Varying your language

As with any task 1, this is important. You should not keep repeating the same structures.

The key language when you write about pie charts is proportions and percentages.

Common phrases to see are "the proportion of…" or "the percentage of…". However, you

can also use other words and fractions. These are some:

x A large number of people

x over a quarter of people

x a small minority

x A significant number of people

x less than a fifth

x This table presents some examples

of how you can change percentages

to fractions or ratios:

x Percentage Fraction

x 80% four-fifths

x 75% three-quarters

x 70% seven in ten

x 65% two-thirds

x 60% three-fifths

x 55% more than half

x 50% half

x 45% more than two fifths

x 40% two-fifths

x 35% more than a third

x 30% less than a third

x 25% a quarter

x 20% a fifth

x 15% less than a fifth

x 10% one in ten x 5% one in twenty

If the percentages are not exact as above, then you can use qualifiers to make sure your

description remains accurate. Here are some examples:

x 77% just over three quarters

x 77% approximately three quarters

x 49% just under a half

x 49% nearly a half

x 32% almost a third

x Percentage proportion / number /

amount / majority / minority

x 75% - 85% a very large majority

x 65% - 75% a significant proportion

x 10% - 15% a minority

x 5% a very small number