How would you answer this recent IELTS Writing Task 1 question?
Model IELTS Writing Task 1 Sample Answer
The bar chart depicts the survey results for young Europeans and their expectations about change over the next 20 years in five areas of life. Respondents indicated whether they expected each area would get better or worse.
Overall, the results are very negative. Most young Europeans expect things to get worse in four out of five aspects of life. The most significant difference is between communication and urban air quality.
Communication is the only area where optimism prevails: 54% think it will get better, 46% worse. Urban air quality is the most pessimistic area: 70% expect it to get worse, 30% better.
The other three areas all have a majority expecting things will get worse but to varying degrees. Water quality follows air quality as the second most negative area: 60% expect it to get worse, 40% better. Health and food quality have more balance, but still negative expectations. For health, 58% expect a downturn, 42% an improvement; for food quality, the margin is the narrowest, 51% pessimistic, 49% optimistic.
In summary, the data shows that young Europeans expect a decline in most areas of life, with communication being the exception. The gap between technological progress and environmental degradation is the widest.
How to Tackle Task 1
Here's a simple guide for IELTS Task 1 bar chart questions:
1. Look at the chart carefully
- Check the title, labels, and units
- Notice the highest and lowest values
2. Plan your answer
- Start with an overview
- Pick 2-3 main points to discuss
3. Write your intro
- Describe what the chart shows
- Don't copy the question word for word
4. Give an overview
- Mention the biggest trends
- Don't use numbers here
5. Describe details
- Group similar items
- Compare differences
- Use exact numbers from the chart
6. Use good words for comparing
- "Higher than", "less than", "most", "least"
8. Check your work
- Count your words (aim for 150+)
- Make sure you used some complex sentences
- Check for grammar mistakes
Remember: Don't give opinions or reasons. Just describe what you see.