pIe CharT essay writing

TaSk InTroduCTIon

Rephrasing the question/ A very brief description of the pie chart(s) given

1. The pie chart given shows the percentage of…

2. The chart gives data on the proportion of…
3. The pie chart on the left shows the ratio of…, whereas the righthand one gives data on the share of…
4. The chart at the top of the page gives statistics on the fraction of… that…, while that at the bottom illustrates
figures related to how much three categories of… …
5. The diagram given shows comparisons of statistics related to the numbers of six kinds of…
6. The illustration given includes statistics on the amount of four different types of…

Summarising the pie chart(s)/ Description of what you notice about the pie chart(s) straightaway

7. There are a wide variety of different percentages.

8. Huge variations can be seen in the proportion of…
9. The biggest difference between the two pie charts is that…
10. There is a noticeable variation in how many…
11. The light-coloured segments represent the number of… while the dark-coloured ones give data on…
12. There are more differences than similarities between the amount of… and how much…
13. In two of the three pie charts,…
14. There are three segments (on each chart).

Sentence describing the structure of/ organisation of/ plan for/ body of your essay

15. I will look at the data in 19… and then move on to the later time period given.
16. I will explain the similarities between the different segments, before turning to the differences.
17. I will summarise the data related to European countries, then focus on nations in the other parts of the world.
18. I will describe the large segments of the pie chart and then turn my attention to the more minor parts.
19. I will describe the pie chart and then turn my attention to the table.
20. I will explain those two things in that order/ in turn (in the paragraphs below).

STarTIng body paragraphS

Starting any body paragraph

21. According to the darker segments of the chart,…

22. From the information given on the upper pie chart,…

23. Looking at the data related to…,….
24. If we look at the three largest shares shown on the chart,…

Starting the second (or third) body paragraph

25. Turning (our attention) to the remaining segments of the two charts,…
26. Moving on to the right-hand chart,…
27. The other pie chart/ The second chart/ The lower pie chart represents…
28. In (complete) contrast to the proportions in the Americas, the statistics on Eurasia show…
29. Compared to the numbers shown on the bottom chart, those on the top one…
30. As for the other figures,…
Stating (vague and exact) proportions/ percentages/ sizes of segments

31. about/ approximately/ around/ more or less/ roughly a half of the chart is taken up by…
32. just under/ nearly/ almost/ slightly lower than/ a little less than a third of the total consists of…
33. above/ (just) over/ (slightly) more than… percent
34. a half/ a third/ a quarter/ a fifth/ a …th
35. two thirds/ two fifths/ two …ths
36. three quarters/ three fifths/ three …ths
37. four fifths
38. dominates/ is dominated by
39. the (vast) majority/ most
40. the (second) largest segment (namely…)
41. (very) many
42. a huge percentage/ proportion/ share/ fraction/ amount/ number (of…)
43. a large percentage/ proportion/ share/ fraction/ amount/ number (of…)
44. a substantial percentage/ proportion/ share/ fraction/ amount/ number (of…)
45. a considerable percentage/ proportion/ share/ fraction/ amount/ number (of…)
46. a small percentage/ proportion/ share/ fraction/ amount/ number (of…)
47. a tiny percentage/ proportion/ share/ fraction/ amount/ number (of…)
48. (very) few/ little
49. a (small/ tiny) minority
50. a niche…
51. almost no
52. one in two/ in three/ in four/ in five/ in six/ in ten/ in …
53. two out of every three/ every four/ every five/ every…
54. the (second) smallest percentage/ proportion/ share/ fraction/ amount/ number/ group (of…)
55. …, to be precise…/ to be exact…
56. exactly/ precisely
57. quite a lot

The most useful phrases for comparing and contrasting pie charts and segments

Phrases for describing similarities between pie charts and segments

58. The two pie charts are (extremely/ very/ fairly) similar
59. This segment is (exactly/ just/ almost/ nearly/ two thirds/ half/ a quarter) as large as…
60. Similarly, the more recent data shows…
61. The main similarity between the two pie charts is…
62. The biggest similarity between the data in… and… is that…
63. The most obvious similarity between the pie charts on the two sides of the page is…
64. The clearest similarity between the earlier and later data is…
65. A major similarity between East Asia and Latin America is in the number of…
66. Like…,…
67. In common with that pie chart, the proportions in the other include…

