2010
Bus: 42% · Car: 30%
Cycling: 10% · Walking: 18%
FREE DEEP-DIVE · ACADEMIC TASK 1Pie charts, explained.
Pie charts, explained.
From chart to report.
A complete beginner-friendly mini lesson based on the methods taught in the IELTS4US Pie Chart Masterclass: SPOT, selection, paragraph planning, precise percentages and practice with feedback.
START HERE
What is Academic Writing Task 1?
You summarise the main features of a visual, write at least 150 words and should spend about 20 minutes. Pie charts represent parts of a whole: every chart adds up to 100%. Your job is not to copy every number. Select important shares, group related information, give an overview and compare accurately.
3 minRead and plan
4 paragraphsIntroduction · Overview · Details × 2
2 minProofread and check figures
Important distinction: Pie charts show proportions. A slice rising from 10% to 24% has increased by 14 percentage points, not by 14% (the relative increase would be 140%).
ORIGINAL IELTS4US LEARNING EXAMPLE
How students travelled to campus: 2010 and 2025
The following two pie charts show an invented breakdown of transport methods at a fictional university. The data and example answer were developed specifically for this free lesson—not copied from your paid eBooks or an official test.
2025
Bus: 32% · Car: 20%
Cycling: 24% · Walking: 24%
Bus Car Cycling Walking
| Transport | 2010 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus | 42% | 32% | −10 percentage points |
| Car | 30% | 20% | −10 percentage points |
| Cycling | 10% | 24% | +14 percentage points |
| Walking | 18% | 24% | +6 percentage points |
| Total | 100% | 100% | — |
THE PIE CHART MASTERCLASS METHOD
SPOT: five questions before you write
The IELTS4US Pie Chart Masterclass teaches the SPOT reading method and a short planning routine. This free walkthrough demonstrates how to apply it to a new example.
Subject and units
What is divided? Students' journeys to campus. The unit is percentage of students, not the number of students.
Place and period
One fictional university; 2010 compared with 2025. We can use past tense when describing both years.
Overall pattern
Buses remained the leading mode; car travel became less common, while cycling and walking gained share. This belongs in your overview.
Targets for comparison
Bus versus car, cycling in 2010 versus 2025, and the combined share of bus + cycling + walking.
The “so what?” test: Does a number help show the largest slice, a difference, a combined share or a meaningful change? If not, it may not belong in your report.
Plan the four paragraphs
Introduction
Paraphrase what the charts show, name the years and include the unit.
Overview
Two big messages, no detailed percentages: bus stayed first; active travel became more common.
Body 1
Describe 2010: bus 42%, car 30%, walking 18%, cycling 10%.
Body 2
Describe the change by 2025, including a 14-percentage-point cycling rise and combined 80% share.
Language that makes the comparison precise
| Purpose | Useful pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Describe a share | accounted for / made up | Bus journeys accounted for 42% in 2010. |
| Compare two categories | whereas / compared with | Bus use stood at 32%, whereas car use represented 20%. |
| Combine shares | together / combined | Together, three modes made up 80% in 2025. |
| Report a change | rose / fell by … percentage points | Cycling rose by 14 percentage points. |
| Approximate | roughly / almost / just under | Almost a quarter of students travelled by bicycle. |
ANNOTATED DEMONSTRATION
Read a complete model report
This newly written model shows the finished structure students learn to build; it is illustrative, not an examiner-marked band score.
Introduction The two pie charts compare the proportions of students using four methods of transport to reach a fictional university in 2010 and 2025.
Overview Overall, buses remained the most popular single mode of transport, although their share decreased. Cycling and walking became more common, while the proportion of students travelling by car fell.
Body 1 In 2010, bus journeys accounted for 42% of all student travel, making this the leading category. Cars ranked second, at 30%, while 18% of students walked to campus. Cycling was considerably less common and represented only one in ten journeys. Buses and cars therefore made up almost three-quarters of the total.
Body 2 By 2025, the share of bus users had dropped to 32%, a decrease of 10 percentage points, but buses still ranked first. Car travel also fell by 10 percentage points to 20%. In contrast, cycling rose sharply to 24%, matching walking, which increased by six percentage points. Together, buses, bicycles and walking accounted for 80% of journeys, compared with 70% in 2010.
Why this works: The overview highlights the trend without numbers; the details are grouped by year; accurate percentages support the main comparisons; and differences between shares use percentage points.
PRACTISE, CHECK, IMPROVE
Five free pie chart questions
Write your own 150+ word report
Hide the model above, describe the charts in four paragraphs and check your work against the questions below. Your text remains in your browser and is not submitted.
Words: 0Target: at least 150 words
Self-check before you finish
- Have I stated the subject, years and percentages correctly?
- Have I included an overview without detailed figures?
- Have I compared the biggest changes instead of listing every number?
- Have I checked both totals equal 100%?
- Did I use percentage points for changes in share?
FREE STARTER PACK
Get the free IELTS4US Starter Pack.
Six printable pages of writing, speaking and reading practice, with an answer key. Enter your email and download it straight away.
- Six original practice pages
- Answer key included
- Tick the box for new lessons and tips by email
Loading the sign-up form…