Academic Writing Task 1 · table

Mobile and Personal Computer Ownership Across Six Countries in 2003

The table shows the number of mobile phones and personal computers per thousand people in 2003 in six different countries.

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

Mobile and PC ownership per thousand people in 2003

Country	Number of mobile holders (per thousand people)	Number of PC owners (per thousand people)
Luxemburg	872	900
Italy	737	480
Singapore	684	690
Germany	586	452
South Korea	380	452
China	35	88

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 number of mobile phone users and personal computer owners per thousand inhabitants across six distinct countries in 2003. Overall, it is evident that Luxemburg led in both categories, whereas China reported the lowest figures. Furthermore, mobile phone ownership was generally more prevalent than personal computer ownership, with the notable exceptions of Luxemburg, Singapore, South Korea, and China.

Luxemburg stood out as the most technologically advanced nation, with 872 mobile holders and 900 PC owners per thousand people. Italy and Singapore followed with significant mobile penetration rates of 737 and 684 per thousand, respectively. However, while Italy’s PC ownership was relatively lower at 480, Singapore maintained a high PC ownership rate of 690.

In contrast, Germany, South Korea, and China exhibited lower figures. Germany had 586 mobile users and 452 PC owners. Interestingly, South Korea reported the same number of PC owners as Germany (452), despite having a much lower mobile ownership rate of 380. China remained significantly behind the other nations, with only 35 mobile holders and 88 PC owners per thousand people, representing the lowest technological adoption rates among the countries surveyed.

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.

penetration: the extent to which a product is used
prevalent: widespread in a particular area at a time
exhibited: to show or display a particular quality
adoption: the action or fact of choosing to use
notable: worthy of attention or striking in nature
inhabitants: a person or animal that lives in place

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Luxemburg recorded the highest rates for both devices, while China had the lowest, and mobile ownership generally exceeded PC ownership in most 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.