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 | Vancouver Georgia Street | Vancouver Dunsmuir Street | Vancouver Drake Street |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Transactions | 854 | 750 | 390 |
| Transaction Value | $10.69 | $5.61 | $9.02 |
| Number of Eat-in Transactions | 405 | 358 | 200 |
| Number of Take-Away Transactions | 449 | 392 | 190 |
| Most popular Item | Chicken Burger | Chicken Wings | Chicken 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
- 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.
- 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
Write your own report and get a band
Take a timed Academic writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.
Practise IELTS Academic writingOn your phone? Get the BandLadder app.
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.
More tables
- A comparison of actual and predicted population figures for three cities
- A comparison of favorite pastimes across eight different countries for adults aged 30-50
- A table comparing native and additional speakers across six major languages
- A table illustrating the percentage of online activities across seven age groups
- A twenty-year study on reasons for UK adults attending arts events
- Alcohol-related deaths in 2005 and beer consumption in 2002 by country
- All 677 Task 1 samples · Task 2 sample essays