7 WritingA pie chart usually shows shares of one whole, while a table may combine counts, money and percentages. Check denominators and units before deciding which values can be added or compared.
Check the basis before grouping
Combine percentages only when they refer to the same whole and period. Do not add shares from different years. Identical category names in two tables also do not guarantee identical definitions.
Choose an informative order
You can describe the largest category first, then compare smaller categories with similar shares. With multiple periods, highlight the main change and overall relationship. Without a time comparison, do not describe growth or decline.
Practice question
A practice pie chart gives a household budget: housing 40%, food 25%, transport 15%, education 10% and other costs 10%. Summarise the information and make comparisons where relevant.
Illustrative paragraph
Housing was the largest expense, accounting for 40% of the budget, followed by food at 25%. These two categories together represented nearly two thirds of total spending. Education and other costs had equal shares of 10%, while transport accounted for a slightly larger proportion, at 15%.
Check your paragraph
Cover the illustrative paragraph and explain the purpose of each sentence in your own words. Then change one detail and rewrite it. Check that the claim still follows from the evidence. Do not just replace synonyms; if the meaning changes, revise the reason as well.
Continue practising
Read the practice workflow before planning comparisons.