Write at least 150 words · 20 minutes
The bar chart below shows the main method of travel to work used by commuters in three cities in 2023. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
See the figures (%)
| City A | City B | City C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car | 52 | 28 | 35 |
| Bus | 18 | 22 | 12 |
| Rail | 10 | 31 | 5 |
| Bicycle | 8 | 6 | 33 |
| Walking | 12 | 13 | 15 |
How to structure your report
- Introduction: paraphrase what the bar chart shows.
- Overview: two or three main features or trends, with no numbers. This is the most important sentence for your band.
- Two body paragraphs: group the details logically and compare them, quoting the key figures.
- No opinion and no conclusion of your own: describe only what is shown.
A plan for this chart
- Introduction: paraphrase the chart: how commuters in three cities travelled to work in 2023, by five methods.
- Overview: the car was most common in City A and City C, rail in City B; cycling was remarkably high in City C.
- Body 1: City A (over half by car) and City C (car and bicycle almost equal).
- Body 2: City B’s balanced pattern (rail, car, bus), rail’s low use in City C, and walking similar everywhere.
Model report
192 words
The bar chart illustrates how commuters in three cities travelled to work in 2023, broken down into five methods of transport.
Overall, the car was the most common way of getting to work in City A and City C, whereas rail was the most popular choice in City B. Another striking feature is the very high level of cycling in City C.
In City A, more than half of commuters (52%) drove to work, far more than used any other method. Buses were the second choice there at 18%, while rail, cycling and walking each accounted for between 8% and 12%. City C also relied heavily on cars (35%), but almost as many people cycled (33%), compared with only 8% in City A and 6% in City B.
City B showed a more balanced pattern. Rail was used by 31% of commuters, slightly more than the car (28%), and buses carried 22%, the highest figure for this method in the three cities. Rail, in contrast, was rarely used in City C, at just 5%. Walking was the most consistent method, accounting for between 12% and 15% of journeys in all three cities.
Written by Acedmi to show what a high-band report looks like. It is not an official IELTS sample, and your own ideas can be different.
Useful vocabulary
- commuter
- A person who travels regularly to work.
- “Over half of commuters in City A drove.”
- method of transport
- A way of travelling, such as by car or rail.
- “Walking was the most consistent method of transport.”
- account for
- Form a part of a total.
- “Cycling accounted for 33% of journeys in City C.”
- rely heavily on
- Depend a lot on.
- “City A relies heavily on the car.”
- whereas
- A linking word for contrast.
- “The car led in City A, whereas rail led in City B.”
- a striking feature
- Something that stands out.
- “A striking feature is the high level of cycling.”
- balanced
- Spread fairly evenly.
- “City B showed a more balanced pattern.”
- consistent
- Staying about the same.
- “Walking was consistent across the cities.”
Common mistakes
- Describing all fifteen bars one by one. Group the data by city or by method and pick the key figures.
- Missing the main contrast in the overview: the car led in two cities, rail in one.
- Article errors such as "most popular transport of City A is car". Write "the car was the most popular method in City A".