Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

Number of members in various leisure center clubs by age group

The bar graph below represents data about the clubs joined by people of two different age groups at a leisure center in a small city.

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

Club membership by age group (Number of members)

25-35
55-65

View the data

	Gardening	Photography	Fitness	Arts and Crafts	Music/dance	Cycling
25-35	25	45	55	60	53	65
55-65	55	45	50	20	50	10

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 membership numbers for six different clubs at a local leisure centre, categorised by two age groups: 25-35 and 55-65. Overall, it is evident that the younger demographic is more active in most clubs, with the notable exception of gardening, where the older age group dominates. Conversely, the 55-65 age group shows the lowest participation in cycling.

Regarding the younger cohort, cycling is the most popular activity, attracting 65 members, followed closely by arts and crafts at 60. Fitness and music/dance also see strong engagement, with 55 and 53 members respectively. Photography has 45 members, while gardening is the least popular choice for this group, with only 25 participants.

In contrast, the 55-65 age group shows a marked preference for gardening, which has 55 members, significantly higher than the 25 members in the younger group. Participation in photography and music/dance is balanced between the two groups, both at 45 and 50 members respectively. However, the older group's interest drops sharply for arts and crafts and cycling, with only 20 and 10 members respectively, representing the lowest figures across the entire chart.

185 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.

demographic: a specific section of the population being studied
dominates: has a much larger share than others
conversely: introducing a statement that reverses the previous one
cohort: a group of people with a shared characteristic
marked preference: a very clear and noticeable liking for something
balanced: having equal or nearly equal proportions or values

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

While the 25-35 age group shows a clear preference for more active or creative pursuits like cycling and arts, the 55-65 age group is significantly more inclined towards gardening.

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.