited saving money as their main motivation. Productivity was a more significant factor for males at 24%, compared to 11% for females. Conversely, easier childcare was a major driver for 26% of females, while only 4% of males identified this as a primary reason.

In terms of weekly hours, the data reveals a clear divergence. A substantial 81% of males worked over 30 hours from home, with only 3% working under 10 hours. In contrast, the majority of females (74%) worked fewer than 10 hours per week, and only 6% worked over 30 hours. The proportion of those working between 10 and 30 hours was 16% for males and 22% for females, showing a moderate overlap in this middle category.

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

How to write about 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.

stark contrast: a very clear and obvious difference between things
predominantly: mostly or mainly for the greater part
cited: mentioned as a reason or proof for something
divergence: the process of becoming different or separating apart
proportion: a part or share in relation to whole
substantial: of considerable importance, size, or worth

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

While saving money was the primary motivation for both genders, males were significantly more likely to work full-time hours from home, whereas females predominantly worked fewer than 10 hours per week.

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.