Academic Writing Task 1 · pie chart

Percentage of time spent by working adults on various daily activities

The charts below show the percentage of time working adults spent on different activities in a particular country in 1958 and 2008.

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

1958

Working: 33
Relaxing at home: 8
Sleeping: 32
Travel to work: 2
Going out (with friends/family): 19
Other interests or playing sports: 6

View the data

Category	Value
Working	33
Relaxing at home	8
Sleeping	32
Travel to work	2
Going out (with friends/family)	19
Other interests or playing sports	6

2008

Working: 42
Relaxing at home: 13
Sleeping: 25
Travel to work: 8
Going out (with friends/family): 6
Other interests or playing sports: 8

View the data

Category	Value
Working	42
Relaxing at home	13
Sleeping	25
Travel to work	8
Going out (with friends/family)	6
Other interests or playing sports	8

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 two pie charts illustrate the distribution of time spent by working adults on six different activities in a specific country during 1958 and 2008. Overall, it is evident that work-related commitments became more time-consuming, whereas leisure and rest activities saw a notable decline.

In 1958, working and sleeping were the primary activities, accounting for 33% and 32% of time respectively. By 2008, the proportion of time dedicated to working rose to 42%, while sleeping time dropped to 25%. Similarly, the time spent travelling to work quadrupled from a mere 2% in 1958 to 8% in 2008.

Conversely, socialising experienced a sharp decline. In 1958, going out with friends or family occupied 19% of the time, but this figure plummeted to just 6% by 2008. In contrast, time spent relaxing at home increased from 8% to 13% over the same period. Finally, engagement in other interests or playing sports saw a slight rise, growing from 6% in 1958 to 8% in 2008. These shifts highlight a significant change in the daily lifestyle of working adults over the half-century.

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

How to write about 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.

distribution: the way in which something is shared or spread
proportion: a part, share, or number considered in comparative relation
plummeted: fell or dropped straight down at high speed
conversely: introduced to show a contrast with a previous statement
accounted for: constituted or made up a specific total amount
quadrupled: increased to become four times as much

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Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Over the 50-year period, working adults spent significantly more time working and commuting, while time allocated to sleeping and socialising decreased.

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.