Table, line graph and bar graph in writing task 1

The Table below shows the results of a survey that asked 6800 Scottish adults (aged 16 years and over) whether they had taken part in different cultural activities in the past 12 months. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Participation in cultural activities, by age IELTS Tip • Begin with an introductory part e.g. The table/graph shows… • Don’t try to describe every detail. Look for significant features, e.g. the biggest change, the overall trend, etc. • Don’t speculate about reasons for trends. Stick to the facts. • End with a comment on general trends, e.g. From this evidence we can conclude that… Model answer The table shows details of participation in a variety of cultural activities over a year, according to the age of the participants. Any performance, which includes dancing, singing, playing musical instruments and acting, had the highest level of participation, with 22% of respondents participating in the previous 12 months. By contrast, computer based activities had the lowest level of participation (6 per cent). People aged between 45 and 74 years old were most likely to undertake any activity to do with crafts (22 per cent), while performances were more likely to be participated in by those aged 16 to 24 (35 per cent). The differences between age groups were particularly marked in the case of visual arts and writing categories, where participation rates were around three times higher for younger people than for the older ones. It is clear from the evidence that age plays a significant role in the popularity of the cultural activities listed. (157 words) Writing Exam Tip You do not have to write very long sentences to do well in your Writing test. If sentences are too long, they will become less coherent and also make it harder for you to control the grammar. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The chart below shows the number of travellers using three major airports in New York City between 1995 and 2000. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Model answer The bar chart gives information about how many people visited New York City through three major airports, over a six-year period between 1995 and 2000. It can be seen that over the period, there was a fluctuant trend in the number of passengers who travelled via John F. Kennedy airport, while the other two airports saw an upward trend. Another interesting point is that Laguardia airport was the most popular at the end. Looking at the detail, the number of travellers at John F. Kennedy airport started at 26m in 1995, and then increased remarkably to reach the highest point of 47m in 1997. In 1999, the figure dipped to 32m. At the last year, there was a slight growth to 44m. On the other hand, LaGuardia began at 35m in 1995, after that it rose remarkably for the next three years, at 46m. In 2000, LaGuardia hit the peak point at 68m travellers. However, if we look at Newark airport, it started at the lowest point of 16m passengers in the first year. After this point, the trend increased significantly to 42m in 1998. In the last two years it remained stable at 42m travellers. (197 words) you should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The line graph below shows the changes in the share price of Outokumpu companies in euros between January 2006 and December 2010. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below. Write at least 150 words.

Test Tip Work out how much space 150 of your words take on a page. This can save you having to count. Make sure your handwriting is neat and legible. Model answer The graph shows the changes and a decline overall in the share price of Outokumpu in a five-year period from January 2006 through December 2010. At the beginning of this period the share price was at EUR 13 per share. There were several fluctuations until late 2006 when there was a sudden increase from EUR 21 to EUR 31. This higher price did not last long, however, and it fell before rising strongly again in 2008. From mid-2008 there was a sharp downward trend through the end of the year when it fell to the lowest point in this period at just over EUR 7 per share. After that the share price recovered and, despite some fluctuations, continued to rise until it reached a peak of EUR 17 in early 2010. Until late 2010 the trend was downward again, ending the year at just over EUR 12. Outokumpu made significant gains and losses during this period but overall lost around EUR 1 per share. (164 words) Writing Exam Tip When describing visual information in Task 1, it is important to think about what tenses you will need. If the diagram includes time references (dates, years) you will need a range of past and present tenses. If the graph has no past time reference, you will need to use the present simple tense only. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The graph below shows female unemployment rates in each country of the United Kingdom in 2013 and 2014. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Model answer The bar chart shows the unemployment rates among women in the countries that make up the United Kingdom, both in 2013 and in 2014. There has generally been a small decrease in female unemployment rates from 2013 to 2014, except in Scotland. In 2013, 5.6% of women in Northern Ireland were unemployed. The only country with a smaller percentage of women unemployed was Wales, with a rate of 5.4%. Both countries saw a decrease in the percentage of unemployed women in 2014. In Northern Ireland, the percentage fell to 4.6% and in Wales it fell to 5%. England had the greatest percentage of unemployed women in 2013, with 6.8%. However, this decreased by 0.3% in 2014. Lastly, Scotland was the only country which had an increasing percentage of unemployed women. In 2013, it had 6.1% of women out of work. This increased to 6.7% in 2014, making it the country with the highest female unemployment rate of the four countries. (160 words)

IELTS Tip • Write a brief introduction in your own words using information from the question and the headings in the graph. • Divide the main body of your report into two or three paragraphs describing the key information in the graph. The first paragraph should list your main points. Secondary points and observations regarding surprising or interesting information should follow in subsequent paragraphs. • In the exam, you might be asked to describe two graphs. If this is the case, you need to compare and contrast the information and make connections between the two.