Bar charts and comparison language
Bar charts test one skill above all: comparing. Learn the structures examiners reward (twice as many as, whereas, the largest share), how to group categories so you don't end up listing numbers, and how to handle bar charts that show one moment and bar charts that show change over time.
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
- Tell a static bar chart from an over-time bar chart and choose the right language for each
- Use comparatives, superlatives, multiples and contrast linkers accurately
- Compare like with like ('the figure for women', 'that for men') and avoid the most common comparison errors
- Group categories that behave in the same way instead of describing bars one by one
- Decide which comparisons to make and support each one with precise data
- Write a complete 170–200-word bar chart report in 20 minutes
Two families of bar chart
Before you write a word, ask one question: what is on the horizontal axis (or in the legend)?
1. Static bar charts show several categories at one point in time: five leisure activities in 2024, three cities in 2023. Nothing changes over time, so trend verbs such as increase or decline are usually wrong. Your job is to compare sizes: higher than, the largest, twice as many as, whereas.
2. Over-time bar charts show the same categories in two or more years (2005, 2010, 2015, 2020). These work like a line graph drawn with bars, so you need trend language (rose steadily, halved, peaked) and comparison language (remained the most common, overtook, the gap narrowed).
Many bar charts are also grouped (clustered): two or three bars side by side for each category, for example men and women, or three cities. A grouped chart lets you compare in two directions:
- within each category (men vs women for sport), and
- across categories (which activity took the most time overall).
Strong reports use both directions. Weak reports describe one bar after another.
Read the chart before you read the bars
- Title: what, where, when. Your introduction will paraphrase it.
- Units: hours, %, thousands, US dollars. If the axis says thousands and you write 45 people instead of 45,000 people, that is an accuracy error examiners spot at once.
- Legend and orientation: which colour is which group? Are the bars horizontal? Are they stacked (piled on top of each other, so each bar shows a total)?
- Time: one year (static) or several (over time)? This decides your verbs and tenses. Charts about the past are described in the past simple. If no year is given, use the present simple.
- Men
- Women
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| Watching TV and videos | 10 hours | 12 hours |
| Using social media | 7.5 hours | 8.5 hours |
| Socialising with family and friends | 5.5 hours | 8 hours |
| Sport and exercise | 4.5 hours | 1.5 hours |
| Reading | 1.5 hours | 3 hours |
The comparison toolkit (examples from Chart A)
| Function | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
Comparative: figures | X was higher / lower / greater than Y | The figure for women (12 hours) was higher than that for men (10 hours). |
Comparative: nouns | more / fewer + countable noun; more / less + uncountable noun ... than | Women spent more time socialising than men. Men read for fewer hours than women. |
Superlative | the largest / the highest / the most popular / the least common | Watching TV and videos was the most popular activity for both sexes. |
Multiples | twice / three times as many (countable) / as much (uncountable) / as long ... as; half as much ... as | Men spent three times as many hours on sport as women. |
Multiples with 'figure' | double / triple / half the figure for ... | Women's reading time was double the figure for men. |
Size of the difference | X hours more than; slightly / considerably / far + comparative | Women spent 2.5 hours more on socialising than men did. |
Contrast inside a sentence | clause, whereas / while + clause | Men did 4.5 hours of sport a week, whereas women did only 1.5. |
Contrast between sentences | By contrast, / In contrast, + new sentence | By contrast, sport was the only activity in which men led. |
Compared with | X, compared with Y / Compared with men, women ... | Women watched 12 hours of TV, compared with 10 hours for men. |
Similarity | both, similar, the same, as ... as, equally | Both sexes spent most of their free time in front of screens. |
Exception | except (for), apart from, the only ... | Women led in every activity except sport. |
Pairing numbers | X and Y ... A and B respectively | Social media took up 7.5 and 8.5 hours a week for men and women respectively. |
- Watching TV and videos was the most time-consuming activity for both sexes, at 12 hours a week for women and 10 for men.
- Women spent more time than men on every activity except sport and exercise.
- Men exercised for three times as long as women (4.5 hours compared with 1.5).
- Women read for 3 hours a week, double the figure for men.
- The widest gap between the sexes was in sport (three hours), whereas the narrowest was in social media use, where women spent just one hour more.
- Social media came second for both men and women, at 7.5 and 8.5 hours respectively.
- the most time-consuming ... for both sexesA superlative that covers two bars at once. 'For both sexes' saves you a whole sentence.
- every activity exceptOne sentence describes a pattern across four categories and names the exception. This is the most valuable kind of sentence in a bar chart report, and it often belongs in the overview.
- three times as long asUse 'as long as' for duration with verbs like exercise or read; 'as many hours as' and 'as much time as' work too. Check the maths: 1.5 × 3 = 4.5.
- double the figure forCompares a figure with a figure, which is like with like. Writing 'double men' would compare hours with people.
