Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

Proportions of different groups of people visiting various Canadian locations: 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 chart below shows the places visited by different people living in Canada.

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

Places visited by different people living in Canada (%)
020406080100CinemaTheatreLibraryZoo
  • New migrants born in other countries
  • New migrants born in English-speaking countries
  • Born in Canada
View the data
CinemaTheatreLibraryZoo
New migrants born in other countries50105535
New migrants born in English-speaking countries65254050
Born in Canada70203742

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 three distinct groups of people living in Canada—those born in Canada, new migrants from English-speaking countries, and new migrants from other countries—who visited four specific locations: the cinema, theatre, library, and zoo.

Overall, the cinema is the most popular destination across all three groups, whereas the theatre consistently attracts the lowest proportion of visitors. Notably, those born in Canada show the highest engagement with the cinema, while new migrants from other countries are the most frequent visitors to the library.

Regarding the cinema, 70% of Canadian-born residents visited, followed by 65% of migrants from English-speaking countries and 50% of those from other countries. Conversely, the theatre saw the lowest participation, with only 10% of migrants from other countries visiting, compared to 20% of Canadian-born residents and 25% of migrants from English-speaking countries.

In terms of the library, migrants from other countries were the most active at 55%, significantly higher than the 40% of migrants from English-speaking countries and 37% of Canadian-born residents. Finally, for the zoo, migrants from English-speaking countries recorded the highest attendance at 50%, followed by 42% of Canadian-born residents and 35% of migrants from other countries.

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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.
  • distinct

    clearly different or of a different kind

  • proportion

    a part or share of a whole number

  • engagement

    the act of participating or being involved

  • conversely

    in a way that is the opposite

  • significantly

    by a large or important amount

  • attendance

    the number of people present at events

Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?+

The cinema is the most popular destination across all groups, while the theatre consistently attracts the lowest percentage of visitors.

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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