Scorify.uzThe question
The pie charts show the sources of energy used in one country in 1990 and 2020.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
What to notice before you write
With two pies, compare slice by slice. Coal falls sharply, gas and renewables rise, oil falls slightly and nuclear stays constant. The main change is that coal is no longer the main source. Group the sources that fell and the sources that rose.
Band 7 sample report
The two pie charts show the proportion of energy produced from five sources in a country in 1990 and in 2020.
Overall, coal was the dominant source in 1990, but by 2020 it had lost its leading position, and gas had become the main source. Renewable energy saw a considerable increase over the period.
In 1990, coal supplied 45% of the energy, followed by oil at 25%, gas at 15%, nuclear power at 10% and renewables at just 5%. Thirty years later, coal had fallen sharply to 20%, and oil had declined slightly to the same level.
In contrast, the share of gas doubled to 30%, and renewables quadrupled from 5% to 20%. Nuclear energy was the only source that did not change, remaining at 10% in both years.
It is also noticeable that the three fossil fuels together supplied 85% of the energy in 1990, but only 70% in 2020, so the country had become less dependent on them over the thirty-year period.
164 words.
Useful language for this chart type
- the dominant source — the largest source
- supply — provide
- decline slightly — decrease by a small amount
- double / quadruple — increase two / four times
- remain at — stay at the same value
- thirty years later — a time phrase for the second chart
- lose its leading position — stop being the largest
Common mistakes
- Describing each pie separately without comparing.
- Using “percentage” when you mean “proportion”: say “the proportion of 45%”.
- Not stating the overview that gas replaced coal as the main source.
Study guides
Computer-Delivered IELTS: What Changes and What Stays the Same
Thinking about taking IELTS on a computer? Here is what stays the same, what feels different in Writing, Reading and Listening, and how to prepare for the screen.
IELTS Writing Task 1 Vocabulary for Graphs, Charts and Processes
Useful verbs, nouns, adverbs and sentence patterns for describing line graphs, bar charts, tables and processes in IELTS Task 1, with more than twelve example sentences.
Linking Words for IELTS and How to Use Them Correctly
A practical list of IELTS linking words grouped by function, with correct and incorrect examples, punctuation rules and a warning about overusing connectors.
Frequently asked questions
How many words should an IELTS Task 1 report be?
Write at least 150 words. Strong reports are usually 160–190 words and take about 20 minutes, leaving a minute or two to check.
What is an overview in Task 1?
The overview is a short paragraph, written without detailed numbers, that states the main trends or the most important features of the data. Reports without a clear overview are limited to a lower band.
Should I give my opinion in Task 1?
No. Describe and compare only what the data shows. Do not explain reasons or add information that is not in the chart.