Visual Analysis of Smartphone Sales: Pie Chart and Line Graph Interpretation

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Visual Analysis of Smartphone Sales: Pie Chart and Line Graph Interpretation

Understanding IELTS Writing Task 1 with Mixed Charts

Introduction to the IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 evaluates your ability to interpret and describe visual information. You are typically given one or more graphics, such as a bar chart, line graph, table, map, diagram, or pie chart, nd asked to summarize the key information in your own words. In the case of a mixed chart task, two different types of visual data are presented, requiring you to describe and compare two related sets of data.

The challenge of a mixed chart question lies in its dual focus. Instead of analyzing a single graph type, you must deal with both dynamic (over time) and static (one moment) data. This requires you to organize your response with clarity and logical flow.

The specific task here includes a pie chart showing the distribution of global smartphone sales by brand in 2025 and a line graph depicting the total number of smartphones sold globally from 2024 to 2025. Together, these two visuals illustrate both how many units were sold globally and which brands dominated the market in 2025.

What the Task Is Asking You to Do

This instruction means:

Identify key features: Trends, high and low points, notable changes.
Report them factually and objectively: No opinions, assumptions, or analysis beyond what the data shows.
Include comparisons: Between years, between brands, or between categories if relevant.

The word limit is 150 words minimum. To fully develop your ideas and meet all the criteria for a high band score, you will likely need between 160 and 190 words. Writing more than 200 words is acceptable, but only if it adds clarity and doesn’t repeat ideas.

Task Types in IELTS Writing Task 1

There are several types of visuals you may encounter:

Line graphs (showing change over time)
Bar charts
Pie charts (showing proportions or percentages)
Tables
Maps (comparing layouts or developments)
Process diagrams (describing sequences or stages)

A mixed chart combines two or more of these types. Mixed charts are common in IELTS and typically appear when a deeper interpretation of a topic is needed.

In our case:

The line graph represents a dynamic trend — total smartphone sales from 2015 to 2025.
The pie chart shows static data — the breakdown of sales by brand in one specific year, 2025.

Understanding the difference between these two types of data is crucial for organizing your answer effectively.

The Four Assessment Criteria Explained

Your Task 1 response is graded across four band descriptors, each worth 25% of your total score.

Task Achievement

This evaluates whether you:

Address all parts of the task
Present an overview
Highlight key trends or features.
Support statements with accurate data from the chart

Avoid listing every number or point. Instead, group and summarize. High scores are awarded to responses that focus on main trends and meaningful comparisons, rather than describing every detail.

Coherence and Cohesion

This measures how logically your ideas are organized and how well you use cohesive devices like linking words, transition phrases, and paragraphing.

Good cohesion involves using words and phrases such as:

In contrast
Meanwhile
As shown
Similarly
Compared to

It also includes logical paragraphing — typically one for the introduction, one for the overview, and one each for describing the line graph and the pie chart.

Lexical Resource

This refers to your range of vocabulary and how precisely you use it. You should:

Avoid repetition
Use topic-specific vocabulary (e.g., “accounted for”, “constituted”, “proportion”)
Choose accurate words for describing numbers, trends, and categories.

Using synonyms correctly and appropriately is a key skill. For instance, instead of repeatedly saying “shows,” use “illustrates,” “depicts,” or “presents.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

This criterion assesses:

Variety of sentence structures (simple, compound, complex)
Grammatical accuracy (subject-verb agreement, tense usage, articles)
Proper use of punctuation and clause structures

For example:

“Sales increased gradually until 2024, after which they declined slightly.” (complex sentence with accurate time reference)
“Huawei and Xiaomi together represented 28% of the market.” (correct use of numerical data)

Mistakes in tense or plural forms can affect your score, even if your ideas are clear.

Time Management for Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on Task 1. In that time, you need to:

Analyze the charts (2–3 minutes)
Plan your response (2–3 minutes)
Write your essay (12–14 minutes)
Check for errors (1–2 minutes)

The reason Task 1 should not take longer than 20 minutes is that Task 2 is worth more marks and needs more depth. Practicing effective planning and sticking to the time limit will improve both speed and accuracy.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Here are a few common errors IELTS candidates make in Task 1:

Including Personal Opinions

This is a factual report, not a persuasive essay. Do not say things like:

“I think Samsung is the best brand.”
“This is surprising because Apple is usually more popular.”

Instead, report only what the data shows.

