B2 English Course/ Writing Handout 3

PIE CHARTS
• Expressing percentages, proportions & approximations
• Language for describing quantities
• Practising writing a Task 1 response where the data input is in the form of pie charts

Exam information | Describing pie charts

A pie chart is a circle (or 'pie') divided into sections. The whole circle represents the total quantity
(= 100%) and the sections show how the total may be divided into different shares or proportions.
These shares or proportions correspond to different categories. Pie charts are useful for comparing
these categories. Proportions are shown as a percentage (%) or fraction (e.g. ½) of the total
quantity.

Expressing percentages, proportions & approximations

In IELTS Writing Task 1, you will be tested on your ability to use numbers, fractions and percentages
accurately. For example:
just over 30% = about one-third
approximately 50% = about half
under 25% = less than one quarter
1 in 20 people = 5% of people = a small proportion of people

DESCRIBING APPROXIMATIONS

Approximate Exact More Less

roughly exactly more than less than
approximately well over well below
almost just above just below
nearly just over just under
about a little more than slightly less than
around

DESCRIBING PERCENTAGES & PROPORTIONS

6% - a small proportion 53% - more than half

23% - just under a quarter 72% - slightly less than three quarters
27% - over a quarter 77% - roughly three quarters
48% - almost a half 85% - well over three quarters
50% - exactly a half 96% - a significant majority

Faculty of English - ULIS Page 1

B2 English Course/ Writing Handout 3
Task 1: The phrases in the list are alternative ways of expressing percentages. Divide the list into
four groups that each have similar meanings.
three quarters almost half one third close to one half
one in three nearly half just over a quarter
about one in four three out of four just under one half

26 per cent 33 per cent 48 per cent 75 per cent

_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
_________________
_________________

Task 2: Rewrite sentences a-e, replacing the phrases in italics with an alternative expression.
1. We see from the chart that 23 per cent of students failed to finish their university degree.
2. In 1990, nine out of ten engineering students were male, but by 2000 this figure had fallen to
exactly three quarters.
3. In 1960, 34 per cent of science graduates went into the teaching profession but in 1970, the
figure was just ten per cent.
4. Exactly one half of the student population were members of the union in 2001, but five years
later the figure was 64 per cent.
5. Ninety-two per cent of people surveyed felt that mixed sex schools were preferable.

TYPE 1: Describing one pie chart

Tasks 3-4-5 are based on the following chart.
The pie chart below shows the readership of print newspapers by five different age groups in a
European country.

Faculty of English - ULIS Page 2

B2 English Course/ Writing Handout 3
Task 3: Choose the correct words/phrases to complete the sentences about the pie chart above.
1. Just almost/ over/ under a sixth of those who prefer to get their news offline are in the 20 to
39 age group.
2. A fifth/ quarter/ third of those who read a newspaper offline are aged between 60 and 79.
3. Less than half/ 40%/ a third of the print newspaper readership is aged over 80.
4. With reference to teenage reading habits, it is clear that only 1 in 5/ 1 in 20/ 1 in 25 of those
who choose to get their news from traditional print publications is a teenager.
5. In general, well over a quarter/ a third/ two-thirds of traditional newspapers are read by those
in their eighties and above.
6. Those in the 20 to 39 and 40 to 59 age brackets account for the same share of print newspaper
readership and represent just about/ over/ under a third in total.

Task 4: Choose the correct articles to complete the sentences. Choose a, an, the or no article (–).
1. With reference to a/an/the/– youngest generation shown in the chart, they don’t show
a/an/the/– desire to read print media, as they account for only 5% of the total readership.
2. Interestingly, people in a/an/the/– groups aged 20 to 39 and 40 to 59 have a/an/the/– same
ratio, with each representing 15% of offline readership.
3. A/An/The/– extremely important feature of this chart is that well over a/an/the/– third of
those who get their news offline are in their eighties.
4. A/An/The/– pie chart illustrates how a/an/the/– newspapers are read by people from different
generations in one particular European country.
5. Regarding a/an/the/– 60 to 79 age range, a/an/the/– quarter of offline news readership is
attributable to them.
6. A/An/The/– quarter of people reading print media is made up of those aged between
a/an/the/– 60 and 79.
7. In a/an/the/– conclusion, many people over 80 get their news offline while many readers aged
14 to 19 don’t consume a/an/the/– news in its traditional format.

Task 5: Correct the 10 grammatical errors in the essay. There are errors with articles (the, a, an),
referencing words (it, this, that, etc.), prepositions (in, on, at, etc.), relative pronouns (who,
which, where, etc.) and verb and noun forms.
The chart shows a percentage of people, divided into different groups between 14 and 80 and over,
which read traditional newspapers in a country in Europe.
The most noticeable feature of the chart are the number of people aged 80 and over who still read
printed news publications, comparison to those in other age groups. In addition, a quarter of people
who read newspapers offline are age between 60 and 79. Interestingly, the same proportion of
paper-based news publications is read by these in their twenties and thirties and those in their
forties and fifties. What is also evidence is that only 5% of newspaper readership in print format is
made on of the youngest age group shown in the chart.
In summary, it can be say that the older generations prefer to get their news from print publications
whilst the under-19s had, for the most part, abandoned traditional newspapers for other media
formats.

