Model IELTS Writing Task 1 Answer: Table Question

May 25, 2026 | IELTS Test

Model IELTS Writing Task 1, Table Percentage of Household Spending © englishwithanexpert.com

Introduction to the Question Type

Tables appear regularly in IELTS Writing Task 1 and are, for many candidates, the most intimidating of all the question types. Unlike a line graph or bar chart, a table presents raw numbers with no visual shape to guide you, so the patterns are not handed to you — you have to find them. The challenge with a compact five-by-five table is that every category matters: there is no “extra” data to discard, so a high-scoring answer must give each row a place while still reading as analysis rather than a list. This model answer demonstrates the skill that examiners reward most at the top bands: grouping figures intelligently, comparing across both rows and columns, and building the whole response around a genuine analytical insight rather than mere magnitudes.

The Task

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The table below shows the average percentage of household income spent on five categories in five countries in 2022.

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

You should write at least 150 words.

Model Answer

The table illustrates how households in five nations — Japan, Brazil, Germany, Nigeria and Canada — apportioned their income across five expenditure categories in 2022.

Overall, the data reveals a clear contrast between the three higher-income economies, where spending on housing took precedence, and Nigeria, whose budget was overwhelmingly dictated by the cost of food. A further striking feature is that the proportion devoted to food tended to rise as that allocated to housing fell, suggesting an inverse relationship between the two largest outgoings.

In Germany and Canada, housing commanded the greatest share, at 31% and 29% respectively, with Japan only marginally lower at 25%; in each case, food absorbed a comparatively modest 14% to 18%. Nigeria inverted this pattern entirely, channelling 42% of income into food — more than double the figure recorded anywhere else — while restricting housing to just 18%. Brazil occupied the middle ground, splitting its budget fairly evenly between food (28%) and housing (22%).

The three remaining categories accounted for considerably smaller portions. Transport was remarkably consistent, confined to a narrow 12%–17% band throughout, whereas healthcare and leisure diverged more sharply: Nigerians directed almost a fifth of their income towards healthcare yet a mere 4% towards leisure, the lowest proportion in the entire table.

(Word count: 206)

Rationale: Why This Answer Scores Band 8.5–9

Task Achievement

The response satisfies the highest band by reporting every category accurately while never lapsing into a mechanical list. The introduction paraphrases the prompt fully, and the overview does the real work that separates Band 8+ from Band 6: rather than simply stating that housing and food are the largest items, it identifies a genuine analytical relationship — that food consumption rises as housing falls — and frames Nigeria as the systematic exception. All five categories are covered, with the three smaller ones grouped and still compared (the uniform transport band, the healthcare–leisure divergence in Nigeria) rather than dropped. Key features are clearly highlighted, well supported, and fully extended.

Coherence and Cohesion

Information is sequenced logically and effortlessly: introduction, an insight-led overview, a paragraph on the dominant housing–food relationship, and a final paragraph drawing the remaining categories together. Cohesion is managed with a light touch, as the top band requires — devices such as whereas, while, with, and in each case guide the reader without ever becoming mechanical or over-signposted. Each paragraph has a single, clear central topic, and referencing (this pattern, the two largest outgoings) ties the text together economically.

Lexical Resource

The answer uses a wide range of precise, natural vocabulary with full flexibility: apportioned, took precedence, commanded the greatest share, channelling, absorbed, confined to a narrow band and diverged. The prompt is reworded skilfully — “spent on five categories” becomes “apportioned their income across five expenditure categories.” Proportional language is varied and exact (the greatest share, more than double, almost a fifth, a mere 4%), and collocations such as inverse relationship and occupied the middle ground read as the writing of a confident, natural user. There are no errors in word choice or form.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

A wide range of structures is used with full control. The answer deploys participle clauses (channelling 42% of income…, suggesting an inverse relationship), semicolons to balance closely related clauses, complex comparatives (only marginally lower, more than double the figure recorded anywhere else), and varied subordination, all error-free. Punctuation — including the em-dashes and the semicolon linking the German, Canadian and Japanese figures — is handled accurately, and the use of respectively attaches paired data efficiently. The vast majority of sentences are error-free, meeting the Band 9 descriptor for accuracy.

Vocabulary Glossary

Word / Phrase	Meaning / Use in Context
to account for	To make up a particular amount or proportion of a total. “Housing accounted for 31% of income.” A core verb for describing shares.
outlay	An amount of money spent. A more formal synonym for “spending” or “cost” that adds lexical range.
to absorb	(Of a category) to take up a proportion of a total. “Leisure absorbed the smallest proportion.”
to take precedence	To be treated as more important than something else. Useful for describing priorities in spending.
to be devoted to	To be given or assigned to a particular purpose. “A quarter of income was devoted to housing.”
proportion	A part or share of a whole, especially expressed as a percentage — essential for any percentage-based table.
expenditure	The general, formal term for spending; useful for paraphrasing “spent” in the prompt.
uniform	The same across all cases; showing little variation. “Transport spending was remarkably uniform.”
to stand out	To be clearly different or noticeable. Ideal for introducing an outlier in the data.
respectively	In the order already mentioned. Links two or more figures to two or more items efficiently.
comparatively	In relation to something else; relatively. “Food consumed comparatively little.”
a mere	Used before a number to stress how small it is. “Leisure received a mere 4%.”

Vocabulary Quiz

Part 1: Multiple Choice

If housing accounted for 31% of income, it means housing… (a) was reduced to 31% (b) made up 31% of the total (c) cost more than 31% (d) was unaffected
Which word best describes data that varies very little across categories? (a) uniform (b) dominant (c) negligible (d) fluctuating
“Food took precedence over leisure” means food was… (a) cheaper than leisure (b) treated as more important (c) measured before leisure (d) similar to leisure
A mere 4% suggests the writer finds the figure… (a) surprisingly large (b) very small (c) exactly average (d) difficult to read
“Germany and Canada spent 31% and 29% respectively” means… (a) both spent the same (b) Germany 31%, Canada 29% (c) Canada 31%, Germany 29% (d) the order is unclear