Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

Annual income of language-related professions across five international cities: IELTS Writing Task 1 sample answer

An IELTS Writing Task 1 bar chart question with a Band 8 sample answer, the chart redrawn with its data, the vocabulary that lifts the report and how to write about bar charts.
  • 188 words
  • Bar charts
  • Academic
  • 20 minutes

The question

The graph shows the annual income of languages-related jobs in US dollars in five cities.

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

Annual income of language-related jobs in five cities (US dollars)
020,00040,00060,00080,000100,000MexicoDubaiParisMunichToronto
  • Interpreter
  • Translator
  • Language Teacher
View the data
MexicoDubaiParisMunichToronto
Interpreter18,00060,00065,00075,00080,000
Translator19,00050,00065,00065,00065,000
Language Teacher19,00060,00045,00060,00065,000

Chart redrawn by BandLadder from the data in the original IELTS practice task. Many IELTS practice tasks come from the Cambridge IELTS series (Cambridge University Press & Assessment); all rights in the original tasks remain with their owners.

Model answer

Band 8 sample answer

Band 8188 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

The bar chart illustrates the annual income in US dollars for interpreters, translators, and language teachers across five distinct cities: Mexico, Dubai, Paris, Munich, and Toronto. Overall, it is evident that Toronto and Munich generally offer the most competitive salaries for these roles, whereas Mexico remains the least lucrative location for language professionals.

In Mexico, the annual income for all three roles is remarkably low, hovering between 18,000 and 19,000 dollars. Conversely, Toronto reports the highest salary for interpreters at 80,000 dollars, while translators and language teachers earn 65,000 dollars each. Munich follows a similar trend, with interpreters earning 75,000 dollars, followed by translators at 65,000 dollars and language teachers at 60,000 dollars.

In Dubai and Paris, the salary structures differ. Dubai offers 60,000 dollars for both interpreters and language teachers, while translators earn 50,000 dollars. Paris shows an equal salary of 65,000 dollars for both interpreters and translators, which is the highest for these roles in the city, while language teachers earn significantly less at 45,000 dollars. Overall, the data highlights a clear disparity in earnings based on both the specific language profession and the geographical location.

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Bar charts

How to write about bar charts: tips and vocabulary

  • →Compare the biggest and smallest bars before anything else.
  • →If the bars show years, describe change; if they show places, describe rank.
  • →Round sensibly and say 'just over' or 'nearly' rather than guessing decimals.
  • lucrative

    producing a great deal of profit or money

  • remuneration

    money paid for work or a service

  • disparity

    a great difference between two or more things

  • conversely

    introducing a statement that reverses a previous one

  • hovering

    remaining at or near a particular level

  • illustrates

    explains or makes something clear by using examples

Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?+

While Toronto and Munich offer the highest salaries for interpreters, Mexico consistently provides the lowest remuneration across all three language-related professions.

How many words and how long for IELTS Writing Task 1?+

At least 150 words; 170 to 200 is the safe range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

How is IELTS Writing Task 1 scored?+

On four criteria: task achievement, coherence and cohesion, vocabulary, and grammatical range and accuracy. A clear overview of the main features is what most separates Band 6 from Band 7 and above.

How do I describe bar charts?+

Compare the biggest and smallest bars before anything else. If the bars show years, describe change; if they show places, describe rank. Round sensibly and say 'just over' or 'nearly' rather than guessing decimals.

Keep practising

More bar charts

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