Task 1 — Pie Chart

Pie charts show proportions of a whole. Choose the most accurate sentence to describe a slice.

Which sentence describes the housing slice with the strongest Band 7+ vocabulary?

Plan a 4-paragraph response: Introduction, Overview, Body 1 (largest segments), Body 2 (smaller segments or comparison chart). Opening templates: 'The pie chart illustrates the proportion of...' / 'The given pie charts compare the percentages of [X] in [year A] and [year B].' Paraphrase carefully—replace 'percentage' with 'proportion,' 'share,' or 'fraction.' For single pie charts, the overview should identify the dominant category and the smallest: 'Overall, [X] accounted for the largest share, whereas [Y] made up the smallest proportion.' For two or more pie charts (often comparing time periods), the overview must capture the biggest shift between charts. Group segments by size (largest, mid-tier, smallest) or by theme. Avoid listing slices in clockwise order—rank by proportion.

Proportion vocabulary: 'accounted for,' 'made up,' 'represented,' 'constituted,' 'comprised,' 'a quarter of,' 'one-third,' 'just under half,' 'a small fraction,' 'the lion's share.' Specific phrasing: 'X represented 45% of the total, more than double the figure for Y.' For percentage changes between two pies: 'rose from 20% to 35%,' 'the share of X doubled,' 'the proportion of Y halved.' Useful comparison phrases: 'compared with,' 'in comparison to,' 'as opposed to,' 'whereas,' 'while.' Quantifiers when exact: 'precisely,' 'exactly'; when approximating: 'roughly,' 'approximately,' 'just over,' 'just under,' 'nearly.' Always state that the figures are percentages (or that the chart totals 100%) at least once. If the data shows shares of a fixed total (e.g., household budget), highlight that context. For multi-pie comparisons, use parallel structures: 'In [year A], X dominated at 50%, while in [year B], its share had fallen to 30%.' Skip the conclusion; the overview is sufficient. Target 160–180 words.

Task Achievement: examiner checks that all major segments are addressed, percentages are accurate, the overview captures the dominant and smallest categories (and biggest shift if multiple pies), and you avoid listing every slice without grouping. Coherence & Cohesion: clear paragraphing and logical progression from largest to smallest or by theme. Linking devices for comparison ('whereas,' 'in contrast,' 'similarly') are essential. Lexical Resource: vocabulary for proportions and fractions is specifically tested—'accounted for,' 'comprised,' 'a fifth of,' 'a marginal share' demonstrate range. Grammatical Range & Accuracy: use percentages with correct verb agreement, articles before fractions ('a third,' 'one-fifth'), and accurate comparatives.

• Listing every slice in chart order instead of grouping by significance
• Forgetting that values must sum to 100% and misreporting figures
• Overusing 'percentage'—failing to vary with 'proportion,' 'share,' 'fraction'
• Describing two pie charts separately instead of comparing them
• Adding reasons or speculation for why proportions differ

• British Council — Practice tests
• IELTS Liz — Pie chart
• IDP IELTS — Pie chart

Tactical content is original synthesis based on these public IELTS prep resources.