PAGE  1
000 A000000 06/30/2008
000 C000000 0000794685
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 6.1
000 J000000 A
001 A000000 THE GABELLI EQUITY TRUST INC.
001 B000000 811-04700
001 C000000 9149215100
002 A000000 ONE CORPORATE CENTER
002 B000000 RYE
002 C000000 NY
002 D010000 10580
002 D020000 1422
003  000000 N
004  000000 N
005  000000 N
006  000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000  0
007 C010100  1
008 A000001 GABELLI FUNDS, LLC
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-37706
008 D010001 RYE
008 D020001 NY
008 D030001 10580
008 D040001 1422
010 A000001 GABELLI FUNDS, LLC
010 B000001 801-37706
010 C010001 RYE
010 C020001 NY
010 C030001 10580
010 C040001 1422
010 A000002 PNC GLOBAL INVESTMENT SERVICING
010 B000002 84-1761
010 C010002 WILMINGTON
010 C020002 DE
010 C030002 19809
012 A000001 COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
012 B000001 84-05925
012 C010001 CANTON
012 C020001 MA
012 C030001 02021
012 C040001 1011
013 A000001 PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP
013 B010001 NEW YORK
013 B020001 NY
      PAGE  2
013 B030001 10017
014 A000001 GABELLI & COMPANY, INC.
014 B000001 8-21373
014 A000002 GABELLI FIXED INCOME DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
014 B000002 8-38568
015 A000001 THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 EVERETT
015 C020001 MA
015 C030001 02149
015 E010001 X
018  000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000   37
019 C000000 GABELLIGRP
020 A000001 GABELLI & COMPANY, INC.
020 B000001 13-2885006
020 C000001    101
020 A000002 BEAR STEARNS & CO., INC.
020 B000002 13-3299429
020 C000002      9
020 A000003 BNY CONVERGEX EXECUTION SOLUTIONS LLC
020 B000003 13-3989198
020 C000003      8
020 A000004 PICTET OVERSEAS, INC.
020 C000004      6
020 A000005 J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES, INC.
020 B000005 13-3379014
020 C000005      6
020 A000006 GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
020 B000006 13-5108880
020 C000006      6
020 A000007 INTERMONTE SECURITIES SIM
020 C000007      6
020 A000008 HAPOALIM SECURITIES USA, INC.
020 B000008 13-3732556
020 C000008      5
020 A000009 CAZENOVE, INC.
020 B000009 94-1658752
020 C000009      4
020 A000010 ALLEN & COMPANY LLC
020 B000010 13-4193615
020 C000010      4
021  000000      183
022 A000001 BARCLAYS CAPITAL, INC.
022 B000001 06-1031656
022 C000001     48004
022 D000001    136042
022 A000002 DAIWA SECURITIES AMERICA, INC.
022 B000002 13-5680329
022 C000002     61725
      PAGE  3
022 D000002     52040
022 A000003 HSBC SECURITIES (USA), INC.
022 B000003 13-2650272
022 C000003     35434
022 D000003      3288
022 A000004 RECKITT BENCKISER GROUP PLC
022 C000004         0
022 D000004      6000
022 A000005 CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.
022 B000005 11-2418191
022 C000005      3000
022 D000005         0
022 A000006 TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICAL CO. LTD.
022 C000006         0
022 D000006      2500
022 A000007 MGM MIRAGE
022 B000007 88-0215232
022 C000007         0
022 D000007      1937
022 A000008 IMPERIAL TOBACCO GROUP PLC
022 C000008         0
022 D000008      1479
022 A000009 PALMARY ENTERPRISES LTD.
022 C000009         0
022 D000009      1228
022 A000010 J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES, INC.
022 B000010 13-3379014
022 C000010       352
022 D000010         0
023 C000000     148515
023 D000000     204856
024  000000 Y
025 A000001 CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.
025 B000001 11-2418191
025 C000001 E
025 D000001    5866
025 A000002 THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON CORP.
025 B000002 13-2614959
025 C000002 E
025 D000002    5525
025 A000003 J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES, INC.
025 B000003 13-3379014
025 C000003 E
025 D000003    2120
026 A000000 N
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 N
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 Y
026 G010000 N
      PAGE  4
026 G020000 N
026 H000000 N
027  000000 N
028 A010000         0
028 A020000         0
028 A030000         0
028 A040000         0
028 B010000         0
028 B020000         0
028 B030000         0
028 B040000         0
028 C010000         0
028 C020000         0
028 C030000         0
028 C040000         0
028 D010000         0
028 D020000         0
028 D030000         0
028 D040000         0
028 E010000         0
028 E020000         0
028 E030000         0
028 E040000         0
028 F010000         0
028 F020000         0
028 F030000         0
028 F040000         0
028 G010000         0
028 G020000         0
028 G030000         0
028 G040000         0
028 H000000         0
030 A000000      0
030 B000000  0.00
030 C000000  0.00
031 A000000      0
031 B000000      0
032  000000      0
033  000000      0
