Academic Writing Task 1 · table

Worldwide mobile phone market share by manufacturer in 2005 and 2006

The table shows the worldwide market share of the mobile phone market for manufactures in the years 2005 and 2006.

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

Company	2005 % Market share	2006 % Market share
Nokia	32.5	35
Motorola	17.7	21.1
Samsung	12.7	11.8
Sony Ericsson	6.3	7.4
L.G	6.7	6.3
BenQ Mobile	4.9	2.4
Others	19.2	16.2
TOTAL	100.0	100.0

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 global market share held by various mobile phone manufacturers during 2005 and 2006. Overall, it is evident that Nokia and Motorola were the leading players, both of which saw their market presence grow over the period, whereas the majority of other companies faced a contraction in their market share.

Nokia remained the market leader, increasing its share from 32.5% in 2005 to 35% in 2006. Similarly, Motorola experienced significant growth, rising from 17.7% to 21.1% over the same timeframe. Sony Ericsson also saw a modest increase, moving from 6.3% to 7.4%.

In contrast, Samsung, which held the third-largest share in 2005 at 12.7%, saw its figure dip to 11.8% by 2006. L.G also recorded a slight decrease, falling from 6.7% to 6.3%. The most notable decline was observed in BenQ Mobile, whose market share more than halved, dropping from 4.9% to 2.4%. Finally, the 'Others' category saw a reduction from 19.2% to 16.2%, indicating a consolidation of the market among the top manufacturers.

167 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.

strengthened: became more powerful or more firmly established
dominance: the state of being more powerful than others
contraction: the process of becoming smaller in size
modest: relatively moderate or limited in amount
dip: a slight or temporary decrease in value
consolidation: the action of combining things into a whole

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Nokia and Motorola strengthened their market dominance between 2005 and 2006, while most other manufacturers experienced a decline in their respective market shares.

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.