Copying the Question Word for Word

Paraphrasing is essential. If you repeat the exact wording of the task prompt, you lose an opportunity to demonstrate lexical range and paraphrasing ability.

Listing Every Data Point

IELTS does not reward listing. Focus on trends, group similar data, and avoid repeating numbers mechanically. For example, don’t say:

Samsung had 31%, Apple had 25%, Huawei had 16%, Xiaomi had 12%, Oppo had 9%, and Others had 7%.”

Instead, group and summarize:

“Samsung and Apple together made up over half the market, while Chinese brands such as Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo collectively held over a third.”

Forgetting to Include an Overview

The overview is one of the most important parts of your response. Without it, your Task Achievement score will be limited to Band 5 or lower. Your overview should highlight the most noticeable features of both charts.

What Makes Mixed Charts Difficult?

Mixed chart tasks require more careful analysis because:

You must understand two types of visuals
You need to integrate information logically.
You need to maintain a balanced focus, so one chart doesn’t dominate your answer.

For example, a student might spend too much time describing every year on the line graph and only briefly mention the pie chart. This unbalanced response will lower your score. The best answers ensure each visual is discussed clearly and proportionately.

Pre-Writing Checklist

Before you begin writing, ask yourself:

What does each chart show?
What period is covered?
What are the main trends or most dominant figures?
Are there any significant changes, such as dips, spikes, or plateaus?
How do the charts relate to each other?

Answering these questions helps form your plan and allows you to write quickly and confidently.

Example Task

Let’s review what we know about the task:

The line graph shows a steady rise in global smartphone sales from 2024 to 2025, with a slight dip around 2020, and a peak in 2025.
The pie chart shows that in 2024, Samsung and Apple dominated the market, with Samsung at 31% and Apple at 25%, followed by Chinese brands Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo. A small share (7%) was held by other manufacturers.

From this, we can already identify:

An overall increasing trend in sales
A concentration of brand dominance
The importance of Asian brands in the global market

This is enough information to begin planning a well-organized, high-scoring response.

Writing the Introduction and Overview for Mixed Charts

The Importance of a Strong Start

In IELTS Writing Task 1, the first two paragraphs — the introduction and overview — form the foundation of your entire response. A well-written introduction sets the scene, while a clear and focused overview gives the examiner a snapshot of the most significant trends in the data. These two sections are essential for achieving a high score in Task Achievement and Coherence and Cohesion.

Introduction

Purpose of the Introduction

The introduction is a paraphrased version of the task question. It should:

Introduce both visuals
Mention what kind of data they show.
Include the time frame.
Use academic language

It should be concise — typically one or two sentences. Avoid including any analysis or data points in this section. You are not expected to explain or evaluate, only to describe what the visuals represent.

Sample Task Prompt

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The pie chart below shows the distribution of global smartphone sales by brand in 2024. The line graph shows the total number of smartphones sold worldwide from 2024 to 2025.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Writing the Introduction: Step-by-Step

Identify the chart types.
- Pie chart and line graph
Identify what they illustrate.
- Smartphone sales
Include the time frame.
- 2024 to 2025 (for the line graph); 2025 (for the pie chart)
Combine the above in an academic sentence.

Example Introduction

The pie chart illustrates the distribution of global smartphone sales by brand in 2024, while the line graph presents data on the total number of smartphones sold worldwide between 2024 and 2025.

This introduction:

Mentions both the pie chart and the line graph
Identifies the topic (smartphone sales)
Includes the relevant years
Uses formal academic language (“illustrates,” “presents data on”)

You can vary your language by using synonyms:

“Shows” → “illustrates,” “depicts,” “presents,” “displays”
“The total number of” → “global volume of,” “worldwide sales of”

Avoid informal language or explanations, such as:

“This graph talks about…” (too casual)
“The pie chart explains…” (Charts show data; they do not explain.)

Overview

What Is the Overview?

The overview is a summary of the key trends or features visible in the charts. It is one of the most important parts of the essay. Without a well-developed overview, your score for Task Achievement will be severely limited.

The overview:

Does not include specific data or figures
Identifies main trends, highs and lows, or patterns
Usually comes right after the introduction (paragraph two)

What Should Be Included?

Since this task includes both a pie chart and a line graph, your overview must cover major points from each chart.

For the line graph, you might mention:

A general upward trend
Any dip or plateau
A peak in 2024

For the pie chart, you might mention:

The dominant brands
Overall distribution pattern (e.g., top two vs. others)
Notable concentration of market share

Avoid stating individual percentages or specific years. Focus on big-picture observations.

