Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

UK survey of Internet access locations between 1998 and 2004

The graph below shows the changes in the places where people used to surf the Internet in the years 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2004.

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

UK survey of the places where people mostly accessed the Internet (1998-2004) (%)

Home
Work
College
Library

View the data

	1998	2000	2002	2004
Home	55	48	50	55
Work	28	28	26	16
College	20	20	25	18
Library	12	18	16	16

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 percentage of people in the UK accessing the internet from four different locations—home, work, college, and library—over a six-year period from 1998 to 2004.

Overall, home access was consistently the most common method for surfing the internet, despite some fluctuations. Conversely, while workplace usage was initially high, it saw a notable downward trend by the end of the period.

In 1998, 55% of people accessed the internet from home, which was the highest figure recorded. This proportion dipped to 48% in 2000 before recovering to 50% in 2002 and returning to 55% in 2004. In contrast, workplace internet usage started at 28% in 1998 and remained stable at 28% in 2000. However, it subsequently declined to 26% in 2002 and dropped sharply to 16% by 2004.

Regarding other locations, college access began at 20% in 1998, remained steady until 2000, peaked at 25% in 2002, and finished at 18% in 2004. Library usage, which was the least popular option in 1998 at 12%, grew to 18% in 2000, fluctuated slightly to 16% in 2002, and maintained that level through 2004.

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.

fluctuations: irregular rising and falling in number or amount
downward trend: a general direction in which something is decreasing
proportion: a part, share, or number considered in comparative relation
peaked: reached the highest point of a numerical value
sharply: in a sudden and very noticeable way
consistently: in every case or on every occasion

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Home access remained the most popular choice throughout the period, while workplace internet usage experienced a significant decline by 2004.

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.