Describing Tables

Tables present numerical data in rows and columns. They can contain a large amount of information, which makes them one of the most challenging visual types in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1. The key skill is selecting the most important data rather than trying to describe everything. This lesson teaches you how to analyse, organise, and describe tables at Band 7+ level.

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What Tables Look Like

A typical IELTS table has:

• Row headers — categories down the left side (e.g., countries, age groups, products)
• Column headers — sub-categories or time periods across the top
• Data cells — numbers, percentages, or amounts in each cell

Example Table: Average annual salary (in US$) by country and sector, 2022
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                  Technology    Education    Healthcare
USA               95,000        55,000       72,000
UK                65,000        42,000       58,000
Germany           70,000        48,000       62,000
Japan             60,000        38,000       55,000
India             18,000        8,000        12,000

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Why Tables Are Challenging