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| Arup Roy, Lecturer in English Language & literature, Kanchkura University College |
All the information is given in the graph, chart, or map. But, Understanding and describing them require skills. The following article will help you achieve such skills required to describe a pie chart efficiently. Let's understand the graphic information first.
Graphic information refers to the presentation of data symbolically, not in written form. Such symbolic information can be in graphs, maps, or charts, be it a bar chart or in lines in a line chart or slices in a pie chart. This symbolic information can be in a graph and map too. Let's understand the chart first. From the above discussion, we can understand that a chart can be a line chart or a bar chart, or a pie chart. What is a pie chart? What is a line chart? What is a bar chart? We need to understand all of them. But this article will deal with how to describe a pie chart. Look at the chart below.
A pie chart looks like a circle divided into slices. In the pie chart above, you can see that the chart has been divided into 5 slices. Each slice has been expressed percentage-wise. By counting the percentage we can understand the size of each slice.
When you have the pie chart before you, your first task is to look at the title: "Sources of US Electricity in 1990." What were the sources of US electricity? You can clearly find these sources in the bulleted items. These bulleted items will also be given in the exam. Each item from the bulleted list represents each slice. Here, you have to match the color between slices and the bulleted items. Now, you are ready to start your answer. Here, it is time to show your writing skills. We know that after collecting the information we need to know the text type because each text is unique in its format. For example, a paragraph has one unique format; a report has a unique format; a story has a unique format, etc. So, what is the format of writing graphs and charts? The following format which is called band 9 structure is followed internationally:- Introduction
- Overview
- Feature 1
- Feature 2
Now, let's talk about the introduction which is the first paragraph of the format. This paragraph should not be more than 2 sentences. The main task of this paragraph is to introduce the chart you are going to describe.
Next, you have to deal with an overview. The overview will only talk about the general trends of the chart. Here, you are not supposed to write any specific numbers or details. So, it only deals with general information.
After writing your overview, you should focus on feature one. In general, a specific feature consists of two to three paragraphs that describe specific features of the chart. But, as you have given a summary in the overview section, you are not supposed to write any conclusion in this section. Moreover, make sure that you never write any personal opinion too.
Note: You have to follow a different structure for your H.S.C exam. In the structure, your chart has to be written in two parts: introduction and body. But, you have to make sure that you know the band 9 structure. Band 9 structure will help you collect information. After collecting information your task is to describe them in two paragraphs: one small paragraph of 1 or two lines for your introduction and another paragraph which is a bigger one for describing details.
Now, we need to know the skills required for writing an introduction, overview, and features. Let's see how we can write our introduction.
Introduction
The pie chart illustrates how different sources contributed to the generation of electricity in the United States percentage-wise in the year 1980.
If you look at the bold words or phrases, you will come to know the changes I have made. The first change I have made is the verb "shows". You are also advised to replace that verb with synonyms. For example, I could replace that verb with several synonyms such as: "describes", "represents", "provided information about" etc.
Then I converted the phrase "Sources of US electricity" into a dependent clause. I did it by the usage of the word "how". You can do the paraphrase in your own way. But if your expression is too difficult or too long to paraphrase you can use the I have here. That is to make the paraphrase by the word "how".
Finally, I have also paraphrased the period. Instead of using "in 1980", I have paraphrased it in the following way: in the year 1980.
However, you are not supposed to change the name of the chart. If it is a pie chart, you should write the pie chart; if it is a bar chart, you should write the bar chart; if it is a line chart, you should write the line chart. You are also not supposed to write the word "below" because your examiner has no chart to see below. It is used only for guide purposes.
Now, you are equipped with the skills of writing the introduction.
END OF INTRODUCTION
Overview
Having finished writing your introduction, you have to focus on writing an overview paragraph. But, for higher secondary writing, you should not separate the paragraph. You should attach an overview paragraph with a body part. Make sure that you start your body part with the overview paragraph. What should you write in the overview section? Here, you should shortly describe the major features of your pie chart. How many features do you need to describe? It should be 2 to 4 features. But avoid writing too many numbers, percentages, or dates in the overview. You should write only general information in this section. Let's look at our pie chart and find out some features. Look at the following ways to find out key features.
- Try to look at the smallest and biggest slice of the chart
- try to notice the slices which became bigger, smaller, or did not change
All the options mentioned above are fine. But try to write any one of these options to keep your overview short. Let's apply the first option: looking at the biggest and smallest slices. What is the biggest slice of our chart? It is coal. It means that coal is the highest contributor to generating US electricity in 1980. What is the smallest slice? It is nuclear energy. now, it's time to write our overview. Before you go to write your overview, look at the following expressions which will give you variety in your writing.
- was the least contributor = made up the smallest part = was the smallest segment = contributed the least
- was the biggest contributor = made up the biggest part = was the highest segment = contributed the least
These phrases are also called the universal phrases to describe slices of any IELTS pie part. So, let's apply a couple of expressions in our overview.
Overall coal made up the highest contribution to the generation of US electricity. On the other hand, nuclear energy was the least contributor.
You have to write the word "overall" at the beginning to let your examiner know that you have started writing the overview paragraph.
END OF OVERVIEW
Feature
Now you have to give specific details in this section. Here, you should use percentages, numbers, and years to describe the chart in detail. Though in IELTS writing, you are advised not to write these specific details in one big paragraph, you are advised to provide these specific details in one paragraph for H.S.C writing. But, in IELTS writing, you have to make a separate paragraph for providing specific details. It will surely make your writing very coherent. Here, you can make 2 to 3 paragraphs for IELTS writing and 1 big paragraph if you are a higher secondary student.
You can surely present the specific details in many ways. Here, I have decided to describe each contributor percentage-wise.
Coal contributed almost half of the total production of electricity; it was 46%. The second highest contributor was natural gas. It covered 24%. Then came Hydroelectric power which accounted for 16% and became the third contributor. Only 12% of production, which is the second least contribution, came from oil. The smallest contribution came from a nuclear source, contributing only 2%. From the chart it has been clear that the generation of electricity was dependent on coal and natural gas to a great extent; to be specific, they made up 70% of the production of Us electricity in 1980.
END OF FEATURE
Now look at the complete writing below:
The pie chart illustrates how different sources contributed to the generation of electricity in the United States percentage-wise in the year 1980. Overall coal made up the highest contribution to the generation of US electricity. On the other hand, nuclear energy was the least contributor. Coal contributed almost half of the total production of electricity; it was 46%. The second highest contributor was natural gas. It covered 24%. Then came Hydroelectric power which accounted for 16% and became the third contributor. Only 12% of production, which is the second least contribution, came from oil. The smallest contribution came from a nuclear source, contributing only 2%. From the chart it has been clear that the generation of electricity was dependent on coal and natural gas to a great extent; to be specific, they made up 70% of the production of Us electricity in 1980.
Note: This is the format recommended for higher secondary students.
You can follow the following verbs to describe a percentage of a certain sector:
- was: it was 46%
- accounted for: which accounted for 16%
- made up: they made up 70%
- covered: it covered 24%
If you want to describe any percentage change, you can look at the following expressions:
- Had light growth of 2%
- These figures rose to 12 % and 8%
- Experienced more than double/threefold increase