Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

The impact of various fertilizer brands on bean plant growth

The graph below shows the effects of different brands of fertilizer on bean plant growth.

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

Effects of different brands of fertilizer on bean plant growth (cm)

View the data

	Granny's Bloomers	Job's House Plant Spikers	Miracle Gro	K Mark Fertilizer	No fertilizer
Average height in cm	27	15	6	22	13

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 average height of bean plants after being treated with four different brands of fertilizer, compared against a control group that received no fertilizer. Overall, it is clear that while some brands significantly enhanced plant development, others were detrimental to growth.

Granny's Bloomers proved to be the most effective product, yielding the tallest plants at an average height of 27 cm. K Mark Fertilizer also demonstrated positive results, with plants reaching an average of 22 cm. These two brands were the only ones to outperform the control group, which achieved an average height of 13 cm.

Conversely, the remaining two brands resulted in growth levels below that of the untreated plants. Job's House Plant Spikers produced plants with an average height of 15 cm, which is slightly higher than the control, yet notably lower than the top performers. Most strikingly, Miracle Gro had a negative impact on growth, with plants reaching a mere 6 cm on average. This represents less than half the height of the plants that received no fertilizer, suggesting that this specific brand may hinder rather than assist the development of bean plants.

190 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.

yielded: produced or provided a specific result or amount
outperform: to perform better or achieve higher results than
conversely: introducing a statement that contrasts with previous information
notably: in a way that is worthy of attention
hinder: to create difficulties that result in delayed progress
control group: the group in an experiment receiving no treatment

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Granny's Bloomers resulted in the most significant growth, while Miracle Gro was the least effective, even underperforming compared to plants receiving no fertilizer at all.

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.