Bar Chart

1. Features
- This type of graph often describes the changing trend of the subject or compares the figures of
different subjects under the same unit.
- The bars given in the graph can be drawn as horizontal or vertical. In either case, the steps to
write this type of graph are the same.
2. Different types of bar charts
a) With dates

The chart below shows the total number of minutes (in billions) of telephone calls in the UK, divided
into three categories, from 1995-2002.
b) Without dates

There are 4 main subjects (sports, computer games, music, shopping) being described and
categorized in terms of boys and girls.
Writing Structure
1. Introduction
It is the same as other writing tasks 1. You will use different structures to paraphrase the topic. This
part should be limited to 2 sentences. You should include the following information in your
introduction:
● Topic
● Place
● Time span
● Unit of measurement
2. Overview
● If your graph follows a time frame, then your overview should answer the questions:
○ Compare the beginning and the ending of the subject’s figure to determine if it is
upward, downward, fluctuated, or unchanged
○ Compare each subject together to determine which one has the highlight feature
● If your graph does not follow a time frame, then your overview should answer the questions:
○ Is there any subject that is significantly higher/lower than the others?
○ Between the two subjects being compared (country, male and female, city, etc.), is there
one that is always higher than the other?
3. Body paragraphs
a) With dates
With this type, you need to pay attention to the following notes: (same example above)
i) The beginning figure of each country
ii) The last figure of each country
iii) Changing trend of each country
Based on that information, your body paragraphs should focus mostly on the trend of the subjects
and some relevant comparisons.

Sample: The chart below shows the total number of minutes (in billions) of telephone calls in the UK, divided
into three categories, from 1995-2002.
The bar chart compares the amount of time spent by people in the UK on three different types of
phone calls between 1995 and 2002. These figures were reported in terms of billions.

It is clear that calls made via local, fixed lines were the most popular type, in terms of overall usage,
throughout the period shown. The lowest figures on the chart are for mobile calls, but this category
also saw the most dramatic increase in user minutes.

In 1995, people in the UK used fixed lines for a total of just over 70 billion minutes for local calls, and
about half of that amount of time for national or international calls. By contrast, mobile phones were
only used for around 4 billion minutes. Over the following four years, the figures for all three types of
phone calls increased steadily.

By 1999, the amount of time spent on local calls using landlines had reached a peak at 90 billion
minutes. Subsequently, the figure for this category fell, but the rise in the other two types of phone
calls continued. In 2002, the number of minutes of national/international landline calls passed 60
billion, while the figure for mobiles rose to around 45 billion minutes.

b) Without dates
With this type, you need to pay attention to the following notes: (same example above)
i) The highest figure
ii) The lowest figure
iii) Differences in terms of figures
Based on that information, your body paragraphs should focus on making comparisons (the
differences) between activities in the body paragraphs.
Sample:

The bar chart compares consumer spending on six different items in Germany, Italy, France, and
Britain. It is clear that British people spent significantly more money than people in the other three
countries on all six goods. Of the six items, consumers spent the most money on photographic film.

People in Britain spent just over £170,000 on photographic film, which is the highest figure shown on
the chart. By contrast, Germans were the lowest overall spenders, with roughly the same figures (just
under £150,000) for each of the six products.

The figures for spending on toys were the same in both France and Italy, at nearly £160,000. However,
while French people spent more than Italians on photographic film and CDs, Italians paid more for
personal stereos, tennis racquets, and perfumes. The amount spent by French people on tennis
racquets, around £145,000, is the lowest figure shown on the chart.
c) Graphs more than 2 subjects being described
❖ Analyze according to the subjects
As the graph above in section b (without dates), you can write the first paragraph with data in
Germany and Italy. The second paragraph is about France and Britain. Both paragraphs compare all
the units being depicted in the graph (personal stereos, CDs, etc.) within the chosen countries. In
other words, in the first paragraph, you can compare the number of CDs, personal stereos, perfumes,
etc. in Germany and Italy, but you cannot include the number of those from France and Britain.
 ❖ Analyze according to the units being depicted in the graph
With the above graph, you might have the first paragraph including perfumes, tennis racquets, and
personal stereos from all countries. The second one includes toys, CDs, and photographic film from
all countries.

Vocabulary To Use

*The following words can be used in other writing tasks 1 too!

Trend Verbs Nouns

● Rise (rose-risen) [to/by] ● A rise [of]

↗ ● Increase [to/by]
● Go (went-gone) [to/by]
● Climb [to/by]
● An increase [of]
● A growth [of]
● An upward trend
● Grow (grew-grown) [to/by] ● A doubling in + noun
● Double ● A trebling in + noun
● treble/triple ● A boom
● Boom ● A surge
● Surge
● Soar
● Rocket [to/by]

● Fall (fell-fallen) [to/by] ● A fall [of]

↘ ● Decline [to/by]
● Decrease [to/by]
● Dip (dipped) [to/by]
● A decline [of]
● A decrease [of]
● A drop [of]
● Drop (dropped) [to/by] ● A reduction
● Go (went-gone) down [to/by] ● A slump
● Plummet [to/by] ● A plunge
● Plunge [to/by] ● A plummet
● Dive [to/by]
● Deteriorate
● Slump [to/by]

● Do (did) not change ● No change

→ ● remain/stay
stable/steady/static/unchanged
[at]
+
 ● Maintain the same level

Position ● Stood at/was ● A levelling off [at]

● Level (levelled) off [at] ● A plateau [at]
● Plateau (plateaued) [at] ● Reached a high/peak of
● Level (levelled) out [at] ● Reached a low of
● Stabilise [at]
● Peaked [at]
● Reached

Constant ● Fluctuated [around] ● A fluctuation

change