Question: The graph above gives information about annual average spending on clothes per person in the US in 1985, 1995 and 2005. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. (Test date: 18/6/20)
Band 8+ Sample Answer:
(Intro and Overview) The bar chart gives information about the American yearly average clothing expenditure per capita from 1985 to 2005, organised by gender and age. Overall, all categories saw upward trends in the amounts of money spent. Women’s and men’s clothing were the two largest areas of spending and rose considerably during the period shown, whereas the figures for boys and girls were significantly lower and had comparatively small increases.
(Detail 1) Looking first at adults, an average woman spent around $500 in 1985, which then witnessed a significant rise to roughly $650 in 2005. By contrast, the figures for men were more erratic. This started at $300 in 1985, before reaching a peak of $450 in 1995, followed by a dip to $400 at the end of the period.
(Detail 2) Turning to boys’ and girls’ clothes, which enjoyed the least amount of spending in the US. While the former increased slightly from $100 in 1985 to $110 in 1995, before plateauing over the next 10 years, the latter observed a steady rise of approximately $20 each decade to finish at around $150 in 2005. (180 words).
Words: Student Report, fully corrected and upgraded by Nick Kemp, former IELTS Examiner.
Image: Cambridge / Vietop