[html] How do you use colspan and rowspan in HTML tables?

It is similar to your table

  <table border=1 width=50%>
<tr>
    <td rowspan="2">x</td> 
    <td colspan="4">y</td>
</tr>
<tr>
    <td bgcolor=#FFFF00 >I</td>
    <td>II</td>
    <td bgcolor=#FFFF00>III</td>
    <td>IV</td>
</tr>
<tr>
    <td>empty</td>
    <td bgcolor=#FFFF00>1</td>
    <td>2</td>
    <td bgcolor=#FFFF00>3</td>
    <td>4</td>
</tr>