✍️ Writing a Table Graph Report in 4 Steps:

📌 Step 1: Analyze the Data

The first step is to analyze the table.

In other types of graphs, it may be difficult to group, compare, and contrast the data. However, in a table graph report, all the numbers are given directly, making it easier to interpret. The only thing you are required to do is group those numbers logically.

With a quick glance, we can identify trends, such as:
✔ Older railway systems tend to be longer and accommodate more passengers.
✔ The oldest system, the newest one, the largest one, the smallest one, and any other noticeable details.

Task Achievement is crucial here, as you need to summarize the most significant features of the data, not every single detail. You should focus on identifying key trends and ensuring your report covers all the necessary information; nothing more, nothing less.

📌 Remember: In an IELTS Writing Task 1 report, you do not need to describe everything. The task requires you to summarize the main features.

📌 Step 2: Writing an Introduction

In the introduction, simply paraphrase the prompt. The prompt itself introduces the graph, so you don’t need to add unnecessary details.

You can add details that are missing in the prompt but are given in the table, but make sure to provide onlyh the essential data in introduction.

Prompt:

"The table shows data about underground railway systems in six major cities, including the date opened, the length of the route in kilometers, and the number of passengers per year (in millions)."

Introduction (Paraphrased):

"The table provides data on underground railway systems in six cities, including their opening dates, track lengths in kilometers, and yearly passenger numbers in millions."

📌 Key Tips for Paraphrasing:
✔ You do not need to change every word just to show vocabulary range.
✔ "Table" remains "table"—don't replace it unnecessarily. There are certain technical words that cannot and should not be paraphrased, so do not worry if you do not have alternatives for those words.
✔ You can change the form of words instead of finding synonyms:

• "Date opened" → "Opening date"

• "Kilometers of route" → "Track length in kilometers"

• "Passenger numbers per year" → "Yearly passenger numbers"

📌 Bonus Tip: If the table contains 5 or fewer city names, you can list them in the introduction. However, since this table includes six cities, listing all of them would be excessive.

Go through our IELTS writing task 1 lexical resource to develop vocabulary important for describing charts and graphs, including tables.

📌 Step 3: Writing an Overview

In the overview, you must highlight the main trends or key features of the data.

Overview is extremely important to score band 7+ in task achievement, so ensure its place in your report.

📌 Key observations from the table:
✔ London has the oldest and longest railway network.
✔ Kyoto has the smallest railway system.
✔ Tokyo has the highest passenger traffic.

📌 Start your overview with "Overall" to make it clear that this paragraph is summarizing the main points.

❌ Avoid filler phrases such as:
🔸 "It is evident that..."
🔸 "It is readily apparent that..."

These phrases do not improve your writing and may even reduce clarity. If you simply describe main trends and compare whenever it is relevant, you will not need to succumb to such cheap tactics to increase the number of words in your report.

Overview:

"Overall, London has the oldest and longest railway network, while Kyoto’s is the smallest. Meanwhile, Tokyo has the highest passenger traffic."

📌 Step 4: Writing the Body Paragraphs

Now, we move on to the detailed paragraphs.

📌 Key Writing Tip:
✔ Divide the information into two paragraphs.
✔ Good organization is essential for a high Coherence and Cohesion score.

How to Divide the Data?

Coherence and Cohesion here is critical. Dividing the data into logical paragraphs ensures that your report flows well. The logical structure helps you organize your thoughts, making the comparison easier for the reader to follow. There is no rule for what is logical and what is illogical, do whatever seems easy to you according to the graph.

One logical way to organize the information is by grouping the railway systems by age:
✔ Older systems (which tend to be larger and carry more passengers).
✔ Newer systems (which are generally smaller and have fewer passengers).

📌 Body Paragraph 1: Older Railway Systems

"Tokyo and Paris are the only cities where annual passenger numbers exceed one billion, with Tokyo transporting 1.93 billion passengers and Paris 1.19 billion. Tokyo’s system, which opened in 1927, has a route length of 155 kilometers, whereas Paris, which began operations in 1900, covers 199 kilometers. London’s underground, with a 394-kilometer network, is nearly double the size of Paris’s system, making it the largest underground railway."

📌 Key Observations:
✔ Always try to make comparisons rather than just listing information.
✔ Example comparisons in this paragraph:

• Tokyo and Paris are the only cities with over one billion passengers.

• London’s underground network is nearly double the size of Paris’s.
  ✔ Summarization: We do not need to mention every detail.

