Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

Scotland's export values by industry to the UK and world in 2014

The bar chart below shows Scotland's exports to the rest of the UK and the rest of the world for the year 2014.

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

Scotland's exports to the rest of the UK and the rest of the world in 2014 (£ billion)
048121620Agriculture, Forestry, …Manufacturing of Food &…Chemicals & Mineral Pro…Metals, Mechanical & Tr…Electrical & Instrument…Other ManufacturingWholesale & RetailBusiness Services & Fin…Other Services
  • UK - Export to the Rest of the UK
  • ROW - Export to the Rest of the World
View the data
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & MiningManufacturing of Food & DrinkChemicals & Mineral ProductsMetals, Mechanical & Transport EquipmentElectrical & Instrument EngineeringOther ManufacturingWholesale & RetailBusiness Services & Finance, Hotels & Restaurant ServicesOther Services
UK - Export to the Rest of the UK0.64.452.1411.11.70.9
ROW - Export to the Rest of the World2.45.89.52.72.35.98.213.83

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 value of Scottish exports across nine distinct industries to the rest of the UK and the rest of the world in 2014, measured in billions of pounds.

Overall, it is evident that Scotland exported significantly higher values to the rest of the world in most sectors, with Business Services & Finance, Hotels & Restaurant Services being the most prominent category. Conversely, the rest of the UK was a smaller market for most industries, with the notable exception of Electrical & Instrument Engineering.

Regarding exports to the rest of the world, Business Services & Finance, Hotels & Restaurant Services led with a substantial £13.8 billion, followed by Chemicals & Mineral Products at £9.5 billion and Wholesale & Retail at £8.2 billion. In contrast, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Mining recorded the lowest international export value at £2.4 billion.

In terms of exports to the rest of the UK, Chemicals & Mineral Products was the top-performing sector at £5 billion, followed closely by Manufacturing of Food & Drink at £4.4 billion and Electrical & Instrument Engineering at £4 billion. Interestingly, Electrical & Instrument Engineering was the only sector where exports to the UK (£4 billion) exceeded those to the rest of the world (£2.3 billion).

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

How to write about bar charts

illustrates
provides a visual representation or explanation of data
prominent
standing out so as to be easily seen
conversely
introducing a statement that reverses a previous one
substantial
of considerable importance, size, or worth
exceeded
to be greater in number or size than
notable
worthy of attention or notice; remarkable

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

While Business Services & Finance dominated exports to the rest of the world, Chemicals & Mineral Products was the leading industry for exports to the rest of the UK.

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.

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