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Task 1 Sample Pie Chart

This IELTS writing task 1 sample is a pie chart. Below the pie chart is a model answer. With pie charts you are usually given 2, 3, or 4 to compare. In this case there are 2.

Take a look at the question and chart first. Which is the best way to compare the information?

Make a decision then look at the model answer. Comments are provided so you can see why the response would achieve a high IELTS score.

Task 1 Sample

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The pie chart shows the amount of money that a children's charity located in the USA spent and received in one year, 2016.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.


Revenue Sources and Expenditures of a USA Charity in one year, 2016.

Task 1 Sample - Revenue sources and expenditure of a charity

Model Answer

The pie charts show the amount of revenue and expenditures in 2016 for a children’s charity in the USA. Overall, it can be seen that donated food accounted for the majority of the income, while program services accounted for the most expenditure. Total revenue sources just exceeded outgoings.

In detail, donated food provided most of the revenue for the charity, at 86%. Similarly, with regard to expenditures, one category, program services, accounted for nearly all of the outgoings, at 95.8%. 

The other categories were much smaller. Community contributions, which were the second largest revenue source, brought in 10.4% of overall income, and this was followed by program revenue, at 2.2%. Investment income, government grants, and other income were very small sources of revenue, accounting for only 0.8% combined.

There were only two other expenditure items, fundraising and management and general, accounting for 2.6% and 1.6% respectively. The total amount of income was $53,561,580, which was just enough to cover the expenditures of $53,224,896. 

(161 Words)

Comments

The response achieves the task because the data from the pie chart is selected and summarised appropriately.

Also, it can be seen that comparisons are made, which you are told to do in the rubric. The comparisons are clear from language such as 'similarly', 'much smaller', and 'largest revenue source'. Those are all language of comparison and contrast.

The summary is also well-organised. The writer decides first to compare the two largest items in each pie chart in the first paragraph, then go on to summarise the smaller items of expenditure, each in a separate paragraph.

It is therefore easy to follow the description.

There is not one right way to organise the pie chart. You could for example discuss each chart in turn as they are about different categories.

However, you should compare across categories if each pie chart is about the same thing. There is a lesson about that here: IELTS Pie Chart

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