"Table" can mean two things.
It can mean data, as in a relational table, in which case you should use
tags that reflect the objects and properties you are describing, e.g.
<STUDENTS>
<STUDENT><NAME>John</NAME><COURSE>Maths</COURSE></STUDENT>
<STUDENT><NAME>Mary</NAME><COURSE>History</COURSE></STUDENT>
</STUDENTS>
Or it can mean a two-dimensional structure of rows and columns with
undefined semantics, in which case you might as well use the HTML tags,
leaving out any rendition attributes if you want to abstract away from the
final appearance.
Mike Kay