An IELTS Writing Task 1 pie chart task asks you to describe the proportions shown in one chart, or to compare two or more charts, in at least 150 words and in no more than 20 minutes. The Academic paper sets it as one of the visual types you describe in your own words, alongside graphs, tables and diagrams of an object, device, process or event. Pie charts show shares of a whole, so a clear answer reports the largest and smallest shares, compares them where possible and states the main change in one overview.
Four criteria mark the response: Task achievement or response, Coherence and cohesion, Lexical resource, and Grammatical range and accuracy. Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score, so a quick plan that selects the key features leaves time for the essay. A model answer for two pie charts follows the section on the overview, and the sections around it cover percentages, fractions, comparison and common mistakes.
What does an IELTS Writing Task 1 pie chart task look like?
A pie chart task presents a circle divided into slices, each showing one category's share of a whole, and you describe the information in your own words. The task may give one chart, or two or more to compare, such as three charts covering different years or places, and a pie chart can also appear alongside another visual. You must write at least 150 words and should spend no more than 20 minutes on it.
The slices usually total 100 per cent, so the task rewards accurate selection of the biggest, smallest and most changed shares. The title, key and labels give the units and the time or place of each chart, which you need for your opening sentence. Reasons for the figures lie outside the chart, so you report only what the data shows and leave out causes and opinions.
How do you write about proportions with fractions and percentages?
Percentages, fractions and simple multiples give you several accurate ways to report one share, which keeps the language varied without altering the data. You can write that coal accounted for 48%, that coal supplied almost half of the total, or that the share of coal was just under a half. Fractions suit round values, so 25% is a quarter, 50% is a half, 75% is three quarters and 33% is roughly a third.
Approximation words such as nearly, just over, approximately and around turn awkward figures into clean statements. Verbs and noun phrases for shares include account for, make up, represent, constitute, comprise, a proportion of and a share of. Multiples help with comparison, for example twice as large, nearly double and one third of the size. Past simple suits charts about past years, and present simple suits a chart with no time reference.
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Enquire about this tutorHow do you compare categories across two or more pie charts?
Comparing categories across charts means pairing the same category in each chart and stating how its share differs. Choose the pairs that show the clearest contrast and give both figures in one sentence, for example coal fell from 48% to 12%, whilst renewables rose from 6% to 36%. Linking words such as whereas, while, in contrast and by comparison join the figures, and comparatives such as higher, lower and the same as show the gap. Comparing similar items allows more comparison and contrast language than comparing opposites.
For charts of different places, compare the places instead of describing a change: the town drew 30% of its electricity from gas whereas the city drew 18%. For charts of different years, use change verbs such as rise, fall, increase, decline and remain stable, with adverbs of degree such as sharply, slightly and steadily. Percentage points are the correct unit for the gap between two percentages.
What should the overview of a pie chart answer say?
The overview is one sentence or short paragraph that summarises the main differences or changes without adding figures or mentioning every category. For a single pie chart it names the largest and smallest shares. For two or more charts it also states the biggest change, or the clearest similarity or difference, between them.
The overview can sit at the end of the introduction or form a final paragraph. When it sits in the introduction, no separate conclusion is needed. Phrases such as Overall, It is clear that and The most striking feature is that introduce it. Write it even when time is short, since a response without an overview leaves the main pattern unstated.
Model answer: Two pie charts: sources of a town's electricity
Task: You should spend no more than 20 minutes on this task. The two pie charts show the sources of a town's electricity at the start and at the end of a 20-year period. At the start: coal 48%, gas 27%, nuclear power 15%, renewables 6%, oil 4%. At the end: coal 12%, gas 34%, nuclear power 14%, renewables 36%, oil 4%. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
"The pie charts compare the proportions of a town's electricity supplied by five sources at the start and at the end of a 20-year period.
"At the start, coal was clearly the dominant source, providing 48% of the town's electricity, which was far higher than the 27% generated by gas. Nuclear power accounted for 15%, whilst renewables and oil contributed only 6% and 4% respectively.
"By the end of the period, the pattern had altered considerably. Coal fell sharply to 12%, a drop of 36 percentage points, whereas renewables rose sixfold from 6% to 36% and became the largest source. Gas increased modestly to 34%, which left it close behind renewables, and nuclear power remained almost unchanged at 14%. Oil stayed at 4%. Taken together, coal and gas supplied 75% at the start, but gas and renewables supplied 70% by the end.
