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IELTS / Guides / Writing · Task 1: table
IELTS Writing · Guide

IELTS Writing Task 1 Table: how to select, group and compare the data

A table presents a lot of numbers in rows and columns, and you cannot report them all in 150 to 190 words. You write a report that selects and compares the main features. It tests judgement about what is important, because the table does not show you what matters.

About Writing practice

Format

  • Task 1 of Academic Writing: about 20 minutes of the 60, a minimum of 150 words, and one third of the Writing mark because Task 2 counts twice as much.
  • A table may contain one date or several, and one measure or several. Rows and columns must be read carefully, with the units, because the headings are the only labels you get.
  • Some cells may be empty or marked with a dash. Do not treat them as zero unless the table says so.
  • An overview is required. It identifies the biggest, smallest or most changed items and any consistent pattern.
  • Marked on four equally weighted criteria, typed on computer with a live word count. Fewer than 150 words is penalised.

Strategy

  1. Read the title, the units and the row and column headings and decide what the table is about: a comparison of countries, a change over time, or both.
  2. Scan the table for features rather than numbers: the highest and lowest in each column, large changes, rankings, a row that is different from the rest, a column in which all values are similar.
  3. Write a one-sentence introduction that paraphrases the title and the headings, for example 'The table compares the number of overseas students enrolled at four universities in 2010 and 2020.'
  4. Write an overview of two sentences giving the clearest patterns, such as 'Overall, enrolments rose at every university, and Leeds had the most overseas students in both years.'
  5. Choose a grouping for the body: by row (one country, then another), by column (one year, then another) or by feature (the biggest, then the smallest). Choose the one that allows the most comparison.
  6. Support each statement with one or two figures and use comparison language: 'the highest figure', 'just over double', 'by contrast', 'respectively', 'the lowest of the four'.
  7. Choose tenses by the dates in the table and keep them consistent. A table with no date takes the present simple.
  8. Check the figures and the units against the table. Check that you have not mentioned every cell, and count the words.

Common traps

  • Copying numbers from every cell into a list of sentences. This hits the word limit with no analysis and no overview.
  • Selecting figures at random, with no clear reason, so the examiner cannot see the main features.
  • Misreading rows and columns, so that a figure belongs to the wrong country or year.
  • Treating a dash or blank as zero when it means no data.
  • Giving causes, such as 'because of higher fees', which the table does not show.

Practise it inside a real Writing section

Practice on PrepFreely is always a complete section, so you meet this question type in the same place and proportion as on test day. Random sections never repeat until you've done them all. Every answer is explained.

Practise Writing Take the Writing course

FAQ

Do I have to include all the numbers?

No. You select the most significant ones. Describing every cell is a common reason for low Task Achievement.

What does a dash or an empty cell mean?

Usually that no data is available, unless the notes say otherwise. Do not report it as zero.

What does 'respectively' do?

It lets you give two or more figures in one sentence and assign them to items in order: 'The figures were 12% and 30% for men and women respectively.'

Should I group by row or by column?

Choose the grouping that lets you compare most, and that you can follow clearly. Both are acceptable.

How do I find the overview in a table?

Look for the largest, smallest or most changed values, and for any pattern that holds across the whole table. State two of those without detailed numbers.

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