Academic Writing Task 1 · bar chart

Percentage of Australian adults not participating in physical activity by age and gender: 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 below shows the percentage of adults according to age and gender who do not do any physical activity in Australia.

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

Percentage of adults who do not do any physical activity in Australia by age and gender (%)
02040608010015-2425-3435-4445-5455-6465-7475+
  • Males
  • Females
View the data
15-2425-3435-4445-5455-6465-7475+
Males14172731432743
Females18222725373056

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 proportion of Australian adults who engage in no physical activity, categorised by age group and gender. Overall, it is evident that inactivity levels tend to rise as individuals get older, although there are notable fluctuations, particularly among males.

For the younger age groups, inactivity is relatively low. Among those aged 15-24, 14% of males and 18% of females report no physical activity. These figures rise steadily to 27% for both genders in the 35-44 age bracket. Interestingly, the trend diverges thereafter; male inactivity peaks at 43% in the 55-64 age group, whereas female inactivity reaches 37% in the same category.

In the 65-74 age group, there is a marked decline in inactivity for males to 27%, while female inactivity rises slightly to 30%. However, the most significant disparity occurs in the 75+ category. While male inactivity returns to 43%, the figure for females surges to 56%, representing the highest level of inactivity recorded across all groups. Conversely, the 45-54 age group shows a higher proportion of inactive males (31%) compared to females (25%), highlighting the inconsistent nature of inactivity trends between the sexes.

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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.
  • proportion

    a part or share of a total amount

  • categorised

    placed into specific groups based on shared characteristics

  • fluctuations

    irregular rising and falling in number or amount

  • diverges

    develops in a different direction from a point

  • disparity

    a great difference between two or more things

  • surges

    a sudden powerful forward or upward movement

Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?+

Overall, physical inactivity generally increases with age for both genders, with women aged 75 and over being the least active group.

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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