- widest gap ... whereas the narrowestComparing the differences themselves is an advanced move. 'Whereas' joins two contrasting clauses; put a comma before it.
- respectivelyPairs two numbers with two groups in the same order: 7.5 belongs to men, 8.5 to women. If you swap the order, the data become inaccurate.
Choosing what to compare: a five-minute analysis
- 1
Find the giants and the dwarfs
Which bars are the tallest and shortest? In Chart A, TV and videos (12 and 10 hours) are the tallest; women's sport and men's reading (both 1.5 hours) are the shortest. These usually appear in your overview or in the first sentence of a body paragraph.
- 2
Find the general pattern
In a grouped chart, ask which series is usually higher. Women's bars are taller in four out of five activities. That is a pattern, and patterns are what overviews are made of.
- 3
Find the exception
Sport is the only category where men lead, and by the widest margin (three hours). Examiners expect exceptions to be reported: leaving one out is a classic reason for a band 6 instead of a 7.
- 4
Group the categories
Put categories that behave alike in the same paragraph:
- Group 1: TV, social media and socialising: the big activities, all led by women by 1–2.5 hours.
- Group 2: sport and reading: the smallest figures, with the biggest relative gaps (three times, double).
The band 7 descriptor rewards answers in which the data are appropriately categorised. Grouping is how you show that.
- 5
Choose your numbers
For each group, pick the figures that prove your point. Use multiples (twice, three times) where the data allow, because they show relationships rather than single values. Chart A has only ten values, so you can use all of them if every number supports a comparison. With 25 or 30 values, you must select.
- 6
Decide the order
Usually: the biggest or most typical group first, the exceptions second. Plan both body paragraphs in a few words before you write. For example: P1 screens and social (women ahead); P2 sport reversed, reading smallest.
The same data, two band scores
Band 5: bar by bar
Men watched TV for 10 hours and women watched TV for 12 hours. Men used social media for 7.5 hours and women used social media for 8.5 hours. Men socialised for 5.5 hours and women socialised for 8 hours. Men did sport for 4.5 hours and women did sport for 1.5 hours. Men read for 1.5 hours and women read for 3 hours.
Band 8: grouped and compared
Women spent more time than men on all three screen-based and social activities. They watched 12 hours of TV and videos a week, compared with 10 hours for men, and spent 8.5 hours on social media, one hour more than their male counterparts. The biggest of these gaps was in socialising with family and friends, at 8 hours for women but only 5.5 for men.
Sport and exercise reversed this pattern: men exercised for 4.5 hours, three times as long as women, whose figure of 1.5 hours was their lowest for any activity.
Both use the same data. The band 5 version is accurate, but it repeats one sentence pattern five times, makes no comparisons and never tells the reader what matters. The band 8 version groups three activities into one pattern (women ahead), uses numbers as evidence, varies its structures (compared with, one hour more than, three times as long as) and highlights the exception. It also gives the reader more meaning per number.
Check: comparison language
8 questions- 1
Men spent 4.5 hours a week on sport; women spent 1.5 hours. Which sentence is accurate and natural?
- 2
Find and correct the mistake:
The figure for women was higher than men.
- 3
Women spent 12 hours a week watching TV, with 10 hours for men.
- 4
Which word correctly completes the sentence? 'Men led in sport, ___ women led in every other activity.'
- 5
Find and correct the mistake:
Reading was least popular activity among men.
- 6
Men and women spent 7.5 and 8.5 hours a week on social media .
- 7
Choose TWO sentences that describe Chart A accurately.
Select 2.
- 8
Find and correct the mistake:
The number of hours men spent on sport were higher than women.
Answer every question to check.
Over-time bar charts: trends drawn with bars
When the labels on the axis are years, the chart is telling a story of change. Read it as you would read a line graph, then add comparisons between the series.
Three things to do differently:
- Track each series across time. Where does it start and end? Is there a peak or a turning point? Is the overall direction up, down or flat?
- Compare the series at key moments. Which was largest at the start and at the end? Did one overtake another? Did a gap widen or narrow?
- Choose an organisation. Either by series (a car paragraph, a train paragraph...) or by direction (one paragraph for what grew, one for what fell or stayed stable). Grouping by direction is usually clearer and shorter.
Avoid the year-by-year list. In 2005 ... In 2010 ... In 2015 ... In 2020 ... gives the reader four times as many numbers as they need. For each series, report the start, the end and any important turning point, and let the trend verb carry the rest.
- Car
- Bus
- Train
- Bicycle
| Car | Bus | Train | Bicycle | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 420 thousand | 210 thousand | 150 thousand | 30 thousand |
| 2010 | 390 thousand | 230 thousand | 180 thousand | 55 thousand |
| 2015 | 340 thousand | 220 thousand | 230 thousand | 90 thousand |
| 2020 | 300 thousand | 210 thousand | 270 thousand | 140 thousand |
Overview: Overall, the car remained the most common way to commute throughout the period, but its lead shrank as train and bicycle use grew rapidly. The number of bus commuters changed very little.
