Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

Scotland's export values by industry to the UK and world in 2014: 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.
  • 207 words
  • Bar charts
  • Academic
  • 20 minutes

The question

The bar chart below shows Scotland's exports to the rest of the UK and the rest of the world for the year 2014.

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

Scotland's exports to the rest of the UK and the rest of the world in 2014 (£ billion)
048121620Agriculture, Forestry, …Manufacturing of Food &…Chemicals & Mineral Pro…Metals, Mechanical & Tr…Electrical & Instrument…Other ManufacturingWholesale & RetailBusiness Services & Fin…Other Services
  • UK - Export to the Rest of the UK
  • ROW - Export to the Rest of the World
View the data
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & MiningManufacturing of Food & DrinkChemicals & Mineral ProductsMetals, Mechanical & Transport EquipmentElectrical & Instrument EngineeringOther ManufacturingWholesale & RetailBusiness Services & Finance, Hotels & Restaurant ServicesOther Services
UK - Export to the Rest of the UK0.64.452.1411.11.70.9
ROW - Export to the Rest of the World2.45.89.52.72.35.98.213.83

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 8207 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

The bar chart illustrates the value of Scottish exports across nine distinct industries to the rest of the UK and the rest of the world in 2014, measured in billions of pounds.

Overall, it is evident that Scotland exported significantly higher values to the rest of the world in most sectors, with Business Services & Finance, Hotels & Restaurant Services being the most prominent category. Conversely, the rest of the UK was a smaller market for most industries, with the notable exception of Electrical & Instrument Engineering.

Regarding exports to the rest of the world, Business Services & Finance, Hotels & Restaurant Services led with a substantial £13.8 billion, followed by Chemicals & Mineral Products at £9.5 billion and Wholesale & Retail at £8.2 billion. In contrast, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Mining recorded the lowest international export value at £2.4 billion.

In terms of exports to the rest of the UK, Chemicals & Mineral Products was the top-performing sector at £5 billion, followed closely by Manufacturing of Food & Drink at £4.4 billion and Electrical & Instrument Engineering at £4 billion. Interestingly, Electrical & Instrument Engineering was the only sector where exports to the UK (£4 billion) exceeded those to the rest of the world (£2.3 billion).

Write your own report and get a band

Take a timed Academic writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

Write a report, get a band free →

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.
  • illustrates

    provides a visual representation or explanation of data

  • prominent

    standing out so as to be easily seen

  • conversely

    introducing a statement that reverses a previous one

  • substantial

    of considerable importance, size, or worth

  • exceeded

    to be greater in number or size than

  • notable

    worthy of attention or notice; remarkable

Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?+

While Business Services & Finance dominated exports to the rest of the world, Chemicals & Mineral Products was the leading industry for exports to the rest of the UK.

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

© 2026 BandLadder. Written and checked by the BandLadder team. You may quote or cite this page with credit to BandLadder and a link to it; republishing it in full needs our written permission. Content use policy

Write a report, get a band free