BAR CHARTS

I. INTRODUCTION TO BAR CHARTS

II. BAR CHART ANALYSIS

It is good idea to dive your answer into paragraphs. To do this, group similar things together into paragraphs.
III. IELTS BAR CHART ESSENTIAL TIPS
1. Introduction Paragraph
The chart shows the expenditure of two countries on consumer goods in 2010.

2. The overview
-Highlight 2-3 key features (highs, lows, main differences etc. ), saying what the main trends or changes
are.
-Collect them together and present them in an overview.
-Make comparatives

3. Body Paragraphs
--Decide how you will divide the information in the bar chart into two body paragraphs
-Describe the changes as precisely as you can. Use data and numbers from the bar chart.
-Compare the information. Talk about differences or similarities between the groups shown.

NOTE
-Use a range of complex sentences.
- Use a range of linking devices ( while / whereas / as opposed to / compared to / in comparison with…)

In terms of cars, people in the UK spent about £450,000 on this as opposed to the French who spent £400,000.
Similarly, the British spent more money on books than the French (around £400,000 and £300,000 respectively). In
the UK. expenditure on cameras (just over £350,000) was over double that of France, which was only £150,000.

On the other hand, the amount spent on the remaining goods was higher in France. Above £350,000 was spent by
the French on computers which was slightly more than the British who spent exactly £350,000. Neither of the
countries spent much on perfume which accounted for £200,000 of expenditure in France but under £150,000 in
the UK.
IV.VOCABUBARY FOR BAR CHARTS
1. Introduction
This bar chart shows that S+V
This graph illustrates that
It can be seen that
The data indicates that
The bar chart gives /provides information about +N
2. Overview & Body paragraph
-half of the adults in this survey eat pizza.
50% of the adults in this survey eat pizza.

-only 10% of those surveyed stated that they eat spaghetti.

one tenth of those surveyed stated that they eat spaghetti.
one in ten of those surveyed stated that they eat spaghetti.

-a third of this group eat cakes.

just over 30% of this group eat cakes.
one in 3 adults in this group eat cakes.
almost two thirds of the adults questioned eat biscuits.

3. IELTS Vocabulary
a.Accurate Data
b. Language of Change
gradually increasing
a slight fall
kept rising
reached a peak
increased at a steady rate
fell
increased sharply
a low of
finish at
stood at
finishing the period at
c. Comparisons
It can clearly be seen that ActiveX was the most popular computer package to download whilst Net was
the least popular of the three.

Downloads of ActiveX and Java showed similar patterns, with both gradually increasing from week 1 to
week 5.
However the purchases of Active X remained significantly higher than for the other product over this
time frame.

In week 1, purchases of ActiveX stood at around 75,000 while those for Java were about 30,000 lower.

Java downloads also increased at a steady rate, finishing the period at 80,000.

The product that was downloaded the least was Net. This began at slightly under 40,000, and, in contrast
to the other two products, fell over the next two weeks
It then increased sharply over the following two weeks to finish at about 50,000, which was well below that
of ActiveX
 PRACTICE TEST
A. The line graph shows the number of crimes in England and Wales between 1970 and 2005.

COMPLETE EACH GAP WITH APPROPRIATE INFORMATION.

In 1970，the number of car theft was (1)…………….. (0.4 million), which was (2)…………..the figure for house
burgling and nearly (3)………………… the figure for street robbery. Then it increased quickly and (4)
…………….one million in the year 1990, after which it (5)……………… 1.6 million in 1995.

However, in the rest years, the crime rate of car theft (6)………………….. to the 1990 figure. As to the number of
house burgling, it experienced (7)…………………. with the figure for car theft in the first 10-year period, while
the number (8)………………… and then (9)………………. to 0.5 million in 2005. When it comes to the number
of street robbery, it (10) ………………… until 1990. Afterwards, there was (11)…………………. of 0.8 million
in the following years.

B.The chart below shows the percentage of people of different age groups who went to cinema once a month
or more in one European country from 2000 to 2011.
COMPLETE EACH GAP WITH APPROPRIATE INFORMATION.

In 2000, (1)………………….of 15-24-year-old people went to the cinema once a month or more. In the following
six year, this figure steadily (2)………………….the rate of which (3)…………….that of the former. Likewise,
25-35 age group (4)…………………………. (13% in 2006 from 5% in 2000). In the same period, 7-14 and 35+
groups also went up to (5)………………………………… In comparison with all age groups in only 2006, we also
find that the number of 15-24 year-olds (6)……………………. that of 7-14 and 25-35 movie goers and (7)
………………………. than that of 35 or more age group.

From the year (2006) onwards, the figure for 15-24 year-olds underwent erratic fluctuations before (8)
…………………………..in mid-2010 and then (9)………………… 52 %, the highest percentage despite a slight
drop in the final year (2011). Similarly, great fluctuations were seen in 7-14 and 25-35-year-olds before each of
them got 30%, the proportion of which (10)………………. 35+ group (15%) in the final year (2011)

C. HOME WORK
The given graph shows the consumption of fast food in UK (per week) from 1970 to 1990.
Write a report for a university lecturer making comparisons where relevant and reporting the
main features.

PRACTICE TESTS (BAR CHARTS)

CHART A

The bar chart provides information about the percentages of divorces in Finland and Sweden between 2011
and 2015.
 I.WRITE AN INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW.

II. COMPLETE EACH GAP WITH APPROPRIATE INFORMATION.

Sweden’s divorce rate was about (1) ……………….., the rate of which was higher than Finland’s by (2)
……………………………. Then, it (3) ………………………. in 2012. From the year onwards, the figure
experienced (4) ……………………. to about 47% in 2013, and kept on declining to (5) …………………. 37%
in the final year. Remarkably, the percentage of Sweden was equal to (6) …………………….. in the initial year
(37%).

CHART B

I.WRITE AN INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW.

.

II. COMPLETE EACH GAP WITH APPROPRIATE INFORMATION.

In 1950, the rate of the population in China (1) ………………………, at around 23% while the figure for India
was (2) ………………………, at 15%, the percentage of which (3) ……………………….America (7%) and
almost (4) ………………………………..Japan (5% or so). In 2002, the proportion of the Indian population rose
slowly to approximately 17% (5) ……………………. China, the USA and Japan all witnessed declines in their
figures to 20 % , 5% and 3% (6) ………………………….

Observing the projection for 2050, we can see that the percentage of the Indian population will (7)
………………….. nearly 20% and become (8)…………………….. in comparison with other countries. The
percentage (9) ………………………… to surpass (10) ……………………….. (15%) and will quadruple the one
in America (5%), which is likely to (11) ………………………..compared to 2002, and is projected to be ten times
higher than the proportion of Japanese population (2%).

CHART C
The chart below shows the total number of minutes (in billions) of telephone call in the UK, divided into
three categories, from 1995-2002.
Summarise the information by selecting a reporting the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant.
CHART D