Faculty of English - ULIS Page 3

B2 English Course/ Writing Handout 3

TYPE 2: Describing two/three pie charts: related topics, one time frame
Usually, task 1 will not be just one pie chart to describe but two or maybe more. This might involve
two pie charts related in terms of “opposition” but static in the sense that both refer to the same
time frame, normally a year.
In this case, we need the following kinds of language:
• proportion language – to describe percentages;
• comparison language – to describe the biggest and the smallest.

Tasks 6-7-8 are based on the following pie charts.

The pie charts below illustrate the number of journal articles read per week by all students, PhD
students, and junior lecturers at an Australian university.

Task 6: Look at the pie charts above and the Task 1 question. Answer questions 1-5 below.
1. What does each pie chart describe?
2. What do the numbers on each pie chart represent?
3. What does the box at the bottom of the pie charts refer to?
4. What noticeable feature can you see in each chart?
5. What general statements can you make about each chart?

Task 7: Complete sentences 1-7 using the phrases below.

that respectively for example how but
which meanwhile whereas and
1. The three pie charts illustrate ___________ many articles from academic journals are read
weekly by PhD students ___________ junior lectures compared to other students at an Australian
university.
2. ___________, the overwhelming majority of those studying doctorates read at least twelve
articles per week in comparison with the average student.
3. The figures were 80 per cent and twelve per cent ___________.
4. Furthermore, only five per cent of PhD level students read between one and five articles,
___________ the average for all students in this category is a hefty 67 per cent.
5. ___________, for junior lecturers the pattern appears to be slightly different.

Faculty of English - ULIS Page 4

B2 English Course/ Writing Handout 3
6. Most read six or more articles per week (99 per cent), ___________ out of this total 24 per cent
read twelve or more, ___________ is almost a third of the corresponding figure for PhD level
students.
7. It is clear ___________ those students who are researching for a PhD read more articles than
either junior lecturers or other students.

Task 8: The sentences in Task 2 form a model text. Group the sentences into four paragraphs.
Paragraph 1: ______________
Paragraph 2: ______________
Paragraph 3: ______________
Paragraph 4: ______________

LANGUAGE FOR DESCRIBING QUANTITIES

Number, amount, percentage, proportion and figure can all be used to describe the quantities
shown in graphs and charts in Task 1.
(1) The number of + Countable noun (plural) + V (singular):
The number of students at National University increases by about 1,000 students every year.
The number of children under pressure of studying from their parents is predicted to increase in the
next 20 years.
(2) The amount of + Uncountable noun + V (singular):
The amount of electricity produced from nuclear power increased gradually to 2 million kWh.
The amount of coal used in Australia doubled in 2016.
(3) The percentage of + Noun (countable or uncountable) + V (singular):
The percentage of produced from nuclear power increased by 10% in 2010.
(4) The proportion of + Noun (countable or uncountable) + V (singular):
The proportion of boys joining Math classes is 10% higher than that of girls.
The proportion of people who watched comedies was larger/smaller in 2011 than in 2010.
(5) The figure(s) for + Noun (countable or uncountable) + V (singular/ plural):
The figure for people entering University reached a peak by 2013.
The figure for CO2 emissions in USA dipped slightly by the end of the 30-year period.
The population figures for India rose by 15% over the two decades.

TYPE 3: Describing two pie charts: one topic at different times

In this type, we have just one topic shown over time in two pie charts. To address the task, we have
to handle all of the following:
• proportion language – to describe percentages;
• comparison language – to describe the biggest and the smallest;
• trend language – to describe what changes over time.

Faculty of English - ULIS Page 5

B2 English Course/ Writing Handout 3
Follow the steps (#) below to write a response to the following question.

The pie charts indicate changes in the proportions of energy produced in a country from 1983 to
2003.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

#1. Identify the Main Features

Identify the main features/trends in the pie charts.
Main feature 1: ___________________________________________________________________
Main feature 2: ___________________________________________________________________

#2. Write an Introduction

In the introduction, you should paraphrase the question by using synonyms and changing the
sentence structure.

Faculty of English - ULIS Page 6

B2 English Course/ Writing Handout 3

Question:
The pie charts indicate changes in the proportions of energy produced in a country from 1983 to
2003.
Paragraph 1 (Introduction):
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

#3. Write an Overview

Paragraph 2 (Overview):
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

#4. Write the 1st Detail Paragraph

Paragraph 3 (about oil and coal):
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

#5. Write the 2nd Detail Paragraph

Paragraph 4 (about power, natural gas & hydropower):
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

You try
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The pie charts below show the devices people in the 18 to 25 age group use to watch television in
a European country in two different years.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

Faculty of English - ULIS Page 7

B2 English Course/ Writing Handout 3

________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

Faculty of English - ULIS Page 8