IELTS Table: Activities 5-7
ACTIVITY 5: Identify Important Information
Average weekly household expenditure (£)
1 Overall household expenditure rose by more than £60 per week over the ten year period.
2 Between 2001 and 2005, weekly expenditure remained steady at around £427.
3 The biggest single rise in total expenditure was between 2001 and 2002.
4 Households spent £56 per week on motoring in 1998.
5 The amount spent on housing rose by £12 over the ten year period.
6 Households spent £12.80 on fuel and power in 2000.
7 Generally the amount spent on fuel and power has fallen steadily since 1994.
8 Expenditure on tobacco rose by ten pence between 1995 and 1996.
9 Clothing was the seventh largest household expense in 2004.
10 The biggest rises in weekly expenditure over the ten years were for motoring and leisure services.
1 Overall household expenditure rose by more than £60 per week over the ten year period. Include
2 Between 2001 and 2005, weekly expenditure remained steady at around £427. Include
3 The biggest single rise in total expenditure was between 2001 and 2002. Include
4 Households spent £56 per week on motoring in 1998. Not Include
5 The amount spent on housing rose by £12 over the ten year period. Include
6 Households spent £12.80 on fuel and power in 2000. Not Include
7 Generally the amount spent on fuel and power has fallen steadily since 1994. Include
8 Expenditure on tobacco rose by ten pence between 1995 and 1996. Not Include
9 Clothing was the seventh largest household expense in 2004. Not Include
10 The biggest rises in weekly expenditure over the ten years were for motoring and leisure services. Include
ACTIVITY 6: Summarising & Grouping Figures Together
One way to summarise the information in a big table is to group numbers together. For example, with the previous table about household expenditure, you could group years together and describe the change over a three or five year period.
Alternatively, you could group different expenditures together into one expenditure type. For example, leisure goods and leisure services could be grouped together as one expenditure called ‘leisure’.
Of course, this means you have to do a little maths! Look again at the table from previous Activity and then choose the best answer for the questions that follow.
1 What was the total weekly expenditure on leisure in 20045?
A £78.90
B £100
C £75.20
2 What was the rise in all expenditure from 20002001 to 20012?
A about £35
B about £17
C about £27
3 What was the total weekly expenditure on travel, including motoring, in 19945?
A £55.40
B £45.40
C £35.40
4 What was the fall in weekly expenditure on alcohol and tobacco over the ten years?
A £1.40
B £3.40
C £2.40
5 What was the overall rise in expenditure on household goods and services over the ten years?
A about £20
B about £13
C about £10
1 A – Add up leisure goods and leisure services for 2004-5: (£22.10 + £56.80 = £78.90)
2 B – See ‘all expenditure’ Subtract 2000-1 from 2001-2 : (£432.40 – £406.60 = £16.80 = about £17.00)
3 A - Add up motoring and fares and other travel costs for 1994-5: (£46.80 + £8.60 = £55.4)
4 C - Add tobacco and alcohol for 1994-5 (£15.90+£7.30 = £23.2) and for 2004-5 (£15.20 + £5.60 = £20.8). £23.2 – £20.8 = £2.40
5 B – Add household goods and household services for 1994-5 (£48.70) and 2004-5 (£61.9) : £61.90 – £48.70 = £13.20 = about £13
ACTIVITY 7: Making Comparisons
Activity 7: Making comparisons
When you describe tables or charts in task 1, you will almost certainly need to make comparisons between values. Here are some useful phrases for comparing values. Put each phrase into the correct group.
Group A: With countable nouns
Group B: Both
Group C: With uncountable nouns
as many as
far fewer
far less
fewer
fewer and fewer
less
less and less
many more
more
most
as much as
much more
the greatest number of
the greatest percentage of
smaller and smaller amounts of
the highest percentage of
the largest quantity
the majority of
far more
With countable nouns
fewer
many more
far fewer
the greatest number of
fewer and fewer
as many as
the majority of
Both
more
most
the largest quantity
smaller and smaller amounts of
the highest percentage of
the greatest percentage of
With uncountable nouns
less
far less
less and less
much more
far more
as much as