Academic Writing Task 1 · table

Average weekly working hours for men and women in Europe in 2002

The tables give information about the average hours worked by part-time and full-time men and women in three countries in Europe in 2002 and compare them with the European countries.

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

Average number of hours for full-workers in 2002

Country	Women	Men
Greece	39.9	42.5
Netherlands	38.0	38.0
UK	37	37.5
European average	39.2	40.4

Average number of hours for part-workers in 2002

Country	Women	Men
Greece	29.3	30
Netherlands	29.2	28.3
UK	28	29
European average	34	32

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 tables compare the average weekly working hours for men and women in full-time and part-time employment across Greece, the Netherlands, the UK, and the European average in 2002.

Overall, men generally worked longer hours than women in full-time roles, whereas the European average for part-time work was significantly higher than the figures recorded for the three specific countries. Notably, Greece consistently reported the highest working hours for full-time employees.

Regarding full-time workers, Greece recorded the highest figures, with men working 42.5 hours and women 39.9 hours, both exceeding the European averages of 40.4 and 39.2 hours respectively. In contrast, the UK had the lowest full-time hours for both genders, at 37 for women and 37.5 for men. The Netherlands showed parity between genders, with both men and women working 38 hours.

In terms of part-time employment, the European average was notably higher, at 34 hours for women and 32 hours for men. Conversely, the three countries listed all fell below these averages. Greece had the highest part-time hours among the three, with 30 for men and 29.3 for women, while the UK recorded the lowest for women at 28 hours.

191 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.

parity: the state or condition of being equal
exceeding: being greater in number or size than something
consistently: in every case or on every occasion
conversely: introducing a statement that reverses a previous one
notably: in a way that is worthy of attention
recorded: set down in writing or some other permanent form

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

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.