Pie Chart and Bar Chart for IELTS Writing Task 1

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It is possible to be given two charts together in IELTS writing task 1. Below you will see two pie charts followed by a bar chart. This exercise will focus on how to structure your report and how to highlight the key features of both charts in one overview.

The charts below show the males and females arrested over 5 years and the reasons for the most recent arrests.

two IELTS charts

Source: The above charts were not created by IELTS Liz.

Two Charts: Structure and Overview

Answer the questions below in order to decide your paragraphing for your task 1 report.

  1. Will you put the introduction separately?
  2. Will you have an overview or conclusion?
  3. How many body paragraphs will you have?
  4. What order will you put your paragraphs in?
  5. Will your body paragraphs be equal lengths?
Answers
  1. Yes, the introduction should go in a separate paragraph.
  2. You must have an overview not a conclusion. The overview can go after the introduction.
  3. You should have 4 paragraphs in total.
  4. You should have an introduction, an overview, one body paragraph for the pie chart detail and one body paragraph for the bar chart detail.
  5. The body paragraph with pie chart detail will be shorter than the body paragraph with details about the bar chart

 

Now write your overview. this paragraph must contain key features from both charts. This means you must write one sentence about the key features of the pie charts and one sentence for the key features of the other chart. After you have written your overview, check the sample overview. Model Overview

Overall, over the five year period finishing in 1994, there were significantly more males arrested than females. The majority of arrests were due to public drinking while no answer was given for the least number of arrests for both genders.

 

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Introduction and Overview for an IELTS Bar Chart

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An introduction and overview for an IELTS chart is given below. The introduction is the easiest paragraph to write and the overview is the most important paragraph in your report. Look at the sample paragraphs below for the IELTS chart given and fill in the gaps. This lesson will help you understand introduction and overview content as well as improve your language skills.

The chart below shows the average monthly expenditure by British households in three years.

ielts chart

Introduction and Overview for an IELTS Chart

Fill in the gaps with no more than two words in order to complete the introduction and overview for the above chart. Remember this is about paraphrasing and ensuring information is stated correctly.

Introduction

The (1) ……………………… illustrates the typical (2)  ……………………….. of money spent each month on utility bills, transport, rent, entertainment (3) …………..groceries by households in Britain in three years (1990, 2000 and 2010). Units are (4) …………………. in pounds sterling.

Overview

(5) …………………., the largest expenditure by far was on rent in all three years, (6)  ………………. the least amount of money spent was on utility bills and entertainment. Although there was a significant (7)  …………………. in spending on rent, transport and utility bills, there was little change in the amount spent on the two other items.

Answers & Full Model
  1. chart / bar chart
  2. amount
  3. and
  4. measured
  5. Overall (this is the most appropriate linker to use)
  6. whereas / while
    1. it is not possible to use “in comparison to” or any similar linker due to the grammar structure of the sentence. To use “in comparison to” the sentence must read “…the largest expenditure was on rent in comparison to the least amount of money spent which was on …”
  7. increase / rise / growth

Here is a full model answer with an alternative introduction:

The bar chart illustrates how much money households in Britain spent in an average month on utility bills, transport, rent, entertainment and groceries in 1990, 2000 and 2010. Units are measured in pounds sterling.

Overall, the largest expenditure by far was on rent, whereas the least amount of money spent was on utility bills and entertainment. Although there was a significant rise in spending on rent, transport and utility bills, there was little change in the amount spent on the two other items.

Expenditure on rent increased from around £450 per month in 1990 to £600 by 2010. Likewise, money spent on transport and utility bills climbed by almost £100 to about £250 and £150 respectively.

On the other hand, the typical amount of money spent on groceries in the UK barely changed, remaining at just over £300 over the three year period. The money spent on entertainment showed marginal change dropping only by approximately £10 to £100 in the final year.

Tips & Vocab
Paraphrases:

  • shows = illustrates
  • the average monthly = in a typical month
  • expenditure = amount of money spent / how much money was spent

As you can see paraphrases are minimal. Instead of lots of unnecessary paraphrases, alter the structure of the sentence to showcase your language skills. Over paraphrasing can lead to unnecessary errors which can lower your score.

Tips:

  • Either state how many categories there are or list each category in the introduction.
  • Always give dates in the introduction.
  • Give the units if necessary as a final sentence in the introduction.
  • Put key features together in the overview.
  • The overview is usually a separate paragraph which starts with the linking word “Overall”. This helps the examiner locate the overview quickly which is considered a good aspect of report writing.
  • This IELTS chart is considered a simple chart and all students aiming for band score 6 and above should be able to write this report without many errors.
  • See the recommended links below to help you further.

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IELTS Diagram: Introduction and Overview

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For an IELTS diagram, you need an introduction and overall paragraph containing the main features of the diagram or process in your report. The overview is one of the most important parts of your report and a full overview is essential for a high band score.

The diagram below is of the life cycle of a frog. Life cycles and other cycles, such as the water cycle, are quite common diagrams to get in IELTS writing task 1. The other common type is a process which shows how something is made or how it works.

Introduction and Overview for IELTS Bar Chart

Introduction Paragraph

The introduction paragraph for most diagrams in IELTS is short. Don’t try to make it longer. All you need to do is paraphrase the description given above the diagram.

Overview Paragraph

This is the most important paragraph is all writing task 1 (academic). This means you should aim to have a full overview with stages well summarised. This isn’t just about the number of stages, but an overview of what the main stages are. And yes, you can use the words given in the diagram. The words are given for you to use.

Model Answer Click Below:

Model Introduction and Overview

Introduction Options

  • The diagram illustrates the stages in a frog’s life time.
  • The diagram illustrates the different stages in the life of a frog.
  • The diagram illustrates the phrases that a frog passes through during its life time.

Overview Paragraph

  • Overall, a frog passes through eight stages which start with adult frogs mating and eggs laid in the water from which tadpoles emerge. Tadpoles pass through a number of stages before becoming a froglet, a young frog and finally an adult frog, starting the life cycle again.

Note: this overview is complete. It gives a full summary of the key stages without going into detail. All the detail is then given in the body paragraphs.

Full Model Answer

The diagram illustrates the developmental phases that a frog passes through during its life time.

Overall, a frog passes through eight stages which start with adult frogs mating and eggs laid in the water from which tadpoles emerge. Tadpoles pass through three stages before becoming a froglet, a young frog and finally an adult frog, starting the life cycle again.

Initially, adult frogs mate and then the female frog lays eggs in the water, which are called frogspawn. Seven to ten days later, tadpoles emerge from the eggs which can swim and eat algae for food. Six weeks later, the tadpole grows and develop back legs. This development continues and nine weeks later it develops front legs. Its head and body also becomes more pronounced.

Twelve weeks after the tadpole stages, it becomes a froglet  which resembles a small frog. However, it still has a tail, although shorter than that of a tadpole. At this stage, it also develops pulmonary breathing which enables it to leave the water and breathe air on land. Over time, the froglet becomes a young frog and eventually, four years later, it is an adult frog ready to start the life cycle again.

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