Academic Writing Task 1 · table

Annual hours of leisure time spent by different age groups in Someland: IELTS Writing Task 1 sample answer

An IELTS Writing Task 1 table question with a Band 8 sample answer, the chart redrawn with its data, the vocabulary that lifts the report and how to write about tables.
  • 191 words
  • Tables
  • Academic
  • 20 minutes

The question

The table below shows the hours of leisure time spent by people in different age groups in Homeland.

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

Hours Of Leisure Time Per Year In Someland
ActivityTeens20s30s40s50s60s70s
Watching TV/ videos1,2007004005006007001,100
Socializing with 4 or less people150150300250250200200
Socializing with 4 or more people3503505050252525
Individual exercise1501002002005075150
Group exercise/ sport4503502001505000
Cinema1007550252550100

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.

Model answer

Band 8 sample answer

Band 8191 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

The table illustrates the annual hours spent on six different leisure activities by seven distinct age groups in Someland. Overall, watching TV and videos is the most time-consuming activity for all cohorts, particularly among the youngest and oldest populations. Conversely, activities involving group participation tend to decrease significantly as individuals grow older.

Watching TV/videos dominates the data, peaking at 1,200 hours for teens and 1,100 hours for those in their 70s. In contrast, this activity reaches a low of 400 hours for people in their 30s. Socializing with four or more people is highly popular among teens and those in their 20s, both recording 350 hours, but this figure drops sharply to just 25 hours for those aged 50 and above.

Regarding physical activity, group exercise/sport is most prevalent among teens at 450 hours, yet it completely disappears for those in their 60s and 70s. Individual exercise shows a more varied pattern, peaking at 200 hours for people in their 30s and 40s. Finally, cinema attendance remains relatively low across all groups, fluctuating between 25 and 100 hours annually, with the highest engagement found among teens and the 70s age group.

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Tables

How to write about tables: tips and vocabulary

  • →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.
  • dominates

    has a commanding influence or is the largest

  • conversely

    introducing a statement that reverses a previous one

  • prevalent

    widespread in a particular area or time

  • fluctuating

    rising and falling irregularly in number or amount

  • cohorts

    groups of people with a shared characteristic

  • sharply

    in a sudden and very noticeable way

Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?+

Watching TV/videos is the most popular leisure activity across all age groups, while group exercise and large-group socializing see significant declines as people age.

How many words and how long for IELTS Writing Task 1?+

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 is IELTS Writing Task 1 scored?+

On four criteria: task achievement, coherence and cohesion, vocabulary, and grammatical range and accuracy. A clear overview of the main features is what most separates Band 6 from Band 7 and above.

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.

Keep practising

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