Academic Writing Task 1 · table

Weight distribution of men and women in a country 1999-2009

The table below shows the weight of people in a particular country from 1999 to 2009.

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

Weight distribution of people in a country from 1999 to 2009

Category	Women 1999	Women 2004	Women 2009	Men 1999	Men 2004	Men 2009
Under weight	27%	29%	28%	22%	20%	23%
Normal weight	49%	51%	47%	41%	48%	47%
Over weight	18%	21%	19%	30%	23%	19%

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 weight distribution of men and women in a specific country across three distinct years: 1999, 2004, and 2009. Overall, the majority of the population consistently fell into the normal weight category, whereas the prevalence of overweight individuals showed divergent trends between the two genders.

For women, the proportion of those in the normal weight category started at 49% in 1999, peaked at 51% in 2004, and subsequently dipped to 47% by 2009. The percentage of underweight women fluctuated slightly, rising from 27% to 29% before settling at 28% at the end of the period. Meanwhile, the figure for overweight women saw a modest increase from 18% in 1999 to 21% in 2004, before falling back to 19% in 2009.

In contrast, the data for men shows more pronounced changes. The percentage of overweight men dropped significantly from 30% in 1999 to 19% in 2009. Conversely, the proportion of men with normal weight rose from 41% to 47% over the same decade. Finally, the percentage of underweight men remained relatively stable, starting at 22%, dipping to 20% in 2004, and ending at 23% in 2009.

188 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.

divergent: tending to be different or develop in directions
prevalence: the fact or condition of being common
fluctuated: rise and fall irregularly in number or amount
pronounced: very noticeable or marked in its nature
conversely: introducing a statement that reverses a previous one
proportion: a part, share, or number considered in comparison

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Overall, normal weight remained the most common category for both genders throughout the period, while the proportion of overweight men experienced a significant decline.

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.