Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

Monthly development of telephone subscribers in Vietnam during 2010

The chart below shows how the telephone subscribers in Vietnam developed throughout the year 2010.

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

Telephone subscribers development in 2010 (million)

View the data

	1/2010	2/2010	3/2010	4/2010	5/2010	6/2010	7/2010	8/2010	9/2010	10/2010	11/2010	12/2010
Subscribers	115.7	118.4	117.9	123.9	128.9	133.5	140.3	142.4	142.1	144.4	147.3	153.7

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 monthly changes in the number of telephone subscribers in Vietnam over the course of 2010. Measured in millions, the data indicates a clear growth trajectory for the telecommunications sector during this period.

At the beginning of the year, there were 115.7 million subscribers. This figure rose steadily to 118.4 million in February, followed by a marginal decline to 117.9 million in March. From April onwards, the growth regained momentum, with the subscriber base climbing consistently to reach 133.5 million by mid-year in June.

The second half of the year maintained this positive trend, although the pace of growth fluctuated slightly. After reaching 140.3 million in July, the figures climbed to 142.4 million in August, before experiencing a negligible decrease to 142.1 million in September. However, the sector recovered quickly, with subscriber numbers rising to 144.4 million in October and 147.3 million in November. By the end of December 2010, the total number of telephone subscribers peaked at 153.7 million, representing a significant overall increase of 38 million subscribers compared to the start of the year.

180 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.

upward trend: a general direction in which something is developing
marginal decline: a very small decrease in a numerical value
regained momentum: started to increase in speed or activity again
fluctuated: rose and fell irregularly in number or amount
negligible: so small or unimportant as to be ignored
peaked: reached the highest point of a numerical value

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Overall, the number of telephone subscribers in Vietnam experienced a consistent upward trend throughout 2010, with the only minor exception being a slight dip in September.

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.