Academic Writing Task 1 · table

Percentage of British households owning various consumer durables between 1972 and 1983

The table below shows the consumer durables (telephone, refrigerator, etc.) owned in Britain from 1972 to 1983.

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

Percentage of households with consumer durables in Britain (1972-1983)

Consumer durables	1972	1974	1976	1978	1979	1981	1982	1983
Central heating	39	43	48	52	55	59	60	64
Television	93	95	96	96	97	97	97	98
Video	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	18
Vacuum cleaner	87	89	92	92	93	94	95	95
Refrigerator	73	81	88	91	92	93	93	94
Washing machine	66	68	71	75	74	78	79	80
Dishwasher	-	-	-	3	3	4	4	5
telephone	42	50	54	60	67	75	76	77

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 proportion of British households that owned eight different types of consumer durables between 1972 and 1983. Overall, there was a consistent upward trend in the ownership of all items throughout the eleven-year period. Televisions and vacuum cleaners were consistently the most popular items, whereas dishwashers and video players were the least common.

By 1972, televisions were already present in 93% of households, rising steadily to reach 98% by 1983. Similarly, vacuum cleaner ownership grew from 87% to 95% over the same timeframe. Refrigerators also saw significant growth, starting at 73% in 1972 and climbing to 94% by 1983. Washing machines followed a similar pattern, increasing from 66% to 80%.

Other items, while starting from lower bases, experienced substantial growth. Telephone ownership, for instance, nearly doubled from 42% in 1972 to 77% in 1983. Central heating also became much more prevalent, rising from 39% to 64%. In contrast, dishwashers remained a luxury item, only appearing in 3% of homes by 1978 and reaching just 5% by 1983. Video players were only recorded in the final year, at 18%.

181 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.

proportion: a part, share, or number considered in comparative relation
upward trend: a general direction in which something is developing higher
consistently: in every case or on every occasion without fail
substantial: of considerable importance, size, worth, or value
prevalent: widespread in a particular area at a particular time
in contrast: when compared with another thing to show differences

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Overall, ownership of all listed consumer durables increased throughout the period, with televisions and vacuum cleaners being the most widely owned items, while dishwashers and videos remained the least common.

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.