How To Write an IELTS Table Chart Essay

There are 5 steps to writing a high-scoring IELTS table chart essay:

1)  Analyse the question

2)  Identify the main features

3)  Write an introduction

4)  Write an overview

5)  Write the details paragraphs

Ideally, your essay should have 4 paragraphs:

Paragraph 1 – Introduction

Paragraph 2 – Overview

Paragraph 3 – 1^st main feature

Paragraph 4 – 2^nd main feature

Step 1 – Analyse the question

The format of every Academic Task 1 question is the same, with the instruction sentence (highlighted below) identical in every question. Here is our practice question again.

The tables below give the distribution of world population in 1950 and 2000, with an estimate of the situation in 2050.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Every question consists of:

• Sentence 1 – A brief description of the graphic

• Sentence 2 – The instructions

• The graphic –table chart

Sentence 2 tells you what you have to do.

You must do 3 things:

1. Select the main features.
2. Write about the main features.
3. Compare the main features.

All three tasks refer to the ‘main features’ of the graphic. You do not have to write about everything. Just pick out 2 or 3 key features and you’ll have plenty to write about.Step 2 – Identify the Main Features

Some students find IELTS table chart questions more difficult to interpret than other types of graphic as they are just sets of numbers with no visual representation. However, they are not as complicated as they may at first look. Remember, the IELTS exam is designed to test your language skills, not your mathematics ability.

All you are looking for are the main features. However, this can be a challenge as tables generally contain a lot of information, making it difficult to pick out the key features. Use the information in the graphic to help you identify them.

Here are some useful questions to ask?

• What are the units of measurements?

• What are the time periods?

• What can you learn from the title and any labels?

• What is the most obvious trend?
• Are there any notable similarities?

The key to understanding it is to use the clues given in the title, the row and column headings and the units of measurement.

The key features you select will be the starting point for your essay. You will then go on to add more detail later. However, with just 20 minutes allowed for Task 1, and a requirement of only 150 words, you won’t be able to include many details.

Paragraph 1 – Introduction

Paragraph 2 – Overview

Paragraph 3 – 1^st main feature

Paragraph 4 – 2^nd main feature

Step 3 – Write an Introduction 

In the introduction, you should simply paraphrase the question, that is, say the same thing in a different way. You can do this by using synonyms and changing the sentence structure

Step 4 – Write an Overview (Paragraph 2)

In the second paragraph, you should report the main features you can see in the table, giving only general information. The detail comes later in the essay. You should also make any clear comparisons you spot.State the information simply, using synonyms where possible. No elaborate vocabulary or grammar structures are required, just the appropriate words and correct verb tenses.Step 5 – Write the 1st Detail Paragraph

Paragraphs 3 and 4 of your IELTS table chart essay are where you include more detailed information about the data in the graphic. In paragraph 3, you should give evidence to support your first 1or 2 key features. Don’t forget to make comparisons where relevant.

Step 6 – Write the 2nd Detail Paragraph

For the fourth and final paragraph, you do the same thing for your remaining key features.