Academic Writing Task 1 · table

Proportion of women in government and management roles across five nations in 2000

The table below depicts the information about the posts held by women in parliament and management in five countries in 2000.

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

Percentage of seats held by women in government and management in five countries in 2000

Countries	Total number of seats in government	Total number of seats in management
Canada	54%	36%
Ukraine	23%	40%
Egypt	52%	36%
Rome	10%	52%
Italy	40%	25%

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 provided table illustrates the percentage of seats occupied by women in government and management across five distinct countries during the year 2000.

Overall, it is evident that Canada and Egypt reported the highest female representation in government, whereas Rome stood out for having the most significant proportion of women in management roles. Conversely, Rome recorded the lowest figure for government positions, while Italy had the smallest percentage of women in management.

Regarding government roles, Canada and Egypt led the group with 54% and 52% respectively. Italy followed with 40%, while Ukraine reported 23%. Rome had the lowest female participation in government at only 10%.

In terms of management, the trends differed significantly. Rome displayed the highest figure at 52%, followed by Ukraine at 40%. Canada and Egypt shared identical proportions of 36%. Italy recorded the lowest percentage of women in management roles, standing at 25%. Notably, while Canada and Egypt showed a higher percentage of women in government than in management, the reverse was true for Ukraine and Rome, where management roles were more frequently held by women than government positions.

182 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.

representation: the action of speaking or acting for someone
proportion: a part, share, or number considered in comparative
exhibited: to show or display a quality or feeling
conversely: introducing a statement that reverses a previous one
participation: the action of taking part in an activity
identical: similar in every detail or exactly the same

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Overall, Canada and Egypt recorded the highest female representation in government, while Rome exhibited the most significant proportion of women in management positions.

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.