You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graph below shows the number of books read by men and women at Burnaby Public Library from 2011
to 2014.

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

Model answer
The graph gives information about Burnaby Public Library between 2011 and 2014. It shows how many library
books people read over this four-year period.
As can be seen from the graph, there were different trends for men and women. The number of books read by men
increased steadily between 2011 and 2012, from about 3000 to 4000. After that, the number rose dramatically to
14000 books in 2014. This was the highest figure in the period.
Women started off reading more books than men, but their numbers followed a different pattern. Between 2011 and
2012, there was an increase of 3000 from 5000 books to 8000 books, and then a gradual rise to 10000 books in
2013. However, in 2014, their numbers fell back to 8000 again.
Overall, there was a strong upward trend in the number of books read by men. Although women read more books
than men in 2011, their reading fell to below the level of men in 2014.
(162 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The diagrams below show the changes that have taken place at Queen Mary Hospital since its
construction in 1960.

British Academy – Satellite …..Madhavi Khandwala Page 1

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

Model answer
The diagrams show Queen Mary Hospital at three different stages in its development: 1960, 1980 and
2000.
In 1960, the hospital was build close to a main road and next to a shopping centre. A large area behind
the hospital was turned into a car park, while the area behind the shopping centre was farmland.
By 1980, the shopping centre had been demolished in order to make way for two additional hospital
building which became a pharmacy and a cancer centre. Furthermore, the hospital gained the farmland
and converted it into a nursing school.
In 2000, the main hospital building remained unchanged but the cancer centre was extended to cover the
entire nursing school. As a result of this, the original car park was divided into two so that it provided a
smaller car park and a small nursing school.
During this period, the hospital has increased in size and, in addition to a new nursing school, a cancer
centre has been created and extended. Hence the capacity of the car park has been reduced by a half.
(178 words)

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The line graph below shows the percentage of tourists to England who visited four different
attractions in Brighton.

British Academy – Satellite …..Madhavi Khandwala Page 2

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

Model answer
The line graph shows the percentage of tourists to England who visited certain Brighton attractions
between 1980 and 2010. We can see that in 1980 and in 2010 the favourite attractions were the pavilion
and the festival. In 1980 the least popular attraction was the pier but in 2010 this changed and the art
gallery was the least popular.
During the 1980s and 1990s there was a sharp increase in visitors to the pavilion from 28% to 48% and
then the percentage gradually went down to 31% in 2010. The trend for the art gallery was similar to the
pavilion. Visitors increased rapidly from 22% to 37% from 1980 to 1985 then gradually decreased to less
than 10% over the next twenty-five years. The number of tourists who visited the Brighton Festival
fluctuated slightly but in general remained steady at about 25%. Visitors to the pier also fluctuated from
1980 to 2000 then rose significantly from 12% to 22% between 2000 and 2010.
(163 words)

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The two pie charts below show some employment patterns in Great Britain in 1992.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

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Employees and self-employed: by sex and occupation, 1992

Model answer
The charts provide information on the proportion of males and females in employment in 6 broad
categories, divided into manual and non-manual occupations. In general, a greater percentage of women
work in non-manual occupations than work in manual occupations, and the reverse is true for men.
In the non-manual occupations, while a greater percentage of working women than men are found in
clerical-type positions, there is a smaller percentage of women than men employed in managerial and
professional positions. The percentage of women employed in other non-manual occupations is slightly
larger than the percentage of men in these occupations.
In manual employment, the biggest difference between the two sexes is in the employment of craft
workers, where males make up 24% of the workforce and females just 3%. Furthermore, the percentage
of women working as general working as general labourers is very small, only 1%. There is not a great
deal of difference between the percentage of men doing other forms of manual work (26%) and women in
other manual work (27%). In summary, the two charts clearly show that women do not have the same
access as men to certain types of employment.
(194 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The diagram below shows the production of electricity using a system called Ocean Thermal
Energy Conversion (OTEC).

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below.

British Academy – Satellite …..Madhavi Khandwala Page 4

Write at least 150 words.

How Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) works

Source: Daily Telegraph - 8th Jan 2008

Model answer
Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) is a system that converts heat energy into the electric power
using the temperature difference between surface seawater, which can be up to 29 degrees Celsius, and
deep seawater, which is only 5 degrees Celsius.
The main components of the system are an evacuated evaporation chamber, a turbine and a condensing
chamber. The solar energy of the sun heats up the surface water and this warm water is introduced into
the evacuated evaporation chamber, where it boils. As it boils, salt is deposited and water vapour is
generated. This vapour then drives a turbine to generate electricity. After it powers the turbine, the water

British Academy – Satellite …..Madhavi Khandwala Page 5

 vapour enters the condensing chamber, which is cooled by the water from the depths of the ocean. The
water vapour is condensed in this chamber, producing drinking water. Meanwhile, waste salt water is
discharged into the ocean and the process can be repeated.
(152 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
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

All aged 16
16-24 25-44 45-74
and over

% % % %

Any performance* 35 22 17 22
Undertaking any crafts 11 17 22 19

Cultural purchases 11 17 18 16

Any visual arts 30 16 11 15

Any writing 17 6 5 7

Computer based 10 9 5 6
* Dancing, singing, playing musical instruments and acting

IELTS Tip

 Begin with an introductory statement, 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.
Overall, 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).

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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)
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.
Overall, 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

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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.

Source: NASDAQ OMX Helsinki

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

British Academy – Satellite …..Madhavi Khandwala Page 8

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)
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%.

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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)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The two pie charts below show the online shopping sales for retail sectors in Canada in 2005 and
2010.

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

Model answer
The two pie charts compare the percentages of online sales across different retail sectors in Canada in
the years 2005 and 2010. For three of the sectors, it is evident that over this time frame there was
significant change in their proportion of online transactions.

At 35% we can see that electronics and appliance sector accounted for the majority of online sales in
2005, but this percentage had dropped to 30% by 2010. During the same five-year period, as an
increasing number of people chose to purchase food and beverage online, we can see that transactions
went from just 22% to 32%, making it the retail sector with the largest overall proportion of the online
market.

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In 2005, the home furnishing industry boasted an impressive 25% of the total online sales in Canada.
However, by 2010, the figure had fallen considerably to 15%. Interestingly, online sales of video games
eventually overtook sales of home furnishings, although video games still represented only 23% of the
market.
(165 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The table below shows the cinema viewing figures for films by country, in millions.

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

Cinema viewing figures for films by country, in millions

Action Romance Comedy Horror Totals

India 8 7.5 6.5 2.5 24.5

Ireland 7.6 3.8 5.5 6.4 23.3

New Zealand 7.2 4.5 3.9 4.7 20.3

Japan 7.1 4.5 4 2.2 17.8

Total 29.9 20.3 19.9 15.8

Test Tip
The word respectively is useful in Task 1 for placing data in the order that you write about it.
Romance and Comedy are the next popular genres, with the total number of 20.3 million viewers and
19.9 million viewers respectively.

Model answer
The table compares four countries in terms of the number of people who watch four different genres of
film at the cinema: Action, Romance, Comedy and Horror.

The table indicates that more Indian people watch films at the cinema than the other three nationalities. In
all four countries, Action is the most popular genre of film. The total number of viewers for action films is
nearly 30 million and in each country about 7-8 million people watch them.

Not many people like watching horror films at the cinema compared to the other genres of film. In India
and Japan only 2-2.5 million people watch horror films but they are more popular in New Zealand and
Ireland. On the other hand, romance films are very popular in India with 7.5 million viewers but it is not as
popular in the other countries. New Zealand and Japan come next with 4.5 million viewers each.
(152 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

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The three pie charts below show the changes in annual spending by local authorities in Someland
in 1980, 1990 and 2000.

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

Expenditure by local authorities in Someland

Model answer
The charts show how much local authorities spent on a range of services in Someland in three separate
years: 1980, 1990 and 2000.

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In all three years, the greatest expenditure was on education. But while K-12 education saw a fall from
25% in 1980 to only 18% of spending in 2000, higher education remained the largest proportion, reaching
45% of total spending in 1990 and ending at 40% in 2000.

Expenditure on health and human resources had increased to 20% by 1990 before decreasing to only
10% by the end of the period. In contrast, the share of transportation saw an opposite trend. This cost
decreased to only 6% of total expenditure in 1990 but rose dramatically in 2000 when it represented 22%
of the total budget. Similarly, the cost of environmental services saw a rising trend, growing from only 4%
to 9% by 2000.

Overall, higher education constituted the largest cost to local authorities, and while spending increased for
transportation and environmental services, there were corresponding drops in expenditure on health and
human resources and K-12 education.
(178 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph below shows the amount of money spent on books in Germany, France, Italy and
Austria between 1995 and 2005.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below.

Write at least 150 words.

Read the following sample answer. Complete the answer by filling the gaps with the words in
the box.
biggest sharp least dramatically

much less more three times

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The line graph compares the amount of money spent on buying books in Germany, France, Italy and
Austria over a period of ten years between 1995 and 2005.

In 1995 Austria spent the least amount of money on books, while Italy and France spent about
asmuch as each other. However, by 2001, the gap in spending between these two countries had
widened and considerably more money was spent in France than In Italy.

As can be seen from the graph, the amount of money spent increased in all four countries but rose the
most dramatically in Austria. The period between 2000 and 2005 saw a sharp growth and in 2005 the
Austrians spent three times as much money as they did in 1995.

However, during this ten-year period, Germany remained the biggest spenders on book, with all three
other countries spending much less on them.

Show Answers - Hide Answers

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph below shows the population change between 1940 and 2000 in three different counties
in the U.S. state of Oregon.

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

British Academy – Satellite …..Madhavi Khandwala Page 14

IELTS Tip
The structure of your answer would look like this:

Introduction - Explain briefly in your own words what the information shows. Give more detail than the
question and make comparisons where appropriate.

Main Body - Decide how to organise your paragraphs. For example, in the model answer
below, paragraph 2 is about 1940-1970, paragraph 3 is about 1970-2000 for Columbia and Yamhill,
and paragraph 4 is about 1970-2000 for Washington. Use words such as although andhowever to make
contrasts, and words such as likewise to introduce similarities. Always include the actual data you have
been given. The final paragraph is not a conclusion in this type of task.

Model answer
The graph shows the increase in population of three counties, Columbia, Yamhill and Washington in the
U.S. state of Oregon, between 1940 and 2000. In 1940, Columbia had the lowest population of the three
counties, at around 25,000. This compared with about 30,000 in Yamhill and approximately 75,000 in
Washington.
By 1970, Columbia’s population had risen to just under 36,000. Although this appears on the graph to be
a gentle increase, it is in fact an increase of approximately 50%. Yamhill’s population also rose by nearly
50% between 1940 and 1970: from 30,000 to just under 45,000. However, the greatest real increase was
in Washington, where the population in 1970 had increased by approximately 75,000, to 125,000.
The years 1970 to 2000 saw the populations of Columbia and Yamhill increase by approximately the
same amounts that they had increased by the thirty years before. In 2000, Columbia’s population – at
approximately 76,000 – was triple what it had been in 1940. Likewise, Yamhill’s population, at around
90,000, was almost triple what it was in 1940.
Although Washington’s increase in population between 1940 and 1970 was large, its increase in the
following thirty years was even sharper, rising from about 125,000 in 1970 to more than 240,000 in 2000.
(206 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The charts give information about two genres of TV programmes watched by men and women and
four different age groups in Australia.

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

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 IELTS Tip

 With graphs, make sure you understand what each axis is measuring.
 With bar and pie charts, there is often a key which tells you what each different bar or area represents.
 With tables, read the data across the rows and down the columns to identify the key features.
Fill in the gaps in the model answer.

