Academic Writing Task 1 · table

Sales figures for a coffee shop in an office building

The table below shows the sales made by a coffee shop in an office building on a typical weekday.

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

Sales made by a coffee shop in an office building on a typical weekday
TimeCoffeeTeaPastriesSandwiches
7:30 - 10:3026511027550
10:30 - 14:301855095200
14:30 - 17:301453515040
17:30 - 20:302007580110

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 items sold by a coffee shop located in an office building across four distinct time intervals on a typical weekday. Overall, it is evident that coffee and pastries experience their highest demand during the early morning, whereas sandwich sales peak significantly during the middle of the day.

During the initial period from 7:30 to 10:30, the shop records its highest sales for coffee at 265 units and pastries at 275 units. In contrast, tea and sandwiches are less popular, with 110 and 50 sales respectively. As the day progresses to the 10:30 to 14:30 interval, coffee sales decline to 185, and pastry sales drop sharply to 95. Conversely, sandwich sales surge to 200, making them the most purchased item during this time, while tea sales fall to 50.

In the afternoon session (14:30 to 17:30), sales for all items decrease, with tea reaching a low of 35 units. However, the final period from 17:30 to 20:30 shows a recovery in demand; coffee sales rise to 200, and tea sales increase to 75. Sandwiches also see a rebound to 110, while pastry sales remain relatively low at 80.

193 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

How to write about tables

illustrates
shows or provides information about a specific topic
interval
a period of time between two specific events
surge
a sudden and powerful increase in a value
decline
a gradual decrease in the number or amount
contrast
a state of being strikingly different from another
rebound
an increase in value after a previous decline

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Coffee and pastries are the most popular items during the morning, while sandwiches see their peak sales during the midday 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.

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