Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

Monthly development of telephone subscribers in Vietnam during 2010: 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.
  • 180 words
  • Bar charts
  • Academic
  • 20 minutes

The question

The chart below shows how the telephone subscribers in Vietnam developed throughout the year 2010.

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

Telephone subscribers development in 2010 (million)
040801201602001/20102/20103/20104/20105/20106/20107/20108/20109/201010/201011/201012/2010
View the data
1/20102/20103/20104/20105/20106/20107/20108/20109/201010/201011/201012/2010
Subscribers115.7118.4117.9123.9128.9133.5140.3142.4142.1144.4147.3153.7

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 8180 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

The bar chart illustrates the monthly changes in the number of telephone subscribers in Vietnam over the course of 2010. Measured in millions, the data indicates a clear growth trajectory for the telecommunications sector during this period.

At the beginning of the year, there were 115.7 million subscribers. This figure rose steadily to 118.4 million in February, followed by a marginal decline to 117.9 million in March. From April onwards, the growth regained momentum, with the subscriber base climbing consistently to reach 133.5 million by mid-year in June.

The second half of the year maintained this positive trend, although the pace of growth fluctuated slightly. After reaching 140.3 million in July, the figures climbed to 142.4 million in August, before experiencing a negligible decrease to 142.1 million in September. However, the sector recovered quickly, with subscriber numbers rising to 144.4 million in October and 147.3 million in November. By the end of December 2010, the total number of telephone subscribers peaked at 153.7 million, representing a significant overall increase of 38 million subscribers compared to the start of the year.

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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.
  • upward trend

    a general direction in which something is developing

  • marginal decline

    a very small decrease in a numerical value

  • regained momentum

    started to increase in speed or activity again

  • fluctuated

    rose and fell irregularly in number or amount

  • negligible

    so small or unimportant as to be ignored

  • peaked

    reached the highest point of a numerical value

Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?+

Overall, the number of telephone subscribers in Vietnam experienced a consistent upward trend throughout 2010, with the only minor exception being a slight dip in September.

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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