Introduction
The IELTS bar graph is a common question type in the IELTS exam. They are also an easier chart to tackle. Follow the tips and strategies we have shared to ace them.
Source: Official IELTS website www.https://ielts.org
IELTS bar graph tips
Follow the essay structure
Follow the shared essay structure. constant practice will make it easier to attempt the essay questions and reduce the time taken to try these.
Structure
Introduction – paragraph 1
Overview – paragraph 2
First main feature – paragraph 3
Second main feature – paragraph 4
Stick to the word limit
If the task says you have to write a minimum of 150 words, ensure you write at least 150 words, but keep it within 200 words
IELTS bar graph strategy
Observe the data types on the axes
Observe the data types given on the X and Y axis of the bar graph.
The X-axis is the graph’s horizontal axis and the Y-axis is the vertical axis.
In the example above, you will see that the X-axis displays the years and the Y-axis shows the thousands of men and women in further education.
Analyze the Legend
Analyze the legend if any given with the graph. The legend is the key that helps to understand what data is represented on the graph. In the example above full-time education is displayed in black colour and part-time education is shown in grey colour.
Check the heading and labels
Check the headings and labels for any information about the graph.
Look for trends
Look for trends in the data plotted in the graph.
Compare the data
Compare the data in the graph this will enable you to identify if there is an increase or decrease in comparison to other data points or over a period of time.
Essay structure for IELTS bar graph
Follow the structure given below when writing the essay. It can be used as a template to plan your essay quickly.
Introduction – paragraph 1
Overview – paragraph 2
First main feature – paragraph 3
Second main feature – paragraph 4
Introduction – paragraph 1
The first part of the essay is the introduction to the essay. The introduction can be created by simply paraphrasing the question. Read the question and change it by using synonyms. You can also change the sentence structure but don’t copy and paste the exact sentence from the question.
Question: The chart below shows the number of men and women in further education in Britain in three periods and whether they were studying full-time or part-time.
Introduction: The bar graph displays the number of men and women studying full-time versus part-time in Britain during 1970/1, 1980/1 and 1990/1.
Overview – paragraph2
The second part of the essay is the overview. When writing the overview summarize the main points of the main features of the graph and make comparisons in the data.
Main feature 1 The number of both men and women students in full-time education has increased.
Main feature 2 The number of women in part-time education has increased progressively, whereas for men it has fluctuated.
Once you have identified the main features convert them into sentences.
The number of male and female students in full-time education increased over the years. Whereas for part-time education, the number of women students increased progressively, while the number of men fluctuated over the years.
First main feature – paragraph 3
The number of male and female students in full-time education increased over the years. The number of males in full-time education in Britain during 1970-71 was around 100,000, this number rose to little less than 200,000 in the year 1980-81; in the year 1990-91 it rose further to around 300,000. The number of females in full-time education was way lower than the males in 1970-71. However, females increased to around 300,000 by 1990-91.
Second main feature – paragraph 4
There were 1000,000 males in part-time education in 1970-71, which dropped to over 800,000 by 1980-81. and increased to around 900,000 by 1990-91. The number of women in part-time education increased steadily over the years. In 1970-71 this number was a little less than 800,000, but by 1990-91 this number had risen to over 1000,000.
Writing tasks require a lot of constant practice to master identifying the main points, planning, and ultimately writing the essay.
Complete Essay
The bar graph displays the number of men and women studying full-time versus part-time in Britain during 1970/1, 1980/1 and 1990/1.
The number of male and female students in full-time education increased over the years. Whereas for part-time education, the number of women students increased progressively, while the number of men fluctuated over the years.
The number of male and female students in full-time education increased over the years. The number of males in full-time education in Britain during 1970-71 was around 100,000, this rose to little less than 200,000 in the year 1980-81; in the year 1990-91 it rose further to around 300,000. The number of females in full-time education was way lower than the males in 1970-71. However, females increased to around 300,000 by 1990-91.
There were 1000,000 males in part-time education in 1970-71, which dropped to over 800,000 by 1980-81, and increased to around 900,000 by 1990-91. The number of women in part-time education increased steadily over the years. In 1970-71 this number was a little less than 800,000, but by 1990-91 this number had risen to over 1000,000.
Word count – 185 Words