IELTS ADVANCED

IELTS Advanced

Task 1
Proportion Language
and Pie Charts.

1
IELTS ADVANCED

WRITING TASK 1 – PROPORTION LANGUAGE

Colours of cars

1. Red represented the largest proportion, at 49%.

2. Red was the highest figure, accounting for 49%.

occupying
making up (less academic)
taking
constituting
amounting to

3. Forty-nine percent of cars were red.

2
IELTS ADVANCED

WRITING TASK 1 – PIE CHARTS

Analyzing pie charts

- Step 1: Look at the chart(s) and answer the following questions:
o What is the chart about? (What? When? Where?)
o What does the title of the chart show?
o Is the chart showing percentages, or what is the unit?
Use the answers for these questions to write an introductory sentence.
Do not list all of the subjects in this sentence.

- Step 2: Determine the general trend(s) of the subject(s) illustrated in the chart: increase,
decrease, fluctuate or stay constant?
If there are no trends (no changes over the time period), use some comparison.
Use the answer to write an overview statement.
Keep it simple, to move quickly to body paragraphs.

- Step 3: Key features: movements

 Group the subjects together logically into 2 or more groups.
 Report each group in a body paragraph.
 Within each body paragraph, report the subjects from highest to lowest.
 Choose only the most important trends.

- Step 4: Key features: data points

 Report the data points (numbers and times) for these important points, and any others
which are very important.
 Start / End (if there are trends)  Similar / Equal ( = )
 Highest / Lowest  Comparison (x2, x3, x4, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4)

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

3
IELTS ADVANCED

Analysis

23.4 trillion units 53 trillion units 103 trillion units

1990 2000 2010

The pie charts (1) …………….the changes in the proportions of traffic volume for a range of
different forms of transport every ten years between 1990 and 2010, along with the total number of
units. (2) ……………, with the (3) ………. of high-speed transport, the proportions of world traffic
volume for all 4 methods of transport experienced considerable drops.

The most striking feature of the chart (4) ..… the rise in traffic volume from high-speed transport. It
experienced a dramatic increase, (5) ………… from just 9% of traffic volume in 1990 to 25%, and
then 41% in 2000 and 2010 (6) …………..

In (7) …………., there were decreases in the (8) ………………. for the other 3 methods of transport.
The figure for automobiles (9) ……………….. 53% of market share in 1990, but fell to 43% in 2000,
and to (10) …… in 2010. Similarly, the proportion for buses declined by a third from 29% in 1990 to
20% in 2010. Also, railways represented (11) ……… of total traffic volume in 1990, but the figure for
2010 was just 4%, which was a (12) …………………. drop of more than a half.

was proportions Overall

9% 35% constituted
respectively show climbing
contrast substantial exception

4
IELTS ADVANCED

Analysis and Writing Practice

The charts below provide information about energy production in California in 1980 and 2000.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant. Write at least 150 words.