Body paragraph 1 (the growing modes): The train recorded the largest increase in absolute terms. The number of rail commuters rose steadily from 150,000 in 2005 to 270,000 in 2020, overtaking the bus in 2015 and narrowing the gap with the car to just 30,000 by the end of the period. Cycling grew even faster in relative terms: only 30,000 people cycled to work in 2005, but this figure rose almost fivefold to 140,000.
Body paragraph 2 (the declining and stable modes): Car commuting, by contrast, fell in every period shown, from 420,000 to 300,000. Bus use fluctuated within a narrow range of 210,000 to 230,000 and ended the period exactly where it began.
- remained the most common ... but its lead shrankThe overview combines comparison (most common) with trend (shrank). That combination is exactly what an over-time bar chart needs.
- grouping by directionParagraph 1 covers the two modes that grew; paragraph 2 covers the one that fell and the one that stayed flat. The reader sees the story, not four separate series.
- rose steadily from 150,000 in 2005 to 270,000 in 2020Only the start and end are given, because the rise was steady. The middle values (180,000 and 230,000) add nothing new.
- overtaking the bus in 2015A crossing point (train 230,000 vs bus 220,000) is a key feature. Look for overtakes in every over-time chart.
- narrowing the gap with the car to just 30,000A calculated comparison between two series (300,000 − 270,000). It shows the examiner you understand the data, not just the bars. Double-check every calculation.
- almost fivefold30,000 × 4.7 ≈ 140,000. Multiples work for change over time too: doubled, tripled, rose fivefold.
- unitsThe chart is in thousands, so 420 becomes 420,000. Forgetting the unit is a data error.
The chart below shows the average number of hours per week that men and women in Dhaka spent on five leisure activities in 2024. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
The bar chart compares the average amount of time that men and women in Dhaka devoted to five leisure activities each week in 2024.
Overall, watching TV and videos was the most time-consuming pastime for both sexes. Women spent more time than men on every activity except sport and exercise, which was the only area where men were ahead.
Screen-based and social activities dominated free time for both groups. Women watched TV and videos for 12 hours a week, compared with 10 hours for men, and social media came second for both, at 8.5 and 7.5 hours respectively. The widest gap in this group concerned socialising with family and friends: women spent 8 hours on this, whereas men spent only 5.5.
The pattern was reversed for physical activity. Men exercised for 4.5 hours per week, three times as long as women, for whom sport was the least popular pastime at just 1.5 hours. Reading, on the other hand, was men's least common activity, also at 1.5 hours, which was half the figure for women (3 hours).
(176 words)
- IntroductionOne sentence. It paraphrases the prompt ('number of hours' → 'amount of time'; 'spent on' → 'devoted to') and adds no data.
- OverviewTwo key features and no numbers: the biggest category for both sexes, then the general pattern with its exception. An examiner can find it in two seconds.
- Body 1: groupingThree activities are grouped as 'screen-based and social' because they follow the same pattern (women ahead). The paragraph has a clear topic.
- compared with / respectively / whereasThree different comparison structures in one paragraph: range without forcing it.
- The pattern was reversedA cohesive topic sentence that links Body 2 to Body 1 and announces the exception.
- three times as long as / half the figure forTwo accurate multiples: 1.5 × 3 = 4.5 and 3 ÷ 2 = 1.5. Relationships, not just values.
- Number of figuresAll ten values appear, but never as a list: each one supports a comparison. With a ten-value chart that is fine. With 30 values you would select about 10–15.
- What is missing (on purpose)No reasons, no opinions, no conclusion repeating the overview. Task 1 does not need a conclusion if the overview is clear.
Writing Task 1 practice
150+ words · 20 minThe chart below shows the average amount of money that university students spent per month on five categories of expense in three cities in 2024.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
- Kuala Lumpur
- Toronto
- London
| Kuala Lumpur | Toronto | London | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | US$300 | US$950 | US$1,100 |
| Food | US$150 | US$400 | US$380 |
| Transport | US$40 | US$110 | US$150 |
| Leisure | US$60 | US$150 | US$170 |
| Books and study materials | US$30 | US$60 | US$50 |
Self-check before submitting
- ☐ My introduction paraphrases the prompt in one sentence (e.g. 'compares the average amount that students ... spent each month on ...').
- ☐ My overview says accommodation was the largest expense in every city and books and study materials the smallest.
- ☐ My overview says students in Kuala Lumpur spent much less than those in Toronto and London in every category.
- ☐ My body paragraphs group categories (the two big costs, then the three smaller ones) instead of describing one city after another.
