Pie charts and tables
Describe pie charts and tables: proportions, fractions, ranking and comparing categories — and how to handle multiple charts.
In this lesson you will
- Use proportion and fraction language
- Rank and compare categories
- Organise answers for multiple pie charts or large tables
Learn
Proportion language: accounted for, made up, constituted, represented; a quarter, just over a third, nearly half, the vast majority, a small minority, one in five.
Ranking: the largest share, followed by…, the second most common, the smallest proportion, by far the most popular.
Two or more pie charts (often different years): focus on changes between them — The share of X doubled from 10% to 20%. Tables: find the highest/lowest, biggest differences and patterns; don’t describe every cell.
Overview first: Overall, X was the dominant category in both years, while Y saw the biggest change.
| Percentage | Fraction language |
|---|---|
| 25% | a quarter |
| 33% | a third / roughly one in three |
| 48% | nearly half |
| 51% | just over half |
| 75% | three quarters |
| 88% | the vast majority |
Examples
- Housing accounted for just over a third of total spending.
- The share of renewable energy doubled, from 12% to 24%.
- Rice was by far the most popular choice, followed by pasta.
Vocabulary
account for
form a particular amount of
proportion
a part of a whole
share
a part or percentage
dominant
the largest or most important
respectively
in the order mentioned
Practice
48% is best described as…
Writing
Two pie charts show how a university’s students travelled to campus in 2010 and 2020. 2010: car 45%, bus 30%, bicycle 10%, walking 15%. 2020: car 25%, bus 35%, bicycle 25%, walking 15%. Summarise the main features and make comparisons. Write at least 150 words.
- ☐ Overview of main changes
- ☐ Proportion and fraction language
- ☐ Comparisons between years
- ☐ Accurate data
- ☐ No opinions
Lesson quiz
“The vast majority” suggests about…
Review
Key points
- Proportion and fraction language.
- Ranking language.
- Compare changes across charts.
- Overview first; select key data.
What you learned
- ✓ I can describe pie charts and tables.
- ✓ I use proportion language.
- ✓ I compare categories clearly.