IELTS Writing
Task 1: bar charts
Bar charts compare amounts across categories, sometimes over two or more years. The key is comparison: which category is biggest, which is smallest, and how the groups differ.
Don't describe every bar. Pick the highest and lowest values, the biggest differences and any category that changes direction, and support each point with a figure.
A simple structure
- Introduction (1 sentence): paraphrase what the visual shows, with the time period and units.
- Overview (2 sentences): the two or three most important features. No figures needed here; this is what examiners look for first.
- Body paragraph 1: the first group of key features, with figures and comparisons.
- Body paragraph 2: the second group, again with figures. No conclusion or opinion needed.
Example question
The chart below shows how many hours per week students in four age groups spent on three activities. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
11–1213–1415–1617–18
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How to answer
Reading Bar Charts
- Identify the highest and lowest categories, then check whether the same category leads in each group.
- Compare like with like: use the same year when comparing categories, or the same category when comparing years.
- Support comparisons with figures. Say which value is higher and, when useful, by how much.
- Use accurate comparison phrases such as “higher than”, “the same as” and “increased from … to …”.
- Check that each statement matches the bar chart; do not assume that a small visual gap means equal values.
Example: Task 1: a bar chart of books borrowed by genre in 2020 and 2024, in thousands. Overall, fiction had the highest number of books borrowed in both years. The figure rose from 40,000 to 50,000, while history increased from 25,000 to 30,000. Science had the largest rise, climbing from 20,000 to 35,000. By 2024, science was 5,000 above history.
Finding Extremes
- Compare all the categories before choosing the highest and lowest values.
- Use the category names to show what each extreme represents.
- Check that the figures support your choices; do not select extremes from only part of a chart.
- You can report both extremes in one sentence using “while” to contrast them.
- If two categories share an extreme, name both.
Example: Task 1: a bar chart of household spending in one year. Housing had the highest share, at 35%, while leisure had the lowest, at 10%.
Making Direct Comparisons
- State both categories or periods in the comparison, so the reader can see exactly what you are comparing.
- Use higher than or lower than for figures. Use more or fewer with countable things, such as people or items.
- For percentages, use percentage points to describe the difference between two shares.
- Use twice as much or twice as many only when one figure is exactly double the other.
Example: Task 1: a table showing the share of four book types borrowed in one week. Fiction accounted for 40% of loans, compared with 20% for children's books. The fiction share was twice the children's share. Non-fiction stood at 25%, 10 percentage points above reference books at 15%.
Building Comparison Sentences
- State what the figures measure, not just that one group is higher.
- Name both categories and, when relevant, the year or other time point.
- Compare like with like: percentages with percentages, and averages with averages.
- Add units where they help, such as hours per week or litres per person.
Example: Task 1: a chart of average daily water use per person in houses and flats, 2020. In 2020, average daily water use per person was 150 litres in houses, compared with 110 litres in flats.
Practise
Short items from the ielts.coach lessons. Answer them, then check to see why each answer is right.
1A bar chart shows books borrowed in thousands in 2020 and 2024: fiction 40 and 50, history 25 and 30, and science 20 and 35. Which genre had the largest rise?
2In 2024, the chart shows fiction at 50 thousand, history at 30 thousand and science at 35 thousand. Which statement is accurate?
3A bar chart shows the number of visitors to four attractions: the gallery 240, the museum 310, the aquarium 180, and the park 270. Which attraction had the highest figure?
4A chart shows sales of four products: tea 45, coffee 70, juice 30, and water 55. Which sentence correctly identifies both extremes?
5A table records 60 people choosing train and 45 choosing bus. Which comparison is accurate?
6Two age groups make up 32% and 20% of a survey. Which sentence correctly compares their shares?
7A chart shows average weekly study hours for full-time and part-time learners in 2022: 18 and 12 hours. Which sentence makes the basis of comparison explicit?
8A chart shows average meal prices at two cafés in 2021: £12 at Café A and £9 at Café B. Which sentence clearly identifies the measure, groups and year?
Test hacks
Task 1 needs an overview
Write a sentence that sums up the main trends or the biggest differences, without numbers. Many writers skip it.
Why it works: An overview is essential for a high Task Achievement score.
Answer every part of Task 2
Underline each question in the prompt. A two-part question needs two clear answers.
Why it works: Missing part of the task limits your Task Response score, however good your English is.
Give Task 2 more time
Spend about 20 minutes on Task 1 (150+ words) and 40 minutes on Task 2 (250+ words).
Why it works: Task 2 counts for twice as much as Task 1 in your Writing score.
Practise with feedback on every answer
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