Example Overview

Overall, global smartphone sales increased steadily over the period shown, peaking in 2025. In that year, Samsung and Apple together accounted for the largest share of the market, while several smaller brands made up the remainder.

This example identifies:

A long-term growth trend (from the line graph)
A high point in 2025 (from the line graph)
Market concentration by two dominant brands (from the pie chart)

Alternate Version with Slight Variation

Overall, the global sales of smartphones rose consistently over the decade, reaching their highest point at the end of the period. In terms of brand distribution in 2025, the market was led by Samsung and Apple, with several Chinese companies also holding significant shares.

This version emphasizes:

The growth trend
Peak at the end of the period
The emergence of Chinese brands, without naming them

Tips for Writing the Overview

Don’t Overcomplicate
Focus on just 2–4 key features. More than that can overwhelm the reader and confuse your analysis.
Avoid Numbers
The overview is not the place for data points. Save that for the body paragraphs.
Use General Language
Use words like:
- “Overall”
- “In general”
- “It is clear that…”
- “The most noticeable trend is…”
Mention Both Charts
Make sure your overview doesn’t focus only on one chart. If you only discuss the line graph or the pie chart, your response will be incomplete.

Language and Structure Techniques

Using Cohesive Devices

Even in these short paragraphs, cohesion is important. Linking phrases such as the following help:

Introduction: “The pie chart illustrates… while the line graph presents…”
Overview: “Overall…,” “In general…,” “It is evident that…,” “As shown…,” “Meanwhile…”

These transitions guide the examiner through your essay logically and improve your coherence score.

Academic Tone and Formality

Avoid casual or conversational language. Use passive constructions and formal verbs when possible:

“The chart shows…” → “The chart illustrates…”
“Sales went up…” → “Sales increased…”

Avoid phrases like:

“We can see that…” (too informal)
“This means that…” (too analytical for Task 1)

Instead, use neutral descriptions:

“The data indicates that…”
“It is evident from the chart that…”

Avoiding Common Errors

Here are examples of weak introductions and overviews, and how to fix them.

Weak Introduction:

This is a graph that shows the number of smartphones sold and the pie chart that shows brands.

Problem: Too informal, lacks clear structure, and uses the word “shows” twice.

Improved Version:
The line graph presents the total number of smartphones sold globally from 2024 to 2024, while the pie chart illustrates the market distribution by brand in 2025.

Weak Overview:

Sales went up a lot, and many brands sold phones.

Problem: Informal tone, vague description, no specific trends mentioned.

Improved Version:
Overall, global smartphone sales saw consistent growth throughout the period, with the highest figure recorded in 2024. That year, the majority of sales were concentrated among a few leading brands.

Sample Introduction + Overview Paragraph

To see how these pieces work together, here is a complete example of the first two paragraphs:

The pie chart illustrates the distribution of global smartphone sales by brand in 2024, while the line graph presents data on the total number of smartphones sold worldwide between 2024 and 2025.
Overall, smartphone sales grew steadily over the given period, reaching a peak at the end of the timeline. In 2024, Samsung and Apple dominated the global market, while several Chinese brands held notable portions of the remaining share.

This version:

Introduces both charts clearly
States the purpose and time frame
Highlights the general upward trend
Notes market dominance without listing all percentages

Preparing for Body Paragraphs

Once your introduction and overview are in place, the next step is to dive into the data. This means writing two detailed paragraphs:

One focused on the line graph, explaining the changes in total smartphone sales over time.
One focused on the pie chart, analyzing how sales were distributed among different brands in 2025.

Each of these paragraphs should:

Use accurate and relevant data
Include comparisons and groupings.
Be organized and easy to follow.

Writing the Line Graph Description

Purpose of This Paragraph

In mixed chart tasks, it’s important to describe each visual in its paragraph. For this task, the line graph shows the total number of smartphones sold worldwide between 2024 and 2025. This graph represents a time-based trend, and your job is to summarize the most important changes, using accurate data and appropriate comparisons.

The line graph provides a chronological overview of sales figures. Therefore, your description should follow a clear timeline and highlight:

Starting and ending figures
Noticeable increases or decreases
Significant turning points (peaks, dips, or plateaus)
The overall trend across the period

Planning the Line Graph Paragraph

Before writing, quickly identify the following in the chart:

What is the starting value in 2015?
Are there any periods of steady growth?
Is there a dip or sudden change? When?
What is the peak value? When does it occur?
How much do the figures increase or decrease over time?

