Scorify.uzThe question
The table shows the average number of minutes per day that people in four age groups spent on four activities.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
| Age group | Work or study | Social media | Exercise | Sleep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16–24 | 420 | 150 | 40 | 480 |
| 25–44 | 480 | 90 | 25 | 450 |
| 45–64 | 450 | 60 | 30 | 440 |
| 65+ | 60 | 40 | 35 | 520 |
What to notice before you write
Compare the groups for each activity. Work or study peaks for 25–44-year-olds and is very low for 65+. Social media falls with age. Exercise stays low and varies little. The oldest group sleeps the most. Select two or three clear trends and support each with figures.
Band 7 sample report
The table compares how many minutes per day people in four age groups spent on work or study, social media, exercise and sleep.
Overall, the time spent on social media decreased with age, whereas the oldest group stood out for sleeping the most and working the least. Exercise took up the smallest amount of time in every group.
People aged 25 to 44 spent the longest on work or study, at 480 minutes, followed closely by the 45 to 64 group with 450 minutes. The youngest group spent 420 minutes, while those aged 65 and over spent only 60 minutes.
Young people aged 16 to 24 spent 150 minutes a day on social media, compared with 90, 60 and 40 minutes in the older groups. Exercise ranged from 25 to 40 minutes, and the 65-plus group slept for 520 minutes, around 40 minutes more than the youngest group.
In general, working-age groups followed similar patterns, with sleep of between 440 and 450 minutes, while the figures for social media and exercise were the main differences between younger and older respondents.
180 words.
Useful language for this chart type
- stand out for — be noticeably different
- followed closely by — just behind
- take up — use time
- decrease with age — get lower as people get older
- compared with — contrasting figures
- the smallest amount of time — the least time
- aged 65 and over — 65-plus
Common mistakes
- Describing each age group in turn instead of comparing activities.
- Not converting “480 minutes” to a natural comment (such as eight hours) when it helps the reader.
- Ignoring the exception: 65+ sleeps the most.
Study guides
Computer-Delivered IELTS: What Changes and What Stays the Same
Thinking about taking IELTS on a computer? Here is what stays the same, what feels different in Writing, Reading and Listening, and how to prepare for the screen.
IELTS Writing Task 1 Vocabulary for Graphs, Charts and Processes
Useful verbs, nouns, adverbs and sentence patterns for describing line graphs, bar charts, tables and processes in IELTS Task 1, with more than twelve example sentences.
Linking Words for IELTS and How to Use Them Correctly
A practical list of IELTS linking words grouped by function, with correct and incorrect examples, punctuation rules and a warning about overusing connectors.
Frequently asked questions
How many words should an IELTS Task 1 report be?
Write at least 150 words. Strong reports are usually 160–190 words and take about 20 minutes, leaving a minute or two to check.
What is an overview in Task 1?
The overview is a short paragraph, written without detailed numbers, that states the main trends or the most important features of the data. Reports without a clear overview are limited to a lower band.
Should I give my opinion in Task 1?
No. Describe and compare only what the data shows. Do not explain reasons or add information that is not in the chart.