Academic Writing Task 1 · table

Comparison of average costs and time spent at three restaurant types: 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.
  • 196 words
  • Tables
  • Academic
  • 20 minutes

The question

The table below shows information about three different types of restaurants.

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

Average cost and time spent at three types of restaurants
CategorySit-Down RestaurantCafeteriaFast Food Restaurant
Average cost of lunch$10.00$7.00$4.50
Average time spent eating lunch45 min.30 min.20 min.
Average cost of dinner$17.00$9.50$5.00
Average time spent eating dinner60 min.45 min.20 min.

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 8196 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

The table illustrates the average financial cost and time duration associated with dining at three distinct types of venues: sit-down restaurants, cafeterias, and fast food restaurants, for both lunch and dinner.

Overall, it is evident that sit-down restaurants are consistently the most expensive and time-consuming dining options, whereas fast food establishments are the cheapest and quickest for both lunch and dinner. There is a clear positive correlation between the cost of a meal and the time spent consuming it across all three categories.

Regarding lunch, a meal at a sit-down restaurant costs $10.00 and takes 45 minutes, which is more than double the cost and time of a fast food lunch at $4.50 and 20 minutes. Cafeterias occupy the middle ground, with an average lunch cost of $7.00 and a duration of 30 minutes.

Dinner patterns follow a similar trend, though costs are generally higher. A dinner at a sit-down restaurant is the most expensive at $17.00, requiring 60 minutes. In contrast, dinner at a cafeteria costs $9.50 and takes 45 minutes. Fast food remains the most efficient option, costing only $5.00 and taking 20 minutes, identical to the time spent on a fast food lunch.

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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.
  • consistently

    happening in the same way over a period

  • correlation

    a mutual relationship or connection between two things

  • occupy the middle ground

    to be in a position between two extremes

  • identical

    exactly the same in every detail

  • distinct

    recognizably different in nature from something else

  • duration

    the length of time something continues

Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?+

Sit-down restaurants are consistently the most expensive and time-consuming dining options, whereas fast food establishments are the cheapest and quickest for both lunch and dinner.

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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