Academic Writing Task 1 · table

Employment sector distribution across three distinct age groups: 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.
  • 187 words
  • Tables
  • Academic
  • 20 minutes

The question

The table below gives information about the employment sectors in which people from 3 age groups worked.

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

Employment sectors by age group
employment sector18-25 age group25-40 age group40-65 age group
agriculture579
manufacturing121523
catering684
local government81218
health121512
retail2376
law444
accountancy323
education91212
other21189

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 8187 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

The table illustrates the distribution of employees across ten different sectors, categorised by three age groups: 18-25, 25-40, and 40-65. Overall, it is evident that employment preferences shift significantly as individuals age, with retail being the most popular choice for the youngest cohort, while manufacturing dominates the oldest group.

For the 18-25 age group, retail is the most significant sector, accounting for 23% of employment, followed closely by the 'other' category at 21%. In contrast, these sectors become less prominent for older workers. Specifically, retail employment drops to 7% for the 25-40 group and further to 6% for those aged 40-65. Similarly, the 'other' category declines steadily from 21% to 9% across the age brackets.

Conversely, sectors such as manufacturing and local government show an upward trend with age. Manufacturing accounts for only 12% of the youngest group but rises to 23% for the 40-65 age group. Likewise, local government employment increases from 8% in the youngest bracket to 18% in the oldest. Meanwhile, law and accountancy remain relatively stable across all ages, with law consistently at 4% and accountancy fluctuating only slightly between 2% and 3%.

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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.
  • predominantly

    for the most part or mainly

  • cohort

    a group of people with shared characteristics

  • prominent

    important, noticeable, or standing out clearly

  • conversely

    introducing a statement that reverses the previous

  • fluctuating

    rising and falling irregularly in number

  • bracket

    a group or category defined by limits

Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?+

The data reveals that younger workers are predominantly concentrated in retail and other sectors, whereas older employees are more likely to work in manufacturing and local government.

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

More tables

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