TIPS for writing the Graph
Note: many examples are fictitious!
Factual statements about the data:
We may say ‘out of,’ e.g., Sixteen out of forty students did not like the presentation.
We may use percentages or fractions, e.g., Forty percent of people enjoyed cooking.// e.g., A third of the students enjoyed listening to music.
We may rate something using ''first,'' ''second,'' etc., e.g., The most popular activity was cooking. The second/ third most popular activity was exercising. The least popular activity was painting.
For a high percentage, we may say ‘the majority of,’ ‘a large number of,’ ‘most,’ e.g., Most people enjoyed cooking.
For a low percentage, we may say ‘very few’ or ‘hardly any,’ e.g., Very few people liked playing snooker.
Since/ over
Since/ over are used in describing figures (my comment: ‘since’ and ‘for’ go with present /past perfect) e.g., Car ownership in France has risen dramatically since 1950. //
Period
Car ownership rose dramatically over a sixty-year (with a hyphen) period between 1950 and 2010.// Since 1950, the number of car owners in France has risen dramatically from below 1 million to over 35 million (in 2010).// The number of car owners in France rose dramatically from under 1 million in 1950 to over 35 million in 2010.
Percentage (vs) Percent
Per cent (UK English) = percent (US English) (symbol: %). Do NOT use the symbol in the Graph.
Pec cent comes after a number (e.g., unemployment was 5 percent), while percentage comes after a word such as ''the,'' ''a,'' ''this,'' ''that,'' etc. It is often preceded by an adjective, e.g., A high (adjective) percentage of visitors.
You can use a word or a number for the percentage of something, however, in the IELTS exams, I recommend writing the word ‘per cent’ (or ‘percent’ in North American English) in full and NOT using the symbol %.
Both percentage and percent go with the preposition ‘of.’
An example of the above is: According to the chart, 60 percent/ the highest percentage of the shop’s sweet sales were buns, whereas cakes accounted for a much smaller percentage of sales. While chocolates accounted for 15 percent of the store’s sales, the percentage of muffins sold was only 13. Cookies represented the lowest/ smaller percentage of sweets sold.
Another example of the above is: The car was the most common/ popular (means of) public transport (‘public transportation’ in North American English) for Spanish and Italian citizens. In contrast, only 14 percent of Taiwanese citizens used cars, (which was) the least common/ popular method/ means of transport there. There were considerable differences in the figures for public transport. A large percentage of citizens in Taiwan used public transport. In Spain and Italy, public transport figures were lower, 17 and 22 percent respectively. Less than 25 percent of citizens walked to work in Spain and Italy. For Taiwanese, walking to work was the second most popular/ common option, with a quarter (1/4) of citizens going to work on foot (we say ‘on’ only for ‘foot’ and ‘horseback;’ for other means, we use ‘by’ e.g., ‘by bus).
Describing a trend (noun/ verb/ phrase)
Examples
A steady rise/ gradual increase// it rose steadily/ it increased gradually
A stable/ constant pattern // it remained stable/ constant/ fairly constant
A peak// it reached a peak
A dramatic increase/ a sharp rise// it increased dramatically/ it rose sharply
A gradual decrease/ fall // it fell (not falled)/ declined gradually
Hit/ hitting a peak
Example: Between 1990 and 2018, the number of tourists visiting Italy rose considerably from just under 1 million to over 6 million.
Example: The graph gives information about the estimated cost of a day taken off sick (i.e., the sick-leave cost to the company) by employees in a multinational company. From 2000 to 2005, the pattern was stable, with the cost being approximately $100,000, but since then, the figure has risen dramatically, hitting a peak of $800,000 in the present (current) year. Example: The graph provides information on the changing percentage of recruits in a company over an 8-year (with a hyphen) period. According to the figures, recruitment fell significantly during this period. Between 2000 and 2003 there was only a slight drop from 18 to 16 percent, but after that, the figures fell more markedly to a low of 4 percent.