Phrases for describing differences between pie charts and segments

68. While the top chart…, the bottom one…

69. The segments connected to electronic goods…, whereas those connected to furnishings...
70. The most obvious/ main/ biggest difference between the right-hand pie chart and the one on the left is
that…
71. In contrast to that segment,…
72. In complete contrast to the three largest segments,…
 73. (far/ much/ a great deal/ substantially/ considerably/ quite a lot/ somewhat/ slightly/ a bit/ a little/ a tiny
bit) larger (percentage/ proportion/ share/ fraction/ amount/ number)
74. (far/ much/ a great deal/ substantially/ considerably/ quite a lot/ somewhat/ slightly/ a bit/ a little/ a tiny
bit) smaller (percentage/ proportion/ share/ fraction/ amount/ number)
75. The largest segment is one and half times/ twice/ three times/ …. times as large as…
76. The next biggest segment is not (nearly/ quite) as large (as…)
77. This contrasts with the situation in South Asia, where the pie chart shows that…
78. A major difference between the first pie chart and the one next to it is the size of…
79. An obvious difference/ A clear difference between the data in 2003 and that of the following year is the
shrinkage in…
80. Unlike the data in the earlier period,…
81. Compared to the data from the 1970s, the later period shows…
82. Comparing the two segments/ the two pie charts, we can see that…

Language for describing changes to pie charts

83. From the first to the second pie chart, this segment’s share of the total…
84. grow (grew grown) (by… percent/ … times/ substantially)
85. expand(ed) (by… half/ by a third/ by…/ twofold/ threefold/ fourfold/ …fold)
86. shrink (shrank shrunk) (by… percent/ slightly/ considerably/ dramatically)
87. (nearly/ more than) double(d)/ triple(d)/ quadruple(d)
88. halve(d)
89. remain(ed) unchanged
90. overtake (overtook overtaken)/ pass(ed)/ surpass(ed)
91. reach(ed) (a new share of)
92. match(ed)/ reach(ed) the same number as…

Describing positions of the pie charts

93. The upper pie chart/ The top chart…

94. The lower pie chart/ The bottom chart…
95. The right-hand pie chart/ The chart on the right…
96. The left-hand pie chart/ The chart on the left…
97. The pie chart above that…
98. The chart below that/ The pie chart under that…
99. To the left of/ To the right of/ Next to that pie chart is one which shows…
100. (In) between those two pie charts is one with statistics on…
 Describing an IELTS Pie Chart

This lesson will provide you with tips and advice on how to write an IELTS pie chart for task
one.

To begin, take a look at the pie chart below and the model answer.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The pie charts show the main reasons for migration to

and from the UK in 2007.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the

main features and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words

The pie charts illustrate the primary reasons that people came to and left the UK in 2007. At first
glance it is clear that the main factor influencing this decision was employment.

Having a definite job accounted for 30 per cent of immigration to the UK, and this figure was
very similar for emigration, at 29%. A large number of people, 22%, also emigrated because
they were looking for a job, though the proportion of people leaving the UK for this purpose was
noticeably lower at less than a fifth.

Another major factor influencing a move to the UK was for formal study, with over a quarter of
people immigrating for this reason. However, interestingly, only a small minority, 4%, left for
this.

The proportions of those moving to join a family member were quite similar for immigration and
emigration, at 15% and 13% respectively. Although a significant number of people (32%) gave
‘other’ reasons or did not give a reason why they emigrated, this accounted for only 17% with
regards to immigration.

173 words
_________________________________________
As you can see, the pie chart description is easy to follow. Here are some key points in
organizing your answer.

Choose the most important points to write about first

These will be the largest ones. As you can see in the model answer, definite job, looking for
work, and formal study were all written about first, in order of importance, as these are the
main reasons that were chosen for moving.

Items such as ‘other’ are usually less important and account for small amounts, so can be left till
the end.

Make it easy to read

When you write a task 1, you should always group information in a logical way to make it easy
to follow and read.

