IELTS Academic Task 1: How to Describe a Table

Tables hold a lot of data — select only the key figures and comparisons; do not describe every cell.

Structure

1. Introduction — paraphrase what the visual shows.
2. Overview — the 2–3 biggest features or trends (essential for Band 7+).
3. Detail paragraph 1 — describe and compare the main data with figures.
4. Detail paragraph 2 — cover the rest.

Useful language

• the figure for … was
• in contrast to
• the greatest increase was seen in
• the only category to fall