IELTS Writing Task 1 · Academic

Bar chart: household spending by category, 2005 and 2025

A real-format chart task with a band 8 report written from its data, the plan behind it, and the phrases worth keeping. Aim for 150 to 190 words in 20 minutes.

The task

The chart below shows average monthly household spending in one country in 2005 and 2025, by category. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Average monthly household spending (US$)	Housing	Food	Transport	Internet & phone	Entertainment
2005	520	410	260	60	150
2025	890	470	310	190	240

Band 8 model answer

183 words. The minimum is 150, and anything under it is penalised on Task Achievement; a strong answer sits between 150 and 190, which leaves time to check the figures.

The bar chart compares average monthly household spending, in US dollars, across five categories in one country in 2005 and 2025. Overall, spending rose in every category over the two decades. Housing remained by far the largest expense, while internet and phone costs showed the sharpest proportional increase. Housing was the dominant cost in both years, climbing from $520 a month in 2005 to $890 in 2025, a rise of roughly 70 percent. Food was the second-largest category, although its growth was modest, from $410 to $470. Transport followed a similar pattern, increasing from $260 to $310 over the period. The most striking change was in internet and phone spending, which more than tripled from just $60 to $190, moving it from the smallest category to fourth place. Entertainment also grew considerably, from $150 to $240, so that by 2025 it still exceeded internet and phone costs, but only narrowly. Taken together, the figures show that while essentials such as housing still absorb most of a household's budget, spending on connectivity and leisure has grown far faster than spending on food or transport.

Why this answer earns band 8

"Overall, spending rose in every category" gives the overview the examiner looks for first, and Task Achievement is capped at band 5 without one.
"a rise of roughly 70 percent" turns two figures into a comparison, which is what "make comparisons where relevant" rewards under Task Achievement.
"more than tripled from just $60 to $190" quotes the data precisely and interprets it in the same clause, the Lexical Resource habit that separates band 7 from band 8 on a chart.
"Transport followed a similar pattern" and "The most striking change" are cohesive devices that group the categories by behaviour rather than listing them in chart order, which is Coherence and Cohesion.
"so that by 2025 it still exceeded internet and phone costs, but only narrowly" is a complex sentence with a result clause and a concession, the range Grammatical Range and Accuracy asks for at band 8.

The plan, reusable on any chart of this kind

Introduction (1 sentence, 20-25 words): paraphrase the task. Say what the chart measures, the unit, the categories and the years.
Overview (2 sentences, 30-40 words): the two biggest truths, with no numbers: the general direction and the standout category.
Body 1 (60-70 words): the largest categories, with their figures and one comparison each.
Body 2 (60-70 words): the fastest movers and the smallest categories, then one sentence that groups the pattern.

Phrases worth learning

by far the largest expense	for the category that dominates a chart in every period
a rise of roughly 70 percent	to compare two figures without needing an exact calculation
more than tripled	for any figure that went from x to over 3x
followed a similar pattern	to group a second category with the first instead of repeating its numbers
Taken together, the figures show that	to open a closing sentence that interprets the whole chart

Every figure above is read directly from the chart, and that is the standard the real exam holds you to: an invented or misread number costs Task Achievement even when the English is perfect. Check each number against the chart before you write it.

Questions about this answer

What band is this model answer?

It is written to band 8, and the notes under it quote the answer's own words to show why.

How long should a Task 1 answer be?

Aim for 150 to 190 words in 20 minutes. This model answer is 183 words, and anything under 150 is penalised on Task Achievement.

What is the most common mistake on Task 1?

Writing under the 150 word minimum, which is penalised on Task Achievement, or running out of time to check the figures.