Writing Task 1: Pie Chart & Table: Question 7
Syllabus W.task1
The pie chart below shows how Cranmoor Textiles, a clothing manufacturer, allocated its annual operating budget across six departments in 2023.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
| Department | Share of annual budget |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 38% |
| Logistics | 22% |
| Marketing | 15% |
| Research and development | 12% |
| Administration | 9% |
| Staff training | 4% |
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Task type notes
This is a pie chart Task 1 with a single chart and six categories. Because six slices is more than can each be reported with equal depth, the model answer groups them (the two largest, the two middle, the two smallest) rather than describing every slice with the same weight. The selection judgement is exactly what the examiner rewards.
Why the model answer scores Band 9
Task Achievement. The overview correctly identifies the two extremes (manufacturing largest, staff training smallest) and previews that the top categories dominate the total. All six percentages are reported accurately, and the answer goes beyond restating the chart by calculating meaningful combined figures (60% for the top two, 40% for the remaining four) that are not directly labelled on the chart but follow from it. No opinion on whether the allocation is appropriate is given.
Coherence and Cohesion. The four paragraphs move from largest to smallest in a controlled order (overview → top two → middle two → bottom two, closing with a combined total), so the report has a clear shape rather than reading as six disconnected sentences.
Lexical Resource (Varied phrasing for proportion and comparison: “by far the largest share,” “considerably more than,” “roughly a quarter of,” “under a ninth of,” “exactly two-thirds of.” Numbers are not simply repeated) each is related back to another figure in the chart.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Accurate passive constructions (“was allocated,” “was assigned”) appropriate for describing a budget decision, correct comparative and fraction phrasing, and error-free punctuation in the list-like final sentence.
Common pitfalls specific to this task
- Reporting all six percentages in the order given on the chart rather than by size, which produces a report with no clear structure.
- Adding the percentages incorrectly when stating a combined figure, which undermines an otherwise accurate report.