The charts give information about the genres of TV programmes that Australian men and women and
different age groups watch. It is clear from the charts that women tend to watch more television than man
overall, although they watch slightly fewer game shows. The people who watch the mosttelevision are in
the 45+ age group.

Nearly 70% of women watch reality shows, which is almost twice as many as the percentage of men who
choose this genre of programme. Nevertheless, most age groups watch more reality shows than game
shows revealing that game shows are generally less popular than reality shows.

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The percentage of people watching reality shows increases steadily from ages 16 to 45 with thelowest /
smallest percentage of viewers, at just over 50% of the age group 16-24 and the highest / biggest /
largest / greatest percentage, at 68% of the over-45s.

However, the pattern is different for game shows. The number of programmes watched by 25- to 44-year-
olds is significantly / considerably lower than the number watched by 16- to 24-year-olds and those
over 45. Just over 50% of 16- to 24-year-olds watch game shows, but this share is not ashigh as the
share of people aged 45 and over watching game shows, at nearly 70%. Only 41% of 35- to 44-year-olds
watch game shows, and the share of 24- to 34-year-olds is slightly / even lower at 38%.

Show Answers - Hide Answers

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The map below is of the town of Canterbury. A new school (S) is planned for the area. The map
shows two possible sites for the school.

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

Model answer
The map shows two proposed sites for a new school for the town of Canterbury and the surrounding area.

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The first site (S1) is situated in the countryside, to the north-east of the town centre. It is just outside the
main housing area of the town and not far from the main road that links Sturry with Canterbury. It would
therefore probably be in an ideal location for students coming from Sturry, which is only 5 kilometres
away, and those who live on the east side of Canterbury. If there are students coming from Chartham,
which is 7 kilometres to the south-west, they would be able to reach the school by taking the main road
that runs south-west of Canterbury.

The second site (S2) is located in the town centre itself. There are advantages of this: it makes it
practically equidistant for students coming from either Sturry or Chartham. Moreover, it would presumably
be relatively easy for students who live in the housing area around the town centre to reach the school.
However, because of the no traffic zone in the town centre, no parent would be able to drive their child all
the way to school. This may make travel arrangements difficult for some parents.
(206 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The bar chart below shows shares of expenditures for five major categories in the United States,
Canada, the United Kingdom, and Japan in the year 2009.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below.

Write at least 150 words.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Test Tip
In Writing Task 1, it is a good idea to end your answer by summarizing the main information shown by the
diagram. You are not required to explain this information.

British Academy – Satellite …..Madhavi Khandwala Page 18

Read the following sample answer. Complete the answer by filling the gaps with the words in
the box.
by contrast indicates lowest compares

overall whereas except higher

highest however largest among

The bar chart ........... how consumers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Japan
allocated different shares of total spending to categories such as food, housing, and transportation in
2009.

We can see that the United States had the ........... housing expenditure share, 26% of total expenditures
in 2009. The United Kingdom and Japan followed, with 24% and 22%, respectively. Canada had
the ........... housing share at 21%. Housing was the ........... expenditure component in all
countries ........... Japan.

..........., Canada had the largest transportation share of all four countries at 20%. The United States and
the United Kingdom had the next-highest transportation shares, 17% and 15%, respectively. Japan had
the lowest, at 10%.

..........., in Japan, consumers spent 23% of their total expenditures on food in 2009. The United Kingdom
had the second-highest share at 20%. Canada, with 15%, and the United States, with 14% had the lowest
food expenditure shares among the countries studied.

..........., the data ........... that housing and health care shares of total expenditures were ........... in the
United States than in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Japan in 2009, ........... Americans had the lowest
clothing share. Canada had the highest clothing and transportation shares, and Japan had the highest
food share, ........... the countries compared.

Show Answers - Hide Answers

(214 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The chart below shows the percentage change in the share of international students among
university graduates in different Canadian provinces between 2001 and 2006.

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

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 Source: Statistics Canada, Postsecondary Student Information System

Test Tip
In Task 1 of the IELTS Writing modules, you may be asked to describe a graph which shows changes
over a period of time. To do this you need to use language expressing change and appropriate tenses. In
the exam, make sure you leave time to edit your written answer. You will lose marks if you make too
many mistakes in grammar and vocabulary.

Model answer
The chart shows changes in the share of international students who graduated from universities in
different Canadian provinces over a period of 5 years.

In 2001, this share had a relatively narrow range, from 3% in Ontario to 7.0% in New Brunswick. Nova
Scotia had the second highest proportion at 6.5%. Five years later, the figures for most provinces had
risen, with the exception of Alberta. There, the figures fell by 1% to just over 4%.

By 2006, some parts of Canada experienced a considerable increase in their share of international
graduates. Growth in this share was especially strong in the case of New Brunswick, where the figures
rose from 7% to 12%. The largest growth occurred in British Columbia, where it more than doubled to
11%.

Over this five-year period, changes in the proportion of international graduates have been very uneven
across the provinces of Canada. However, New Brunswick remained the province with the highest
percentage overall.
(158 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

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The diagrams show a structure that is used to generate electricity from wave power.

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

Generating electricity from sea waves

Test Tip
1) Describe key stages in the process in a logical order, making comparisons where appropriate.
2) Use suitable words and phrases to structure and link the process clearly.
3) Remember to include an overview summerising the main features of the process.
4) Vary your vocabulary and use your own words as far as possible.

Model answer

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The two diagrams show how electricity can be generated from the rise and fall of water caused by sea
waves.

The process involves a structure which is mounted on the side of a cliff or sea wall. This structure
consists of a large chamber. One end is open to the sea, and the other leads into a vertical column, which
is open to the atmosphere. A turbine is installed inside this column and this is used to generate the
electricity in two phases.

The first diagram indicates that when a wave approaches the device, water is forced into the chamber,
applying pressure on the air within the column. This air escapes to atmosphere through the turbine,
thereby producing electricity.

The second diagram illustrates the next part of the process when wave retreats. As the water level falls,
the air from outside the column is sucked back in through the turbine. As a result, electricity continues to
be generated. The turbine rotates only in one direction, regardless of the direction of the air flow.

In conclusion, we can see that this structure is useful as electricity is generated in both phases: entering
and retreating of water.
(195 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The chart below gives information about the UK's ageing population in 1985 and makes
predictions for 2035.

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

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 Source: Office for National Statistics, National Records of Scotland, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency

Exam Tip
In Writing Task 1, it is essential to understand what the graph or chart is representing. Look closely at the
information in the instructions as well as all details of the graph or chart.

The graph in this task shows the percentage of over 65s in each country of the UK. The following
are incorrect statements:

 Wales had more over 65s than England. (The graph is in percentages, not numbers)
 Northern Ireland had 12% of over 65s in 1985. (The countries do not add up to 100% so Northern Ireland
did not have 12% of all over 65s. The graph shows that 12% of thepopulation of Northern Ireland was
over 65.)

Model answer
The graph shows how the size and distribution of the UK's ageing population is likely to change over a
50-year period.

Overall, the proportions are predicted to increase in all UK countries. In 1985, 15 per cent of the UK
population was over 65, but by 2035, this will account for 23 per cent of the total population.

A closer look at the data reveals that the ageing population is expected to rise more in some parts of the
UK than in other. In 1985, Wales had the highest percentage of people aged 65 and over, at 16 per cent.
The second-largest group could be found in England and the third in Scotland. Northern Ireland had

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lowest proportion, with 12 per cent aged 65 and over.

By 2035, Wales is still going to have by far the greatest percentage of over 65s, with figures likely to
reach 26 per cent. However, the biggest increases in this age group, relative to the rest of the population,
are predicted to occur in Northern Ireland and Scotland. In Northern Ireland, for example, this figure will
increase almost double to 23 per cent.
(189 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The diagrams below give information on transport and car use in Edmonton.

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

People’s reasons for using the car in city

Commute to work 55%

Shopping 15%

Leisure activities 15%

Taking children to school 40%

Business 45%

Test Tip
In IELTS Writing Task 1, when you must describe two figures, ask yourself the following:

1) What do both figures relate to?

2) What kind of relationship is evident? (a similarity, a difference, a cause and effect relationship or some
other type of relationship)
3) Which aspects of each figure should be highlighted?
4) Should I describe the figures in separate paragraphs, or should I compare different aspects of the
figures within a series of paragraph?

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Model answer
The table shows the reason why people in Edmonton use their cars in the city and the pie chart explains
what type of transport people prefer to use most of the time.

Looking at the pie chart first, it is clear that the car is the most popular means of transport in this city. 45%
of the people say that they prefer to commute by car. The second most popular form of transport is the
LRT, while busses and taxis are the main means of transport for the rest of the people.

The table gives more detailed information about why people use their cars. Surprisingly, 55% of the
people need to commute to work by car. Cars are also used a lot for taking children to school or business
purposes. Only 15% of drivers are doing their shopping and, similarly, 15% need to travel by car for
leisure.

Overall, people in Edmonton make good use of alternative methods of transport but there is a heavy
dependence on cars for work.
(170 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The line graph below gives information about the number of visitors to three London museums
between June and September 2013.

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

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Test Tip
Check the horizontal axis to find whether the graph refers to past, present, future or all three.
We use the present simple to describe the graph: The graph shows … , We can see …
If the graph refers to past period of time, we use the past simple, and if the graph includes future times,
we use will or it is predicted that.
Look at the line graph and complete the text with the correct forms of the verbs in brackets
and the correct prepositions.
The graph shows (show) how many people visited (visit) three London museums in the summer of 2013.
Most visitors went (go) to the British museum between June and September. The
numberfluctuated (fluctuate) between 500 and 750. By contrast, the Science Museum and the Natural
History Museum received (receive) fewer visitors. The number of people who visited the Science
Museum dropped (drop) gradually from 400 thousand to 300 from June to August then rose (rise) to 450
thousand in September. We can see (see) that the trend for the Natural History Museum was(be) similar.
There was a sharp drop in visitors from June to July. The number remained stable(remain stable) in
August and then increased (increase) steadily in September.
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The bar chart below gives information about the percentage of the population living in urban
areas in the world and in different continents.

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

Source: UN, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2005 Revision (2006) and Carl Haub, 2007 World Population Data Sheet.

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Read the following sample answer. Complete the answer by filling the gaps with the words in
the box.
by contrast in spite of compares smaller

shows marked double highest

The bar chart shows the urbanization percentage of the world in 1950 and compares this with the
percentage in 2007 and the projected percentage for 2030.

Between 1950 and 2030, the proportion of the world's population residing in cities is expected todouble,
growing from 29% to 60%. However, this rate is less marked in some continents than others.

For example, 64% of the population of North America was urban in 1950, increasing to 79% by 2007. By
contrast, just 15% of the African population was urban in 1950, but this rose to 37% by 2007. This
represents one of the highest urbanization rates in the world, even though the percentage of Africans in
urban areas is still smaller than the world average.

It is also clear from the graph that, urbanization in Latin America is projected to be higher than Europe in
2030, in spite of being lower in 1950.

Show Answers - Hide Answers

(151 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph below shows waste recycling rates in the U.S. from 1960 to 2011.

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

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 Source: http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/facts-text.htm#chart3

Read the following sample answer. Complete the answer by filling the gaps with the correct
form of the words in the box. Some words can be used more than once.
sharp triple peak

reach steady from

rise compare significant

The graph depicts waste recycling rates in the U.S. from 1960 to 2011, in both percentage and tons.

Between 1960 and 1970, the percentage of garbage being recycled annually remained relativelysteady at
just over 6%. It then rose slightly over the next 15 years to 10.1% in 1985.

