IELTS ACADEMIC
SAMPLE 5

Rather than trying to give reasons for the elements shown in the diagram or  describing every detail, concentrate only on significant features.
Your description should start with a brief overview of the object(s) and its purpose.
Then focus on how the object works or significant similarities and differences  between the objects.
Vary your language where possible, and use a range of vocabulary and structures.
Your description should end with a summarising statement. 
Write at least 150 words.

Model answer
This graph shows the kinds of activities done by old people in their spare time,  covering a period from the 1980s to now in the United States. We can see that  generally the activities listed have been increasing in popularity amongst the  elderly, with hiking increasing steadily throughout the years, and watching TV being  the most popular overall.
In the 1980s, nearly all activities were growing in popularity. The only activity which  was becoming less popular over these years was going to the theatre. Going to the  theatre declined steeply from 50% to 30%.
This changed in the 1990s, and going to the theatre became more popular, whereas  reading saw a dramatic drop in popularity. The number of people doing all other  activities increased.
This century, hiking, reading, going to the theatre and surfing the Internet have all  been increasing in popularity. However, watching TV has been decreasing in  popularity. Despite this, watching TV is still the second most popular activity  nowadays amongst this group. Most elderly people are hiking nowadays in their  spare time.
(174 words)