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IELTS Writing Task 1 pie chart

For an IELTS Writing Task 1 pie chart, open with an overview of the largest share and the main change, then compare proportions with accurate language: a third, just under half, twice as much, and percentage points for changes between charts.

Pie chart language

  1. Overview first

    The largest share and the biggest change, in one or two sentences, without numbers.

  2. Fractions

    25% a quarter; 33% a third; 50% half; 48% just under half; 52% just over half.

  3. Comparing

    accounted for twice as much as; the largest share; the smallest proportion.

  4. Changes

    rose from 10% to 35%; fell by 15 percentage points (not 15 percent).

  5. Shares, not amounts

    A pie shows proportions. Say a larger share, not more, unless totals are given.

  6. Group the small ones

    The remaining three categories together made up under 15%.

  7. Length

    At least 150 words in about 20 minutes.

Pie chart of household spending in an imaginary city in 2024: housing 34%, food 22%, transport 15%, leisure 12%, clothing 7%, other 10%.Household spending, 2024 (%). Housing: Share (%) 34; Food: Share (%) 22; Transport: Share (%) 15; Leisure: Share (%) 12; Clothing: Share (%) 7; Other: Share (%) 10Household spending, 2024 (%)11. Housing: 3422. Food: 2233. Transport: 1544. Leisure: 1255. Clothing: 766. Other: 10
Chart values
CategoryShare (%)
Housing34
Food22
Transport15
Leisure12
Clothing7
Other10

Step 1 of 2

Which is the best overview?

Question 1 of 4

Pick an answer

Your result

Questions people ask

How long should an IELTS pie chart answer be?

At least 150 words, in about 20 minutes. Task 2 is worth twice as much, so do not spend longer.

Do I need an overview in Task 1?

Yes. Without a clear overview of the main features, Task Achievement is capped, however accurate the details are.

How do you compare two pie charts?

Compare the same category across the charts in percentage points (rose from 10% to 35%), and say which share became the largest or smallest.

How we work this out

What it does

Read original pie charts, pick the right overview, then choose the comparison sentences an examiner would accept.

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: describing and comparing pie charts.

Method

  1. Each chart asks for the overview first, then the comparison sentences that are accurate.
  2. Wrong choices are the errors that cost Task Achievement marks: listing numbers with no overview, wrong comparisons, and percent mixed up with percentage points.

Sources

Checked .