A Pie Chart in IELTS Writing Task 1 shows how a whole is divided into parts, usually expressed in percentages or proportions. It’s one of the most visual and comparative types of charts — perfect for testing how well you can summarize data and compare categories.
You may get:
- One pie chart (e.g., “energy sources in 2020”)
- Two pie charts (e.g., “energy sources in 2000 and 2020”)
- Or even three pie charts (e.g., “energy sources across three countries”).
Your job is to summarize the main trends, compare key features, and avoid listing every percentage mechanically.
🎯 2. Examiner’s Expectations for Pie Chart Task 1
The IELTS examiner wants to see that you can:
- Identify key features and summarize them logically.
- Group related data and avoid repetition.
- Use accurate comparative language (“larger than,” “twice as much as,” etc.).
- Maintain a formal academic tone (no personal opinions).
- Demonstrate range and accuracy in grammar and vocabulary.
💡 Band 8+ Insight:
Don’t describe each slice like a grocery list! Instead, compare, contrast, and categorize — show relationships between data rather than raw numbers.
🧩 3. Ideal 4-Paragraph Structure for IELTS Pie Chart Reports
| Paragraph | Function | What to Include |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Introduction | Paraphrase the question | Mention what the chart(s) show and when/where the data were collected |
| 2. Overview | General summary | Highlight the largest, smallest, and main trends |
| 3. Body Paragraph 1 | Key data 1 | Describe major segments and group related information |
| 4. Body Paragraph 2 | Key data 2 | Compare changes or other notable patterns |
💡 Band 8+ Insight:
Always include an overview — without it, you’ll never reach Band 7+. This is where you show the “big picture.” Think: What’s dominant? What’s minor? What changed most?
✍️ 4. How to Begin — Writing the Introduction
The introduction simply rephrases the task statement.
Example:
The pie charts illustrate the proportions of different sources of electricity generation in France in 1990 and 2010.
Formula:
The [chart(s)] + illustrate(s)/show(s) + the [category] + in [place] + in [year(s)].
💡 Band 8+ Insight:
Use synonyms for “show”:
- illustrate
- depict
- demonstrate
- present
Avoid starting with “The given pie charts show…” — it’s overused and robotic. Try “The charts illustrate…” or “The diagrams compare…”.
🌎 5. How to Write the Overview (The Most Important Part)
The Overview highlights the main trends or significant features, without including exact figures.
Example Overview:
Overall, renewable sources accounted for the largest share of electricity production in both years, while nuclear and coal-based sources remained comparatively smaller.
Checklist:
✅ Mention the dominant and smallest categories.
✅ Identify any major changes or stability.
✅ Use linking words like overall, in general, it is noticeable that, by contrast.
💡 Band 8+ Insight:
Your overview should sound like a summary, not a data dump.
Don’t include numbers here — save those for the body paragraphs.
🧱 6. Body Paragraphs — Comparing, Grouping & Detailing
Each Body Paragraph should:
- Describe 2–3 related slices together.
- Use comparative language.
- Include percentages to support your statements.
Example Body 1:
In 1990, renewable energy sources made up the largest portion, with hydroelectric and wind accounting for 40% and 25% respectively. By contrast, nuclear energy contributed only 10%.
Example Body 2:
Over the next two decades, renewables increased slightly, while coal-based energy halved, falling from 20% to just 10%. Nuclear power, however, nearly doubled, reaching 18% in 2010.
💡 Band 8+ Insight:
Use grouping: Combine similar slices (e.g., all renewable sources together). IELTS examiners love logical grouping — it shows analysis, not description.
🕰️ 7. Grammar & Tenses
Tense depends on the time frame:
- Single year or timeless data: Present simple The largest portion belongs to renewable energy.
- Past years: Past simple The proportion of coal decreased in 2010.
- Future data (rare): Future simple The share of solar energy is expected to rise.
💡 Band 8+ Insight:
Use a mix of simple and complex sentences:
While nuclear energy increased slightly, coal dropped dramatically, making it the least used source in 2010.
💬 8. The Ultimate Vocabulary List for IELTS Pie Charts
| Function | Vocabulary & Phrases |
|---|---|
| Showing proportions | account for, make up, constitute, represent, comprise |
| Comparing sizes | be higher/lower than, exceed, fall short of, be roughly equal to |
| Changes over time | increase/decrease, rise/fall, grow/drop, decline, surge, halve |
| Describing dominance | the largest share, the majority, the smallest fraction, the least significant category |
| Approximation | about, roughly, nearly, just over/under, approximately |
| Linking words | whereas, while, by contrast, however, on the other hand, similarly, likewise |
💡 Band 8+ Insight:
Avoid repeating “percentage” or “proportion.” Vary your language:
“Electricity from coal made up 25%.”
“Coal-based sources accounted for a quarter.”
“Coal represented roughly a quarter of total production.”
🚫 9. Common Mistakes (Dos & Don’ts)
| ✅ Dos | ❌ Don’ts |
|---|---|
| Use clear grouping | List every number separately |
| Include an overview | Skip or hide the overview |
| Paraphrase smartly | Copy task prompt words |
| Use accurate data | Guess percentages |
| Keep it formal | Use personal opinions (“I think…”) |
| Vary sentence structure | Repeat “increased/decreased” endlessly |
🥧 10. Pie Chart 1 — Sample Task + Band 9 Model Answer
Sample Task:
The pie charts below show the proportions of electricity produced from different sources in France in 1990 and 2010.
Band 9 Sample Answer:
The two pie charts illustrate how electricity generation in France was distributed among four sources in 1990 and 2010.
Overall, renewable sources accounted for the largest share in both years, while coal saw a sharp decline. Nuclear energy, however, experienced significant growth over the period.
In 1990, renewable energy sources dominated, making up 40% of total production. Coal followed closely at 30%, whereas natural gas and nuclear energy contributed smaller shares of 20% and 10% respectively.
By 2010, renewables increased further to 50%, and nuclear power nearly doubled, reaching 18%. Meanwhile, coal usage fell dramatically to just 10%, and gas usage remained almost unchanged.
💪 11. Pie Chart 2 — Practice Task with Exercises for Beginners
🧠 Step-by-Step Activities for Beginners:
Step 1 — Vocabulary Practice:
Fill in the blanks using accounted for, made up, represented, comprised:
- Food _______ 25% of total household spending in 2000.
- Transport _______ a quarter of expenses by 2020.
Step 2 — Sentence Expansion:
Transform this simple sentence:
“Housing was 35% in 2000.”
➡️ In 2000, housing accounted for the largest share of expenditure, at 35%.
Step 3 — Writing Drill:
Write a 3-sentence overview describing major changes between 2000 and 2020.
💡 Band 8+ Insight:
The top scorers use comparison-driven sentences like:
While spending on housing declined slightly, the proportion of transport costs rose noticeably over the two decades.
🏁 12. Final Tips for Success
✅ Always include an overview.
✅ Focus on comparisons and proportions, not raw numbers.
✅ Use formal tone and varied vocabulary.
✅ Group logically; don’t describe clockwise!
✅ Practice rewriting task statements for variety.