Let’s suppose the line graph in question shows the following approximate figures:

2015: 980 million units
2016–2018: gradual rise to around 1.2 billion
2020: slight dip, possibly due to economic or global factors
2021–2023: sharp increase to 1.6 billion
2024: peak at 1.8 billion units

Based on this data, you can begin crafting a paragraph that summarizes the line graph effectively.

Structuring the Line Graph Paragraph

Paragraph Goal

Describe how smartphone sales changed over time, mentioning:

Major shifts
Specific figures
Comparative language

Suggested Paragraph Structure

Opening sentence summarizing the general trend
Early part of the timeline (2015–2018)
Middle period with any dips or slowdowns (2019–2021)
The recent period with a sharp change (2022–2024)
Final peak figure
An optional summarizing sentence linking to the overview

Sample Line Graph Description

In 2025, global smartphone sales stood at approximately 980 million units. Over the next three years, the figure rose steadily, reaching about 1.2 billion in 2018. This upward trend continued at a slightly slower pace until 2019, after which there was a modest decline in 2020, when sales dipped to around 1.1 billion units. Following this brief downturn, the market recovered strongly. Between 2021 and 2023, global sales climbed sharply, reaching 1.6 billion units. The trend culminated in 2024 with a peak of 1.8 billion smartphones sold worldwide, marking the highest point over the entire period.

Language for Describing Trends Over Time

Verbs to Show Movement

Use a variety of verbs to show how data changes:

Increase, rise, grow, climb, surge
Decrease, fall, drop, decline, dip

Examples:

“Smartphone sales increased significantly between 2015 and 2018.”
“There was a slight dip in sales around 2020.”

Adverbs and Adjectives to Describe the Degree of Change

To describe how fast or slow the changes are:

Gradually, steadily, slightly, significantly, modestly, sharply, dramatically, marginally

Examples:

“Sales rose gradually from 2015 to 2018.”
“Sales declined modestly in 2020.”

These help make your description more precise and avoid repetition.

Noun Phrases for Variation

Instead of using only verbs, you can also write noun phrases:

“There was a steady increase in sales.”
“The graph indicates a slight decline during 2020.”

This variety demonstrates control over grammar and sentence structure, which is essential for a higher band score.

Comparative Structures

To emphasize changes or make connections:

Compared to the previous year, sales grew faster in 2021.
By 2024, the number of smartphones sold was almost double that of 2015.
After a slow period, sales rose more rapidly from 2021 onwards.

These structures allow you to compare one time period with another, showing analytical ability, which is a key element of a Band 7+ response.

Grammar Accuracy and Range

Use Past Tense for Completed Time Periods

Since the timeline runs from 2024 to 2025 (and 2024 is presented as a completed year), the correct tense is past simple throughout the paragraph.

Examples:

“Sales increased from 2015 to 2018.”
“They dipped slightly in 2020.”

Avoid future tenses unless the data includes projections or estimates.

Complex Sentence Structures

Try to include a variety of sentence types:

Simple: “Sales rose in 2016.”
Compound: “Sales rose in 2016, but declined in 2020.”
Complex: “Although sales increased during most years, there was a brief decline in 2020.”

Using complex and compound sentences improves your Grammatical Range and Accuracy score.

Grouping and Highlighting Data

Instead of listing each year’s data, group years into phases. This makes your paragraph more concise and analytical.

Weak Example:

Sales were 980 million in 2015. In 2016, there were 1 billion. In 2017, they rose to 1.1 billion. In 2018, sales reached 1.2 billion…

Problem: This is repetitive and lacks analysis or grouping.

Improved Version:

Between 2015 and 2018, sales rose steadily from just under 1 billion to 1.2 billion units.

Advantage: This groups similar data into a trend, saving words and improving clarity.

Visualizing the Paragraph Structure

Here is a breakdown of how the sample paragraph is constructed:

Opening Statement
“In 2015, global smartphone sales stood at approximately 980 million units.”
Phase 1: Steady Growth
“Over the next three years, the figure rose steadily, reaching about 1.2 billion in 2018.”
Phase 2: Slower Growth and Dip
“This upward trend continued at a slightly slower pace until 2019, after which there was a modest decline in 2020, when sales dipped to around 1.1 billion units.”
Phase 3: Rapid Recovery
“Following this brief downturn, the market recovered strongly. Between 2021 and 2023, global sales climbed sharply, reaching 1.6 billion units.”
Final Peak
“The trend culminated in 2025 with a peak of 1.8 billion smartphones sold worldwide, marking the highest point over the entire period.”

