Academic Writing Task 1 · table

Annual milk production in four nations between 1990 and 2010

The table below shows the production of milk annually in four countries in 1990. 2000 and 2010.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Annual milk production in four countries
Nations199020002010
Netherlands11,262,00011,155,00011,466,000
Australia11,246,00011,105,0009,165,000
Tanzania87,0001,42,0001,55,000
Guatemala26,00055,00084,000

Chart redrawn by BandLadder from the data in the original IELTS practice task. Many IELTS practice tasks come from the Cambridge IELTS series (Cambridge University Press & Assessment); all rights in the original tasks remain with their owners.

Band 8 sample answer

The table illustrates the annual milk production in litres across four distinct nations—the Netherlands, Australia, Tanzania, and Guatemala—over a twenty-year period spanning 1990, 2000, and 2010.

Overall, it is evident that the Netherlands and Australia were the dominant milk producers throughout the period. Conversely, although Tanzania and Guatemala produced much smaller quantities, both countries demonstrated a steady upward trend in their annual output.

In 1990, the Netherlands and Australia produced comparable amounts of milk, at 11,262,000 and 11,246,000 litres respectively. By 2010, the Netherlands saw a slight increase to 11,466,000 litres, following a minor dip in 2000. In contrast, Australia’s production remained relatively stable until 2000, before experiencing a notable decline to 9,165,000 litres by 2010.

Regarding the smaller producers, Tanzania’s output rose from 87,000 litres in 1990 to 155,000 litres in 2010. Similarly, Guatemala’s production more than tripled over the two decades, climbing from 26,000 litres to 84,000 litres. Despite this significant relative growth, the production levels in these two nations remained substantially lower than those of the Netherlands and Australia throughout the entire timeframe.

176 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

How to write about tables

dominant
having the most influence or being the largest
upward trend
a general direction of increasing over time
comparable
able to be likened to another similar thing
notable
worthy of attention or striking in appearance
relative growth
increase measured in proportion to original size
timeframe
a specified period during which something occurs

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

While the Netherlands and Australia produced significantly higher volumes of milk compared to Tanzania and Guatemala, the former two experienced fluctuating or declining trends, whereas the latter two showed consistent growth.

How long should an IELTS Task 1 answer be?

At least 150 words; 170 to 200 is the safe range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

How do I describe tables?

Tables hide the trend: find the highest, lowest and biggest change yourself. Select; do not list every cell. Organise paragraphs by row or by column, whichever gives the clearer comparison.

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