Household Expenditure of an Average US Family - IELTS Writing Task 1

In IELTS Writing Task 1 of the academic section, there will be a visual representation like ‘Household Expenditure of an Average US Family’ which you have to write a report about. An IELTS pie chart is a graphical/pictorial illustration of a cycle or a sequence of events that occur in a process.

To describe a pie chart, you are expected to observe it and explain the sequence provided in it. You are scored based on your comprehension of the process chart, the way you explain it, the aptness of the vocabulary, and the construction of the sentences with good grammatical usage.

Let’s now have a look at the IELTS pie chart – ‘Household Expenditure of an Average US Family’ – with three expert-curated sample answers for different IELTS band scores ranging from band 7-9!

Question

Structure Breakdown

Band 7 Sample Answer – ‘Household Expenditure of an Average US Family’

The given pie charts compare the expenses of an average American household in 1970 and 2004.

Overall, the most significant change that can be seen was in the proportion that went towards paying the mortgage, and the other increase was in the outlay for childcare.

In the year 1970, about a quarter of the household income was spent on mortgage payments, whereas by 2004, this doubled to account for half of all expenditures. The 1970 family spent only one percent of income on childcare, while the 2004 family allocated ten times more of the budget.

Expenditure on entertainment remained the same at 13%, but the percentage spent on food halved from 25% to 12%, and 8% less of the total income was taken up by transport costs in 2004 (only 5%). Moreover, the clothing costs consumed more of the budget in 1970, at 22%, but this fell to only 10% in 2004. (153 Words)

Band 8 Sample Answer – ‘Household Expenditure of an Average US Family’

The given pie charts highlight information about the household expenses of an average family in the USA in two different years.

In the overview, it is evident that childcare had the lowest expenditure in both the mentioned years and notably, the mortgage expenses were the highest in the latter period.

To begin with, in 1970, the expenses on mortgage stood at 26%, surpassing food and clothing at 25% and 22% respectively. Moreover, with transport and entertainment, both sectors accounted for 13%; whereas, childcare was only one standing at a minimal amount of 1%.

Considering the year 2004, in the second pie chart, the mortgage expenses doubled to 52%. However, the number of individuals who were interested in spending on clothing, food, and transport decreased slightly in percentage to 10%, 12%, and 5% respectively. While the entertainment part remained stable, the Childcare expenditure did face a sharp increase from 1% to 10%. (151 Words)

Band 9 Sample Answer – ‘Household Expenditure of an Average US Family’

The provided pie charts give the stats about the average US family in two years, 1970 and 2004.

Overall it is apparent that the initial pie chart shows that childcare expenses had received the least allocation compared to the other categories, while the second pie chart highlights mortgage payments as the highest expenditure in the families of USA.

In the year 1970, mortgage payments accounted for the largest portion at 26%, followed by food and clothing at 25% and 22% respectively. Furthermore, transportation and entertainment both represented 13% of total expenses. However, childcare expenditure was minimal at just 1%.

Regarding 2004, the second pie chart shows that mortgage expenses continued to dominate just like how it was in 1970, with families spending over a quarter of their income on it. Meanwhile, childcare expenditure increased significantly, from a mere 1% in 1970 to 10% in 2004 and this shows a substantial shift in spending patterns of families over the decades. (159 Words)

Connectors Used in the Above Sample Answers of ‘Household Expenditure of an Average US Family’

To help you bring coherence to your writing and get points for the IELTS Writing Task 2 – ‘Household Expenditure of an Average US Family’, check out the list of connectors used in the sample responses provided above.

• Overall
• In the year
• To begin with
• Moreover
• Considering
• However
• While
• Overall it is apparent that
• Regarding
• Meanwhile

Remember to proofread your essay for grammar, vocabulary, and spelling errors. These tips, combined with practice, will help you write well-structured and coherent IELTS Writing Task 1 pie chart answers like ‘Household Expenditure of an Average US Family.’

Practice Writing Mock Tests with a Purpose for IELTS: Conclusion

If you are preparing for the IELTS Writing exam, we would recommend you practice tasks like the above given IELTS Writing questions regularly. The more you practice, the better you will become at cracking the writing tasks for IELTS within the dedicated timeframe. You can also enrol in our IELTS preparation online classes to get your hands on the latest IELTS writing questions or participate in our free online webinars to learn how to write them directly from the IELTS experts!

Useful Links:

• Information on UAE government spending in 2000 – Pie chart
• Survey conducted by a university library – Pie chart
• The percentage of water used by different sectors – Pie chart
• Household expenditure of an average US family – Pie chart
• Use of public libraries in 1990 and 2000 in Britain – Pie chart