Example: The chart shows/ illustrates/ depicts/ demonstrates/ indicates the average number of working hours per week at a company between 2010 and the present.
Overall, these figures show a steady increase. In 2010, employees generally did a 42-hour week, but this figure has now risen to a high of 55 hours per week.
Example: The graph demonstrates the number of hamburgers sold at a fast-food restaurant over a one-year period.
Overall, the graph shows a fluctuation/ fluctuating trend. The sale of hamburgers was stable throughout January, February, March, and most of May.
According to this graph,/This graph shows fewer hamburgers were sold in May than in April. However, there was a dramatic rise in the sale of hamburgers between June and September, when numbers/ figures increased from 2,000 to 5,000. Hamburger sales peaked in August when 5,000 were sold. But in November sales dropped to their lowest point at 1,000.
Everything taken into account/ consideration, according to the graph, hamburgers were more popular in summer than in winter.
Example (184 words)
(without an ‘overall’)
The graph shows the fluctuation in the number of passengers at a tube (= underground in London) station over a one-day period.
According to this data, there was a sharp increase in use between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m., with 500 passengers using the station at 8 o’clock. After this, the numbers/ figures fell dramatically to less than 100 at 11 o’clock. However, between 12 a.m. and 4 p.m., the number of passengers rose and fell evenly (= equally), and this pattern included a plateau at around 1 p.m. of just under 200 passengers using the station. Numbers then declined, and the smallest number of users, just 80, was recorded at five in the afternoon/ 5 p.m. Between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., during the evening rush hour, numbers rose rapidly again, reaching (a peak of) 400 passengers at 7 p.m. But from 8 p.m., numbers fell significantly/ considerably. There was only one slight increase again just after 9 p.m., which tailed off (tail off = to reduce in amount or become lower in level) after 10 p.m.
To sum up, the graph shows that the tube station was most crowded in the early morning and evening rush-hour periods, and least crowded in mid-afternoon.
Comparing (examples)
Example: According to the chart, Chinese was (by far) the most widely spoken language, with 1,2 million speakers. English had the second-highest (number of) speakers, with a total of 500 million, closely followed by Hindi, which was spoken by the third-largest number of people.
Examples: the highest smog levels were in Beijing, while the lowest were in Johannesburg./// The most significant reason for heart disease was high blood lipid (= fat) levels, while the least significant was depression./// The longest study period was during semester exams, while the shortest was in summer./// The most densely populated city was Manila./// The most frequent grammatical errors were made by non-native speakers, while the least were made by native speakers (My comment: but that does not mean native speakers, including me, do not make mistakes)./// The most fertile area in Eurasia was Ukraine, while the least fertile area was Finland.
Example: Compared to Kepler Hotel, the Pravda Hotel was better value for money (= a lot is offered for
the amount paid). Both the Pravda and the Concord
Hotel were equally good value for money. Although the Concord Hotel had the highest star rating, it was furthest from the city center. Unlike the Concord Hotel, the Kepler was close to the city
center. However, it
had a lower star rating. In spite of the fact
that the Kepler and the Pravda Hotel had the same
number of rooms, their star ratings were different. The Concord Hotel had fewer (not less
rooms, as 'room' is a countable noun) rooms than the others.
Example:
The graph shows how the hours
students aged 11-18 spend on computers and watching television have changed over the past few years.
Overall, students spent more time watching television and less time on computers in the past, but now this trend seems to have reversed.
Between 2000 and 2005, the time students spent/students' time watching television remained the same, at an average of 25 hours per week. Then this figure fell, reaching a low of 17 hours per week by 2006. Since then, the figures have stabilized at this level apart from a slight fluctuation (= a variation). On the other hand, computer use shows a different trend, starting in 2000 at three hours per week and rising to a weekly figure of 12 hours in 2005. This was followed by a surge which reached 18 hours per week in 2007 and currently (= at present) this trend seems to (be on the) increase.