On the other hand, the amount of garbage being recycled tripled during the same period, from 5.6 million
tons in 1960 to 16.7 million tons in 1985. Following this sharp increase, the amount of waste material
being recycled has risen significantly between 1985 and 2011 when it peaked at 86.9 million tons.

Similarly, the recycling rate continued to grow sharply from 1985 to 1995, and then at a slower rate over
the next 15 years until it reached a peak of 34.7% in 2011. However, this figure is still
disappointing compared to the total amount of waste being recycled each year.

Show Answers - Hide Answers

(150 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

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The table below presents the number of children ever born to women aged 40-44 years in Australia for each
year the information was collected since 1981.

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

Number of children ever born, Women aged 40–44 years

Four or
One Two Three more
None child children children children

year % % % % %

2006 15.9 13.2 38.3 21.5 11.0

1996 12.8 11.3 38.2 24.6 13.1

1986 9.7 8.7 35.6 27.0 18.9

1981 8.5 7.6 29.0 27.4 27.6

Source: ABS Births Australia 2001, 2006 (3301.0)

Test Tip
You should ‘signpost’ general statements, i.e. introduce them with expressions such as:

The table/pie chart/graph/etc. shows...

The most significant change...
Another noticeable trend...
Overall...

You must also support general statements with detailed information from the table/graph/etc.

Model answer
The table shows the number of children born to women aged 40–44 years in Australia in 1981, 1986, 1996 and
2001.

In 1981, women aged 40-44 years were only marginally more likely to have had two children than three children
(29% vs 27.4%) or four or more children (27.6%). Similarly, by 1986, women of this age were considerably more
likely to have given birth to two children than three children (35.6% vs 27%) or four or more children (18.9%).

In 1996 and 2006, the proportions of women aged 40-44 years who had given birth to two children were almost
identical, though the proportions who had given birth to three children or to four or more children had decreased. In
these more recent periods, women were more likely to have had two children than three or more children - a trend
that was most marked in the most recent period (38.2% vs 24.6% in 1996; 38.3% vs 21.5% in 2006).

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While two-child families now predominate, the number of women who had given birth to only one child increased
progressively from 7.6% in 1981 to 13.2% in 2006.

In 1981, similar proportions of women aged in their early forties were childless or had given birth to only one child
(8.5% and 7.6% respectively). By 2006, 15.9% of women were childless and 13.2% had given birth to only one
child.

Overall, by age 40-44 years, the proportion of women who have had three or more children has fallen considerably
since the 1980s, while the proportions who have had no children, or only one or two children has increased.
(266 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graphs below provide information on global population figures and figures for urban
populations in different world regions.

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

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population

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Model answer
The first graph shows the trend in world population growth between 1800 and 2100, while the second
graph gives predicted urban population figures for the next 25 years.

The world population has experienced continuous growth since 1800. Between 1800 and 1950, the
population grew slowly from just under 1 billion to 2.5 billion people. After that, the growth rate increased
and currently the figure is around 6.5 billion. Projections show a continued increase in population in the
near future, but a steady decline in the population growth rate. The global population is expected to peak
at 8.2 billion by 2050, and then decline to around 6.2 billion by 2100.

The predictions also show that almost all urban population growth in the next 25 years will occur in cities
of developing countries. In developed regions, on the other hand, the urban population is expected to
remain unchanged at about 1.3 billion people over the next two decades.

The graphs show that the global population increase will not occur evenly throughout the world, but will be
greater in some areas than others.
(180 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The chart below shows the percentage of male and female teachers in six different types of
educational setting in the UK in 2010.

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

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Model answer
The bar chart gives information about the gender of teachers in six types of educational institutions in the
UK in 2010. It shows what percentage of teachers was male and what percentage was female.

Women dominated the teaching profession in primary education, but less so at lower and upper
secondary education. It was particularly true of nursery school, where the share of female teachers was
above 95%. Similarly one-sided was the situation in primary school, where over 90% of teachers were
also female.

At secondary and upper secondary level this pattern was less pronounced, where there were nearly equal
proportions of male and female teachers. On the other hand, male teachers outnumbered female
teachers in high-level education, where the proportion of men was twice that for women.

Overall, the higher the level of education, the more male teachers dominated, and the reverse occurred
with respect to female teachers.
(150 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The diagrams below show UK students' responses to the question of to what extent would they
describe themselves as financially organised.

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

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 Very organised %
All students 21

Age up to 22 years 18

Age 23-25 years 26

Age over 26 years 35

Source: http://www.unite-group.co.uk/binaries/MungoBlobs-1350377092294.pdf

Test Tip
In IELTS Writing Task 1, you do not need to describe all the information given. To summarise, you
must select the main features from what is shown. Information is often given in the form of a graph, a
chart, or a table. Read any headings, key and sources for the data to understand what it relates to. The
data may show differences or changes over time, between places, or between groups of people. Try to
identify significant contrasts, similarities, or trends.

Model answer
The two diagrams show students' responses to the question of how good they are at managing their
finances. The pie chart illustrates the ability of UK students to manage their finances and the table shows
the proportion of students, by age, who think they are very organised at managing their finances.

More than three-quarters of students (76%) believe they are either ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ organised financially,
while one in five (20%) say they are not very organised in this area. Only 4% of students rate themselves
as ‘not at all’ competent.

The ability to manage one’s finances well would seem to develop with age and experience as older
students are almost twice as likely to say they are ‘very’ organised than younger ones (31% of students
aged 26 or over compared to just 17% for those aged up to 22).

Overall, the findings suggest that students generally manage their finances well.

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(151 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The diagram below shows the production of steam using a gas cooled nuclear reactor.

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

Model answer
A gas-cooled nuclear reactor consists of the reactor itself and a heat exchanger. The reactor contains
uranium fuel elements which are surrounded by graphite moderators and topped by charge tubes for
loading fuel elements, and boron control rods. The whole reactor is contained in a pressure vessel
surrounded by a concrete shield.

From the reactor the hot gas flows through a duct into the heat exchanger which is outside the concrete
radiation shielding. In the heat exchanger, steam is generated in a secondary loop. There a pipe brings in
water which is heated to steam, and this then flows out to the turbo-alternator. Meanwhile the hot gas
sinks to the bottom of the heat exchanger and passes through a gas blower which pushes it into a cool
gas duct and back to the reactor.

As can be seen, this is a continuous cycle that keeps the reactor from overheating, while carrying away
the heat and steam, which will power the turbines.
(161 words)

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You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The pie charts below give information about world population in 1900 and 2000.

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

Writing Tip
We can use either present simple tense or past simple tense when describing data in pie charts. Whichever tense you
choose, remember to be consistent throughout your whole answer.

Model answer
The pie charts illustrate changes in the population of different areas of the world between 1900 and 2000. The major
regions are represented as percentages of the total world population.

From 1900 to 2000, the percentage of people living in Africa more than doubled from 4.5% to 10%, while Latin
America’s proportion almost tripled in the same period. On the other hand, the percentage of population in Europe
and Asia decreased over the last century. Europe’s percentage dropped from 25% to 14%, while Asia declined from
60% to 54%. North America’s percentage however, remained constant at 5% in 1900 and 2000. The Middle East
and North Africa, a new category in 2000, represented 6% of world population.

Overall, this represents a huge increase in the number of humans on the planet, from 1.6 billion to 6 billion in just
one century. Most of this population growth has occurred in developing countries.
(151 words)

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You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The bar chart below gives information about the number of students studying Computer Science
at a UK university between 2010 and 2012.

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 illustrates the number of male and female students studying Computer Science at a UK
university over three years. It also indicates whether they were home or international students. Compared
to the number of home students, the number of international students was significantly smaller.
Nevertheless, there was clear statistical growth in the latter group from 2010-2012. Furthermore, the
number of female home students eventually overtook the number of males from the same group, reaching
a high of 45 in 2012.

The year 2011 saw the most dramatic developments; the number of male home students fell from just
below 40 to 24 and the number of females rose from 32 to 44. There was also significant growth in the
number of male students from overseas, climbing from 20 in 2010 to 39 in 2012. Overall, we can see an
upward trend in the number of students at the university.
(150 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph below gives information from Annual Energy Outlook 2008 about consumption of energy in the
USA since 1980 with projection until 2030.

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

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 Source: http://www.eia.gov/oiaf/aeo/pdf/0383(2008).pdf
Exam Tip
The verb Tell can be used to refer to a chart/graph: The graph tells us how much energy was consumed. However, it
is better to use language that is more impersonal: The graph showshow much energy was consumed. You should not
use Say to talk about charts/graphs: From the graph I can say how much energy …

Model answer
The graph shows consumption of energy in the U.S. since 1980 with projections through 2030.

The historical trends show Petrol and Oil as the major sources of fuel, rising from 35 quadrillion (35q) units used in
1980 to 42q in 2012. Despite some fluctuation between 1980 and 1995, there was a steady increase, which is
expected to continue, reaching 47q in 2030.

Consumption of energy from natural gas and coal followed a similar pattern over the period. From 20q and 15q
respectively in 1980, gas showed an initial fall and coal a gradual increase, with the two fuels equal between 1985
and 1990. Consumption has fluctuated since 1990 but both now provide 24q. Coal consumption is projected to rise
to 31q in 2030, whereas after 2014, natural gas is forecast to remain stable at 25q.

In 1980, energy from solar/wind, nuclear, and hydropower was the least-used, with only 4q. Nuclear has risen by 3q,
and solar/wind by 2. Since 2005, hydropower has fallen back to the 1980 figure. It is expected to remain
approximately constant through 2030, while the others are projected to rise gradually after 2025.

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Overall, fossil fuels will remain the chief energy source for the US, with a little bit of hydroelectric, nuclear and a
smidgen of renewables like wind and solar.
(215 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The chart below shows the total number of minutes (in millions) of telephone calls in Finland,
divided into three categories, from 1995 – 2004.

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

Model answer
The chart shows the time spent by Finland’s residents on different types of telephone calls between 1995
and 2004.

Local landline calls were the highest throughout the period, rising from 12000 million minutes in 1995 to
just under 17000 million in 2000. After peaking at 17000 million the following year, these calls had fallen
back to the 1995 figure by 2004.

National and international landline calls grew steadily from 6000 million to 10500 million at the end of the
period in question, though the growth slowed over the last two years.

There was a dramatic increase in mobile calls from 250 to 9800 million minutes. This rise was particularly
noticeable between 2000 and 2004, during which time the use of mobile phones tripled.

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To sum up, although local landline calls were still the most popular in 2004, the gap between the three
categories had narrowed considerately over the second half of the period in question.
(155 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph below gives information about international tourist arrivals in five countries.

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

Model answer
The graph shows the overall numbers of tourist arrivals in five countries between 1995 and 2010. In 1995 over 70
million tourists visited the United States, more than twice as many as the next most popular destination shown,
France. However, between 2005 and 2010 there was a decrease of approximately 1,500,000 in the numbers going to
the United States whereas there was an increase of nearly 20 million tourists visiting France. The result was that in
2010 the number of tourists arriving in the United States and France was almost equal at around 90 million each.

The number of tourists visiting Malaysia rose steadily over the whole period but by 2010 the total was still under 50
million. The countries with the fewest tourist arrivals were Brazil and Egypt. The number of tourists going there was
similar between 1995 and 2000 but after that there was a greater increase in tourists going to Egypt than to Brazil.
(157 words)
Complete the description of the table using an appropriate word, words or number.
reasons for shopping at ASDA supermarket no. of men no. of women
close to home 25 20

good reputation 17 22

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 24-hour shopping 4 0

parking facilities 21 20

friendly staff 6 6

competitive prices 14 17

The table shows the main reasons why ASDA is a popular supermarket for shoppers. The top three
reasons are its location / closeness to home, its reputation and its parking facilities. Of these, the most
important reason why men shop at ASDA is that the shop is close to their home – 25 men rated this as an
important factor. Women, however, prefer ASDA to other supermarkets mainly because it has a good
reputation / of its reputation. They rated the location of the supermarket second. A significant number
of both men and women also choose to shop at ASDA because it has / of the / of its good parking
facilities.

