Whale sharks swimming at the Churaumi Aquarium, Okinawa, Japan

A About the task

1 Read the information about the task.

This version of Tas k 1 tests your ability to look at and identify the most important and relevant information and
trends in a bar chart, and then report the information in your own words.
On the question paper, you see a bar chart with a title. The instructions for writing your response appear in a box
above the chart. There is also a brief description of the information in the bar chart in the box. There is usually a
key (legend) that explains what each bar represents. Your job is to look at the chart and select, summarise and
describe the most important information.
Bar charts represent different values with rectangular bars. They present the same sort of information that is
found in line graphs but in a different form. Typically, one axis represents some numerical value such as costs,
income. birth rates. temperatures, etc. The other axis can represent many different types of information: units
of time, different countries or cities. means of travel, sources of energy, and types of people (male and female;
employed and unemployed; teenagers and adults. etc.).
Bar charts are often used to compare things and many bar charts show trends - changes in numbers in a
certain direction over time. You should describe these trends and compare and contrast them in your response.
However, be aware that not all bar charts show consistent trends.
There may also be exceptions. For example, a chart may show that the number of people who use smart phones
has been growing annually except for one year.
It is important to look at the bar chart carefully and think about the information in the chart. You shouldn't write
about all of the information; you have to choose the points to write about carefully.
Here are the basic rules for writing about a bar chart:
Look at the chart carefully and decide what the most important information and striking features are.
Write a well-organised overview.
Include data to support the key points.
• Use a n academic register or style.
• Write at least 1 50 words.
• Complete the task in about 20 minutes.
Include only the key points. Minor details or irrelevant data can be left out.
Don't do any calculations or give your opinion about the information.

194 ACADEMIC WRITING

II
,I
2 Wotl< in pairs. Looi< at the bar chart and answer the questions.
What topic does it provide information about?

J
2 What is meant by the term 'trends'?

I
3 What trends do you see in this chart?
4 What is meant by the term 'exception'?
5 What exception do you see in this chart?
,1 6 Which are the lowest and highest bars in the chart?

B Sample question
3 Read the instructions and answer the question. Use the rules about the task from
Section A to help you. Then look at the sample answer on page 334. Which aspects of
the task did you find difficult?

IELTS PRACTICETASK
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The chart below gives infomrntion about how commuters travelled to work in one city in New Zealand.
Summarise the infomJation by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant.

Write at least 1 50 words.

60%

g. 50%
41

41
Cl..

al
>
40%
0
1996
ii.
� 30% 2006

41

�
r:n 20%

I
c
41

�
Cl..
1 0%

0%
• - -
i-- � i--
'
(;:,;s:�
(j.� �� (j.�
"-'
<o-c,�
" !..c,�
�<:)
�<:)

ACADEMIC WRITING 195

 C Tips and tactics
4 Work in pairs. Read the tips and tactics and discuss these questions.
a Which tips and tactics do you think are the most useful?
b Did you use any of these tips and tactics when you answered the sample question
in Section B?
c Which tips will you use in the future?
The first step is to look carefully at the information in the bar chart. Don't rush through
this step. Make sure you understand the chart before you start to write.
2 Underline important words in the question and circle important points in the bar chart.
3 Identify what key information is being presented in the bar chart and which important
dates, figures or striking features you'll need to write about.
4 Plan your writing. You can usually divide it into three paragraphs: introduction, first main
paragraph and second main paragraph.
5 Look carefully at the timeframe that the bar chart covers and work out what tenses you
need to use (past, present, present perfect or future).
6 Begin with an introductory sentence that describes the bar chart in general terms, but
don't repeat the exact wording of the question.
7 Then describe one or two general trends or features shown in the bar chart. Don't go into
detail; just report the most important trends and features you see when you look at the
chart.
8 I n the first main paragraph, select and write about the features that are most important
and interesting, and include relevant data to support the points you make.
9 When selecting key information, look for the highest and the lowest bar. Look for any
trends and exceptions to those trends.
10 Don't try t o write about all the data in the bar chart and don't include details that are
irrelevant to the main trends.
11 Remember, don't try t o analyse o r explain t h e information in the chart, o r d o any
calculations; just describe and report it.
12 B e careful when talking about quantities. I f you're unsure about exact figures, it's better
to give an approximate figure, e.g. Factory A produced around 5,000 units.
13 Keep track o f the time. Don't spend more than 20 minutes o n Task 1 .
14 Make sure your handwriting is clear an d legible.
15 Keep in mind the criteria that the examiners use to mark your response. (For marking
criteria, see About the Academic Writing Test, page 1 80.)

