Onterra TutorBar chart: visitors to two city museums, 2014 to 2024
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
| Annual visitors to two city museums (thousands) | 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2020 | 2022 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbour Museum | 310 | 330 | 355 | 120 | 290 | 360 |
| Castle Gallery | 210 | 205 | 195 | 70 | 160 | 175 |
Band 8 model answer
172 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.
Why this answer earns band 8
- "Both venues suffered a sharp fall in 2020 before recovering" finds the one feature the two series share and reports it in the overview, so the examiner sees the key trend before any figure, which Task Achievement requires.
- "whereas Castle's drifted down from 210,000 to 195,000" contrasts two trends in one sentence and picks a gentle verb for a gentle fall, the Lexical Resource skill of matching the word to the size of the change.
- "and Castle to 70,000" leaves out the repeated verb, an ellipsis that keeps the sentence short and shows control under Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
- "Recovery followed." is a short opening sentence that signals the shift in the story from the dip to the rebound, which is what Coherence and Cohesion means in practice for a time series.
- "which was still 35,000 below its 2014 level" compares the end of the period with the start, a calculated comparison that is correct (210,000 less 175,000), and that earns credit under Task Achievement.
The plan, reusable on any chart of this kind
- Introduction (1 sentence, 25-35 words): the measure, the unit, the two venues, the city and the span of years.
- Overview (2 sentences, 30-40 words): who was ahead throughout, the shared dip, and who finished above or below the starting level. No numbers.
- Body 1 (45-55 words): the years before the dip, one trend per venue, then the low point.
- Body 2 (50-60 words): the recovery for each venue, then one sentence comparing the two in the final year.
Phrases worth learning
| ended the period above its starting level | to compare the last value with the first without quoting both |
| reached their lowest point | for a dip that two series share |
| roughly a third of | to express a big fall as a fraction of the earlier figure |
| drifted down | for a slow, small fall in contrast to a steady rise |
| more than twice as many visitors as | to compare two final figures when one is a little over double |
The chart gives a value every second year, so the report only describes those points and never says what happened in the odd years between. It also never gives a reason for the 2020 dip, because the chart does not state one: explaining causes you cannot see is a common way to lose Task Achievement.
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 172 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.