Academic Writing Task 1 · table

Average length and viewing time of various YouTube advertisement categories

The table below shows the types of YouTube ads, their average lengths, and how long people watch them.

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

Average length and viewing time of YouTube ads by category

Type of YouTube Ad	Average length of YouTube Ad (seconds)	Average time viewed (seconds)
Public Service	66.7	28.1
Business and finance	35.1	24.6
Entertainment and news	30.8	26.5
Travel	28.7	23.0
Technology	39.3	20.9
Retail	26.5	20.1
Consumer electronics	24.9	17.3
Clothing	23.4	16.6
Pharmaceuticals	21.8	16.0
Life style	33.7	14.3
overall	38.1	20.4

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 average duration of ten different categories of YouTube advertisements alongside the average time viewers spend watching them. Overall, the data indicates that while ad length varies significantly across categories, viewers generally watch only a portion of the total ad duration.

Public Service advertisements stand out as the longest, averaging 66.7 seconds, and they also command the highest viewing time at 28.1 seconds. In contrast, Pharmaceuticals have the shortest average length at 21.8 seconds, with viewers watching for 16.0 seconds. Entertainment and news ads demonstrate high engagement, with viewers watching for 26.5 seconds out of a 30.8-second total, which is a notably high retention rate compared to other categories.

Conversely, Life style ads show a discrepancy between length and engagement; despite being 33.7 seconds long, they record the lowest average viewing time at just 14.3 seconds. Technology ads, which are relatively long at 39.3 seconds, only retain viewers for 20.9 seconds. Across all categories, the overall average length is 38.1 seconds, while the average time viewed is 20.4 seconds, suggesting that, on average, viewers watch slightly more than half of the content provided.

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

How to write about 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.

illustrates: provides a clear visual representation of the data
discrepancy: a lack of compatibility or similarity between facts
retention rate: the proportion of content that viewers actually watch
command: to attract or receive a specific amount of
conversely: introducing a statement that reverses the previous point
notably: in a way that is worthy of attention

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Public Service ads are the longest and most viewed, while Life style ads have the lowest viewing time despite being significantly longer than several other categories.

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.