Academic Task 1
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Working hours and holidays (table)
Question type: Academic Task 1: table
The question
The table below shows the average number of hours worked per week, the number of days of paid holiday per year and the percentage of employees who worked part-time in five countries in 2021.
| Hours per week | Paid holiday (days) | Part-time workers (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country A | 44 | 10 | 8 |
| Country B | 41 | 15 | 12 |
| Country C | 38 | 25 | 20 |
| Country D | 35 | 30 | 27 |
| Country E | 31 | 28 | 46 |
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
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How to approach it
- Read down each column and look for a link between them: hours fall as holidays and part-time work rise.
- Overview: long hours went with little holiday and few part-time workers, with Country A at one extreme.
- Group Countries A and B together and Countries C, D and E together, instead of writing five separate descriptions.
Model answer
204 words (minimum 150). Written to show the features of a Band 8-level answer.
The table compares working conditions in five countries in 2021, giving the average working week, the amount of paid holiday and the proportion of employees in part-time jobs.
Overall, the countries where people worked the longest hours also offered the least holiday and had the fewest part-time workers. Country A stood at one extreme and Countries D and E at the other.
Employees in Country A worked 44 hours a week on average, the most of the five, and received only 10 days of paid holiday a year. Country B was similar, with a working week of 41 hours and 15 days of holiday. In these two countries part-time work was uncommon, at 8% and 12% of employees respectively.
The figures for the other three countries were quite different. The working week fell to 38 hours in Country C, 35 in Country D and just 31 in Country E. Holiday allowances were far more generous, ranging from 25 days in Country C to 30 in Country D, three times the figure for Country A. Part-time work was also more widespread. It accounted for 20% of employees in Country C and 27% in Country D, and almost half of all workers, 46%, in Country E.
Useful language from this answer
- stood at one extreme
- the highest or lowest case in a set
- the most of the five
- a superlative for a small group
- ranging from
- giving the lowest and highest of several figures
- was also more widespread
- more common across a group
- almost half of all workers
- a fraction in place of a percentage
Common mistakes with this question
- Missing the overview. A report without a clear summary of the main features cannot score above Band 5 for Task Achievement.
- Mixing the units. The three columns are hours, days and percentages, so check each number as you write it.
- Saying long hours cause short holidays. You can report that the two go together, but not why.
Now write your own answer
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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.