Pick out the main features of this bar chart for your overview, write your report on a 20-minute timer, then compare it with a band-8 model answer.
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The chart below shows the average number of cinema visits per person per year in five countries in 1995 and 2019.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
| Category | 1995 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| India | 3.2 | 2 |
| South Korea | 2.1 | 4.4 |
| USA | 4.7 | 3.3 |
| France | 2.6 | 3.1 |
| Brazil | 1.1 | 1.3 |
GoPrep wrote this practice question in the style of the exam. It is not an official IELTS question.
An overview names the main trends or differences in one or two sentences, without numbers. These are the features a strong answer picks out:
Spend the first few minutes planning, then write.
0 words of 150 minimum
Your answer stays on this page only. Copy it before you leave.
Write your own answer first, then compare: how it answers the exact question, what each paragraph does, and which phrases you could borrow.
The bar chart compares the average number of cinema visits per person per year in five countries in 1995 and 2019.
Overall, cinema-going rose in three of the five countries and fell in two. South Korea showed by far the biggest increase, overtaking the USA as the most enthusiastic cinema nation.
In 1995 the USA had the highest rate, at 4.7 visits per person, followed by India with 3.2 visits and France with 2.6. South Korea recorded 2.1 visits, and Brazil had the lowest figure, at 1.1. By 2019 the American figure had fallen to 3.3 visits, while India's had declined more sharply, to 2 visits, a drop of more than a third.
In contrast, South Korea's rate more than doubled to 4.4 visits per person, putting it at the top of the chart. France also rose, from 2.6 to 3.1 visits, which meant it was almost level with the USA. Brazil saw a slight increase, from 1.1 to 1.3, and remained the country with the fewest cinema visits at both dates. India dropped from second place in 1995 to fourth in 2019, ahead of only Brazil.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| cinema attendance | the number of times people visit cinemas |
| visits per person | frequency per individual |
| more than double | become over twice |
| overtake | move ahead of |
| fall back | decrease |
| rise slightly | increase a little |
Answer random Part 1, 2 and 3 questions on an exam timer.
Average your four skill bands, rounded the way IELTS rounds them.
Compare an IELTS band with TOEFL, Duolingo and PTE scores and CEFR levels.
Look up the IELTS score a university asks for, with the source.