Academic Writing Sample Task 1 #66
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The tables below give information about the amount of beer and fruit juice consumed per
person per year in different countries.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Beer*
1 Ireland 155 litres
2 Germany 119 litres
3 Austria 106 litres
4 Belgium 98 litres
5 Denmark 98 litres
6 United Kingdom 97 litres
7 Australia 89 litres
8 United States 85 litres
9 Netherlands 80 litres
10 Finland 79 litres
Fruite juice*
1 Canada 52.6 litres
2 United States 42.8 litres
3 Germany 38.6 litres
4 Austria 37.3 litres
5 Sweden 35.5 litres
6 Australia 34.4 litres
7 Finland 33 litres
8 United Kingdom 29.3 litres
9 Netherlands 28.1 litres
10 New Zealand 24.8 litres
*Litres per person per year
IELTS Writing Tip: Comparing Data
Where more than one table is given in task 1 of the writing test, you are expected to compare and
contrast the information. There are TWO ways of structuring this kind of writing task. Firstly, present
the information from one table, then compare and contrast it with the information in the other table.
Alternatively, compare the information point by point, that is describe point 1 in the first table and
compare it with point 1 in the second table, and so on. Remember that whichever approach you
take you should always begin with an overview of the table and try to limit your answers to the most
significant points.
Model answer
The tables show the amount of beer and fruit juice consumed per person per year in countries
around the world. Beer is most popular in Ireland, with the average Irish drinking 155 litres per year.
Germany ranks second with 119 litres per person. In fact, the top six countries in terms of
consumption of beer are all European. Australia and The United States come next in seventh and
eighth positions, with Netherland and Finland consuming the least beer of the countries mentioned.
Finnish people only drink an average of 79 litres of beer a year.
The country which consumes by the greatest quantity of fruit juice per capita is Canada. Canadians
drink an average of 52.6 litres each a year, that’s almost double the consumption of New Zealand,
which is placed at the bottom of the table. Another North American country, The United States,
come second in the table, while German drinkers are ranked at number three, consuming an
average of 38.6 litres annually. Swedes drink approximately the same quantity of fruit juice as
Australians, which is 35.5 litres per year. The Finnish and the British drink 33 and 29.3 litres per
year respectively.
(194 words)
Academic Writing Sample Task 1 #57
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The table below gives information about Favorite Pastimes in different countries.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
From 30 - 50 years old
TV Sport Reading Hobbies Music Beach Sleep
Canada 60 22 15 40 3 0 2
France / / 30 20 4 / /
England / / 30 21 4 / 20
Australia 65 30 15 45 5 30 4
Korea 22 21 60 45 2 2 4
China 15 25 60 50 0 5 5
USA 60 23 15 42 23 30 2
Japan / / 62 / / / /
Model answer
This table clearly presents and compares favorable pastimes in eight different countries. The
pastimes, across the top of the table, are analyzed in relation to each country.
As can be seen, about 60% of Canadians, Australians and Americans like watching television. On
the other hand, this figure is quite low for China where only 15% of people watch television.
Predictably, Americans like music at 23%, whereas only 2 to 5% of people in the other countries
feel the same way. 20% of people in England enjoy sleeping as a pastime whereas in Canada and
the USA, for example, the figure is only 2%. Interestingly, the Chinese like hobbies the most at
50%, as opposed to only 20% in France. It isn’t surprising that the highest percentage of beach-
lovers is in Australia and the USA at 30%.
It seems that pastimes of people of different nationalities may be influenced by a number of factors
such as the socio-economic situation or the climate. These factors influence cultural differences
between different nationalities and make cross-cultural experiences more interesting.
(175 words)
Academic Writing Sample Task 1 #52
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The table below provide information on rental charges and salaries in three areas of London.
Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.
You should write at least 150 words.
Weekly rents per property (£/w) Salaries needed (£/year)
Area 1 bed 2 bed 3 bed 1 bed 2 bed 3 bed
Notting Hill 375 485 738 98,500 127,500 194,000
Regent's Park 325 450 650 85,500 118,000 170,500
Fulham 215 390 600 56,500 102,500 157,500
Model answer
The table shows two sets of related information: the relative cost, in pounds, of renting a property
with one, two or three bedrooms in three different suburbs of London and an indication of the kind of
annual salary you would need to be earning to rent in these areas.
Of the three areas mentioned, Notting Hill is the most expensive with weekly rents starting at £375
(salary approximately £100,000) and rising to £738 per week for a 3-bedroom property. To afford
this, you would require a salary in the region of £200,000 per annum. Alternatively, Fulham is the
cheapest area shown with rents ranging from £215 per week for a one bedroom property to £600
per week for a 3-bedroom property. To rent in this area, salaries need to be somewhere between
£85,000 and £170,000 depending on the number of bedrooms required. For those able to pay in the
middle price range for accommodation, Regent's Park might be a more suitable district.
(163 words)
Academic Writing Sample Task 1 #47
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The table below shows the proportion of different categories of families living in poverty in
Australia in 1999.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.
You should write at least 150 words.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Proportion of people from each
Family type
household type living in poverty
single aged person 6% (54,000)
aged couple 4% (48,000)
single, no children 19% (359,000)
couple, no children 7% (211,000)
sole parent 21% (232,000)
couple with children 12% (933,000)
all households 11% (1,837,000)
Model answer
The table gives a breakdown of the different type of family who were living in poverty in Australia in
1999.
On average, 11% of all households, comprising almost two million people, were in this position.
However, those consisting of only one parent or a single adult had almost doubt this proportion of
poor people, with 21% and 19% respectively.
