Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

Trends in American marriage and divorce rates and marital status: 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.
  • 181 words
  • Bar charts
  • Academic
  • 20 minutes
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The question

The charts below give information about USA marriage and divorce rates between 1970 and 2000, and the marital status of adult Americans in two of the years.

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

Number of marriages and divorces in the USA, 1970-2000 (millions)
00.511.522.51970198019902000
  • Marriages
  • Divorces
View the data
1970198019902000
Marriages2.52.52.42
Divorces11.41.11
Marital status of adult Americans, 1970 and 2000 (Percentages of adults)
020406080100Never MarriedMarriedWidowedDivorced
  • 1970
  • 2000
View the data
Never MarriedMarriedWidowedDivorced
1970157083
2000206079

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 8181 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

The provided charts illustrate trends in American marriage and divorce numbers between 1970 and 2000, alongside a comparison of adult marital status in the first and final years of this period.

Overall, the number of marriages experienced a downward trend, while divorce figures fluctuated. Simultaneously, the proportion of married adults fell significantly, whereas the percentages of never-married and divorced individuals increased.

Regarding the number of marriages and divorces, marriages stood at 2.5 million in 1970 and 1980, before falling to 2.4 million in 1990 and reaching a low of 2.0 million by 2000. Conversely, divorce numbers peaked at 1.4 million in 1980, having risen from 1.0 million in 1970. By 1990, this figure dropped to 1.1 million, returning to 1.0 million in 2000.

In terms of marital status, the percentage of married adults dropped from 70% in 1970 to 60% in 2000. In contrast, the proportion of never-married adults rose from 15% to 20%. Similarly, the divorced population tripled from 3% to 9% over the thirty-year period. The percentage of widowed individuals remained relatively stable, decreasing slightly from 8% to 7%.

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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.

  • fluctuated

    changed frequently in an irregular or uncertain way

  • downward trend

    a general movement or development in a lower direction

  • proportion

    a part, share, or number considered in comparative relation

  • conversely

    introducing a statement that reverses a previous one

  • remained relatively stable

    stayed at a similar level without much change

  • tripled

    increased to become three times as much

Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?+

Overall, the number of marriages declined over the period, while the proportion of married adults decreased significantly as the percentage of never-married and divorced individuals rose.

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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