IELTS Task 1 table: Working men and women by sector
The main features of this table: Manufacturing is the largest male sector in 1990 and 2000, but retail leads in 2010. Tourism has the highest female percentage in all three years.
2 students’ answers below, each marked by Axiom, from band 6.5 to 7.0. Updated on 9 June 2026.
The question
The table below shows the percentage of working men and women in different areas of employment in one country in 1990, 2000 and 2010
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparison where relevant.
| Men 1990 | Men 2000 | Men 2010 | Women 1990 | Women 2000 | Women 2010 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail | 13 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Health | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 15 |
| Manufacturing | 30 | 15 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 3 |
| Tourism | 13 | 10 | 10 | 23 | 25 | 27 |
What your overview should cover
An answer reaches the higher Task Achievement bands only with a clear overview of the main features, not every number. For this table, that means:
- Manufacturing is the largest male sector in 1990 and 2000, but retail leads in 2010.
- Tourism has the highest female percentage in all three years.
- Women have higher health and tourism percentages than men throughout; men have higher retail and manufacturing percentages throughout.
- The steepest male change is manufacturing from 30% to 10%; the largest female rise is health from 9% to 15%.
Students’ answers on this question, marked by Axiom
Real answers, shared without their writers’ names, newest first. Each opens with its revisions marked in place. Estimated by AI. It isn’t an official IELTS score.
Overall band, an AI estimate: 7.0
Answer #2
Task achievement 8.0, coherence 7.0, vocabulary 7.0, grammar 7.0
The table gives information about the proportion of male and female employees in different areas in employment in one country from 1990 to 2010. Overall, the percentage…
Overall band, an AI estimate: 6.5
Answer #1
Task achievement 6.0, coherence 7.0, vocabulary 7.0, grammar 7.0
The table illustrates the proportion of working males and females in various employment sectors in one unspecified country over the three years: 1990, 2000, and 2010.…
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