Academic Writing Task 1 · pie chart

Comparison of internet activity time allocation between two age groups

The charts below show the percentage of time younger and older people spend on various Internet activities in their free time (excluding email).

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

Percentage of time spent on some internet activities (18-26 age group)
  • Playing games: 18
  • Social Networking: 24
  • Accessing music/films: 21
  • Making booking e.g. cinema/travel: 5
  • Making purchases: 12
  • Researching e.g. health data: 20
View the data
CategoryValue
Playing games18
Social Networking24
Accessing music/films21
Making booking e.g. cinema/travel5
Making purchases12
Researching e.g. health data20
Percentage of time spent on some internet activities (60-70 age group)
  • Playing games: 5
  • Social Networking: 21
  • Accessing music/films: 15
  • Making booking e.g. cinema/travel: 25
  • Making purchases: 12
  • Researching e.g. health data: 22
View the data
CategoryValue
Playing games5
Social Networking21
Accessing music/films15
Making booking e.g. cinema/travel25
Making purchases12
Researching e.g. health data22

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.

Band 8 sample answer

The pie charts illustrate the distribution of time spent on various internet activities by two distinct age groups: 18-26 year-olds and 60-70 year-olds. Overall, it is evident that preferences for online engagement differ significantly between the two demographics, with the exception of purchasing habits.

For the 18-26 age group, social networking is the most popular activity, accounting for 24% of their time, followed closely by accessing music or films at 21% and researching health data at 20%. Playing games also represents a substantial portion at 18%. Conversely, making bookings is the least frequent activity for this group, at only 5%.

In contrast, the 60-70 age group prioritises making bookings, which constitutes 25% of their online time, followed by researching health data at 22% and social networking at 21%. Interestingly, playing games is the least popular activity for this older cohort, at just 5%. Both age groups allocate an identical 12% of their time to making purchases. While the younger generation spends significantly more time on entertainment-related activities, the older group focuses more on practical tasks and health-related research.

178 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

How to write about pie charts

proportion
a part or share of a whole amount
demographics
statistical data relating to a specific population group
constitutes
to be a part of a whole amount
cohort
a group of people with shared characteristics
prioritises
to treat something as more important than others
conversely
introducing a statement that reverses a previous one

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

While younger people favour social networking and gaming, older individuals dedicate the largest proportion of their online time to making bookings and researching health data.

How long should an IELTS Task 1 answer be?

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 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.

More pie charts