Academic Writing Task 1 · table

Number of technology researchers per million people in five selected countries

The table gives information about the number of people working as researchers in technology per million people in five countries.

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

Number of researchers in technology per million people

	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Turkey	47	50	70	83	106
Poland	285	263	234	227	226
Mexico	147	212	242	170	183
Moldova	103	92	89	97	114
Togo	18	17	23	17	18

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 individuals employed as technology researchers per million inhabitants across five distinct nations between 2003 and 2007.

Overall, Turkey demonstrated a significant and consistent growth in its research workforce, whereas Poland experienced a downward trend. Togo consistently maintained the lowest number of researchers among the countries surveyed.

Turkey began the period with 47 researchers per million in 2003, and this figure climbed steadily each year, more than doubling to reach 106 by 2007. Conversely, Poland started with the highest number of researchers at 285 in 2003, but this figure decreased annually, falling to 226 by the end of the period. Moldova showed a relatively stable pattern, starting at 103, dipping to 89 in 2005, and recovering to 114 by 2007.

Mexico experienced notable volatility; the number of researchers rose from 147 in 2003 to a peak of 242 in 2005, before dropping sharply to 170 in 2006 and ending at 183 in 2007. Finally, Togo recorded the lowest figures throughout the five years, fluctuating minimally between 17 and 23 researchers per million people.

178 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.

upward trend: a general direction in which something is increasing
steady decline: a continuous and gradual decrease in a value
volatility: the quality of being subject to frequent changes
fluctuating: rising and falling irregularly in number or amount
peak: the highest point or value reached during time
inhabitants: people who live in a particular specified place

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

While Turkey experienced a consistent upward trend in the number of technology researchers, Poland saw a steady decline, and Togo remained the country with the lowest figures throughout the period.

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.