IELTS · Guides · October 24, 2026 · 4 min read
IELTS Writing Task 1 table: how to pick the key figures, with a model answer
A table gives you more numbers than you can use: often 15 to 30 figures, with no lines or bars to show you what matters. That is exactly what makes it hard. The examiner is checking whether you can select the key features, so the task is less about describing and more about choosing.
Read the table in two directions
- Across the rows. What happened to each item over time, or how it compares across categories? Mark each row with one word: up, down, stable, peak.
- Down the columns. In each year or category, which item is highest and which is lowest? Did the ranking change?
- Look for the extremes: the largest number in the table, the smallest, the biggest change, the only item that went in the opposite direction.
Most of what you find will not go into your answer. That is fine. Usually eight to twelve numbers are enough.
Decide how to group
- By trend: rows that rose together in one paragraph, rows that fell in the other.
- By size: the large items in one paragraph, the small ones in the other.
- By time: if the table has a clear break (a fall in one year, then recovery), describe before and after.
A model answer
Task: The table below shows the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom flat and the average monthly salary in four cities in 2015 and 2025. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
| Rent 2015 | Rent 2025 | Salary 2015 | Salary 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City A | $1,200 | $2,100 | $3,800 | $4,600 |
| City B | $900 | $1,350 | $3,100 | $3,900 |
| City C | $600 | $650 | $2,000 | $2,800 |
| City D | $450 | $900 | $1,500 | $1,700 |
The table compares average monthly rents for a one-bedroom flat with average monthly salaries in four cities in 2015 and 2025.
Overall, both rents and salaries rose in all four cities, but in most of them rents grew much faster than pay. City A was the most expensive place to live in both years, and City C was the only city where housing became more affordable.
In City A, rent rose by 75%, from $1,200 to $2,100, while the average salary increased by only about a fifth, to $4,600. As a result, rent took up almost half of a typical salary by 2025. City D saw the sharpest rise of all, with rent doubling from $450 to $900 while salaries barely changed, edging up from $1,500 to $1,700.
City B followed a similar but less extreme pattern. City C, by contrast, stood out: its rent increased by just $50, to $650, whereas salaries grew by $800, making it the most affordable of the four cities.
165 words. The answer reports only about half of the 16 numbers, and each one supports a comparison: rent against salary, one city against another.
Language for tables
- the highest / lowest figure was recorded in
- rose by 75%, doubled, more than tripled, halved
- accounted for almost half of, was more than twice as high as
- stood out, was the only city where, was an exception
- a similar pattern was seen in, followed the same trend
Common mistakes
- Reporting every cell. A table of 20 numbers described in full is a list, not a summary.
- No overview. With a table, writers often jump straight to numbers. The overview is the most important paragraph.
- Calculations that are wrong. If you write doubled or rose by 75%, check the numbers. Simple words like rose sharply are safer than a wrong percentage.
- Losing the units. Thousands, dollars, percentages: keep them in every figure you report.
Practise in the practice room
Write an answer and get band scores for all four criteria with comments:
The four-paragraph structure for every chart is in the Writing Task 1 guide. If the table shows years, the language of trends from the line graph guide applies.
Common questions
Can I calculate percentages that are not in the table? Yes, if they are correct and help the comparison. Do not overdo it: one or two calculated figures are enough.
Should I describe the table row by row? Only if each row tells a different story. Usually grouping rows by trend or size reads better.
What if the table and a chart come together? Describe the main feature of each in the overview and link them in the details, for example the city with the highest rent also had the highest salaries.