IELTS Pie and Bar Chart – Poverty

Here is an IELTS pie and bar chart and it is another example of two charts that need to be explained together. The graphs represent poverty rates in the US in 2008. 

When you describe two graphs together it is better to describe one first in one paragraph and the next in the following paragraph.

Avoid trying to cross-reference the information unless it’s clearly necessary in order to compare the information well. But usually, it’s not necessary and is quite complex to do.

When you have a chart like this you will need to select the information carefully as there may be a lot of information. 

You should not try and write about everything – you have to show the examiner that you can select and highlight the important points.

IELTS Pie and Bar Chart

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The pie chart shows the percentage of women in poverty and the bar chart shows poverty rates by sex and age. They are from the United States in 2008. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Model Anwer

The pie chart illustrates the proportion of women in poverty by household composition in the United States in 2008 and the bar graph indicates the differences in rates of poverty by sex and age. At first glance, it can be seen that single women with no dependent children made up the largest group in poverty and that poverty was highest for women and children.

The pie chart shows that single women suffered from poverty the most. Single women without children represented 54% of the total in poverty, and poverty for those with dependent children stood at just over a quarter. Married women with and without children accounted for the remaining fifth or 20%.

Turning to the bar chart, poverty rates were highest amongst children, and the rates were roughly equal for males and females, at around 21% for under 5s and 15% for 5-17-year-olds. However, from ages 18-24, the gap between men and women widened significantly, with approximately 14% of men in poverty compared to over 20% of women. Poverty declined throughout the adult years for both sexes, but a gap remained and this gap almost doubled in old age.

(192 Words)

Evaluation of the model answer

Your description of the pie chart and bar graph is clear and well-structured, effectively summarizing the key information. However, there are some improvements you could make in terms of clarity and grammar.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8

• The structure of the response is logical, with a clear division between the pie chart and bar graph analysis.
• Transition phrases like “Turning to the bar chart” help guide the reader smoothly from one part to another.

Language and Grammar: Band 7-8

• Article usage: In “the pie chart shows that single women suffered from poverty the most,” it’s better to say, “the pie chart shows that single women were the most affected by poverty” for clarity and naturalness.
• Prepositions: In “married women with and without children accounted for the remaining fifth or 20%,” using “fifth (20%)” is clearer and more concise.
• Phrasing: The phrase “and this gap almost doubled in old age” can be rephrased for clarity: “and this gap nearly doubled in the elderly population.”
• Punctuation: In the sentence “Single women without children represented 54% of the total in poverty, and poverty for those with dependent children stood at just over a quarter,” the second part can be simplified for smoothness.

Task Achievement: Band 8-9

• The task is well-addressed. You have successfully described both charts and highlighted important trends, including the gender and age gaps in poverty.
• You provided numerical data effectively, although you could make more direct comparisons between men and women in the analysis of the bar graph.

Suggestions for Improvement:

• You could improve clarity by tightening some of the longer sentences. For example: “Single women without children represented 54% of those in poverty, while those with dependent children made up just over a quarter.”
• Consider adding a concluding sentence that summarizes both charts briefly.

Overall Evaluation: Band 8

This is a well-written and detailed response, clearly explaining the data in both the pie chart and bar graph. With a few small adjustments in phrasing and sentence structure, it could easily reach a higher score.