This IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 post deals with an example of combined/mixed/multiple graphs taken from Cambridge IELTS series 4 Test 4. In this post, you can learn about writing a good answer to a combination of a line graph and a bar chart on visits to and from the UK.

Have a close look at the question and the graph:

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The line graph shows visits to and from the UK from 1979 to 1999, and the bar graph shows the most popular countries visited by UK residents in 1999.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Writing the INTRODUCTION:

When writing the introduction for a combined graph/mixed chart/multiple graphs, I suggest you do two things only.

• Paraphrase the title:

Change the title a little bit here and there so that the introduction looks a little different from the original title yet the meaning remains the same.

Here is a sample of paraphrasing:

The line graph illustrates the number of visitors from the UK who went abroad and those that came to the UK between 1979 and 1999, while the bar chart displays the most popular destinations for UK residents to visit in 1999.

(41 words)

• Write an overall trend:

Now, you should write an overview of the two/ three pictures. Try to do it in one sentence.

Here is a sample overview for this picture:

Overall, visits to and from the UK developed throughout the period while France was the most popular place for the British citizens to visit.

(24 words)

Writing the DESCRIPTION:

Now, you need to write a good description for both the pictures. First, you need to decide whether the pictures have a link or connection. If you find a connection, you should write one paragraph to explain the pictures. However, for most cases, there lies no connection between or among the pictures and you can write separate paragraphs for each picture. We are going to do the same for this set of pictures. So, we shall have one paragraph for picture no. 1 or the line graph and another for picture no. 2 or the bar chart.

Also, remember not to include all the information or data that the pictures represent. It is because you have two pictures yet you have to write a total of 150 words. You have already written 40-60 words for the introduction part. So, you only need to add another 100-120 words. Write only about the most eye-catching trends, make comparisons only where necessary and group data accurately. Be careful about the data because if you write them inaccurately, your writing will be penalized.

Let’s have a look at the sample paragraphs:

Description of the line graph:

Looking at the line graph, the number of visits overseas by UK residents was more than for those who visited the UK, and this number prevailed throughout the period. The figures started at a similar amount, around 10 million, but visits overseas rose up considerably to over 50 million, while the number of residents abroad rose progressively to touch 30 million.

(61 words)

Description of the bar chart:

As far as the bar chart is concerned, the most popular countries to visit in 1999 were France with about 11 million visitors, followed by Spain with 9 million. The USA, Greece, and Turkey were far less prevalent with approximately 4, 3, and 2 million visitors respectively.

(47 words)

That’s it. You now have a complete answer written for the given set of pictures. Let’s connect all the paragraphs sequentially and look at the complete answer.

Model answer:

The line graph illustrates the number of visitors from the UK who went abroad and those that came to the UK between 1979 and 1999, while the bar chart displays the most popular destinations for UK residents to visit in 1999.

Overall, visits to and from the UK developed throughout the period. Besides, France was the most popular place for British citizens to visit.

Looking at the line graph, the number of visits overseas by UK residents was more than for those who visited the UK, and this number prevailed throughout the period. The figures started at a similar amount, around 10 million, but visits overseas rose up considerably to over 50 million, while the number of residents abroad rose progressively to touch 30 million.

As far as the bar chart is concerned, the most popular countries to visit in 1999 were France with about 11 million visitors, followed by Spain with 9 million. The USA, Greece, and Turkey were far less prevalent with approximately 4, 3, and 2 million visitors respectively.

(175 words)

This is how you should write a great answer to any combined/mixed graph.

I sincerely hope that this post has helped you understand combined/mixed/multiple graphs. I also hope that you are now able to write a great answer to this kind of question.

Here are some other examples of combined/mixed/multiple graphs:

A pie chart and a table (Cambridge 8 Test 1)

Triple pie chart (Cambridge 8 Test 2)

A bar chart and a pie chart

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