Academic Writing Task 1 · table

Average sales data for three Vancouver restaurant branches in 2016

The table below gives information about a restaurant's average sales in three different branches in 2016

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

Average sales in three Vancouver restaurant branches in 2016
AverageVancouver Georgia StreetVancouver Dunsmuir StreetVancouver Drake Street
Number of Transactions854750390
Transaction Value$10.69$5.61$9.02
Number of Eat-in Transactions405358200
Number of Take-Away Transactions449392190
Most popular ItemChicken BurgerChicken WingsChicken Pasta

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 sales performance across three Vancouver restaurant branches—Georgia Street, Dunsmuir Street, and Drake Street—during 2016. Overall, the Georgia Street branch outperformed the others in terms of transaction volume, whereas Dunsmuir Street recorded the lowest average transaction value.

Georgia Street handled the highest volume of business with 854 total transactions, followed by Dunsmuir Street with 750, and Drake Street with 390. Regarding transaction value, Georgia Street also led with an average of $10.69, while Drake Street followed at $9.02. Interestingly, Dunsmuir Street had the lowest average transaction value at $5.61, despite having a significantly higher number of transactions than the Drake Street branch.

In terms of service type, all three branches showed a preference for take-away over eat-in dining. Georgia Street recorded 449 take-away transactions compared to 405 eat-in. Similarly, Dunsmuir Street saw 392 take-away and 358 eat-in transactions. Drake Street followed the same pattern with 190 take-away and 200 eat-in transactions, though the gap was narrower. Finally, the most popular items varied by location, with customers preferring chicken burgers at Georgia Street, chicken wings at Dunsmuir Street, and chicken pasta at Drake Street.

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

How to write about tables

outperformed
achieved better results or higher figures than others
volume
the total amount or quantity of something
significantly
by a large or important amount
preference
a greater liking for one alternative over others
narrower
having a smaller distance or difference between items
varied
differed in size, amount, or nature from others

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Georgia Street recorded the highest number of transactions, while Dunsmuir Street had the lowest average transaction value.

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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