The women felt / said / thought / considered this was as important as the location of the supermarket.
On the other hand, the attitude of the staff does not seem to be an important factor asonly six women and
six men rated this highly. Surprisingly, almost no one said they prefer to shop / shopping at ASDA
because it is open 24 hours a day.

Show Answers - Hide Answers

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The table below shows the number of medals won by the top ten countries in the London 2012
Olympic Games.

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

London 2012 Olympic Games Medal Table

Rank by Gold Country Gold Silver Bronze Total

1 United States 46 29 29 104

2 China 38 27 23 88

3 Great Britain 29 17 19 65

4 Russia 24 26 32 82

5 South Korea 13 8 7 28

6 Germany 11 19 14 44

7 France 11 11 12 34

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 8 Italy 8 9 11 28

9 Hungary 8 4 5 17

10 Australia 7 16 12 35

Source: http://www.london2012.com/medals/medal-count/

IELTS Writing Tip

When you write about a chart or table you will receive marks for organising and describing all the
information. You will not receive marks for giving reasons for the information or giving your opinion about
the information (but you will not lose marks if you do this). As you have limited time and number of words,
write about the information only.

Model answer
The table shows the number of medals won by the top ten countries in the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The USA won greatest number of medals overall with the total of 104. They won more gold medals than
silver and more medals than any other country in both categories. China had the second number of
medals at 88, and like the USA, China won fewer silver medals than gold medals.

While Russia’s silver medal total was better than Great Britain’s, they did not do as well as Great Britain in
the gold medals, winning just 24. In fact Great Britain had a lower overall medal total than Russia but, as
the table is based on the number of gold medals won, they were placed third. Similarly, Germany was
significantly more successful at winning medals than South Korea, with a total of 44 compared to South
Korea’s 28, but because South Korea won two more gold medals than Germany they were ranked higher.
Australia gave the worst performance in this group, winning only seven gold and sixteen silver medals.
(178 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The pie charts below show the average household expenditures in a country in 1950 and 2010.

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

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 Average Household Expenditures by Major Category

Model answer
Look at the phrases in italic. Choose the phrase which sounds more formal.
The two pie charts give information about household expenditure on goods and services in 1950 and
2010. It is immediately obvious that there are some quite significant differences between the two
charts.

In 2010 the largest proportion of expenditure was on food whereas in 1950 it was on housing, with
food for just 11.2%. There is a great difference in terms of housing expenditure between the two years.
In 1950 72.1% of the total household budget went towards housing, compared to only 22% in 2010.

There has been a notable increase in the amount of money spent on transportation between the two
dates. In addition, the charts show a significant rise in the proportion of money spent on health
care in 2010 compared to 1950.

There are some similarities, however. For example, in both 1950 and 2010 the proportion of education
expenditure was roughly the same.

Show Answers - Hide Answers

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The table below shows the average band scores for students from different language groups
taking the IELTS General Test in 2010.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

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Write at least 150 words.

Listening Reading Writing Speaking Overall

German 6.8 6.3 6.6 6.9 6.7

French 6.3 6.1 6.5 6.6 6.5

Indonesian 6.3 6.1 6.1 6.7 6.3

Malay 6.2 6.4 6.0 6.6 6.4

Writing Tip: writing an introduction
Use the following structure for the introduction to a Task 1 answer:

1) One or two sentences to explain what the table shows (Use different words from the words used in the
heading for the table wherever possible.)
2) One or two sentences summarizing the information shown in the table.
3) Do not include details in the introduction. Save the details for the main part of your text, after the
introduction.

Model answer
The table illustrates the breakdown of scores for the IELTS General Test in 2010. It shows separate
scores for all four modules (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking), together with the overall band
scores for students from four different language groups around the world.
From an overall perspective, German speakers achieved the highest overall band score. Moreover, they
scored the highest of all four language groups in three modules of the test (Listening, Writing, Speaking).
French speaking candidates scored the second highest overall score of 6.7 out of 9, closely followed by
Malay and Indonesian speakers. Although French speakers did not do so well in the Reading, Speaking
and Listening modules compared to Indonesian and Malay speakers, there was a significant difference in
their grades for the Writing module. These grades were high relative to Indonesian and Malay candidates.
Surprisingly, Malay speakers, who achieved the second lowest result overall, achieved the highest results
of all four language groups for the Reading module.
As a final point, it is interesting to note that the scores for each module show that all students, on
average, scored the highest marks for the Speaking module and the lowest marks for the Reading
module.
(198 words
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph below shows the population figures of different types of turtles in India between 1980
and 2012.

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

Model answer
The total number of all species of turtles in India has been relatively stable over the last two decades,
although there were significant drops in numbers between 1987 and 1989 and again in 1992 and 1996.
Since 2004 there has been an improvement in numbers of all species, although the graph shows a slight
decrease in 2010.

In contrast, the population of Leatherback turtles has suffered a severe decline, particularly in 1988 when
numbers fell dramatically. The rate of decline in the population appears to have slowed and it has
remained relatively stable since 2009.

There was also a fall in the number of Green turtles of around 30% between 1984 and 2002. The
population increased slightly in 2010 but it had dropped again by 2012.

It is only Olive Ridley turtles that have seen a steady increase in population over this period. Their
numbers dropped slightly in 2007 and again in 2012 but the overall trend has been a positive one.
(162 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

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The following diagram shows how greenhouse gases trap energy from the Sun.
Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.
Write at least 150 words.

Complete the answer by filling the gaps with a word or phrase from the box below.
lead to release result in subsequently

fell reach less decades

amounts as a result of

Energy from the Sun reaches the Earth as heat. Some of this heat energy is subsequently/thenradiated
into space, while some of it is trapped by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and reflected back to
Earth. This is a natural process, but in recent decades, human activities have led to an increase in
the amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which is now trapping too much heat.

One of the main greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide, and extra quantities of this are released/have

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been released into the atmosphere as a result of burning fossil fuels as a source of energy in power
stations, factories and homes. Exhaust gases from cars and lorries result in/have resulted in further
emissions of carbon dioxide.

Plants serve to remove some of the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by absorbing it through their
leaves. However, as large areas of forest are (being) felled/have been felled in the Amazon and
elsewhere, less carbon dioxide is removed in this way.

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You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The bar chart below shows the estimated sales of jeans for two companies next year in Turkey.
The pie chart shows the projected market share of the two companies in jeans at the end of next
year.

Write a short report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.
Write at least 150 words.

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Test Tip
1) Remember you do not get extra marks for writing more than 150 words, but you will lose marks if you
write less.

2) ‘Others’ is sometimes mentioned as a category on charts. Don’t ignore it. Decide what it is referring to
– in the chart above it refers to other companies – and then include the information if you think it is
relevant.

Model answer 1
The bar chart shows the estimated sales of jeans in thousands of pairs for two companies in Turkey next
year.

It is anticipated that purchases of jeans at Mango Co. will rise from 150,000 pairs in January to
approximately 500,000 pairs in August, and will remain there until November. For December, sales are
expected to be in the region of 600,000 pairs.

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Meanwhile, it is estimated that the sales of jeans for Jack & Jones Co. will begin the year at around
450,000 pairs in January, falling to about 250,000, before increasing to around 400,000 in June. For the
next two months until August, sales are forecast to remain steady at this level, after which they are
expected to rise steadily to hit a peak of approximately 900,000 pairs in December.

The pie chart shows that, at the end of next year, the anticipated market share for Mango Co. and Jack &
Jones Co. is 20% and 30% respectively.

As can be seen from the chart, the overall sales trends for both companies are forecast to be upwards.
(178 words)

Model answer 2
The bar chart shows the predicted sales of jeans in thousands of pairs for two companies in Turkey;
Mango Co. and Jack & Jones Co. for next year.

The most striking feature is that sales will increase for both companies, It is anticipated that sales of Jack
& Jones Co. will start at 450,000 pairs in January decreasing by 200,000 pairs following month with a
gradual recover over the subsequent four months reaching 400,000 pairs in June. Those of Jack & Jones
Co. are predicted to be stable until August peaking up to 600,000 pairs in September and October.

Sales of Jack & Jones will reach a peak of 900,000 in December, For those of Mango Co. is forecasted a
gradual increase with the largest sale of 600,000 pairs in December. In the beginning of the next year
those of Mango Co. will stand at 150,000 pairs falling back to 100,000 pairs in February, rising steadily to
250,000 in June, In subsequent months sales will reach 450,000 pairs increasing to 500,000 pairs in
August, staying stable until November,

Regarding the pie chart the sales of Jack & Jones Co. will share 30% of market whereas those of Mango
Co. 20%. 50% of market is set to be shared by other companies.
(211 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The table below shows the monthly expenditure of an average Australian family in 1991 and 2001.

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

1991 2001

Australian Dollar Per Month

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Food 155 160

Electricity and Water 75 120

Clothing 30 20

Housing 95 100

Transport 70 45

Other goods and services* 250 270

Total 675 715

*Other goods and services: non-essential goods and services

IELTS Tip
You cannot include all the data in your answer, so you need to select the most interesting data related to
the key features to illustrate your summary.

Model answer
The table shows changes in the spending patterns of an average Australian household between 1991 and
2001. In general, Australian household spending was high in 2001 than in 1991 but the difference was not
significant (AUD $715 per month and AUD $675 per month respectively).

The amount of monthly spending on electricity and water saw a dramatic increase over the 10-year period
from $75 to $120. Yet in terms of the expenditure on non-essential goods and services, the rising trend
was less obvious with a minor increase of $20. At the same time, the amount of money spent on food and
housing rose only slightly from $155 to $160 and $95 to $100 respectively.

However, there was a decrease in expenditure on the other two items. Australians spent one third less on
clothing, which fell from $30 to $20. Similarly, expenditure on transport dropped from $70 in 1991 to $45
in 2001.

It seems that food and “other goods and services” were the two biggest items of expenditure. Altogether,
they accounted for more than half of the total household spending. By comparison, Australians spent little
on dressing up.
(188 words)

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You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The pie charts below show electricity generation by source in New Zealand and Germany in 1980 and 2010.

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

Electricity Generation by Source in New Zealand

Electricity Generation by Source in Germany

Model answer
The charts compare the sources of electricity in New Zealand and Germany in the years 1980 and 2010. Between
these years, electricity generation almost doubled, rising from 127 units to 200 in New Zealand, and from 107 to 214

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units in Germany.

In 1980 New Zealand used coal as the main electricity source (56 units) and the remainder was produced from
natural gas, hydro power (each producing 30 units) and petroleum (which produced only 11 units). By 2010, coal
had become the fuel for more than 75% of electricity produced and only hydro continued to be another significant
source supplying approximately 20%.

In contrast, Germany used coal as a source for only 28 units of electricity in 1980, which was matched by natural
gas. The remaining 49 units were produced largely from petroleum and nuclear power, with hydro contributing only
7 units. But by 2010 nuclear power, which was not used at all in New Zealand, had developed into the main source,
producing almost 75% of electricity, at 155 units, while coal and petroleum together produced only 55 units. Other
sources were no longer significant.

Overall, it is clear by 2010 these two countries relied on different principal fuel sources: New Zealand relied on coal
and Germany on nuclear power.
(210 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph below shows the changes in maximum number of Asian elephants between 1994 and 2007.

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

Model answer

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The graph shows the estimated maximum population of elephants in a range of Asian countries in both 1997 and
2004.

