Academic Writing Task 1 · table

Cinema Viewing Figures for Films Across Four Different Countries in Millions

The table below shows the cinema viewing figures for films by country, in millions.

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

Cinema Viewing Figures For Films By Country In Millions

Country	Action	Romance	Comedy	Horror	Total
India	8	7.5	6.5	2.5	24.5
Ireland	7.6	3.8	5.5	6.4	23.3
New Zealand	7.2	4.5	3.9	4.7	20.3
Japan	7.1	4.5	4.0	2.2	17.8
Total	29.9	20.3	19.9	15.8

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 cinema viewing figures for four different film genres across India, Ireland, New Zealand, and Japan, with all data measured in millions.

Overall, India had the highest total attendance at 24.5 million, whereas Japan recorded the lowest at 17.8 million. Across all countries, Action films consistently attracted the largest audiences, while Horror films generally saw the lowest engagement, with the notable exception of Ireland.

India led in total viewing figures, largely driven by its popularity in the Action (8 million) and Romance (7.5 million) genres. In contrast, Ireland’s total of 23.3 million was significantly bolstered by a strong preference for Horror films, which accounted for 6.4 million viewers, the highest figure for that genre in the table. New Zealand and Japan followed with total figures of 20.3 million and 17.8 million respectively.

Regarding genre preferences, Action films were the most watched category in every country, peaking at 8 million in India and reaching a minimum of 7.1 million in Japan. Conversely, Horror films were the least popular in India and Japan, with figures of 2.5 million and 2.2 million respectively. Overall, the total viewership for Action films reached 29.9 million, significantly outperforming the other three genres.

198 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 visual representation or explanation of data
consistently: occurring in the same way over a period
bolstered: supported or strengthened by a specific factor
peaking: reaching the highest point or level of value
conversely: introducing a statement that reverses the previous point
outperforming: performing better or achieving higher results than others

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

India recorded the highest total cinema attendance, while Action films were the most popular genre overall across all four nations.

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.