Library Visits and Community Events

The question

How to approach this mixed charts question

Mixed charts combine two views of the data (for example a bar chart and a line graph). Link them: say how one explains or contrasts with the other.

1. Introduce both charts in one or two sentences.
2. Write one overview covering both.
3. Describe the first chart, then the second, linking where the data connects.
4. Do not try to mention every number.

How to plan this answer

Structure

1. Introduction: paraphrase the two charts, a bar chart of public library visits (millions) and a line graph of community events held (thousands) from 2015 to 2025.
2. Overview: visits fall overall while events rise, both measures dip in 2021 and recover, and the two measures move in opposite directions between 2015 and 2019.
3. Body paragraph 1: library visits, falling from 48.2 million in 2015 to 27.8 million in 2021, and recovering to 41.6 million by 2025.
4. Body paragraph 2: community events, rising to 3.6 thousand in 2019, falling to 2.2 thousand in 2021, and reaching 4.8 thousand by 2025.

Key features to spot

• Visits fall by 20.4 million between 2015 and 2021, a drop of about 42%, before partly recovering to 41.6 million.
• By 2025 visits are still 6.6 million below their 2015 level, so they have not fully recovered.
• Events rise from 3.1 thousand to 4.8 thousand over the period, an increase of about 55%, and reach their highest point in 2025.
• Between 2015 and 2019 the two measures move in opposite directions: visits fall at each step (48.2, 46.9, 45.1) while events rise (3.1, 3.4, 3.6).
• Both measures reach their lowest point in 2021 and then rise together to 2025.

Useful vocabulary

• library visits: Library visits fell over the decade, from 48.2 million in 2015.
• community events: The number of community events held by libraries rose steadily.
• fell to a low of: Visits fell to a low of 27.8 million in 2021.
• bounced back: Both measures bounced back after 2021.
• moved in opposite directions: The two measures moved in opposite directions between 2015 and 2019.
• the steepest drop: The steepest drop in visits occurs between 2019 and 2021.
• remained below: Visits remained below their 2015 level in 2025.
• reached a peak: The number of events reached a peak in 2025.

Common mistakes

• Mixing the units, for example comparing 41.6 million visits directly with 4.8 thousand events as if they were the same scale.
• Saying both visits and events fell over the decade, when events rose from 3.1 to 4.8 thousand.
• Saying visits recovered to their 2015 level, when they remain 6.6 million lower in 2025.
• Ignoring the 2015-2019 period, where the two measures move in opposite directions.
• Offering explanations such as digital services for the changes, which the prompt rules out.

Examiner tip: State each measure's unit with its figures, describe the direction of each separately, and then name the years in which they moved apart.