In most of the countries included in the graph, the population fell. This was most noticeable in Malaysia and
Thailand, where the number of elephants was thought to be less than half the figure in 1997. In the former, the
number of elephants dropped as low as 1000. India remained the country with by far the largest elephant population,
but experienced a dramatic fall in numbers so that in 2004 there may have been as few as 7500. Despite its size,
China had a very small population of at most 500 elephants by 2004.

Although the trend was downwards overall, elephant populations were thought to have remained stable in Laos and
Vietnam at approximately 1200. The only country where elephants showed signs of recovering was Cambodia,
where numbers may have risen by up to 200.
(155 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The chart below shows the GDP growth per year for three countries between 2007 and 2010.

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

Model answer
The chart shows the annual GDP growth for three countries from 2007 to 2010.

By the year 2007 the figure for Tunisia was by far the highest at close to 6.3% per annum. This figure is double that
of Ecuador and three times that of Japan on a global level.

However by 2008 this trend has changed considerably; the Japanese doubled their annual GDP over this period and
there was also an increase in the GDP of Ecuador, while Tunisia fell to 4.5% per year. In 2009 and 2010, the

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downward trend for Tunisia continued falling to a low of 3% at the end of this period.

For Ecuador, the GDP fell sharply to just under 1.5% in the year 2009 and rose only slightly in 2010 to 2.3%. On the
other hand, for Japan, the GDP figure rose significantly throughout this time and by the year 2010 had more than
matched the GDP figures for Tunisia of the year 2007.
(162 words)

Adjective or Adverb?
Complete the answer by filling the gaps with an adverb or adjective from the box below.
dramatic dramatically impressive impressively

slight slightly steady steadily

sharp sharply steep steeply

The world population grew dramatically between 1960 and 2000.

The world population experienced a dramatic growth between 1960 and 2000.

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European City Tourism showed an impressive growth of 50% for three consecutive years from 2006 to
2008.

European City Tourism grew impressively by 50% for three consecutive years from 2006 to 2008.

Diesel consumption showed a slight increase between 2010 and 2011.

Diesel consumption increased slightly between 2010 and 2011.

Consumption of chocolate fell steadily between 1970 and 2010.

There was a steady fall in consumption of chocolate between 1970 and 2010.

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Worldwide sales of CD-ROM drives climbed steeply during the first half of the year before
fallingsharply in August.

There was a steep climb in worldwide sales of CD-ROM drives during the first half of the year before
a sharp fall in August.

Show Answers - Hide Answer

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The chart below shows the percentage of total US population aged 65 and over between 1900 and
2000.

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

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Model answer
The chart shows the percentage of total population aged 65 and over in the U.S. between 1900 and 2000.
In the year 1900 just over 4% of the population was aged over 65. However, by 1960 this figure had
doubled.

The number of people aged between 75 and 84 remained fairly steady between 1900 and 1930, making
up only 1-1.3% of the population. The figure began to rise more significantly in 1940 and by 1970 it had
tripled to reach 3% of the population.

Although there was no change in the number of people aged 65 -74 between 1960 and 1970, the number
of people aged 75 and over increased during this time. By the year 2000, 12.4% of the US population had
reached the age of 65 or more, although this was slightly lower than in 1990 when it peaked at 12.6%.

The chart shows that today people in the U.S. can expect to live longer than in 1900. By the year 2000
more than 12% of the population had managed to live to the age of 65 and over compared to only 4.1% in
1900.
(187 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The chart below shows male and female fitness membership between 1970 and 2000.

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

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Model answer
The chart shows male and female fitness membership over a thirty-year period. The vertical axis
represents the number of members. The horizontal axis represents the period from 1970 to 2000.

Overall, the chart indicates that there were greater fluctuations in fitness membership among men than
among women. The number of male members started the period at just over two thousand and reached
highs of four thousand in 1975 and five thousand around 1995. The lowest rates were in 1985 and more
recently in 2000 when the rate dipped as low as one thousand.

Female fitness membership began lower at one thousand, doubled by 1975, and then fluctuated between
two and three thousand for the remainder of the period. When male rates were at their lowest, female
rates were higher. This was particularly true in 1985 when over three thousand women held fitness
membership.

In brief, there were marked differences in rates of male and female fitness memberships in the period
covered.
(161 words)

Complete the answer by filling the gaps with a word or phrase from the box below.
steadily hovering trend

meanwhile rocketed fluctuated

peak plummeted period

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The chart shows the average daily viewing figures for Channel One News over a 12-month period. The
figure for the 1pm News remained fairly stable, hovering at around 1.3 million throughout the year. The
figure for the 6pm News began the year at 4.8 million. It fluctuated, but the general trendwas
downwards, and it ended the year at 3.4 million.

The figure for the 9:30 News gradually increased from 3.2 million viewers per day in January to apeak of
3.8 million in May. However, this month saw the introduction of the 11pm News, and the figure for the
9:30 News plummeted, hitting a low-point of 1.1 million in August. In the same period, the figure for the
11pm news rocketed from 0.2 million to 4.1 million. At this point, the trend reversed. From August
onwards, the figure for the 9:30 news grew steadily, reaching 3 million by the end of the
year. Meanwhile, the figure for the 11pm News declined sharply, and in December fell below the 1 million
mark.

Show Answers - Hide Answers

Vocabulary Tip
When talking about statistics we say that figures reach a peak of or peak at: The number of
viewers reached a peak of 3.8 million / peaked at 3.8 million in May. The opposite of a peakis a low. The
word trough also has this meaning, but is usually used together with the wordpeak: The number of
viewers fell to a low of only 1.1 million in August. The figure has itspeaks and troughs
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The chart below shows information about the challenges people face when they go to live in other
countries.

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

Model answer
The chart shows the challenges people face when they settle in a new country and how the challenges
vary according to people’s ages.

The most challenging aspect for young people aged 18 to 34 is making new friends, a problem
experienced by 46% of the people in this age group. However, only 36% of 35 - 54 year olds find it hard
to make friends, while even fewer people over 55 (23%) have this problem.

54% of the older age group finds learning the local language the biggest obstacle when settling. In
comparison, the youngest age group finds this easier, and the percentage of people who have problems
learning the language is much lower, at only 29%.

In contrast to their language-learning difficulties, only 22% of people in the oldest age group have trouble
finding accommodation. However, this is the second most significant problem for the other two age
groups with 39% to 40% of the people in each group finding it hard.

In general, all age groups experience the same problems to some extent, but people over the age of 55
reported that they face markedly fewer challenges settling in a new country than their younger
respondents.
(198 words)

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Vocabulary in the report
The charts A and B show the share of the UK and Australian cinema market in 2001 and cinema admission in the
UK and Australia from 1976 to 2006.

Sources: Admission data: BFI, Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia (MPDAA).
Read this sample report and fill each space by choosing one of the words in the box.
accounted compared dropped

stood fell increased

opposed predominated recovered

Chart (A) shows the cinema industry’s share of the Australian and UK cinema market by origin in 2001. In both
countries, films made in the United States predominated with 77% of the market in the UK compared to 67% in
Australia. UK films accounted for 21% of the UK cinema market and 6% of the Australian market. On the other

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hand, while 11% of the films shown in Australia were Australian, no Australian films were shown in the UK. Films
from other countries had 16% of the market share in Australia as opposed/compared to just 2% in the UK.

Chart (B) shows cinema admissions in the UK and Australia since 1976. In both countries cinema
admissions dropped/fell in the early 1980s. In Australia admissions fell/dropped from just under 40 million in
1980 to about 30 million in 1984–6 while in the UK the decrease was far more dramatic (from 100 million in 1980
to less than 60 million in 1984). Since then, however, the industry hasrecovered in both countries. In 2001, cinema
admissions in the UK stood at over 150 million, whereas in Australia they reached 90 million.

Overall, the charts show that the cinema has increased in popularity in both countries over the last 15 years, but
that the origins of the films projected in Australia are more diverse than in the UK.

Show Answers - Hide Answers

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph below shows the demand for electricity in England during typical days in winter and
summer. The pie chart shows how electricity is used in an average English home.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.
You should write at least 150 words.

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Model answer
The Demand for electricity in England during typical days in winter and summer is illustrated in the graph.
The use of electricity in an average English home is shown in the pie chart. From the graph it is generally
obvious that the demand is in its maximum around 2100 in winter times and in its minimum around 400
being almost constant between 1200 and 2100 in winter times. During summer times on the other hand
the demand reaches its top point around 1300 and the bottom point around 900 being almost constant
between 1550 and 2000.

In wither times the curve gradually increases to reach 40000 units of electricity by 3 o’clock in the
morning. This is followed by gradual decline to its lowest limit of 30000 units at 9 o’clock. A gradual rise is
obvious again to reach a stationary level between 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock of about 40000 units again.
Then there is a sharp rise in the next hour to reach its maximum before collapsing again to a lower level
by the end of the day.

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In summer time the curve gradually decrease to reach its lower limit around 9 o’clock of a bit more that
10000 units. A gradual increase is noticed to reach its top of 20000 after which a stationary phase is
obvious between 3 o’clock and 10 o’clock at night of about 15000 units.

The pie chart on the other hand shows that 52.5% of the electricity is used for heating rooms and water.
17.5% is consumed for ovens kettles and washing machines 15% is used in lighting TV and radio and
finally 15% is consumed in the sue of vacuum cleaners food mixtures and electric tools.
(285 words)

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The chart below shows the number of girls per 100 boys enrolled in different levels of school
education.

Write a short report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.
You should write at least 150 words.

Model answer
The chart shows the number of female students per 100 male students in primary, secondary and tertiary
education.

On Average, more boys than girls were enrolled in school both in 1990 and 1998 in all the countries,
except in tertiary education in developed countries. The number of girls per 100 boys was bigger in 1998
than in 1990 in the two country groups and in all the educational stages.

Turning to the detail, there were more boys than girls in primary and secondary education. As can be
seen, developing countries saw a bigger discrepancy between the numbers of male and female students

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than developed countries, with the number of girls per 100 boys at 83 in 1990 and 87 in 1998 in primary
education.

However, in developed countries, the balance of the two was much closer to the ideal, particularly in
secondary education, with 98 girls per 100 boys in 1990 and 99 in 1998.

Regarding tertiary education, the balance was even worse than in any other levels of education in
developing countries with 66 girls enrolled for every 100 boys in 1990 and 75 in 1998. On the other hand,
in developing countries, the number of girls overtook that of boys at 105 per 100 boys in 1990 and 112 in
1998.
(213 words)
This answer would probably exceed Band 7
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph below shows the unemployment rates in the US and Japan between March 1993 and
March 1999.

Write a short report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.
You should write at least 150 words.

Model answer
According to the results of the labor-force research published recently, the following conclusions can be
drawn from it:

In March, 1993, United States had seven percent of their workforce which might not seem disastrous until
compared with Japan, where 2.5% were unemployed. However, the unemployment rate in United States
began declining slowly since March 1993, and reached 5% mark in the middle of 1996. Japan turned out
to be less lucky, as their unemployment rate doubled in three years. From then on, the percentage of
unemployed workforce in United States remained roughly the same — about 5% until March 99, although

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there were minor falls and rises in the unemployment rate.

As for Japan, the percentage of unemployed fell rapidly by 0.5—0.6% after March 1996, but from summer
1996 and onwards it grew steadily and without any falls to reach 5.0% boundary in March 1999.

The major conclusion that I've drawn using the graph, is that number of unemployed in USA decreased
by about 2.0% in the course of six years, while in Japan it actually increased by 2.5%. As a result, in
March 99, both Japan and US had about 5% of their work force unemployed.
(198 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The tables below give information about the amount of beer and fruit juice consumed per person
per year in different countries.