- ☐ I used at least one accurate multiple (e.g. Toronto food spending was more than two and a half times the Kuala Lumpur figure).
- ☐ I mentioned the detail that Toronto spent more than London on food and on books.
- ☐ I used a range of comparison structures: compared with, whereas, respectively, as much as, the highest.
- ☐ Every figure has its unit ($1,100 a month, not 1100), and I used the past simple throughout.
- ☐ I gave no reasons or opinions, and my answer is roughly 170–200 words.
Final quiz: bar charts
12 questions- 1
A bar chart shows the number of tourists visiting four countries in 2010, 2015 and 2020. What language will you need most?
- 2
Which is the best overview for Chart B (commuters by car, bus, train and bicycle, 2005–2020)?
- 3
Find and correct the mistake:
Women spent two times more time reading than men.
- 4
Sport was the activity in which men spent more time than women.
- 5
Commuters (thousands). Car: 420 in 2005, 300 in 2020. Train: 150 in 2005, 270 in 2020. Bicycle: 30 in 2005, 140 in 2020. Bus: 210 in 2005, 210 in 2020.
By 2020, more people commuted by train than by car.
- 6
Commuters (thousands). Car: 420 in 2005, 300 in 2020. Train: 150 in 2005, 270 in 2020. Bicycle: 30 in 2005, 140 in 2020. Bus: 210 in 2005, 210 in 2020.
The number of cyclists rose almost fivefold between 2005 and 2020.
- 7
Commuters (thousands). Car: 420 in 2005, 300 in 2020. Train: 150 in 2005, 270 in 2020. Bicycle: 30 in 2005, 140 in 2020. Bus: 210 in 2005, 210 in 2020.
Car use fell because more people started cycling.
- 8
Match each pair of figures from the practice chart with the most accurate description.
$400 vs $380 (food: Toronto vs London)$1,100 vs $300 (accommodation: London vs Kuala Lumpur)$60 vs $30 (books: Toronto vs Kuala Lumpur)$150 vs $110 (transport: London vs Toronto) - 9
Put the parts of a bar chart report in the most effective order.
Drag the cards (or use the arrows) into the correct order.
- 1Overview: the biggest categories, the general pattern and the main exception
- 2Introduction: paraphrase what the chart shows
- 3Body paragraph 2: the exception and the smallest categories, with comparisons
- 4Body paragraph 1: the main group of categories, with supporting figures
- 10
Choose THREE good reasons for putting two categories in the same body paragraph.
Select 3.
- 11
Find and correct the mistake:
The number of commuters who cycled were increased dramatically.
- 12
Which sentence compares like with like?
Answer every question to check.
Key takeaways
Comparison vocabulary for bar charts
Saved as flashcards with a free accountwhereas
conjunction/weərˈæz/
Used to compare two facts and show that they are different.
পক্ষান্তরে; যেখানে
Men exercised for 4.5 hours a week, whereas women exercised for only 1.5.
respectively
adverb/rɪˈspektɪvli/
In the same order as the things already mentioned.
যথাক্রমে
Toronto and London students spent $950 and $1,100 respectively on accommodation.
counterpart
noun/ˈkaʊntəpɑːt/
A person or thing that has the same position or function as another in a different place or group.
সমপর্যায়ের ব্যক্তি বা বস্তু
Students in Toronto spent more on food than their counterparts in Kuala Lumpur.
considerably
adverb/kənˈsɪdərəbli/
By a large amount; much.
উল্লেখযোগ্যভাবে
Living costs were considerably higher in London than in Kuala Lumpur.
marginally
adverb/ˈmɑːdʒɪnəli/
By a very small amount.
সামান্য পরিমাণে
Food spending in Toronto was marginally higher than in London.
exceed
verb/ɪkˈsiːd/
To be greater than a number or amount.
ছাড়িয়ে যাওয়া
In every category, spending in London exceeded that in Kuala Lumpur.
overtake
verb/ˌəʊvəˈteɪk/
To become greater in number or amount than something else.
অতিক্রম করা; ছাড়িয়ে যাওয়া
Train commuting overtook bus commuting in 2015.
gap
noun/ɡæp/
The difference between two amounts or figures.
ব্যবধান
The gap between car and train commuters narrowed to just 30,000.
fivefold
adverb / adjective/ˈfaɪvfəʊld/
Five times as much or as many.
পাঁচগুণ
The number of cyclists rose almost fivefold.
time-consuming
adjective/ˈtaɪm kənsjuːmɪŋ/
Taking a lot of time.
সময়সাপেক্ষ
Watching TV was the most time-consuming leisure activity for both sexes.
Keep your progress
You've completed 0 of 3 activities. A free Abroadway account saves your scores, turns new vocabulary into flashcards and builds a daily plan around your target band, with a full mock exam every week.