IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Lesson 6 Tables Part 1

Hello! Welcome to lesson 6 in our IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 series. In this lesson, we’ll learn how to analyze and write about tables.

Many students prepare for IELTS Writing Task 1 by learning about pie charts, line graphs, and bar charts, but they often overlook tables. In some cases, tables appear together with other visuals, like pie or line graphs—but let’s first master analyzing tables independently.

As discussed in previous lessons, it’s essential to group information into two body paragraphs. Grouping data in tables can be tricky without enough practice. We recommend visiting our “IELTS QUESTIONS” section after this lesson to practice table-based questions.

Let’s start with our first example question!

The table below gives average yearly weather statistics of four cities. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Step 1: Analyze the table and plan how to group the information

First, organize the information into two groups. For this task, it’s best to group data by meaning or similarity.

The first three categories — Total Annual Rainfall, Number of Wet Days, and Annual Snowfall — can be grouped together as Precipitation. The remaining two — Annual Temperature Range and Hours of Sunlight per Day — can form a second group called Heat Difference and Sunny Hours.

Next, identify which information stands out. Look for the highest and lowest values within each category. You don’t need to mention every number—focus on key differences.

Step 2: Write an essay using the recommended structure

Now that you’ve grouped and analyzed the data, try writing your essay using the structure and language from earlier lessons. Then, compare it with the model below.

Model Essay

The table below gives average yearly weather statistics of four cities. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Important functional words are highlighted in red.
Useful vocabulary and phrases are highlighted in green.
Synonyms and topic vocabulary are highlighted in blue.

Introduction

The table provides information about annual weather conditions in Edinburgh, Paris, Helsinki, and Casablanca.

Overview

Overall, although Paris records the most annual rainfall, Helsinki experiences the greatest number of rainy days and the highest snowfall. Casablanca differs most, being the warmest, driest, and having the most sunshine hours.

Body Paragraph 1

In terms of precipitation, Paris receives the highest rainfall at 700 mm, while Helsinki has the greatest snowfall at 450 mm—over four times more than any other city. In contrast, Casablanca experiences minimal rainfall at 26 mm annually, only five rainy days, and no snow at all.

Body Paragraph 2

As for temperature range and sunshine, Helsinki and Casablanca both show wide variations—28°C and 26°C, respectively. Moreover, Casablanca enjoys the highest sunlight duration at 9 hours per day, far exceeding Paris’s 6.5 hours and Edinburgh’s 4 hours.

The table below shows data about underground railway systems in six major cities, including the date opened, kilometers of route, and annual passenger numbers in millions. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Step 1: Analyze the table and plan how to group the information

The first step is to organize the information into two groups. We’ve seen how to group data based on the meanings of categories. For this task, that approach is not suitable, so we’ll use another method.

Before continuing, see if you can figure out the groupings yourself!

As you can see from the table, there are three cities with older railway systems (London, Paris, Tokyo) and three cities with newer systems (Washington DC, Kyoto, Los Angeles).

Therefore, in body paragraph 1, you can write about the three older railway networks, while in body paragraph 2, you can describe the three newer networks.

The next step is to identify the most notable data points. Look for the highest and lowest values in each column. The highest and lowest figures are highlighted in red. These details can be included in your essay to make comparisons.

Step 2: Write an essay using the recommended essay structure

Take a look at the model essay below.

Model Essay

The table below shows data about underground railway systems in six major cities, including the date opened, kilometers of route, and annual passenger numbers in millions. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Important functional words are highlighted in red

Useful vocabulary and phrases are highlighted in green

Synonyms and topic vocabulary are highlighted in blue

The table illustrates data on underground railway systems in six major cities worldwide, showing the year each opened, total kilometers of route, and yearly passenger numbers in millions.

Overall, London and Paris have the oldest underground train systems, compared to Los Angeles, which is relatively new. Tokyo records the highest passenger numbers, while Kyoto has the lowest number of passengers and the shortest route.

In terms of the older railway systems, the London Underground, which opened in 1863, is the oldest and the most extensive, covering 394 kilometers. Paris’s railway system, opened in 1900, is approximately half the size but serves more passengers. Finally, Tokyo’s system is the busiest, with 1928 million passengers yearly and 155 kilometers of route.

Regarding the newer railway systems, Washington DC has the longest route among the three. In contrast, Kyoto has only 11 kilometers of track and the lowest passenger numbers of all, at 45 million per year. Meanwhile, Los Angeles, opened in 2001, has 28 kilometers of track and serves 50 million passengers annually.