"The town shifted from coal towards renewables and gas, whilst nuclear power changed little and oil remained the smallest source in both charts, supplying just 4% on each occasion.
What this model answer does:
- Task achievement or response: the answer selects the largest and smallest shares and the biggest changes instead of reading every slice in turn.
- The overview in the final paragraph states the main shift without figures, which keeps detail in the body paragraphs.
- Coherence and cohesion: one body paragraph per chart, with linking words such as whereas, which and taken together joining the comparisons.
- Lexical resource: shares are reported with varied phrases such as accounted for, contributed, supplied and close behind.
- Grammatical range and accuracy: complex sentences with relative clauses and participles sit alongside short sentences, and the past tenses match the time reference.
How do you avoid describing every slice?
Avoiding a list of every slice depends on grouping the data by what it shows instead of reading the chart clockwise. Select the largest share, the smallest share, any slice that changes sharply between charts and any pair that stays close. Smaller categories can share one clause, for example oil and nuclear power together supplying under a fifth.
Two body paragraphs are usually enough, grouped by trend or by size: one for the shares that dominate or grow, one for those that shrink or stay small. Each paragraph then holds a comparison, which avoids the robotic pattern of stating each category's figure in turn. The introduction paraphrases the task wording and names the data type, place and time period.
What are the common mistakes in pie chart answers?
The common mistakes in pie chart answers are describing every figure, sounding robotic, failing to make comparisons and explaining the data with reasons or opinions. Each of these lowers the quality of selection and comparison that the task measures under Task achievement or response.
Other points to check before finishing:
- Figures in the overview, which belong in the body paragraphs
- Percentages that differ from the chart
- A missing unit, place or time reference in the introduction
- An introduction that copies the task wording instead of paraphrasing it
- Fewer than 150 words in total
How should you practise and check your work?
Practise in the order you will work on the day: read the title, units and time reference, rank the shares, choose two or three comparisons, write the overview, then write the body paragraphs. Use a short plan so that most of the 20 minutes goes on writing and checking. Repeat the routine on single charts first, then on pairs and triples of charts.
Check each practice answer against the four published criteria. For Task achievement or response, confirm that the overview is present, the key features are covered and the figures match the chart. For Coherence and cohesion, check that each paragraph has one purpose and that linking words join comparisons. Under Lexical resource, check that the verbs and phrases for shares have been varied. Grammatical range and accuracy requires complex sentences to dominate and tenses to fit the time reference.
Because Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1, stop a pie chart answer once it covers the key features and has been checked, then move to the essay.
Related guides
- What is IELTS? Format, versions and scoring
- IELTS Writing Task 1 (Academic)
- Task 1 line graph model answer
- Task 1 bar chart model answer
- Task 1 table model answer
- Task 1 process diagram model answer
- Task 1 map model answer
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Frequently asked questions
- Is a conclusion needed in a pie chart answer?
- A separate conclusion is not needed when the overview sits at the end of the introduction. If you place the overview as a final paragraph, that paragraph does the work of a conclusion by summarising the main differences or changes. Include only one overview, and keep figures out of it so that the body paragraphs carry the detail.
- Can fractions be used instead of percentages?
- Fractions suit round values such as a quarter, a half or three quarters, and approximation phrases such as just under a half suit awkward figures. Mixing percentages with fractions varies the vocabulary, but any fraction must match the chart accurately. Give exact percentages for the key comparisons, because precise figures support the claims in your body paragraphs.
- Should the reason one share is larger than another be explained?
- Explanations belong outside this task, because it is an information-transfer task based only on the chart. Offering reasons for trends or giving opinions counts as interpreting the data. Describe what the chart shows, compare the shares and summarise the main pattern, then use the time saved to check figures and spelling.
- Does a longer answer help in Writing Task 1?
- The task sets 150 words as a minimum, and nothing on the official format page links extra length to a higher mark. Time is the practical limit, since Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score. A focused answer that covers the key features, makes comparisons and includes an overview usually suits the task better than a long one.
- Which tense is best for a pie chart?
- The tense follows the time reference on the chart. Past simple suits charts about past years, present simple suits a chart with no time reference, and future forms or will suit charts that give projections. Where two charts show different years, keep each sentence in the tense for the year it describes, and use the present perfect only when the period runs up to now.
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