Academic Task 1
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Water use per person (table)
Question type: Academic Task 1: table
The question
The table below shows the average daily water use per person in five countries in 1990 and 2020, in litres.
| Country | 1990 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Country A | 380 | 310 |
| Country B | 150 | 165 |
| Country C | 90 | 140 |
| Country D | 260 | 190 |
| Country E | 45 | 85 |
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Write your own answer first. Then get an estimated band and corrections from our AI marker.
Answer this questionHow to approach it
- Divide the countries into two groups: those where use fell and those where it rose.
- Overview: the highest users reduced consumption, while the lowest users increased it.
- Include the highest and lowest figures in each year.
Model answer
164 words (minimum 150). Written to show the features of a Band 8-level answer.
The table shows average daily water use per person, in litres, in five countries in 1990 and 2020.
Overall, the two countries with the highest water use in 1990 reduced their consumption, while use increased in the other three countries. As a result, the gap between the highest and lowest users narrowed over the period, although Country A remained the largest consumer.
In 1990, people in Country A used the most water, at 380 litres per day, followed by Country D, at 260 litres. By 2020, consumption in both countries had fallen noticeably, to 310 litres in Country A and 190 litres in Country D.
In the other three countries, water use rose. Country B saw a small increase, from 150 to 165 litres. The rise was greater in Country C, where daily use climbed from 90 to 140 litres. Country E had the lowest consumption in both years, but its figure almost doubled, from 45 litres in 1990 to 85 litres in 2020.
Useful language from this answer
- average daily water use per person
- precise noun phrase for the topic
- reduced their consumption
- used less
- the gap… narrowed
- the difference became smaller
- fallen noticeably
- decreased clearly
- almost doubled
- increased by nearly two times
Common mistakes with this question
- Missing the overview. A report without a clear summary of the main trends cannot score above Band 5 for Task Achievement.
- Giving your opinion or explaining why the changes happened. Task 1 Academic only asks you to describe the data.
- Listing every number in order instead of selecting the key figures and making comparisons.
Now write your own answer
Reading a model helps, but writing is what improves your band. Answer this question and get an estimated band for all four criteria, with corrections taken from your own sentences.
This model answer was written by TestWise Prep to show the features of a high-scoring answer. It is not official IELTS material. Use it for ideas and language, not to memorise.