Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

Government spending on roads and transport in four countries 1990-2005: IELTS Writing Task 1 sample answer

An IELTS Writing Task 1 bar chart question with a Band 8 sample answer, the chart redrawn with its data, the vocabulary that lifts the report and how to write about bar charts.
  • 196 words
  • Bar charts
  • Academic
  • 20 minutes

The question

The bar chart below shows the percentage of government spending on roads and transport in 4 countries in the years 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2005.

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

Percentage of government spending on road and transport (1990 - 2005) (%)
01020304050ItaliaPortugalUKUSA
  • 1990
  • 1995
  • 2000
  • 2005
View the data
ItaliaPortugalUKUSA
199022271011
19952024910
200023.522.51213.5
20051920815

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.

Model answer

Band 8 sample answer

Band 8196 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

The bar chart illustrates the percentage of government expenditure dedicated to roads and transport in Italia, Portugal, the UK, and the USA across four distinct years: 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2005.

Overall, Portugal consistently allocated the highest proportion of its budget to transport until 2005, while the UK and USA generally maintained lower spending levels compared to the European nations. Notably, while spending in Portugal followed a downward trend, the USA experienced a gradual increase over the period.

In 1990, Portugal led with 27% spending, followed by Italia at 22%. By contrast, the UK and USA recorded significantly lower figures of 10% and 11% respectively. By 1995, spending in all four countries declined slightly. However, by 2000, Italia and the UK saw a recovery, with Italia reaching a peak of 23.5% and the UK rising to 12%. Conversely, Portugal’s spending continued to fall to 22.5%.

By 2005, Portugal’s expenditure had dropped to 20%, matching the level of Italia in 1995. Italia itself saw a decline to 19% in 2005. Meanwhile, the UK experienced a sharp decrease to 8%, whereas the USA showed a contrasting upward trend, reaching 15%, which was its highest point in the period.

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Bar charts

How to write about bar charts: tips and vocabulary

  • →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.
  • expenditure

    The total amount of money spent by a government

  • allocated

    Distributed resources or money for a particular purpose

  • downward trend

    A general direction in which something is decreasing

  • proportion

    A part, share, or number considered in comparative relation

  • contrasting

    Differing significantly from something else in a comparison

  • peak

    The highest point or level reached by something

Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?+

Overall, Portugal consistently allocated the highest proportion of its budget to transport until 2005, while the UK and USA generally maintained lower spending levels compared to the European nations.

How many words and how long for IELTS Writing Task 1?+

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 is IELTS Writing Task 1 scored?+

On four criteria: task achievement, coherence and cohesion, vocabulary, and grammatical range and accuracy. A clear overview of the main features is what most separates Band 6 from Band 7 and above.

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.

Keep practising

More bar charts

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