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

Beer*

1 Ireland 155 litres

2 Germany 119 litres

3 Austria 106 litres

4 Belgium 98 litres

5 Denmark 98 litres

6 United Kingdom 97 litres

7 Australia 89 litres

8 United States 85 litres

9 Netherlands 80 litres

10 Finland 79 litres

Fruite juice*

1 Canada 52.6 litres

2 United States 42.8 litres

3 Germany 38.6 litres

4 Austria 37.3 litres

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 5 Sweden 35.5 litres

6 Australia 34.4 litres

7 Finland 33 litres

8 United Kingdom 29.3 litres

9 Netherlands 28.1 litres

10 New Zealand 24.8 litres

*Litres per person per year

IELTS Writing Tip: Comparing Data
Where more than one table is given in task 1 of the writing test, you are expected to compare and
contrast the information. There are TWO ways of structuring this kind of writing task. Firstly, present the
information from one table, then compare and contrast it with the information in the other table.
Alternatively, compare the information point by point, that is describe point 1 in the first table and compare
it with point 1 in the second table, and so on. Remember that whichever approach you take you should
always begin with an overview of the table and try to limit your answers to the most significant points.

Model answer
The tables show the amount of beer and fruit juice consumed per person per year in countries around the
world. Beer is most popular in Ireland, with the average Irish drinking 155 litres per year. Germany ranks
second with 119 litres per person. In fact, the top six countries in terms of consumption of beer are all
European. Australia and The United States come next in seventh and eighth positions, with Netherland
and Finland consuming the least beer of the countries mentioned. Finnish people only drink an average of
79 litres of beer a year.

The country which consumes by the greatest quantity of fruit juice per capita is Canada. Canadians drink
an average of 52.6 litres each a year, that’s almost double the consumption of New Zealand, which is
placed at the bottom of the table. Another North American country, The United States, come second in
the table, while German drinkers are ranked at number three, consuming an average of 38.6 litres
annually. Swedes drink approximately the same quantity of fruit juice as Australians, which is 35.5 litres
per year. The Finnish and the British drink 33 and 29.3 litres per year respectively.
(194 words)

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graph below shows radio and television audiences throughout the day in 1992.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.
Write at least 150 words.

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Model answer 1
The graph shows the percentage of audiences over 4 yes old of UK follows the radio and television
throughout the day during the period October-December 1992. It has been observed from the graph that
less than 10% audiences follows the radio at 6:00 am and the percentage raised to a pick around 30% at
8′AM and decline gradually to around 10% during the period 2′00 to 4′00 Pm and again raised a bi t to
around 12% between 4′00 to 6′00 PM. It then again dropped to below 10% at around 10′PM. The rate
again raised to a bit between 10′00 PM to 12′00 PM and then dropped slowly by 4′00 AM. On the other
hand, the rate of television audiences raises 0-10% during the period 6′00 to 8′00 am and remain steady
up to 1 0′AM and then gradually goes down by 12′00 noon. The percentage raised dramatically to around
15% by 2′00 noon. The percentage raised dramatically goes down by 12′00 noon. The percentage raised
dramatically to around 15% by 2′00 PM which again raised to a pick above 40% between 6′00-8′00 PM
and then gradually dropped between the period 12′00 PM to 4′00 AM.
(197 words)

Model answer 2
The blue graph shows the television audiences throughout the day. It shows that the percentage of
audiences is three percent in early morning but it gradually rises unto ten percent at 8:00 am and
maintains the same for the next two hours. There is a slight fall in percentage in next two hours however
after that it raises sharp unto twenty percent within the next two hours. After this the graph rises very fast
and attains its peak at 10 pm which is about forty five percent. The graph gradually falls down and at 2:00
am it is at five percent. The red graph shows the percentage for radio audiences. Unlike the television one
the peak percentage of the radio audiences is at 8:00 am which is about 30 percent. Then it gradually
falls and it corresponds with the television one at two pm. After that it gradually falls but with a small
increase in percentage at 4:30 to 6:00 pm. The percentage of audience then gradually goes down and at

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four AM it is the lowest which is near 2 percent. These graphs prove the progressive popularity of
television.
(191 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The chart below shows the number of men and women in further education in Britain in three
periods and whether they were studying fulltime or part-time.

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

Model answer 1
The bar chart illustrates how many males and females have studied in full-time and part-time education in
the following years: 1970 to 1971, 1980 to 1981 and 1990 to 1991.

It is clear that in all three time periods more people of both sexes were involved in part-time education
than fulltime. Overall the number of men in fulltime education rose from approximately 100 thousand to
200 thousand, whereas the number of men in part-time education was lower in the early nineties than
twenty years earlier.

As far as women are concerned, the numbers increased in both sectors of education. The number of part-
time female students increased dramatically from 700 thousand to 1.2 million in the twenty year period.
The amount of women in fulltime education went up more gradually from 100 thousand in 1971 to just
over 200 thousand in 1991. This was similar the increase for fulltime male students.

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To sum up, the number of women in both sectors increased significantly while it seems that the rate of
men entering part-time education decreased a little and was fluctuating.
(179 words)

Model answer 2
This is a bar chart of the number of men and women in further education in Britain in three periods. In
1970, Most of Men were studying part-time but from 1980, studying part-time as decreased and studying
full-time was increased and in 1990, it was twice as many students as in 1970. On the other hand,
Women studying Full-time were increased and not only Full-time, part-time also were increased. In 1990,
studying full-time was three times as many students as in 1970. If compare Men and Women, as you see,
in 1970, Men were studying more than women full-time or part-time but it changed from 1980 and then, in
1990, Women were studying part-time more than Men and studying full-time was same number.

It shows you women has a high education now.

(132 words)
EXAMINER’S EXPLANATION
Band 5

“The length of the answer is just acceptable. There is a good attempt to describe the overall trends but
the content would have been greatly improved if the candidate had included some reference to the figures
given on the graph. Without these, the reader is lacking some important information. The answer is quite
difficult to follow and there are some punctuation errors that cause confusion. The structures are fairly
simple and efforts to produce more complex sentences are not successful.”

Model answer 3
According to this graph, the number of men and women in farther education in Britain shows that
following pattern.
In the case of male, the number of male has declined slightly from about 100 thousands in 1970/71 to
about 850 thousands in 1990/91. However, this figure rose back to about 850 thousands in 1990/91 from
about 820 thousands in 1980/81. The proportion of full-time education has declined during this period.
However, the proportion of part-time education has increased dramatically.
On the other hand, in the case of female, the number of both full-time education and part-time education
has increased during the period.
From about 700 thousands in 1970/71, these figures rose to about 820 thousands in 1980/81, to about
1100 thousands in 1990/91.
In terms of full-time education, this figure rose by about 260 to about 900 in 1990/91.
On the other hand, with respect to part-time education, this figure rose dramatically between 1980/81 and
1970/71. However this figure rose slightly between 1980/81 and 1990/91.
(165 words)

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EXAMINER’S EXPLANATION
Band 6

“The candidate has made a good attempt to describe the graphs looking at global trends and more
detailed figures. There is, however, some information missing and the information is inaccurate in minor
areas. The answer flows quite smoothly although connectives are overused or inappropriate, and some of
the points do not link up well. The grammatical accuracy is quite good and the language used to describe
the trends is well-handled. However, there are problems with expression and the appropriate choice of
words and whilst there is good structural control, the complexity and variation in the sentences are
limited.”
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The chart below shows the proportions of the world’s oil resources held in different areas,
together with the proportions consumed annually in the same areas.

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

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Model answer
The charts shows the oil resources held, together with the proportions consumed within the same area
each year, in different areas of the world.

It is obvious that the region holding the most oil resources is the Middle East, with 56.52%, over a half of
total world oil resources while in the United States and Asia, the level of oil consumed each year is for
more away from the oil resources they hold. The percentage of total world oil consumption of United
States and Asia are 25.48% and 26.21% respectively. They are the highest oil consumption region in the
world.

Another place that is worth mentioned will be the Western Europe. With about twenty percent of total
world oil consumption, the Western Europe merely holds less than 1.5% of the oil resources in the World.

Regions that are not mentioned above have the close percentage between oil holding and consuming
whereas Canada has the highest level of oil holding than consuming, the respective figures are 14.84%
and 2.48%.

Overall, the charts suggest that Middle East is the only majority at oil resources held, while Asia, United
States and western have the highest level at oil resources imported.
(197 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The chart shows the division of household tasks by gender in Great Britain.

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

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 Source: Office for National Statistics on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

Study these three sentences and then write three similar sentences about other parts of the
chart.
1) Women spend over twice as much time doing kitchen tasks as men.
2) Men spend 30 minutes a day doing kitchen tasks whereas / while women spend 74 minutes a day.
3) Women are more active in the kitchen than men (74 minutes a day for women as opposed to 30
minutes for men).

Sample Report
Look at the following sample answer to the writing task. Write a word in each space.
The chart shows the average number of minutes per day men and women in Great Britain spend on jobs
around the house.

In total, men spend just over two-and-a-half hours on household tasks whereas women spend
slightly less than four hours. Women spend more than twice as much time doing kitchen tasks such as
cooking and washing up as men (74 minutes for women as opposed to 30 minutes for men. Women are
also more active in cleaning the house- it takes 58 minutes of their day compared to / with 13 minutes for
men - and childcare, where women put in more than twice as much time as men.

On the other hand, men are more active in gardening and pet care, where they spend twice as longas
women, and maintenance and DIY, on which they spend 15 minutes more than women. Women account

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for almost all the time spent on washing and ironing clothes. This takes them 25 minutes,while /
whereas men spend just 2 minutes on this task.

Overall the figures show that women spend more time on routine domestic chores than men, while /
whereas men do more household maintenance, gardening and pet care.

Show Answers - Hide Answers

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The chart shows student expenditure over a three-year period in the United Kingdom.

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

Student expenditure (aged under 26 in higher education) United Kingdom*

Percentage of total expenditure

(1) includes non-essential consumer items and credit repayments

* Source: Student Income and Expenditure Survey. Department for Education and Employment.

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Study these three sentences and then write three similar sentences about other parts of the
chart.
1) During the period 1996 to 1999, student spent 3% less on accommodation, which fell from 23% to 20%
of total expenditure.
2) There was a 3% decrease in spending on accommodation, which fell from 23% to 20%.
3) Spending on accommodation went down by 3% from 23% to 20%.

Using prepositions
Complete the following sample report by putting a preposition in each space.
The chart shows the changes which took place in student spending in the United
Kingdomduring/over the three-year period from 1996 to 1999.

Students spent 3% less on accommodation, which fell from 23% to 20% of total expenditure, and there
was a 2% decrease in spending on food, bills and household goods, which fell from 20% to 18%. At the
same time course expenditure went down by 3% from 10% to 7%. Children, who constituted
1% of students' expenditure in 1996, are not represented in 1999.

On the other hand, there was a 5% growth in spending on entertainment, which stood at 26% of total
expenditure in 1996 but rose to 31% in 1999. Spending on other non-essential items and credit
repayments grew by 4% to make up 16% of total expenditure. Spending on essential travel went
upby 3% while non-essential travel underwent a 1% fall.

Overall, with the exception of expenditure on travel, the most significant general change was a
shiftfrom/in spending on essential items to spending on non-essential items.