• The opening date of London’s system is not included because it’s not the oldest or newest—but its size is relevant, so it is mentioned. You can include this detail if you wish to; the bottom line is that you the examiner does not expect you to detail everything shown in the table.

How to Decide What to Include?

✔ If a system has the longest route, mention its route length.
✔ If it is the oldest, mention its opening date.
✔ If it is the newest, mention its opening date.

📌 Body Paragraph 2: Newer Railway Systems

"The other cities have relatively newer underground systems. Kyoto’s railway, which started operations in 1981, serves the fewest passengers at 45 million per year, slightly lower than Los Angeles, the most recently established system, which opened in 2001 and serves 50 million passengers annually. Meanwhile, Washington, D.C.'s underground, which opened in 1976, spans 126 kilometers and records an annual ridership of 144 million passengers."

In this section, you can see how Grammatical Range and Accuracy is used to present a mixture of simple and complex sentence structures. This variety in sentence type improves the flow of information, making the text easier to follow, not to mention your improved band score in grammar.

📌 Key Observations:
✔ Grouping the newer systems together makes the report more structured.
✔ Comparisons improve readability:

• Kyoto has the fewest passengers (45 million), slightly lower than Los Angeles (50 million).
  ✔ Logical flow:

• Kyoto (1981) → Los Angeles (2001, newest) → Washington, D.C. (1976, largest of the newer systems)

🎯 Final Thoughts: Writing a Band 9 Table Report

✔ Step 1: Analyze → Identify trends.
✔ Step 2: Introduction → Paraphrase the prompt.
✔ Step 3: Overview → Highlight key trends (Overall, XYZ).
✔ Step 4: Body Paragraphs → Organize the data logically (comparisons and groupings).

📌 Remember:
🔹 Summarize the key points instead of listing every number.
🔹 Use comparisons to make your writing more analytical.
🔹 Structure matters! Divide your data into logical groups for better coherence.

Have a look at the prompt and full essay again, along with another sample:

“The table shows data about underground railway systems in six major cities with date opened, kilometers of route and passenger numbers per years in millions. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.”

“The table provides data on underground railway systems in six cities, including their opening dates, route lengths in kilometers, and annual passenger numbers in millions.

Overall, older underground systems tend to have longer routes and carry more passengers than newer ones. London has the oldest and longest railway network, while Kyoto’s is the smallest. Meanwhile, Tokyo records the highest passenger traffic.

Tokyo and Paris are the only cities where annual passenger numbers exceed one billion, with Tokyo transporting 1.93 billion passengers and Paris 1.19 billion. Tokyo’s system, which opened in 1927, has a route length of 155 kilometers, whereas Paris, which began operations in 1900, covers 199 kilometers. London’s underground, with a 394-kilometer network, is nearly double the size of Paris’s system, making it the largest underground railway.

The other cities have relatively newer underground systems. Kyoto’s railway, which started operations in 1981, serves the fewest passengers at 45 million per year, slightly lower than Los Angeles, the most recently established system, which opened in 2001 and serves 50 million passengers annually. Meanwhile, Washington, D.C.'s underground, which opened in 1976, spans 126 kilometers and records an annual ridership of 144 million passengers.”

The table below shows the results of a 20-year study into why adults in the UK attend commerce.

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

“The table presents data on reasons for choosing commerce among UK adults over a span of 20 years.

Overall, the majority of people have selected commerce for career prospects and academic requirements, with the former increasing over the period, while the latter has declined. Knowledge of finance remains the least reported reason.

Initially, academic requirements were the primary reason for choosing commerce, accounting for 40% of respondents, with career prospects following closely at 30%. However, over the next two decades, the proportion of people choosing commerce for academic reasons declined by half, while career opportunities became the leading factor, rising to 45%.

Additionally, the number of adults selecting commerce to support their business ventures quadrupled from 5% to 20% over the 20-year period. In contrast, parental pressure saw a decline, with only half as many people choosing commerce for this reason compared to two decades ago. Financial knowledge, which initially accounted for 5%, doubled in the first 10 years but then returned to 5% in the following decade.”

📌 Learn more about:

🔹 Task Achievement – How to fully meet the requirements of IELTS Writing Task 1
🔹 Coherence and Cohesion – Make your ideas flow naturally and clearly
🔹 Lexical Resource – Use precise and varied vocabulary to boost your score
🔹 Grammatical Range and Accuracy – Write with variety and correctness