IELTSVegaIELTS Writing Task 1 · 2026
Pie chart (proportions)
Segments of a whole (usually percentages). Often two or more pies to compare proportions or time.
How to answer
- 1Describe the largest and smallest slices first.
- 2With multiple pies, focus on what changed most between them.
- 3Use proportion language and make sure percentages are handled precisely.
Plan (before you write)
Note the biggest slice in each pie and the biggest change between pies.
Structure
- Intro: what the pie(s) divide up.
- Overview: the dominant category and the biggest change (if comparing).
- Body 1: the largest segments.
- Body 2: the smaller segments / the second pie's differences.
Useful language
- accounted for/made up/constituted; the largest share; a quarter/a third/half of
- the proportion of … rose/fell; the remainder; a negligible/tiny fraction
Common mistakes
- Listing every slice equally instead of prioritising.
- Mixing up 'percentage' and 'number' when only proportions are shown.
Sample question & model answer
The two pie charts show the proportion of energy produced from five sources in a country in 2000 and 2020. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
The two pie charts illustrate how a country's energy was generated across five sources, coal, gas, nuclear, hydro and renewables, in 2000 and 2020. Overall, the energy mix shifted substantially away from coal towards renewables over the two decades, although gas remained a significant contributor throughout. In 2000, coal was the dominant source, accounting for almost half of all energy produced (48%), followed by gas at roughly a quarter (26%). Nuclear and hydro made up 14% and 8% respectively, while renewables were negligible at just 4%. By 2020, the picture had changed markedly. Coal's share had more than halved to 20%, and renewables had surged to become the second-largest source at 28%, behind gas, which had grown slightly to 30%. Nuclear and hydro remained broadly stable, together representing under a fifth of the total.
Why it scores
- Overview states the structural shift rather than reciting numbers.
- Fractions and proportions varied naturally; the two time points are compared, not described separately.