Example:
The graph/ chart shows the number of smartphone (1 word) ownership/ of smartphones owned per thousand of the population in several different countries in three different years: 2013, 2015, and 2017.
Overall, the number of smartphone owners per thousand of the population varied considerably.
Numbers tended to fall in countries with the highest level of smartphone ownership, whereas numbers generally rose in countries with fewer phone owners in 2013. By far, the highest level of smartphone ownership was in the USA, where just under 500 people per thousand were owners in 2017. This figure is slightly lower than the 2013 figure of around 520 per thousand. In the UK, the second-highest levels of smartphone ownership were recorded, and the numbers fluctuated around (the) 300 per thousand (level) across the five years. Countries like the Philippines and Chile had much lower smartphone ownership levels, which increased up to 2017 rather than decreasing. In the remaining countries, the number of smartphone owners stood below (the) 120 per thousand (level) between 2013 and 2017.
Example (164 words):
The chart provides data on the average male and female incomes in China.
Overall, men earned more than women in most stages of life.
As can be seen from the chart, male graduates found their earnings increasing rapidly over the years to $500 per week at around the age of 35. The highest earnings were gained by males aged between 35 and 55 when their income stabilized. Non-graduate males experienced a similar trend in their earnings, though the pay levels were slightly lower. Women, on the other hand, did not see a constant increase in their earnings. After the age of 25, weekly graduate earnings rose to about $300. Then they hit a plateau that did not change until their retirement. The same pattern/trend occurred for non-graduate females, whose highest earnings amounted to less than $280 per week between the ages of 25 and 30 and continued at that level.
Clearly, (or ''On the whole,'') women in China never/ do not achieve the high-income levels of their male counterparts.
Example (192 words):
The graph shows the obesity prevalence (= total number of cases in a specific time) among adults by sex in the UK since 1990.
Overall, figures have doubled over this period, reaching a current high (point) of 40 percent for both male and female adults.
Looking more closely at the trend for women, it can be seen that a steady increase took place between 1990 and 2000, with obesity rising by/to 8 percent (1). That was followed by a three-year period of stability. Then, after the year 2003/ After 2003, levels rose again, reaching a peak of 30 percent in 2001. Since then, apart from a slight fluctuation, the percentage of obese women in the UK has increased significantly/ dramatically to currently reach 40 percent. The trend for men has been similar during this period, although levels were slightly lower in the mid to late 1990s. However, between 2000 and 2003, a surge occurred (better than ''took place'') when the male figure hit 25 percent. Since then, the percentage of obese men has risen considerably to reach at the present time 40 percent.
To sum up, the rate of increase in obesity has been higher in men than in women.
Reference
1) Jakeman V., McDowell C., New Insights into IELTS, Workbook with Answers, Cambridge English, Cambridge University Press, 1st published 2008, reprinted 2016
2) Jakeman V., McDowell C., New Insights into IELTS, Student’s Book with Answers, Cambridge English, Cambridge University Press, 3rd edition, 2008, 17th printing, 2015
3) Jakeman V., McDowell C., New Insights into IELTS, Student’s Book with Answers, Cambridge English, Cambridge University Press, 2016.
Avoiding common mistakes in the Graph (examples)
Example: The graph indicates (information on) the percentage of Swiss (from Switzerland)
men and women in different age groups who engaged in regular (not ‘a regular’) physical activity in 2017. Data analysis shows that for men aged 18 to 25
years old, 60 percent did regular training, the highest-ever point for
males (not ‘a highest-ever). For women, (we use a
comma here) data (not ‘the data’) was different.
Example: In 2002, most American people indulged in eating at fast-food restaurants (not fast-food restaurants) once a week. In 2015, figures were strikingly different (not ‘striking different’), as the Americans who visited fast-food restaurants (not ‘a fast-food restaurant’) once or twice a month were about 38 per cent (‘percent’ in North American English).
