Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

Percentage of UK males and females consuming five portions of fruit and vegetables daily in 2006

The World Health Organization recommends that people should eat five or more portions of fruit and vegetables per day. The bar chart shows the percentage of males and females in the UK by age group in 2006.

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

Percentage of males and females consuming five or more portions of fruit and vegetables per day by age group (UK in 2006) (%)

Male
Female

View the data

	19-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65-74	75
Male	15	20	22	22	32	27	25
Female	16	22	25	27	34.5	29.5	25

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 proportion of UK males and females across seven age groups who met the World Health Organization's recommendation of consuming at least five portions of fruit and vegetables daily in 2006.

Overall, females consistently recorded higher consumption rates than males in all age categories except for those aged 75 and over, where the figures were identical. Furthermore, the 55-64 age group represented the peak for fruit and vegetable intake for both genders.

Regarding the younger and middle-aged groups, consumption started at 15% for males and 16% for females in the 19-24 bracket. These figures rose steadily, reaching 22% for males and 27% for females in the 45-54 age group. The trend peaked among those aged 55-64, where 32% of males and 34.5% of females met the daily recommendation.

Following this peak, consumption levels declined for both sexes. Among the 65-74 age group, the percentage dropped to 27% for males and 29.5% for females. Finally, for the oldest group aged 75 and above, the consumption rate converged at 25% for both males and females, marking a notable decrease from the peak levels observed in the preceding age group.

191 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.

proportion: a part or share of a whole number
consistently: acting or done in the same way over time
bracket: a group or category defined by specific limits
peaked: reached the highest point of a numerical value
converged: came together from different directions to one point
preceding: coming before something else in time or order

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Overall, females consistently consumed more fruit and vegetables than males across most age groups, with the 55-64 age bracket showing the highest consumption rates for both genders.

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.