Housing Preferences in British Cities in 2005

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Bar Graph

20:00

IELTS Writing Task 1 Question

The chart below illustrates the result of a British survey on the types of houses people liked, taken in 2005. Summarise the information given below and make comparisons where relevant

24-Housing Preferences in British Cities in 2005

Common Questions for the Bar Graph

1. Graph Type: Bar Graph

2. Title: Housing Preferences in British Cities in 2005

3. What are the units of measurement?: Percentage of people preferring a type of house

4. Who: People in London, Oxford, and Cambridge

5. When: 2005

6. Where: British cities (London, Oxford, Cambridge)

7. Topic: Types of houses preferred by people in British cities

Comparison Showing and Trends Any change over time (such as an increase or a decrease) is a trend.

Comparison 1: Flats vs. Other Housing Types

Details:

1. Flats were most popular in London, with 58% choosing them.

2. In Oxford and Cambridge, flats were less preferred (29% and 20%, respectively).

Comparison 2: Detached and Semi-Detached Houses

Details:

1. Detached houses were most popular in Cambridge (36%) and least popular in London (9%).

2. Semi-detached houses had similar preferences in Oxford and Cambridge (27%) but were less preferred in London (17%).

Sample Answer

The bar chart presents the housing preferences of residents in London, Oxford, and Cambridge in 2005, categorizing preferences into four types: flats, terraced houses, detached houses, and semi-detached houses.

Overall, London had a distinct preference for flats, whereas residents of Cambridge leaned towards detached houses. The preferences for terraced and semi-detached houses were relatively balanced among the three cities, indicating a diverse range of housing choices in 2005.

Flats were overwhelmingly popular in London, with 58% of the population expressing a preference for them, significantly higher than Oxford (29%) and Cambridge (20%). On the other hand, terraced housing preferences were reasonably consistent across the three cities, with figures ranging between 16% and 19%.

Detached houses were highly preferred in Cambridge, with 36% choosing this option, compared to 25% in Oxford and just 9% in London. Conversely, semi-detached houses showed similar preference levels in Oxford and Cambridge, with 27% each, while London recorded a lower figure of 17%.

Top 29 Vocabularies

Vocabulary	Type	Meaning	Synonyms	Examples
Preference	Noun	A greater liking for one option over others	Choice, Liking	The survey revealed a clear preference for flats.
Overwhelming	Adjective	Very large or intense	Dominant, Predominant	Londoners showed an overwhelming preference for flats.
Stark	Adjective	Noticeable or striking in contrast	Clear, Distinct	A stark difference was seen in detached house preferences.
Consistent	Adjective	Remaining steady and unchanged	Stable, Uniform	Terraced housing preferences were consistent.
Diverse	Adjective	Showing variety or differences	Varied, Wide-ranging	Housing preferences were diverse among the three cities.
Presents	Verb	To show or display information	Displays, illustrates, shows	“The bar chart presents the housing preferences of residents.”
Housing	Noun	Buildings or structures for people to live in	Accommodation, dwellings, homes	“Housing preferences varied among the cities.”
Residents	Noun	People who live in a particular area	Inhabitants, citizens, locals	“Residents of Cambridge preferred detached houses.”
Categorizing	Verb	Dividing into specific groups or classifications	Classifying, grouping, organizing	“Preferences were categorized into four housing types.”
Distinct	Adjective	Clearly different or unique	Clear, unique, separate	“London showed a distinct preference for flats.”
Expressing	Verb	Showing or stating an opinion	Indicating, stating, articulating	“58% of residents expressed a preference for flats.”
Significantly	Adverb	To a large or noticeable extent	Remarkably, considerably, notably	“Flats were significantly more popular in London.”
Option	Noun	A choice or alternative	Choice, selection, alternative	“Detached housing was a preferred option in Cambridge.”
Leaned	Verb	To have an inclination or preference	Tended, gravitated, favored	“Residents of Cambridge leaned towards detached houses.”
Balanced	Adjective	Equal or fairly distributed	Even, stable, equitable	“Preferences for semi-detached houses were relatively balanced.”
Indicating	Verb	To point out or show something	Signifying, demonstrating, suggesting	“The chart indicates diverse housing preferences.”
Popular	Adjective	Liked or enjoyed by many people	Favored, well-liked, preferred	“Flats were popular in London.”
Range	Noun	A variety of things within a certain limit	Spectrum, scope, extent	“Preferences ranged widely across housing types.”
Figures	Noun	Numbers or statistical data	Data, statistics, values	“Figures for terraced housing were consistent.”
Optionally	Adverb	At one’s choice or preference	Selectively, voluntarily, freely	“Residents could optionally choose between flats and houses.”
Highly	Adverb	To a great extent or degree	Extremely, very, exceptionally	“Detached houses were highly preferred in Cambridge.”
Conversely	Adverb	Introducing an idea that is opposite to a previous one	On the other hand, however	“Conversely, semi-detached houses were less favored in London.”
Recorded	Verb	Documented or noted down	Logged, noted, observed	“London recorded a lower preference for semi-detached houses.”
Population	Noun	The group of people living in a specific area	Inhabitants, community, society	“A large proportion of the population preferred flats.”
Urban	Adjective	Relating to a city or town	City-based, metropolitan	“Urban residents favored flats over houses.”
Relatively	Adverb	When compared to others	Comparatively, moderately, somewhat	“Preferences were relatively stable across the years.”
Reflects	Verb	To show or indicate	Indicates, demonstrates, portrays	“Housing preferences reflect the lifestyle of residents.”
Substantial	Adjective	Large in amount or degree	Significant, considerable, major	“There was a substantial difference in preferences.”
Variation	Noun	A change or difference in condition or level	Difference, diversity, fluctuation	“Variation in preferences was observed among cities.”

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