Example: In January, sales for bread stood at (not ‘stood up!’) $70,000. Then they fluctuated at lower levels, but at the end of 2004, sales (don’t omit the word ‘sales’ here) remained the same as
(not ‘the same with’) at the beginning of the
year (don’t omit the phrase ‘of the year’). Sales increased significantly, reaching
$40,000 at the end of the year. Bread remained the most purchased item at the beginning and the end of
the tested period, showing lower interim (*) (not
‘intermediate) figures.
(1) interim = in or for the
intervening period; pronounced ˈɪn.t(ə)r.ɪm)
Example: Sales, after rising steeply and reaching a plateau at $60,000 from May to September, plummeted, reaching an all-time low of $20,000 in December (not ‘until December’ as an all-time low refers to a specific point)
Example: The line graph shows
the trends in (not ‘the trends on’) motorcycle production in the
UK, the USA, Italy, and Germany. In the middle 1970s, motorcycle production
was the highest in the USA, followed by production in Italy and Germany. However, at the end of the period
examined, these figures were (do not omit ‘were’) reversed. For Italy and Germany, production was at low levels/low at the beginning of the
period examined.
All things considered (not
‘all considered’), motorbike production showed a dramatic change (not ‘showed dramatic
change’) in Italy. For Germany, (you should use a comma
here) numbers showed the same trend, although there was
(do not omit ‘there was’) a significant rise in 1972.
Example: The line graph gives the statistical information about the percentage of low literacy levels (not ‘of literacy level’) at the age of 18 for the period 2010-2017. As can be seen from the graph, Finland jumped to the highest percentage of poor literacy levels, about 30 percent, overtaking the figures of the other three countries that remained at (not ‘remained to’) lower levels. During the next years, changes were dramatic, especially in Sweden, where in 2009, poor literacy levels soared to (not ‘soared at’) about/ approximately/ nearly 27 percent. For the remaining (not ‘the rest’ as we say, ‘the rest of’) three countries, the percentage stayed at lower levels. After the second third (2/3) of 2000, poor literacy levels were still the highest in Finland, compared to the remaining (not ‘the rest’) countries.
Example: The graph illustrates the population growth in millions
(‘in millions’ is better than writing ‘as millions’) of people in China,
India, Europe, and the USA from 1940 to 2016. As can be noticed/inferred/deduced from the chart, the population (we
write ‘the population’ - we don’t omit ‘the’) in China soared until the
present (we write ‘the present’ - we don’t omit ‘the’). However, from the
present to 2060, the Indian population is
predicted to exceed the population of China. At
the same time (not ‘The same time’ without ‘at’), India's population was less (1) than China's. In India, the
population shot up to (not ‘shot up at’) about/ nearly/ approximately
1.353 billion in 2018. From 1960 to the present
(not ‘for the date from 1960 to the present’), the population
growth in China increased dramatically until 2017 when
it exceeded the population of the remaining three countries
(not ‘and in 2017 it exceeded the population of the remaining
countries’). The population in India is
expected to overtake that of China (not ‘the one
of China’) in 2060.
(1) ''population,'' although a countable noun, goes with a singular or plural verb and, therefore, goes with ‘less,’ not ‘fewer’ – this may confuse many.
Example: The vast majority of/ Most TV viewers (not ‘the majority of the TV view’) via smartphone belonged to
the age group of 18-30. Throughout the
age groups over 35, the viewers dwindled from 58 percent in the age group (not
‘at the age group’) 35 - 50 to about 20 percent at the age of over
65. Most smartphone TV viewers (not ‘most
of the TV viewers via their smartphone’) were aged 18-30, while as
people became older, there was a downward
trend in using (not ‘on using’) their
smartphones to watch TV.
Example: The number of public transport (''public
transportation'' in North American English) users shot up to about 500,000
people, the highest-ever
point (not ‘a
highest-ever point’). As can be deduced (not ‘deducted,’
as deduct means to subtract or take away an amount or part from a total) from the line graph, in 1975, about 55
percent of people owned a single car, and nearly 8 percent had no car.
