General Information
- Respond to a bar chart, pie chart, line graph, table, map or flowchart
- Write at least 150 words
- Select and report on the main features
- For charts/graphs/tables, describe the data and compare it, reporting any significant results or trends that you notice
- For flowcharts, describe the process of how the thing works/is done
- Spend no more than 20 minutes on this task
Structure of the Essay
Paragraph 1: Opening (approximately 40-60 words)
Describe what the graph/chart/flowchart is showing or describing without copying the wording in the question.
Paragraph 2: Main Body (approximately 100-130 words)
Highlight the key information. Support points with examples or numbers from the data. There is no need to speculate or provide your own opinion on the data.
Paragraph 3: Conclusion (approximately 30-50 words)
Summarise the most important points from the data.
Sample Question: Table
The tables below give information about the sales of fair-trade chocolate and bananas in 2012 and 2017.
Summarise the information by deciding on and exploring its main features, and make any relevant comparison.
| Chocolate | 2012
(millions of pounds) |
2017
(millions of pounds) |
| England | 2.5 | 21 |
| Ireland | 4 | 8 |
| Scotland | 2.8 | 3 |
| Wales | 2 | 2.7 |
| Bananas | 2012
(millions of pounds) |
2017
(millions of pounds) |
| England | 9 | 36 |
| Ireland | 2.8 | 2 |
| Scotland | 1.6 | 3 |
| Wales | 3 | 1.9 |
Model Answer: Diagram
These two charts contain data for the sale of fair-trade chocolate and bananas in 2012 and 2017 in the United Kingdom. The table breaks down the number of sales, shown in millions of pounds, for England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
The first table shows chocolate sales increasing in all four countries between 2012 and 2017, albeit at widely varying degrees. Sales in Ireland doubled in five years. Growth in sales in Scotland and Wales was much slower, with an increase of just 0.2 and 0.7 million, respectively. Meanwhile, sales in England showed a dramatic incline, jumping from 2.5 to 21 million pounds in only five years.
The second table again presents varying results across the four nations. Once again, England is the top buyer of the product and also the country that represents the most significant increase, with sales moving from 9 to 36 million.
Although Scotland also demonstrated a rise in sales, it was far slower than England with an increase of just 1.4 million. In contrast, two countries – Ireland and Wales – showed a decline in banana sales. Interestingly, the sales of both fair-trade chocolate and bananas in Scotland in 2017 were identical at 3 million.
It is clear that, overall, the sales of fair trade products rose over the 5-year period depicted. The popularity of fair-trade products appears to be the highest in England out of the four countries, with huge increases in sales since 2012.
Key Words and Phrases
- These two charts contain data …
- The table breaks down…
- The first table shows…
- increasing / decreasing / increase / decrease
- … year period
- between … and …
- widely varying degrees / very different degrees / widely similar degrees
- slow increase / steady increase / dramatic / significant increase
- slow decline / steady decline / dramatic / significant decline
- respectively
- Meanwhile…
- The second table presents…
- Once again, …
- that represents
- Although …
- an increase of just …
- In contrast, …
- Interestingly, …
- Comparing these two tables, …
- It is clear that overall …
Practice Test: Tables
This table shows the participation of different age groups in sports.
Summarise the information by deciding on and exploring its main features, and make any relevant comparison.
| Age 10-19 | Age 20-29 | Age 30-39 | Age 40-49 | |||||
| Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | |
| Team Sports | 17 | 4.8 | 3.79 | 0.6 | 0.75 | 0.29 | 0.25 | 0.2 |
| Individual Sports | 2.6 | 1.3 | 2.26 | 2.51 | 2.18 | 0.51 | 1.6 | 0.53 |
Practice Test: Sample Answer
This chart contains data for male and female participation in sports in four key age groups, ranging from 10-49 years old. The table breaks down the data into young people and adults’ involvement in both team sports and individual sports.
It is clear that team sports are at their most popular amongst people aged 10-19. The table shows that 17% of males and almost 5% of females aged 10-19 are participants in team-based sports. These results are, by far, the highest.
In contrast, team sports also include the lowest scores for both males and females. There is a significant decrease in the percentage of males playing team sports as they get older, leading to just 0.25% of males playing team sports at the ages of 40-49. There is a similar pattern in the results for females, ending with 0.2% of females in the final age bracket.
The figures for males involved in individual sports also show a reduction across the age brackets. However, this is a less dramatic decline as the starting figure was much lower than for team sports at 2.6%.
Interestingly, for 20-29-year-old females, the result shows the only increase in participation in the whole table. Figures are again lowest for both men and women involved in individual sports between the ages of 40 and 49.
Overall, it is clear that sports are at their most popular, for both males and females, between the ages of 10-19 and participation levels in both team and individual sports significantly decline from 20 years of age onwards.