196 ACADEMIC WRITING

D Skills-building exercises

APPROXIMATION

around The population grew by around a million people in that decade.

about According to the dwrt, about 45%of all people surveyed believe in UFOs.
roughly Roughly 300,000 units were manufactured in factory A in 2005.
approximately Approximately 4,000 more people attended this year's parade.
almost The vacancy rate for hotel rooms is almost zero in August.
nearly Nearly 90% of people in the country agreed with this decision.
just over Just over 2.5 billion people worldwide own digital cameras.
just under This state has just under 300 days of sunshine a year

NUMBERS AND AMOUNTS

the number of
The number of serious storms to affect New England rose to 2 1 this year
the amount of
The amount of natural gas produced this year increased sharply.
more than
There was more rainfall in April than in May.
fewer than
The chart indicates that fewer people visited this website in 2012 than in 2011.
less than
The factory produced less pollution during 2010 than in the previous year.
(about) the same as
The amount of time it takes to complete task A is (about) the same as the amount of time it
takes to complete task B.
To make these expressions stronger, you can use many, much, far: many more than, much
more than, far less than
To make these expressions weaker, you can use slightly or a little: slightly more than,
a little less than
twice as many as
There were nearly twice as many accidents a t the factory this year as last year
twice as much as
According to the chart, there was about twice as much coal mined in this county in the 1940s
as in the 1990s.
(nearly/almost) doubled
The amount of milk produced a t this dairy farm nearly doubled over the five year period.
The number of runners in the race almost doubled between 2000 and 2015.
half as many as
There were only about half as many applications forjobs received in January as there had been
in July.
half as much as
A dollar in 1980 was worth around half as much as it had been in 1967.
amount + times + as many a s There were, on average, about three times as many pages
in newspapers in country A as in country B.
amount + times + as much as
There was around four times as much traffic in city X as in city Y.

ACADEMIC WRITING 197

 TASK 1 Bar Charts

FOCUS 5 Look at the chart about world production of bicycles and cars. Write sentences about
the information in the chart using these phrases:
Comparing n umbers
and amounts using the number of
approximation The number ofC8r�produced ro�e to its highestpoint in 2000 to about 50 million.
2 slightly more I than
3 roughly three times as many I as
4 far fewer I than
5 about twice as many I as
6 only half as many I as

The chart compares worldwide production of bicycles and cars over a fifty-year period.

World production
250 ........................................................................................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

200 ...............................................................................................................................
-;;;-
.

-�
c:

'E 150
c:

(/)
............................................................................. . Bicyc l es
u
:;; 1 00 . ...............

-­
(/)

.............................................................................
<I>

� 50 . .............. . .

0
iii
Cars

1 950 1 960 1 970 1 980 1 990 2000

Year

6 Look at the chart about snowfall in Canadian ski resorts. Then write complete
sentences with information from the chart. Use the expressions in the language boxes
on page 1 97.
Viking Mountain I November I December
VikingMountain had slightlyless snow in November than in December:
2 Viking Mountain I Snowbury I November
3 Snowbury /Viking Mountain I December
4 Powder Peak I December I November

The chart shows the amount of snowfall at three Canadian sl<i resorts over a two­
month period.

November December

t:
(/)

0
� Viking Mountain
:.;<
(/)
0
(/)
-

<I> Snowbury
E
"'
z

Powder Peak

0 10 20 30 40
Amount of snowfall (in centimetres)

198 ACADEMIC WRITING

7 Look at the chart below. Use information from the chart to write sentences with
these words and phrases.

TI1e �e.ijingOlympics: in 2000 were the mos:t expens:ive.

the most expensive

2 the second most expensive

3 the least expensive
4 slightly higher than
5 much less costly than
6 far more expensive

The chart shows the initial estimate of costs and the actual costs for the Swmner
Olympics from 1976 to 2012.

250

c;;-
c
200
0

e
El)
1 50
(/)
;:)
.!:: 1 00
t)
0
u

50

Initial estimate

Actual spending

ACADEMIC WRITING 199

 The chart below provides information about student accommodation at one US
university i11 2013.

Student accommodation 2013

4500

4000

3500

� 3000
Gl
-0
:::>

� 2500
� 2000
0
Q;

GLOSSARY

dormitory (n) student

accommodation Undergraduate students
provided by a
university Graduate students

Q FOCUS 8 Look carefully at the chart and the instructions and answer the questions. (3-5 minutes)
Identifying the 1 What is the overall idea of the chart?
important points 2 What are two important points about undergraduate student accommodation?
ancl key features of 3 What are two important points about graduate student accommodation?
a bar chart 4 What points of comparison can you make between undergraduate and graduate student
accommodation?

9 Now write your answer. (10-15 minutes)

Write an introductory statement (based on the information in the text box above the
chart) and describe the overall idea or main trend shown in the chart in paragraph 1.
2 Write two or three important points about undergraduate student accommodation.
3 Write two or three important points about graduate student accommodation.
4 Compare the information about graduate and undergraduate student accommodation.
Give examples to support your answer.

1 0 Check your work. Look for mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar. Make sure
you have used comparative and superlative forms correctly, and used a good variety of
language to describe charts. (3-5 minutes)

1 1 Work in pairs. After you have finished, look at the model answer in the answer key on
the DVD-ROM. Compare your answers with the model answer and think about the
marking criteria. (See page 180 for marking criteria.)

200 ACADEMIC WRITING

IELTS PRACTICETASK
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The chart below gives information about the purpose of visits to five cities in the UK in 2013.
Summarise the infonnation by selecting and reporting the main features, and mal<e comparisons
where relevant.

Write at least 1 50 words.

. Holiday
80
Business

Visiting friends
or relatives
70 Miscellaneous

I
London Edinburgh Manchester Birmingham Liverpool
UK cities

Which statement best describes how you feel about Task 1 Bar Charts?
I feel confident about writing responses forTask 1 Bar Charts.
I did OK, but I still need to do more work on writing responses for Task 1 Bar Charts.
I need more practice with writing responses for Task 1 Bar Charts. I need to focus on . . .

ACADEMIC WRITING 201