Example: The remaining offenses (burglary, fraud, forgery (1), and drug offenses) accounted for fewer arrests than the previous offenses, while the smallest/ a small minority of males and females were arrested for robbery.
Everything taken into account/ considered, most of the males and females/ most males and females were arrested for assaulting another person, while the least of them were arrested for robbery.
(1) forgery = forging or producing a copy of a document,
signature, banknote, or work of art.
Example: For low and medium-income households, the expenditure that came second after housing was transport (about 25 percent for both low and medium-income), while for high-income households, it was retirement savings (about 16 percent).
All considered, households, irrespective of their income, spent most of their budget on housing (not ‘to housing,’ as we spend money on something) and least of their income on
education (not
‘to education,’ as we spend money on something).
Example: As can be noticed from
the bar chart, in relation to household type, most of the volunteers, amounting (not ‘amounted’) to 52 percent of the total,
belonged to a family consisting (not
‘consisted’) of a couple and dependent
(beware of the typo ‘depended’) children, followed by volunteers belonging to a family of a couple without
dependent children which (not ‘who, as it is
referring to the percentage) stood at (beware of the typo ‘stood up’) 24 percent. Volunteers
consisting of a single parent and other types comprised 9 percent and 11 percent of the total, respectively (without a comma before
‘respectively). Volunteers who took part/ participated in
committees or administration accounted (not ‘were accounted’) for 140,500 individuals. It is also
demonstrated that fewer
volunteers (not
‘less volunteers,’ as ‘volunteers’ is a countable noun) were assigned
as scorers (not ‘scorer) or timekeepers. The majority of volunteers belonged to a household consisting of (not ‘consisting with’)
a couple and dependent children.
Example: The bar chart indicates information on the average weekly earnings, measured in pounds sterling, according to gender and type of graduation (not ‘according to gender and graduation,’ as it includes non-graduates).
Overall, men earn more money than women in all but (i.e., in all except) the 16-19 age groups.
An analysis of the data shows that for the age group 16-19, weekly income was about $200, while
for the ages of 20-24, it was higher, but similar
to both genders, nearly $280, with a slightly lower level for (not ‘level on’) non-graduate
females. However, for males older than 25, earnings (not ‘profits’; also, don’t use the term ‘winnings means money won, especially by gambling!) soared. Figures were more substantial for the (not ‘on’) graduates
who hit a peak of about $700 in (not ‘at’; as we say, ‘at
the age of X,’ but ‘in the age group’) the age group 50-59 while non-graduates peaked at the age of 40-49 at $570. Following this, there was a slight decrease at the age of 50-59 to
$560.
In total, incomes for
males were far higher than for females reaching a peak in (not ‘a peak at’) the age group 50-59 for graduates and
the age group 40-49 for non-graduates, but
to a lesser (not ''less extent'') extent (not ‘extend’ as ‘extend’ is the verb and ‘extent’ the
noun) for the latter (= denoting the second or second
mentioned of two people or things; here the ‘non-graduates’).
Example: The line graph shows the trend of (not ‘on’) the number of passengers at a London underground station related to time.
Overall, there is a time–related fluctuation in the number of passengers at the
specific tube (1) station in London. As can be deduced (not ‘deducted,’ as ‘deduct’ means to subtract or take away an amount or part from a total) from the chart, when the gates opened
at 6 a.m., the passenger numbers stood at (beware of the typo ‘stood up’) one hundred/ 100.
The passenger numbers soared to nearly 370 at 6 p.m. but then tumbled to approximately 120 at 8 p.m. and remained at the
same level at 10 p.m., after a short, insignificant increase.
(1) ‘tube’ is the underground in London; ‘underground’ in U.S. English is also known as ‘subway,’ while in Paris, they call it 'metro.'
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