Academic Writing Task 1 · table

Average urban traffic speeds and total urban zones across nine countries

The charts show (Chart a) the average speed of urban zone traffic (in kilometers per hour or kph) in several countries over fifty years, including a future estimate; and also (Chart b) the total number of urban zones per country (in thousands.) Select and describe the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

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

Average speed of urban zone traffic in kph

Year	France	USA	Italy	Brazil	UK	Russia	Spain	Canada	Chile
1970	60	48	32	52	54	63	51	69	51
1990	86	57	38	53	54	68	50	71	48
2010	68	53	56	53	56	72	53	73	52
2020est	52	43	58	57	47	59	61	64	51

Total number of urban zones in thousands

Year	France	USA	Italy	Brazil	UK	Russia	Spain	Canada	Chile
1970	2.8	38	1.1	3.5	3.4	6.7	2.6	2.9	1.1
2020est	9.3	128.2	5.1	12.4	11.8	3.2	8.5	9.9	5.4

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 provided tables illustrate the average speed of urban traffic in nine countries between 1970 and 2020, alongside the total number of urban zones in 1970 and 2020. Overall, traffic speeds have varied considerably over the fifty-year period, whereas the number of urban zones has generally trended upwards.

Regarding traffic speeds, France saw a significant rise from 60 kph in 1970 to a peak of 86 kph in 1990, before declining to an estimated 52 kph by 2020. Conversely, Italy experienced a steady increase from 32 kph to 58 kph over the same period. The USA showed a fluctuating pattern, starting at 48 kph, peaking at 57 kph in 1990, and dropping to 43 kph by 2020. Canada consistently maintained some of the highest speeds, rising from 69 kph to 73 kph in 2010 before falling to 64 kph.

In terms of urban zones, the USA witnessed a massive expansion, growing from 38,000 in 1970 to 128,200 by 2020. Most other nations also saw substantial growth; for instance, France increased from 2.8 thousand to 9.3 thousand. Russia was a notable exception, as its urban zones decreased from 6.7 thousand to 3.2 thousand over the fifty years.

196 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.

fluctuating: rising and falling irregularly in number or amount
dramatic: a sudden, striking, or very noticeable change
conversely: introducing a statement that reverses a previous one
consistently: acting or occurring in the same way over time
substantial: of considerable importance, size, or worth
exception: a person or thing that is excluded from general

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 writing

On your phone? Get the BandLadder app.

Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

While urban traffic speeds show fluctuating trends across the countries, the number of urban zones has increased significantly in most nations, with the USA experiencing the most dramatic 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.