With an IELTS pie chart, the most logical thing to do is usually to compare categories together
across the charts, focusing on similarities and differences, rather than writing about each chart
separately.

If you write about each one separately, the person reading it will have to keep looking between
the paragraphs in order to see how each category differs. As you can see in the model answers,
each category is discussed in turn, not each pie chart.

Vary your language

As with any task 1, this is important. You should not keep repeating the same structures. The
key language when you write about pie charts is proportions and percentages.

Common phrases to see are "the proportion of…" or "the percentage of…"

However, you can also use other words and fractions. These are some examples from the
model answer:

A large number of people

over a quarter of people
a small minority
A significant number of people
less than a fifth
This table presents some examples of how you can change percentages to fractions or ratios:
Percentage Fraction
80% four-fifths
75% three-quarters
70% seven in ten
65% two-thirds
60% three-fifths
55% more than half
50% half
45% more than two fifths
40% two-fifths
35% more than a third
30% less than a third
25% a quarter
20% a fifth
15% less than a fifth
10% one in ten
5% one in twenty

If the percentages are not exact as above, then you can use qualifiers to make sure your
description remains accurate. Here are some examples:
Percentage Qualifier
77% just over three quarters
77% approximately three quarters
49% just under a half
49% nearly a half
32% almost a third

This table presents some examples of how you can change percentages to other phrases:
proportion / number / amount
Percentage
/ majority / minority*
75% - 85% a very large majority
65% - 75% a significant proportion
10% - 15% a minority
5% a very small number
*The words above are interchageable, though number is for countable nouns and amount is for uncountable
nouns.
 How to Write an
IELTS Pie Chart Essay

Using this 5 steps process to plan and write IELTS pie chart essays will help you to achieve high
marks in Task 1:

1) Analyse the question

2) Identify the main features

3) Write an introduction

4) Write an overview

5) Write the details paragraphs

In this lesson, we’re going to work thorough each step as we answer a practice question and I
want to start by highlighting the importance of steps 1 and 2. It is essential that you learn how to
do this planning stage properly if you hope to write a high-scoring essay.

Before we begin, here’s a model essay structure that you can use as a guideline for all IELTS
Academic Task 1 questions.

Ideally, your essay should have 4 paragraphs:

Paragraph 1 – Introduction

Paragraph 2 – Overview

Paragraph 3 – 1st main feature

Paragraph 4 – 2nd main feature

We now have everything we need to begin planning and writing our IELTS pie chart essay.
Here’s our practice question:

The chart below shows the reasons why people travel to work by bicycle or by car.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Step 1 – Analyse the question

The format of every Academic Task 1 question is the same. Here is our practice question again
with the words that will be included in all questions highlighted.

The chart below shows the reasons why people travel to work by bicycle or by car.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.
Every question consists of:

 Sentence 1 – A brief description of the graphic

 Sentence 2 – The instructions

 The graphic – chart, graph, table, etc.

Sentence 2 tells you what you have to do.

You must do 3 things:

1. Select the main features.

2. Write about the main features.

3. Compare the main features.

All three tasks refer to the ‘main features’ of the graphic. You do not have to write about
everything. Just pick out 2 or 3 key features and you’ll have plenty to write about.

Step 2 – Identify the Main Features

The graphic in IELTS pie chart questions should not be difficult to interpret. Each question has
been created to test your language skills, not your mathematics ability.

Pie charts always show percentages or proportions. Apart from that, they are essentially the
same as bar charts and line graphs in that they are a way of presenting data visually.

All you are looking for are the main features. These will usually be the easiest things to spot.
There will be lots of information in the graphic to help you identify them.

Here are some useful questions to ask?

 What are the units of measurements?

 What are the time periods?

 What can you learn from the title and any labels?

 What is the most obvious trend?

 Are there any notable similarities?

Pie charts generally have titles and labels or sometimes a key instead of segment labels as in our
practice question. The key explains what each segment of the pie chart represents.

So, what information is contained in the two pie charts?

Here's our IELTS pie chart again.

They show two different methods of travelling to work and illustrate the reason why people
choose these types of transport.

What main features stand out?

There are 2 main features in these IELTS pie charts:

Main feature 1: The largest proportions of people who cycle do so for health and
environmental reasons.

