Academic Writing Task 1 · pie chart

Annual spending by local authorities in Someland from 1980 to 2000: IELTS Writing Task 1 sample answer

An IELTS Writing Task 1 pie chart question with a Band 8 sample answer, the chart redrawn with its data, the vocabulary that lifts the report and how to write about pie charts.
  • 189 words
  • Pie charts
  • Academic
  • 20 minutes

The question

The three pie charts below show the changes in annual spending by local authorities in Someland in 1980, 1990 and 2000.

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

1980
  • Higher Education: 35
  • K-12 Education: 25
  • Transportation: 16
  • Health and human resources: 14
  • Environmental services: 4
  • Other: 6
View the data
CategoryValue
Higher Education35
K-12 Education25
Transportation16
Health and human resources14
Environmental services4
Other6
1990
  • Higher Education: 45
  • K-12 Education: 20
  • Transportation: 6
  • Health and human resources: 20
  • Environmental services: 5
  • Other: 4
View the data
CategoryValue
Higher Education45
K-12 Education20
Transportation6
Health and human resources20
Environmental services5
Other4
2000
  • Higher Education: 40
  • K-12 Education: 18
  • Transportation: 22
  • Health and human resources: 10
  • Environmental services: 9
  • Other: 1
View the data
CategoryValue
Higher Education40
K-12 Education18
Transportation22
Health and human resources10
Environmental services9
Other1

Chart redrawn by BandLadder from the data in the original IELTS practice task. Many IELTS practice tasks come from the Cambridge IELTS series (Cambridge University Press & Assessment); all rights in the original tasks remain with their owners.

Model answer

Band 8 sample answer

Band 8189 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

The three pie charts illustrate the distribution of annual expenditure by local authorities in Someland across three distinct years: 1980, 1990, and 2000. Overall, Higher Education remained the primary focus of local authority spending throughout the period, whereas other sectors experienced notable shifts in their relative importance.

In 1980, Higher Education comprised 35% of total spending, followed by K-12 Education at 25%. By 1990, the allocation for Higher Education rose to a peak of 45%, while K-12 Education and Transportation saw declines to 20% and 6% respectively. Conversely, spending on Health and human resources increased from 14% in 1980 to 20% in 1990. By 2000, Higher Education spending had dipped slightly to 40%.

Regarding the remaining categories, Transportation spending was most volatile, dropping from 16% in 1980 to 6% in 1990, before surging to 22% in 2000, making it the second-largest expenditure category. Environmental services saw a gradual increase from 4% in 1980 to 9% by 2000. Meanwhile, the proportion dedicated to 'Other' services dwindled steadily from 6% to 1% over the twenty years, and Health and human resources fell back to 10% by the end of the period.

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Pie charts

How to write about pie charts: tips and vocabulary

  • →Name the largest and smallest shares in the overview.
  • →Use proportion language: a quarter, just under half, the majority.
  • →With two pies, compare the same slice across both.
  • expenditure

    The total amount of money spent by an organization

  • fluctuated

    Rose and fell irregularly in number or amount

  • comprised

    Made up or constituted a specific part of something

  • volatile

    Liable to change rapidly and unpredictably for better or worse

  • dwindled

    Diminished gradually in size, amount, or strength over time

  • allocation

    The action or process of distributing resources for a purpose

Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?+

Higher Education consistently accounted for the largest share of spending, while the proportions allocated to other sectors fluctuated significantly over the two-decade period.

How many words and how long for IELTS Writing Task 1?+

At least 150 words; 170 to 200 is the safe range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

How is IELTS Writing Task 1 scored?+

On four criteria: task achievement, coherence and cohesion, vocabulary, and grammatical range and accuracy. A clear overview of the main features is what most separates Band 6 from Band 7 and above.

How do I describe pie charts?+

Name the largest and smallest shares in the overview. Use proportion language: a quarter, just under half, the majority. With two pies, compare the same slice across both.

Keep practising

More pie charts

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