IELTS Academic Task 1: How to Describe a Bar Chart

Compare quantities across categories; group similar bars and highlight the largest and smallest.

Structure

1. Introduction — paraphrase what the visual shows.
2. Overview — the 2–3 biggest features or trends (essential for Band 7+).
3. Detail paragraph 1 — describe and compare the main data with figures.
4. Detail paragraph 2 — cover the rest.

Useful language

• the highest / lowest figure
• twice as many as / half of
• considerably more than
• roughly the same as