IELTS Writing Task 1 · Academic

Bar chart: monthly rainfall in two cities

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 the average rainfall in two cities in six months of the year. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Average monthly rainfall (mm)	Jan	Mar	May	Jul	Sep	Nov
Westport	78	62	48	35	55	80
Eastbrook	25	40	65	88	52	30

Band 8 model answer

195 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 rainfall, in millimetres, in Westport and Eastbrook in January, March, May, July, September and November. Overall, the two cities show opposite seasonal patterns. Westport is wettest at the start and end of the year and driest in the middle, whereas Eastbrook receives most of its rain in the middle months. Westport's rainfall fell steadily from 78 mm in January to a low of 35 mm in July, before climbing again to 55 mm in September and reaching its maximum of 80 mm in November. Eastbrook moved in the reverse direction. It began the year with only 25 mm, the lowest figure of either city, and rose through 40 mm in March and 65 mm in May to a peak of 88 mm in July. The cities therefore swapped places. Westport was wetter than Eastbrook in January and March by margins of 53 mm and 22 mm, but Eastbrook overtook it in May and July, when it received 17 mm and 53 mm more. By September the two were almost level, at 55 mm and 52 mm, and in November Westport was again clearly wetter, with 80 mm against 30 mm.

Why this answer earns band 8

"the two cities show opposite seasonal patterns" is a one-clause overview that describes how the series relate to each other, the feature a two-series chart is usually testing under Task Achievement.
"Eastbrook moved in the reverse direction." lets the second city be described by its relation to the first, so the paragraph reads as one story, which is Coherence and Cohesion.
"the lowest figure of either city" picks out the extreme across both series, not just within one, which is the Task Achievement habit of selecting the key features.
"by margins of 53 mm and 22 mm" gives two differences in one parallel phrase, and both are correct (78 less 25, 62 less 40), showing Grammatical Range and Accuracy under pressure.
"By September the two were almost level" uses a measured expression for a gap of just 3 mm instead of claiming the cities were equal, a Lexical Resource choice that keeps the claim true.

The plan, reusable on any chart of this kind

Introduction (1 sentence, 15-25 words): the measure, the unit, the two cities and the six months.
Overview (2 sentences, 30-40 words): the opposite seasonal shape of the two cities. No numbers.
Body 1 (70-80 words): one city's journey from the first month to the last, then the other city's reverse journey.
Body 2 (60-70 words): month by month, who was wetter and by how much, including the crossover and the near tie.

Phrases worth learning

opposite seasonal patterns	for two series whose highs and lows fall in different months
moved in the reverse direction	to describe the second series by reference to the first
swapped places	for a crossover between two series
almost level	for two values within a few units of each other
by margins of	to report two or more differences in one phrase

Only six months are shown, so the report describes those six and does not claim anything about the months between them, such as when exactly the cities swapped places. Quote the unit with the first figure, as here, and keep it consistent: millimetres throughout, never a mixture.

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 195 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.