Couples generally tended to be better off, with lower poverty levels for couples without children
(7%) than those with children (12%). It is noticeable that for both types of household with children, a
higher than average proportion were living in poverty at this time.
Older people were generally less likely to be poor, though once again the trend favoured eldery
couples (only 4%) rather than single eldery people (6%).
Overall the table suggests that households of single adults and those with children were more likely
to be living in poverty than those consisting of couples.
(154 words)
Academic Writing Sample Task 1 #46
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The take below gives information about the underground railway systems in six cities.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.
You should write at least 150 words.
Underground Railways Systems
Kilometres of Passengers per year
City Date opened
route (in millions)
London 1863 394 775
Paris 1900 199 1191
Tokyo 1927 155 1927
Washington DC 1976 126 144
Kyoto 1981 11 45
Los Angeles 2001 28 50
Model answer
The table shows the details regarding the underground railway systems in six cities.
London has the oldest underground railway systems among the six cities. It was opened in the year
1863, and it is already lye years old. Paris is the second oldest, in which it was opened in the year
1900. This was then followed by the opening of the railway systems in Tokyo, Washington DC and
Kyoto. Los Angeles has the newest underground railway system, and was only opened in the year
2001. In terms of the size of the railway systems, London, For certain, has the largest underground
railway systems. It has 394 kilometres of route in total, which is nearly twice as large as the system
in Paris. Kyoto, in contrast, has the smallest system. It only has 11 kilometres of route, which is
more than 30 times less than that of London.
Interestingly, Tokyo, which only has 155 kilometres of route, serves the greatest number of
passengers per year, at 1927 millions passengers. The system in Paris has the second greatest
number of passengers, at 1191 millions passengers per year. The smallest underground railway
system, Kyoto, serves the smallest number of passengers per year as predicted.
In conclusion, the underground railway systems in different cities vary a lot in the site of the system,
the number of passengers served per year and in the age of the system.
(233 words)
Examiners comment
This is an answer written by a candidate who achieved a Band 7 score.
This answer selects and describes the information well. Key features are clearly identified, while
unexpected differences are highlighted and illustrated. The answer is relevant and accurate with a
clear overview.
Information is well-organised using a good range of signals and link words. These are generally
accurate and appropriate, although occasional errors occur.
The writer successfully uses some less common words. There is a clear awareness of style but
there are occasional inaccuracies and there is some repetition. Grammar is well-controlled and
sentences are varied and generally accurate with only minor errors.
Academic Writing Sample Task 1 #41
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The table below shows the sales at a small restaurant in a downtown business district.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.
You should write at least 150 words.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Sales: week of October 7-13
Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. Sun.
Lunch $2,400 $2,450 $2,595 $2,375 $2,500 $1,950 $1,550
Dinner $3,623 $3,850 $3,445 $3,800 $4,350 $2,900 $2,450
Model answer
The sales at this small restaurant during the week of October 7 to 13th followed a fairly set pattern
from Monday to Friday, and then showed notable shift on the weekend. The lunch and dinner sales
during the week peaked on Friday and then dipper down as the weekend set in.
During the week of October 7-14th, the lunch sales averaged at approximately $2,400. The highest
lunch sales occurred on Friday, and the lowest occurred on Sunday. Sunday's lunch sales were
approximately $1,000 less than the average lunch sales during the rest of the week.
Dinner sales, which generated at least $1,000 to $1,500 more a day than lunch sales, also
remained steady during the week. Just like the lunch sales, the dinner sales peak on Friday and
dipped down for the weekend.
Excluding Wednesday and Thursday, the lunch and dinner sales from October 7-11 rose gradually
until the end of the business week. Midweek, on Wednesday and Thursday, the sales were slightly
lower than they were on Tuesday.
According to the sales report, this restaurant has a steady lunch and dinner crowd. The most
profitable day during the second week of October was Friday. Sunday, was the least profitable day,
with the full day's sales totaling/totalling less than the Friday dinner sales. These numbers are
reflective of a restaurant that is located in a business/financial district where business hours are
Monday through Friday.
(234 words)
Academic Writing Sample Task 1 #35
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The table below shows the consumer durables (telephone, refrigerator, etc.) owned in Britain
from 1972 to 1983.
Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.
You should write at least 150 words.
Consumer 1972 1974 1976 1978 1979 1981 1982 1983
durables
Percentage of households with:
central heating 39 43 48 52 55 59 60 64
television 93 95 96 96 97 97 97 98
video 18
vacuum cleaner 87 89 92 92 93 94 95
refrigerator 73 81 88 91 92 93 93 94
washing machine 66 68 71 75 74 78 79 80
dishwasher 3 3 4 4 5
telephone 42 50 54 60 67 75 76 77
Model answer
The table shows that the percentage of British households with a range of consumer durables
steadily increased between 1972 and 1983. The greatest increase was in telephone ownership,
rising from 42% in 1972 to 77% in 1983. Next came centralheating ownership, rising from 37% of
households in 1972 to 64% in 1983. The percentage of households with a refrigerator rose 2 1%
over the same period and of those with a washing machine by 14%. Households with vacuum-
cleaners. televisions and dishwashers increased by 8%, 5% and 2% respectively. In 1983. the year
of their introduction, 18% of households had a video recorder.
The significant social changes reflected in the statistics are that over the period the proportion of
British houses with central heating rose from one to two thuds, and of those with a phone from
under a half to over three-quarters. Together with the big increases in the ownership of washing
machines and refrigerators, they are evidence of both rising living standards and the trend to
lifestyles based on comfort and convenience.