The global sales (in billions of dollars) of different types of digital games between 2000 and 2006

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Bar Graph

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IELTS Writing Task 1 Question

The bar graph shows the global sales (in billions of dollars) of different types of digital games between 2000 and 2006. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Common Questions for the Bar Graph

1. Graph Type: Bar Chart

2. Title: Global Sales of Different Types of Digital Games (2000–2006)

3. What are the units of measurement?: Sales in billions of dollars

4. Who: Types of digital games (mobile, online, console, hand-held)

5. When: 2000 to 2006

6. Where: Global

7. Topic: Trends in global sales of digital games

Comparison Showing and Trends

Comparison 1: Hand-held Games

Details:

Consistently dominated the market.

2. Sales increased from $11 billion in 2000 to $17 billion in 2006.

Comparison 2 : Console Games

Details:

Sales began at $6 billion in 2000 but declined steadily to $2.5 billion by 2006.

Comparison 3: Emerging Markets (Mobile and Online Games)

Details:

1. No sales in 2000, but mobile and online games gained popularity by 2003, reaching $3 billion.

2. In 2006, online games ($9 billion) surpassed mobile games ($7 billion).

Sample Answer

The bar chart illustrates the global sales of four types of digital games-hand-held, mobile, online, and console—between 2000 and 2006.

Overall, hand-held games consistently outperformed other types, while online and mobile games gained momentum, reflecting the growing diversification of the digital gaming market. Console games, however, saw a steady decline in popularity over the years.

In 2000, hand-held games dominated the market with sales of $11 billion, while console games accounted for just under $6 billion. Mobile and online games had no sales recorded in this year. Over the next three years, hand-held game sales increased to approximately $15 billion, while console game sales dropped to $4 billion. By 2003, mobile and online games had entered the market, each generating $3 billion in sales.

By 2006, hand-held games peaked at $17 billion, maintaining their lead. Online and mobile games experienced rapid growth, reaching $9 billion and $7 billion, respectively. In contrast, console game sales continued to decline, hitting their lowest point of $2.5 billion.

Top 26 Vocabularies

Vocabulary (type)	Type	Meaning	Synonyms	Examples
Dominate	verb	To have control or the largest share	Lead, Prevail	Hand-held games dominated the market throughout the period.
Turnover	noun	Total sales revenue	Revenue, Earnings	The turnover for online games increased significantly by 2006.
Momentum	noun	The force or speed gained by a trend	Growth, Progress	Online games gained momentum after 2003.
Decline	Verb/ noun	To decrease or reduce	Drop, Reduction	Console games saw a steady decline in sales.
Peak	Verb/ noun	To reach the highest point	Summit, Climax	Hand-held games peaked at $17 billion in 2006.
Illustrates	Verb	To explain or make something clear with visuals or examples	Depicts, Demonstrates	“The bar chart illustrates the global sales of digital games between 2000 and 2006.”
Diversification	Noun	The process of becoming more varied or diverse	Variety, Expansion	“The gaming market showed diversification with the rise of mobile and online games.”
Outperformed	Verb	To perform better than others	Surpassed, Excelled	“Hand-held games outperformed mobile and console games in sales.”
Entered	Verb	To begin participating or becoming part of something	Arrived, Came in	“Mobile and online games entered the market by 2003.”
Generation	Noun	The total amount of sales or output produced	Creation, Production	“Mobile games generated $3 billion in sales by 2003.”
Peaked	Verb	To reach the highest level or point	Climbed, Reached	“Hand-held games peaked at $17 billion in 2006.”
Rapid	Adjective	Occurring quickly or at a fast pace	Swift, Quick	“Online and mobile games experienced rapid growth by 2006.”
Maintain	Verb	To continue at the same level or rate	Sustain, Keep	“Hand-held games maintained their lead throughout the period.”
Contrast	Verb/Noun	To show differences when compared to something else	Differ, Disagree	“In contrast, console game sales dropped steadily over the years.”
Significant	Adjective	Having a large impact or effect	Important, Major	“The increase in mobile game sales was significant by 2006.”
Recorded	Verb	To capture data or sales numbers	Logged, Registered	“Mobile and online games had no sales recorded in 2000.”
Consistently	Adverb	Happening in the same way over a period of time	Steadily, Reliably	“Hand-held games consistently led in sales during this period.”
Steady	Adjective	Continuing without interruption or change	Constant, Unchanging	“Console games saw a steady decline in sales from 2000 to 2006.”
Climax	Noun	The highest or most intense point	Peak, Apex	“The sales of hand-held games reached their climax in 2006.”
Sales	Noun	The exchange of goods or services for money	Transactions, Revenue	“The total sales of digital games grew each year from 2000 to 2006.”
Reflection	Noun	The act of showing or indicating something clearly	Indication, Demonstration	“The growth of online games is a reflection of the digital gaming market’s change.”
Shift	Noun	A significant change in direction or position	Change, Alteration	“There was a noticeable shift in the sales from console games to mobile and online games.”
Sustained	Verb	To maintain at a certain level	Continued, Supported	“The hand-held games sustained their dominance over the years.”
Declining	Verb/Adjective	Becoming less in amount, importance, or value	Decreasing, Dropping	“Console game sales were declining, reaching their lowest point by 2006.”
Revenue	Noun	The total income generated from sales	Earnings, Income	“Mobile games saw a rise in revenue, reaching $7 billion in 2006.”
Gained	Verb	To acquire or increase in amount or value	Increased, Grew	“Mobile and online games gained momentum from 2003 onward.”

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