The charts below show the favourite takeaways of people in Canada and the number of Indian restaurants in Canada between 1960 and 2015. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Model answer by Lifestyle Training Centre.

The given bar and pie charts illustrate the proportion of people’s favourite takeaways as well as the growth in the number of Indian restaurants in Canada between 1960 and 2015.

Overall, it is evident that Chinese and Indian cuisines were the most preferred takeaway options, whereas Mexican, Japanese, and Greek food attracted the least popularity. Furthermore, the number of Indian restaurants rose markedly over the period, with only minor fluctuations in the later years.

Notably, Chinese food was the most popular takeaway, representing 34 percent of the total, followed closely by Indian cuisine at 26 percent. Italian and Persian dishes occupied the third and fourth positions, accounting for 10 percent and 9 percent respectively. Interestingly, 11 percent of Canadians reported that they never ordered takeaway food.

By contrast, Mexican, Japanese, and Greek cuisines were the least favoured, standing at 1 percent each, while Thai food accounted for 3 percent. Another 4 percent of takeaways fell into the ‘other’ category. Canada experienced a striking increase in the number of Indian restaurants: from only about 500 in 1960, the figure climbed steeply to approximately 9,000 by 2009. Although there was a slight dip to below 9,000 in 2011, the number recovered in the following years, almost returning to 9,000 by 2015.

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🔑 Vocabulary List with Meanings & Synonyms

1. Illustrate

• Meaning: To show or demonstrate something clearly, often using charts, graphs, or examples.
• Synonyms: depict | present | demonstrate | portray | outline

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2. Proportion

• Meaning: A part, share, or percentage of the whole.
• Synonyms: percentage | fraction | share | segment | portion

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3. Growth

• Meaning: An increase or expansion over time.
• Synonyms: rise | development | expansion | escalation | surge

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4. Evident

• Meaning: Clear and obvious to see or understand.
• Synonyms: apparent | noticeable | observable | clear | manifest

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5. Preferred

• Meaning: Chosen more often or liked more compared to others.
• Synonyms: favoured | selected | chosen | popular | desired

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6. Attracted the least popularity

• Meaning: Received the lowest level of preference or choice.
• Synonyms: least favoured | least chosen | least preferred | had minimal appeal

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7. Rose markedly

• Meaning: Increased significantly in a noticeable way.
• Synonyms: increased considerably | grew substantially | climbed significantly | escalated sharply

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8. Minor fluctuations

• Meaning: Small changes up and down.
• Synonyms: slight variations | modest shifts | small changes | marginal variations

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9. Notably

• Meaning: Especially, in a way worth mentioning.
• Synonyms: significantly | importantly | remarkably | strikingly | especially

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10. Representing

• Meaning: Showing or making up a proportion of something.
• Synonyms: constituting | accounting for | comprising | making up

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11. Occupied (position)

• Meaning: Took a rank or place in order.
• Synonyms: held | ranked | secured | positioned | placed

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12. By contrast

• Meaning: Used to show a difference or opposite situation.
• Synonyms: on the other hand | in comparison | conversely | however

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13. Least favoured

• Meaning: Chosen the least among options.
• Synonyms: least popular | least preferred | least selected | least desired

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14. Category

• Meaning: A group or classification of similar things.
• Synonyms: group | type | class | division | section

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15. Experienced a striking increase

• Meaning: Underwent a dramatic or impressive rise.
• Synonyms: witnessed a sharp rise | underwent a significant surge | saw remarkable growth | observed dramatic escalation

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16. Climbed steeply

• Meaning: Rose quickly and at a strong rate.
• Synonyms: rose sharply | escalated rapidly | increased dramatically | grew steeply

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17. Approximately

• Meaning: About; nearly exact but not precise.
• Synonyms: roughly | around | nearly | close to | in the region of

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18. Slight dip

• Meaning: A small decrease.
• Synonyms: minor drop | modest fall | marginal decline | small reduction

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19. Recovered

• Meaning: Returned to a previous level after a decline.
• Synonyms: rebounded | bounced back | regained | picked up | improved

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20. Following years

• Meaning: The years that came after.
• Synonyms: subsequent years | later years | succeeding years | the years afterwards

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🎯 Why this works for IELTS

• These words are academic but natural (not memorised lists).
• They help you avoid repetition (e.g., not always “increase,” but also “rise,” “grow,” “climb”).
• They make your writing concise and precise, which is essential for Band 9.

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