035  000000      0
036 B000000      0
038  000000      0
042 A000000   0
042 B000000   0
042 C000000   0
042 D000000   0
042 E000000   0
042 F000000   0
042 G000000   0
042 H000000   0
043  000000      0
      PAGE  5
044  000000      0
045  000000 Y
046  000000 N
047  000000 Y
048  000000  1.000
048 A010000        0
048 A020000 0.000
048 B010000        0
048 B020000 0.000
048 C010000        0
048 C020000 0.000
048 D010000        0
048 D020000 0.000
048 E010000        0
048 E020000 0.000
048 F010000        0
048 F020000 0.000
048 G010000        0
048 G020000 0.000
048 H010000        0
048 H020000 0.000
048 I010000        0
048 I020000 0.000
048 J010000        0
048 J020000 0.000
048 K010000        0
048 K020000 0.000
049  000000 N
050  000000 N
051  000000 Y
052  000000 N
053 A000000 N
054 A000000 Y
054 B000000 Y
054 C000000 Y
054 D000000 N
054 E000000 N
054 F000000 N
054 G000000 N
054 H000000 Y
054 I000000 N
054 J000000 Y
054 K000000 N
054 L000000 N
054 M000000 Y
054 N000000 N
054 O000000 N
055 A000000 Y
055 B000000 N
056  000000 N
057  000000 N
      PAGE  6
058 A000000 N
059  000000 Y
060 A000000 N
060 B000000 N
061  000000        0
062 A000000 N
062 B000000   0.0
062 C000000   0.0
062 D000000   0.0
062 E000000   0.0
062 F000000   0.0
062 G000000   0.0
062 H000000   0.0
062 I000000   0.0
062 J000000   0.0
062 K000000   0.0
062 L000000   0.0
062 M000000   0.0
062 N000000   0.0
062 O000000   0.0
062 P000000   0.0
062 Q000000   0.0
062 R000000   0.0
063 A000000   0
063 B000000  0.0
066 A000000 Y
066 B000000 N
066 C000000 N
066 D000000 Y
066 E000000 N
066 F000000 N
066 G000000 N
067  000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069  000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 N
070 B010000 Y
070 B020000 Y
070 C010000 Y
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 Y
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 Y
070 E020000 N
070 F010000 Y
070 F020000 Y
070 G010000 Y
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 Y
      PAGE  7
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 Y
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 Y
070 L010000 Y
070 L020000 Y
070 M010000 Y
070 M020000 Y
070 N010000 Y
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 N
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 N
070 R020000 N
071 A000000    131716
071 B000000     56745
071 C000000   1764335
071 D000000    3
072 A000000  6
072 B000000      911
072 C000000    18690
072 D000000        0
072 E000000        0
072 F000000     9080
072 G000000        0
072 H000000      100
072 I000000       54
072 J000000      159
072 K000000        0
072 L000000      381
072 M000000       71
072 N000000        0
072 O000000        0
072 P000000        2
072 Q000000       23
072 R000000       40
072 S000000       26
072 T000000        0
072 U000000        0
072 V000000        0
072 W000000      400
072 X000000    10336
072 Y000000     2008
072 Z000000    11273
      PAGE  8
072AA000000    20248
072BB000000        0
072CC010000        0
072CC020000   258050
072DD010000     7587
072DD020000        0
072EE000000    13627
073 A010000   0.0400
073 A020000   0.0000
073 B000000   0.0800
073 C000000   0.2800
074 A000000     7293
074 B000000        0
074 C000000    18262
074 D000000     3774
074 E000000     1005
074 F000000  1668600
074 G000000        0
074 H000000        0
074 I000000      218
074 J000000      804
074 K000000        0
074 L000000     2275
074 M000000      124
074 N000000  1702355
074 O000000     1467
074 P000000     1250
074 Q000000        0
074 R010000        0
074 R020000        0
074 R030000        0
074 R040000     1128
074 S000000   403743
074 T000000  1294767
074 U010000   173862
074 U020000        0
074 V010000     7.45
074 V020000     0.00
074 W000000   0.0000
074 X000000    77308
074 Y000000        0
075 A000000        0
075 B000000  1776924
076  000000     8.15
077 A000000 Y
077 B000000 N
077 C000000 Y
077 D000000 N
077 E000000 N
077 F000000 N
077 G000000 N
      PAGE  9
077 H000000 N
077 I000000 N
077 J000000 N
077 K000000 N
077 L000000 N
077 M000000 N
077 N000000 N
077 O000000 N
077 P000000 N
077 Q010000 N
077 Q020000 N
078  000000 N
080 C000000        0
081 B000000   0
082 B000000        0
083 B000000        0
084 B000000        0
086 A010000   1758
086 A020000  14234
086 B010000      0
086 B020000      0
086 C010000      0
086 C020000      0
086 D010000      0
086 D020000      0
086 E010000      0
086 E020000      0
086 F010000      0
086 F020000      0
087 A010000 COMMON STOCK
087 A020000 362397101
087 A030000 GAB
087 B010000 5.875% SERIES D PREFERRED STOCK
087 B020000 362397705
087 B030000 GABPRD
087 C010000 6.200% SERIES F PREFERRED STOCK
087 C020000 362397804
087 C030000 GABPRF
088 A000000 N
088 B000000 N
088 C000000 N
088 D000000 Y
SIGNATURE   AGNES MULLADY
TITLE       TREASURER