Main feature 2: The highest percentages of people who drive do so because it’s comfortable.
Another notable feature is that the only reason included in both pie charts – that the method is
faster – shares almost the same proportion for both modes of transport.

We may not have space to cover this final feature but we’ll note it just in case we need it to make
up the words.

The key features you select will be the starting point for your essay. You will then go on to add
more detail. However, with just 20 minutes allowed for Task 1, and a requirement of only 150
words, you won't be able to include many details.

We’re now ready to begin writing our essay. Here’s a reminder of the 4 part structure we’re
going to use.

Paragraph 1 – Introduction

Paragraph 2 – Overview

Paragraph 3 – 1st main feature

Paragraph 4 – 2nd main feature

Step 3 – Write an Introduction

In the introduction, you should simply paraphrase the question, that is, say the same thing in a
different way. You can do this by using synonyms and changing the sentence structure. For
example:

Question:

The chart below shows the reasons why people travel to work by bicycle or by car.

Introduction (Paragraph 1):

The two pie charts display the key reasons why people choose to either cycle or drive to
work by percentage.

This is all you need to do for the introduction.

Step 4 – Write an Overview (Paragraph 2)

In the second paragraph, you should report the main features you can see in the pie charts,
giving only general information. The detail comes later in the essay. You should also make any
clear comparisons you spot.

Here are the ones we picked out above. I’ve added the additional feature as it will fit well in the
overview.

Main feature 1: The largest proportions of people who cycle do so for health and
environmental reasons.

Main feature 2: The highest percentages of people who drive do so because it’s comfortable.

Main feature 3: For an almost equal proportion of people, their chosen method is the fastest.

Now form these ideas into two or three sentences with a total of around 40 words. State the
information simply, using synonyms where possible. No elaborate vocabulary or grammar
structures are required, just the appropriate words and correct verb tenses.

For example:

Overview (Paragraph 2):

The largest proportion of people who cycle, have made this choice for health and
environmental reasons whilst the prime advantage of driving to work is considered to be
the comfort of travelling by car. Notably, for an almost equal proportion of people, their
chosen method is the fastest.

Step 5 – Write the 1st Detail Paragraph

Paragraphs 3 and 4 of your IELTS pie chart essay are where you include more detailed
information about the data in the graphic. In paragraph 3, you should give evidence to support
your first key feature. Don’t forget to make comparisons where relevant.

Here is our first main feature again:

Main feature 1: The largest proportion of people who cycle do so for health and environmental
reasons.
And this is an example of what you could write:

Paragraph 3:

Taken together, health and fitness and less pollution are reasons given by over
half of all people who prefer travelling by bike. Each represents a 30% portion
which is double the next most popular reason which is a lack of parking issues at
15%.

Step 6 – Write the 2nd Detail Paragraph

For the fourth and final paragraph, you do the same thing for your second key feature.

I’ve added the third main feature again as it will round off the essay well. In an exam situation, I
would include it if I had time.

Main feature 2: The highest percentages of people who drive do so because it’s comfortable.

Main feature 3: For an almost equal proportion of people, their chosen method is the fastest.

Here’s an example of what you could write:

Paragraph 4:

A different set of concerns has affected the decision of those who choose to commute by
car. Comfort is by far the most significant factor at 40% of people, but distance to work is
a more important concern for just over a fifth of drivers. For 14% of people, a faster
journey time is the key factor compared to a figure of 12% of cyclists who find their means
of transport quicker.

I just want to say a quick word about verb tense in this sample essay. Since there is no time
frame given in the question, you could use either the present simple tense or the past simple
tense. I've used the present simple tense. Whichever tense you choose, remember to be
consistent throughout your whole essay.

Here are the four paragraphs brought together to create our finished essay.
Finished IELTS Pie Chart Essay

This sample IELTS pie chart essay is over the minimum word limit so you can see that you don’t
have space to include very much detail at all. That’s why it is essential to select just a couple of
main features to write about.

Now use what you’ve learnt in this lesson to practice answering other IELTS pie chart questions.
Start slowly at first and keep practicing until you can plan and write a complete essay in around
20 minutes.