Question: The graph above gives information about cinema attendance in Australia between 1990 and the present, with projections to 2010. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Band 8+ Sample Answer:
(Intro) The line graph displays the percentage of people within an age group who attended the cinema at least once a year in Australia, organised into four age groups (14-24, 24-34, 35-49, and 50+). The data is from 1990 until the present day, with predictions up to 2010.
(Overview) Overall, we can see that the dominant trend for cinema attendance has been positive and that is expected to continue up to 2010. In general, the younger you are the more often you attend the cinema. The one exception is 25-34 year olds, who buck both these trends at the end of the period.
(Detail) The first thing to note is that age is a clear predictor for attendance. The youngest group (14-24) consistently displayed the highest figures, starting the period with 90% attending the cinema annually. The figure was relatively stable but is predicted to rise further, to around 98% in 2010. In contrast the oldest group (50+) witnessed the lowest figures, with 40% in 1990, but rising steadily to 60% in 2010. The two middle age groups showed similar moderate figures from 1990 to 2006, starting at around 60% and finishing on 80%. However after this point, while 35-49 year olds are expected to peak at 85% in 2010, 25-34 year olds are expected to buck the overall trend by falling to around 72%. (221 words).
Words: Nick Kemp, former IELTS examiner.
Image: Cambridge