Show Answers - Hide Answers

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The bar chart shows the number of overseas students enrolled in a third year Computer Science
course at a Canadian college.
Summarise the information by selecting and report in the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.
Write at least 150 words

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model answer:
According to the bar chart, students from four Asian countries (China, Singapore, Malaysia and
Sri Lanka) and one European country (France) are taking Computer Science at the collage.
Some students are enrolled in the Database core option; the others are taking Networking.
Overall, the China has the largest number of enrolled students (17) and France has the smallest
(5). Singapore and Sri Lanka both have 12 students; Malaysia has 11. It is noticeable that
Singapore and Sri Lanka have similar profiles.
Students from all five countries are enrolled in Database, but more males are taking this option
than females (21 and 9 respectively). For each nationality, the males taking Database
outnumber the females, except in the case of French students with 3 females to only 1 male.
The China has the most students studying Database (9); Sri Lanka is next with 7, while
Singapore has 6. Malaysia and France have 4 Database students each.
As for Networking option, more females than males are enrolled from every country except
France. In fact, no female French students are taking Networking. Only 1 male from each
country is enrolled in Networking, except for 2 males from Sri Lanka.
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The bar chart below shows the percentage participation of men in senior development in three
companies between 1980 and the year 2010.
Summarise the information by selecting and report in the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.
Write at least 150 words

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model answer:
The bar chart shows the percentage of men in senior development position in three companies
from 1980 to 2010.
While more men were in senior positions at Apple than other two companies in 1980 at 15%,
the trend was fairly erratic with a 2% drop to 13% in 1985, followed by a rise of 1% five years
later. In 1995, men held 7% more top development jobs than in 1990. After a slight drop back to
19% in 2000, by 2010 25% of top posts were filled by men.
By contrast, at IBM men fared much better. In 1980, 2% of senior posts were occupied by men
with no change five years on. By 1990, the figure had increased to 13%, doubling to 26 per cent
in 1995. Five years afterwards, there was a 6% increase in male senior development jobs with a
near twofold jump in 2010 to stand at 63%, the highest for the three companies.
The situation was less remarkable at Microsoft than the other two firms except for the year
2010. In 1980, the percentage of senior posts held by men was 8% climbing at the rate of 2% in
each subsequent period until 2000, after which it leapt to 45%. From the data, it is clear that
men dominated senior posts at IBM by 2010.
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graph below presents the employment patterns in the USA between 1930 and 2010.
Summarise the information by selecting and report in the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.
Write at least 150 words

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model answer:
In 1930, 75% of the labour force in the USA was employed in farming, fishing and foresting
while only 10% worked in sales and office and trade. At the same time both the Industrial sector
and the technical sector constituted just 2% of the workforce each. This situation changed only
very gradually over the next 20 years, except for the technical workforce, which increased more
than threefold.
However by 1980 there had been a significant change in the pattern of employment. While the
farming, fishing and foresting employees had declined in number to 40% of the workforce,
Industrial employees as well as technical had increased their share to 13% and 10%
respectively.
Similarly the sales and office sectors did not increase until 1980. The most dramatic change
could be seen by 2000, when the proportion of farming, fishing and foresting works reduced to
just 10% while the three other major sectors had all increased to over 20% of the workforce.
(160 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The diagram below shows the number of houses built per year in two cities, Derby and
Nottingham, Between 2000 and 2009.
Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.
Write at least 150 words.

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model answer:
The bar chart describes the number of houses built in two neighboring cities, Derby and
Nottingham, Between 2000 and 2009.
Overall, the number of houses that were erected in Derby exceeded upwards the quantity
constructed in Nottingham. The trend for the former was decidedly upwards, with Derby
experiencing a steady rise from 40 new houses in the first year, to just under 120 during the
2003. Over the next 4 years of decade, new houses construction in Derby remained constant at
just under 120. This is in sharp contrast to the last two years when the number of houses that
went up in Derby leapt, first to 280 and then to 350 houses.
Houses building in Nottingham, by comparison, was much more erratic. In the first two years of
the decade, more houses were erected in Nottingham than in Derby. In 2002, however,
construction declined to only 20. Over the next three years, houses numbers rose steadily, only
to drop practically to zero in 2006. There was then a dramatic surge in 2007 with over 200
houses being built. While in 2008 saw house building in Nottingham plummeting to only 10, in
2009 the number of new houses rocketed to 270, a rise of more than 2600 % on the previous
year.
(212 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting description of the correlation of the table
that follow.
Write at least 150 words.

Alcohol-Related Deaths 2005 beers consumption

per capita, 2002
Total Male Female (litres)

Lithuania 125,000 112,000 13,000 91

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Ireland 582,000 413,000 169,000 104
Czech Republic 1,369,000 900,000 469,000 132
Canada 580,000 505,000 75,000 86
Estonia 383,000 332,000 51,000 98
Germany 1,185,000 986,000 200,000 107
Austria 913,000 783,000 130,000 106
model answer:
There is a clear correlation between the litres of beer consumed per capita and number of
alcohol related deaths. The table shows that the greatest beer consumption in 2002 was to be
found in Czech Republic, Germany and Austria, and that each of these regions also had by far
the largest litres of alcohol related deaths in 2005. Czech Republic, with the greatest beer
consumption per litre, namely over hundred and thirty for 2002, also experienced well over one
million litres alcohol-related deaths by 2005. The region with the second highest beer
consumption was Germany, with nearly 107 litres, and it also recorded the second highest
number of alcohol-related deaths, namely 1.185 million.
In all regions except Canada it can be seen that the higher beer consumption, the higher the
alcohol-related mortality rate. It is interesting that in Canada, with the lowest level of beer
consumption, at 86 per capita, the mortality rate was the high as in Ireland, namely 0.58 million,
although in the latter the consumption level was high. Clearly other health or economic factors
must be involved. It is also interesting to note that in each case the number of female death was
significantly lower than that of males, which seems to be a reflection of the fact that in general
far fewer women than men drink.
(220 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The line graph shows Paris Metro station passengers. Summarise the information by selecting and
report in the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words

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model answer:
The line-graph indicates the number of people using a metro station in Paris over a given day of
year.
The number of passengers rises sharply in the morning reaching a peak of 400 at 8 am. After
the morning peak there is a steady drop to 300 at 9 am and less than 200 at 10 am. Between 10
am and 11 am there is a slight increase. The number plateaus just below 300 between 12 noon
and 2 pm. In the afternoon, there is a decline in the number of citizens using the station to just
80 at 4 pm. The evening brings a huge increase from 200 at 5 pm to almost 400 at 6 pm. The
number of passengers tapers off slightly after 6 pm, but falls quickly to 120 by 8 pm. After a
small rise at 9 pm, the number tails off to 120 at 10 pm.
All in all, the time series show that the greatest number of passengers gather in the station early
in the morning and also early in the evening.
(178 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The bar chart shows the number of visitors to three London Museums between 2007 and 2012.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.
Write at least 150 words

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model answer:
The bar chart illustrates information about how many people per year visited three London
museums over six-year period from 2007 to 2012.
Overall, what stands out from the graph is there was gradual upward trend in the number of
visitors of the National Gallery, which became the most popular museum from being at last
place, while the Victoria and Albert Museum followed the opposite trend. In detail, in the first two
years of the period, the number of visitors of Victoria and Albert Museum remained stable at
13.5 million, and then fell to 9 million in 2010, while that of British Museum, dropped significantly
by 50%, from 12 million to 6 million and remained at this level in 2009.
However, there was gradual upward trend in the number of visitors of both British Museum and
Victoria and Albert from 2010 to 2012, the former number doubled and the latter rose by more
than 50%, finishing at 14.5 and 40 million respectively. In addition, there was significant
increase of the number of visitors of National Gallery over the whole six-year period, the figure
finishing at almost 16 million.
(184 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The pie chart gives information on UAE government spending in 2000. The total budget was
AED 315 billion.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words

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model answer:
The graph tells us about the budget of the UAE government in 2000. In general, the most
important targets were social security, health, and education.
The biggest slice of the pie chart is taken up by social security including pensions, employment
assistance and other benefits which made up slightly under one-third of total expenditure.
Health and personal social services was the second highest budget cost. Hospital and medical
services accounted for AED 53 billion, or about 15% of the budget. Education cost UAE AED 38
billion which comprises almost 12% of the whole budget. The government spent about seven
percent of revenue on debt, and roughly similar amounts went towards defence (AED 22 billion)
and law and order (AED 17 billion).
Spending on housing, transport and industry totalled AED 37 billion. Finally, other expenditure
accounted for AED 23 billion.
All in all, the bulk of UAE government spending goes on social welfare and health. However,
education, defence, and law and order are also major areas of spending.
(167 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

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The table below highlights data on the number of travelers using three major German airports
between 2007 and 2012.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Airport visitors, 2007-2012 (millions of travelers per year)

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Dusseldorf 27.2 36.4 48.2 37.1 33.2 45.6
Frankfurt 36.5 41.9 44.4 47.3 51.1 69.3
Berlin Tegel 17.3 26.6 39.9 43.3 43.3 43.3

model answer:
The table shows information about how many people visited Germany through three major
airports, over a five-year period, there was a fluctuant trend in the number of travelers who
travelled via Dusseldorf, while the other two airports saw an upward trend. Another interesting
point is that Frankfurt airport was the most popular at the end.
Looking at the detail, the number of passengers at Dusseldorf started at 27.2m in 2007, and
then increased remarkably to reach the highest point of 48.2m in 2009. In 2011, the figure
dipped to 33.2m. At the last year, there was a slight growth to 45.6m. On the other
hand, Frankfort began at 36.5m in 98, after that it rose remarkably for the next three years, at
47.3m. In 2012, Frankfort hit the peak point at 69.3m passengers.
However, if we look at Berlin Tegal airport, it started at the lowest point of 17.3m travelers in the
first year. After this point, the trend increased significantly to 43.3m passengers.
(165 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The bar chart below give information about five countries spending habits of shopping on
consumer goods in 2012. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features,
and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

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model answer:
The chart compares the spending habits of shoppers in five European countries on six
consumer products, namely console games, outdoor game accessories, cosmetics, books, toys
and camera. Overall, more money was spent on the latter two than on any other product.
It can be observed that in Britain, the highest amount of money was spent on camera (more
than 160 million pounds), while similar amounts were spent on console games and outdoor
game accessories. The Austrian spent the second highest amount of money on the first three
products while they stood last in the latter three. It is also revealed that Spanish spent more
money on toys than on any other product (a bit less than £150 million), but they also paid a lot
for camera. Finally, Belgian spent the least overall, having similar spending figures for all 6
products compared in the bar chart.
To sum up, the British were the biggest spenders in all six categories among the nations
compared in the bar chart while the lowest spending levels were attributed to the residents of
Belgium.
(178 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The pie charts below give information on the ages of the populations of Oman and Spain in 2005
anf projections for 2055.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.

