HOW TO DESCRIBE TABLES FOR IELTS WRITING TASK 1

Analysis of Tables – Tables are one of the common question types in the IELTS Writing Academic Task 1. In the following article, Essay King will share with readers a detailed approach to tackling Writing Task 1 with tables, adhering closely to the writing assessment criteria. Stay tuned for more!

1. Overview of Writing Task 1 in Table format

The Table is one of the chart types in IELTS. This task presents a table containing a series of data representing a common theme but varying in terms of time, location, or specific subject. Candidates are typically required to summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, making relevant comparisons between the presented figures. The task prompt is often formulated as follows:

“Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, making comparisons where relevant.”

The Table task comprises two main types of data tables, and the approach to writing for Writing Task 1 in Table format does not differ significantly between each type:

• Time-series data table: This type of task is quite similar to line and bar charts as it requires highlighting the trend of data over the study period. Simultaneously, it is essential to identify prominent indices such as rapidly/slowly increasing subjects and compare them with each other.

• Data table without a time factor: This type of exercise does not require highlighting the trend of data but rather compares them to each other and provides prominent indices such as the highest and lowest points.

Both types of tables share a similar structure for presenting information, comprising four main paragraphs to address the requirements. Specifically:

• Opening: Paraphrase the prompt based on your understanding (1 sentence).

• Overview: The most crucial part, providing a general overview of the entire article without including specific figures in this section (2-3 sentences).

• Body 1 & 2: Summarize the key points of the data table mentioned in the Overview section (Each paragraph consists of 3-4 sentences).

2. Analyzing Information in Table for Writing Task 1

To appropriately approach Writing Task 1 in the Table format, it is essential to analyze the preliminary information presented in the prompt.

Examine the table carefully before writing to determine:

– The subject of the data table, where it was surveyed, and the time period?
– The number of entities or objects?
– Whether there are variations in time and percentages?

Identify the main features of the data both vertically and horizontally to divide them into two corresponding groups for Body 1 and 2:

• Body 1: Group of entities with an increasing trend, entities with consistently higher values in each column, entities with the highest growth rate,…

• Body 2: Group of entities with a stable or decreasing trend, entities with the lowest values in each column, entities with no prominent features and closely aligned figures, lower than the aforementioned group,…

Key points to note in the table include:

• Highest and second-highest values.
• Unchanging values, lowest and second-lowest values.
• The contrast, or difference, in trend changes over time.
• Similarities in trend changes and figures across different regions.

3. Details on how to write Writing Task 1 in Table format

Table essays consist of two types: static data and time-based dynamic data. Despite this, the writing approach for both types of essays will be similar in terms of structure, vocabulary, and sentence structure. Specifically:

3.1 Writing the Opening for Writing Task 1 in Table format

The opening typically consists of one sentence to paraphrase the prompt in one’s own words. Failure to paraphrase the prompt and simply copying it verbatim may result in no points for this section, and the writing band score could even be below 6.0. There are two ways to rephrase the prompt into a leading sentence:

Method 1: Using synonymous words

Example prompt: “The table below shows the percentage of young people in higher education in 2000, 2005, and 2010.”

=> Paraphrase: “The given table presents the proportion of youth undergraduates in three years 2000, 2005, and 2010.”

In this case:

• Shows is synonymous with Presents

• Percentage (%) is synonymous with Proportion

• Young people in higher education is synonymous with Youth undergraduates

However, this method is suitable only for those proficient in vocabulary usage and understanding the contextual application of each word. Otherwise, candidates may easily get confused by using inappropriate words or failing to come up with synonymous words. In such cases, IDP advises using Method 2 to paraphrase the prompt.

Method 2: Changing sentence structures

Utilize different sentence structures in English grammar, combined with additional words to modify the prompt. Commonly applied sentence structures include:

• Switching from active to passive voice (and vice versa)

• Changing the subject

• Using a hypothetical subject structure

• Altering the verb

Example prompt: “The table below shows the percentage of young people in higher education in 2000, 2005, and 2010.”

=> “The percentage of young people enrolled in higher education in 2000, 2005, and 2010 is displayed in the table below.” (Switching from active to passive voice.)

=> “The table gives information about the share of young people in higher education in 2000, 2005, and 2010.” (Changing the subject.)

Common opening phrases include: “The given table presents/ witness/ shows/ illustrates/ displays/… + Subject + Verb (Active/Passive) + Additional information (Time/Place).

3.2 Writing an Overview for Table-based Writing Task 1

The Overview is the most crucial section in Task 1; its absence, regardless of the quality of the Body paragraphs, can hinder your essay from achieving a band score of 5.0 or higher. So, how can you craft a concise yet comprehensive Overview?

The Overview is considered a summary, providing a brief overview of the most prominent features of the table. You need to highlight the Trends, Order, and Changes in proportions (if applicable). To score well, you must present noteworthy figures, make comparisons, and categorize data into two distinctive groups.

Sample:

As can be seen from the table, the numbers of five types of vehicles examined showed an upward trend, with the number of motorcycles recording the most significant growth. In addition, while passenger vehicles registered the highest figures over the period examined, the opposite was recorded in light trucks.

3.3 Write Body 1 & 2 for Writing Task 1 in Table format

In the body of the essay, it is common to divide it into two parts, Body 1 and 2, corresponding to groups of similar characteristics. The key to this section is to provide a general evaluation and then group the data together. For instance:

In each body paragraph, about 3-4 sentences will be presented, providing data only without incorporating personal opinions to explain data changes or make observations.

Body 1	Body 2
Passenger vehicles: 2010: 11.8 million 2014: 13.0 million, rose by 10,2% Always the highest figure Commercial vehicles: 2010: 2.3 million 2014: 2.7 million, rose by 17,4%	Motorcycle:  2010: 540.000  2014: 709.000, rose by 30,8% The most dramatic growth Heavy trucks: 2010: 384.000  2014: 416.000, rose by 8,3% Light trucks: 2010: 106.000  2014: 131.000, rose by 23,5%

Body 1: In 2010, 11.8 million registered passenger vehicles were ranked first out of the five vehicles, compared to only 2.3 million commercial vehicles.  In the subsequent four years, the number of passenger vehicles increased by 10.2% to 13 million, while the number of commercial vehicles increased by 17.4% to 2.7 million over the same period. 

Body 2: In terms of the remaining kinds of vehicles, motorbike registrations saw the biggest growth, rising by 30.8% from 540.000 in 2010 to 709.000 in 2014. By contrast, the most insignificant growth was recorded in the heavy trucks, of 8,3%, from 384,000 to 416,000. Finally, light trucks had the lowest numbers, with 106,000 and 131,000 in 2010 and 2014 respectively.

Here is a compilation of guidelines on how to write Writing Task 1 in the form of a Table. Hopefully, through this article, readers have gained additional knowledge to prepare for the upcoming IELTS exam. Diligent practice of various types of tasks and having an effective exam strategy will help you achieve a high band score.