Write at least 150 words

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model answer:
The pie charts show significant comparison of age groups in Oman and Spain. Initial statistics
are concerning 2005 and some predictions about the ages of the populations are made referring
to 2055.
It is apparent from the charts people who were under consisted half of the population of Oman
in 2005. 48% and a negligible 4% of Oman population were 15-59 and 60 and over respectively.
However, following a half century is assessed to bring staggering alteration of dominant
positions in Oman population. Proliferation from 48% to 57% can be cited as example which will
make 15 to 59 year old Oman people dominant in 2055.
However, in 2005, 62 percent of Spanish people were between 19 and 59. Predictions about
that status illustrate not significant alterations in the dominance of age groups.
Overall, it is important to note that, in 2055, proportion of people under 14 will slide away in both
countries. However, this trend will cause middle aged people to take over dominant position
solely in Oman.
(169 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

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The barchart below shows the total number of minutes (in billions) of telephone calls in Australia,
divided into three categories, from 2001- 2008.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.
Write at least 150 words

model answer:
The chart shows the time spent by Australian resident on different types of telephone calls
between 2001 and 2008.
Local fixed line calls were the highest throughout the period, rising from 72 billion minutes in
2001 to just under 90 billion in 2003. After peaking at 90 billion the following year, these calls
had fallen back to the 2001 figure by 2008.
National and international fixed line calls grew steadily from 38 billion to 61 billion at end of the
period in question, though the growth slowed over the last two years.
There was a dramatic increase in mobile calls from 2 billion to 46 billion minutes. This rise was
particularly noticeable between 2005 and 2008, during which time the use of mobile phones
tripled.
To sum up, although local fixed line calls were still most popular in 2008, the gap between the
three categories had narrowed considerably over the second half of the period in question.
(157 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagram shows the relationship between a numbers of different languages. Summarise the
information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words

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model answer:
The diagram shows the varieties of English spoken throughout the world and how they are
related.
There are two main branches of English: British English and American English. The British
English Branch is geographically wide-spread. It extends across several continents from the
West Indies, through the British Isles themselves, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, the Far East
and Australasia. In addition to the four varieties of English spoken in the British Isles (i.e. in
Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England), it includes a large number of other varieties, for instance
Jamaican English, South Africa English, and Australian English.
The American branch is largely restricted to the American continent. It comprises the varieties of
English spoken in the different region of the United States itself, as well as in Canada. Beyond
the continent, the extent of its influence is limited to the Philippines in the Far East and
American Samoa in the Pacific.
In brief, the diagram shows that, like the economic and political influence of the Anglo Saxon
countries, the reach of English has extended to virtually every region of the world.
(180 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The diagram below shows two different processes for manufacturing black tea.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

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Write at least 150 words
MANUFACTURING TEA

model answer:
The diagram shows the two processes for manufacturing black tea. The traditional way is used
for making loose tea and modern process is ideal for teabags.

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When collecting tea, the tea picker picks only the two top leaves and the bud of ensure a high
quality tea. Then, the tea leaves go through withering, where leaves are spread out and air is
passed through withering, where leaves are spread out and air is passed through them to
remove up to 60 per cent of their moisture.
After that, the leaves are ready for rolling or cutting. Factories use traditional methods of rolling
and crushing or faster modern methods of cutting, tearing and curling to make teabags. In both
processes, natural enzymes are produced from the leaves. The next step is oxidation, where
the enzymes from the leaves mix with the air. This changes the colour of the leaves from green
to copper and creates a nice flavour and aroma. Finally, the leaves are fired and dried. By this
stage, little moisture remains in the tea-just three per cent.
(178 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The pie graphs show the nutritional consistency of two dinners.
Write a report to a university lecturer describing the data.
Write at least 150 words

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model answer:
The graphs compare the proportion of various nutritional compounds contained in two different
foods; macaroni and medium baked potato.
In general, there are a larger percentage of carbohydrates and saturated fats in macaroni than
in medium baked potato. In contrast, medium baked potato has a much higher amount of
protein and glucose.
In particular, macaroni mainly consists of large amounts of carbohydrate and saturated fats.
Carbohydrates take up slightly more than a half, 52%, while a little less than a quarter is made
up of saturated fats. The other nutrients show relatively lower proportions.
On the other hand, medium baked potato is mostly comprised of carbohydrates and protein.
The amount of carbohydrates in the food is less than in macaroni, but they still take up the
greatest percentage of 35% in medium baked potato. Interestingly, this dinner cereal has a

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large amount of protein with 25%, which is very different from macaroni. The other types of
nutrients do not show significant figures in the pie chart.
(166 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The flow chart below shows an automatic photo booth.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.
Write at least 150 words
Autumatic Photo Booth

model answer:
The flow chart shows the main feature of a coin-operated photo booth, which allows the user to
take large or passport-size self-portraits.

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Two buttons on the outside of the booth allow you to select the size of photo (large format or
passport size). If the large format setting is chosen, you will only receive one photo. Passport-
sized photos are issued in sets of four. Two buttons below these let you choose colour or black
and white, although you must choose colour for passport photos. There is also a slot on the
outside of the booth for the insertion of coins, and a larger slot where the photos are delivered.
Inside the booth, there is an adjustable seat to sit on. The seat should be adjusted so that your
eyes are level with the arrow on the screen. A mirror allows you to check your appearance
before the photos are taken.
The curtain in the doorway should be closed when the photos are taken. A light to the right of
the screen comes on, telling you to prepare. After this, the flash goes off after three seconds.
The photographs are delivered outside within sixty seconds.
(1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graphs indicate the source of complaints about the bank of America and the amount of time it
takes to have the complaints resolved.
Summarise the information by selecting and report in the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.
Write at least 150 words

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model answer:
The two graphs depict different information related to complaints within the bank of America.
The pie graph shows the sources of complaints, while the bar graph illustrates the average time
taken between investigation into complaints and final action taken.
In general, by far the highest number of complaints against the bank of America originated from
the public. The bar graph shows the average time period between investigation and action is
around 5 months.
63% of all complaints against the bank of America are lodged by the public. Of the remaining
37% of complaints, the figures can be grouped into percentages between 11 and 8%, which are
made up of government agencies, out-of-state agencies, and insurance companies. Then
interestingly, media and bank employee made up and equal figure, 3% in the chart.

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The bar graph shows that 2001 had the highest waiting time for complaints of medical
misconduct at 6 months. Although there is a significant drop from 6 months in 2001 to 5 months
in 2002, all previous and proceeding years display an average waiting period of 5 months.
Despite this, over time the average waiting period is decreasing.
(189 words)
93 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The table below gives information about changes in modes of travel in Netherland between 2001
and 2006.
Describe the information in the table and make comparisons where appropriate.
Write at least 150 words.
Average distance in miles travelled per person per year, by mode of travel

2001 2006
Walking 255 237
Bicycle 51 41
Car 3199 4806
Local bus 429 274
Local distance bus 54 124
Train 239 366
Taxi 13 42
Other 450 585
All modes 4740 6475
model answer:
The chart illustrates average distance travelled by various modes of transport in Netherland in
2001 and 2006. The figures are given in miles and to show how people’s preference changed
over time.
In general, people in Netherland travelled more in the year 2006 than in 2001. Cars showed
unparalleled figures among the given categories. Except walking, using bicycles and taking local
buses, most of the categories showed overall increases in the distance travelled.
In detail, a person driving his own car travelled 3,199 miles on average in 2001, and the
average distance showed a moderate rise to 4,806 miles in 2006. Apart from cars, taking trains,
using long distance buses and taxis also experienced an overall growth in their figures from 289
miles to 366, from 54 miles to 124, and from 13 miles to 42 respectively in the order named.
On the other hand, walking and rising bicycles were not more favored by Dutch people. Both
categories showed a moderate decline in their figures. Meanwhile, the number of people who
used local buses must have dropped significantly as the average distance experienced a
dramatic fall from 429 miles in 2001 to 274 miles in 2006.

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(195 words)
The graphs show figures relating to hours worked and stress levels amongst professionals in eight
groups.
Describe the information shown to a university or collage lecturer.
Write at least 150 words

model answer:
Two graphs give different information related to eight professional groups. The bar chart
indicates the number of weekly work hours done by the groups while the pie graph illustrates
the percentages of people suffering from stress related illness in the different professions given.
In general, business men work the longest among the eight groups while the smallest amount of
time is normally worked by lecturers. According to the pie chart, lecturers struggle the most with

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work-related stress. Although their average working hours is smaller than any other group in the
chart, lecturers suffer from the highest level of stress caused by their job.
The bar graph shows that business men and movie producers work the most at about 70 hours
and 62 hours per week respectively. At the opposite end of the scale, lecturers work only
around 25 hours. Working hours of other professionals varied with doctors, writers,
programmers, lawyers and chefs working approximately 52, 46, 35 and 32 hours per week in
the name ordered.
The pie graph shows that the professional who has the highest incidence of stress related
illnesses is lecturers at 25%. Movie producers and doctors also have high rates with 18% and
15% each. The figures for business men, lawyers, chefs and writers can be grouped into
percentages between 11 and 8%. The lowest rate of stress illness is attributed to programmers
at only 5%, which is only a fifth the figure for lecturers.
(239 words)
The bar graph indicates sales figures for reading materials from 2002 to 2012.
Write a report to a university lecturer describing the information shown below.
Write at least 150 words

model answer:
The graph shows the changes in the sales of four different types of publications for a decade
since 2002.
In general, all the given categorise except hobbies book showed a rising trend in the sales over
the period. The sales of history books were the highest while those of art books were the lowest.
In particular, the sales of the biggest sellers, history books, experienced an overall growth
during the period. The sales were around 4500 copies in 2002, and then reached a peak of

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10000 in 2008. Although the figure dropped slightly after then, history books remained the
greatest sellers with around 9000 copies sold in 2012.
The sales of art books and entertainment books showed a similar pattern of a steady growth.
The figure for art books increased slowly from around 1500 copies in 2002 to just under 4000 in
2012 while that for entertainment books went through a moderate rise from approximately 1300
copies in 2002 to 3000 in 2012.
On the other hand, the last category, hobbies book, did not show an upward trend. The sales of
hobbies book showed the lowest sales figures, and the figure generally remained constant at
between 500 and 700 copies.
(199 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The bar charts below give information about the railway system in six cities in Europe.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

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model answer:
The bar charts illustrate comparable information related to railway systems in six capital cities in
Europe; Paris, Stockholm, Lisbon, Rome, Madrid and Berlin.
In general, railway systems in different cities vary in terms of the start dates of each system, the
sizes, and the numbers of passengers using the systems in a year.
As far as the ages are concerned, Paris has the oldest railway system among the six cities. It
was opened in the year 1863, which is incomparable to the other cities. On the other
hand, Berlin has the newest railway system which was opened in Europe 2001.
In terms of the sizes, Paris, for certain, has the longest route, 394km, which is nearly twice the
figure for Stockholm. Madrid, in contrast, has the shortest route in its railway system, only 28km.

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When it comes to the numbers of people using the railway system in each, Lisbon shows the
largest number of 1927 million passengers in a year while Madrid serves the smallest number of
railway users, 45 millions.
(170 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The pie chart below shows the proportion of different categories of families living in poverty in UK
in 2002.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Proportion of people from each household type living in poverty

model answer:
The pie chart examines the different type of families who were living in poor conditions in UK in
the year 2002.
As an overall trend, 14% of the entire households in UK at that time were in conditions of
poverty. In general, single people struggled more than couples.
In particular, as far as people with children are concerned, sole parents showed the highest
percentage of 26% among all the given categories while couples with children accounted for a
relatively smaller percentage of 15%.
When it comes to people with no children, single people made up a large percentage of 24%,
which is almost the same figure for single people with children. On the other hand, only 9% of
the couples without any children suffered from poverty in
2002. In terms of aged people, singles had a slightly higher percentage than couples. Only 7%
and 5% of the aged population had hardships in their living circumstances.

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(155 words)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graphs show changes in spending habits of people in UK between 1971 and 2001.
Write a report to a university lecturer describing the data.
Write at least 150 words

model answer:
The pie charts show changes in UK spending patterns between 1971 and 30 years later, 2001.
As an overall trend, increased amounts of money spent on cars, computers and eating out were
made up for by drops in expenditure on food and books.
In detail, food and car made up the two biggest item of expenditure in both years. Together they
comprised over half of household spending in the UK. Food accounted for 44% of spending in
1971, but this dropped by two thirds to 14% in 2001. However, the outlay on cars doubled, rising
from 22% in 1971 to 43% in 2001.
Other areas changed significantly. Spending on eating out doubled, climbing from 7% to 14%.
The proportion of salary spent on computers increased dramatically, up from 2% in 1971 to 12%
in 2001. However, as computer expenditure rose, the percentage of outlay on books plunged
from 6% to 1%.
(151 words)

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