Each sentence moves the reader forward in time and highlights key changes, keeping the writing well-organized and easy to follow.

Final Tips for Writing Line Graph Descriptions

Maintain a Logical Flow

Always describe trends in chronological order. Jumping back and forth between years will confuse the reader and reduce coherence.

Keep the Paragraph Focused

This paragraph should only describe the line graph. Avoid referring to the pie chart or discussing brands here. Mixing the two visuals within a single paragraph can make your response unclear.

Stick to the Word Limit

Although you have no strict maximum, the full response should stay within 150–200 words. A well-developed paragraph about the line graph is typically 90–110 words.

Proofread for Accuracy

Ensure that:

All data is correctly reported
Tenses are consistent
Vocabulary is varied and precise.
There are no grammar or punctuation errors.

Writing the Pie Chart Description

Purpose of This Paragraph

The second body paragraph in a mixed chart response is dedicated to the static data — in this case, the pie chart that displays the distribution of global smartphone sales by brand in 2024. Unlike the line graph, which shows change over time, the pie chart provides a snapshot of one specific year. This means your focus should be on proportions, comparisons, and grouping of categories.

You must identify:

Which brands had the largest and smallest shares
Any clusters of brands with similar market shares
How dominance or fragmentation appears in the distribution

Planning the Pie Chart Description

Before writing, analyze the pie chart and ask yourself:

Which brand has the largest percentage?
Which brands are close in value?
Are there any brands with notably small shares?
What proportion is held by minor or miscellaneous brands?

Let’s assume the pie chart provides the following breakdown for 2024:

Samsung: 31%
Apple: 25%
Huawei: 16%
Xiaomi: 12%
Oppo: 9%
Others: 7%

From this, we can observe:

Samsung and Apple together control more than half the global market.
Chinese brands (Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo) account for a significant combined portion.
Only a small segment is left for other brands.

Structuring the Pie Chart Paragraph

Paragraph Goal

Describe how smartphone sales were distributed among brands in 2024, using accurate percentages and meaningful comparisons.

Suggested Paragraph Structure

Opening sentence summarizing the most dominant brand(s)
Next largest group (e.g., second and third largest)
Group brands with similar shares
Mention smallest segment(s)
An optional summarizing sentence to reinforce key patterns

Sample Pie Chart Description

In 2024, Samsung held the largest share of the global smartphone market at 31%, followed by Apple with 25%. Together, these two companies accounted for more than half of all units sold. Among the Chinese brands, Huawei captured 16% of the market, while Xiaomi and Oppo held 12% and 9% respectively. The remaining 7% of smartphone sales were made up of various smaller manufacturers grouped under the “Others” category.

This paragraph is effective because:

It begins with the dominant brands
Uses accurate figures from the chart
Groups related to brands (Chinese companies)
Ends with the smallest category

Language for Describing Pie Charts

Verbs and Phrases for Proportions

Use a variety of verbs and phrases to avoid repetition:

Accounted for
Represented
Made up
Comprised
Held
Captured

Examples:

“Samsung accounted for nearly one-third of total sales.”
“Apple held a quarter of the global market.”
“The three Chinese brands together comprised over a third of all sales.”

These alternatives keep your vocabulary varied and precise, which improves your Lexical Resource score.

Grouping Language

Group brands to show analytical thinking:

“Together, Samsung and Apple made up over 50% of global sales.”
“Chinese brands held a combined total of 37%.”
“The remaining portion was distributed among smaller manufacturers.”

Comparative and Analytical Language

To emphasize differences and similarities:

“Samsung led the market, with a share 6% higher than Apple’s.”
“Huawei’s market share was slightly larger than that of Xiaomi.”
“There was a clear gap between the top two brands and the rest of the market.”

Avoid repeating phrases like:

Samsung had 31%. Apple had 25%. Huawei had 16%…”

Instead, combine data points:

“Samsung and Apple together dominated the market, while Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo captured smaller, though still significant, portions.”

Grammar Accuracy and Range

Present or Past Tense?

Although the data is from 2025, which may be a future year at the time of writing, the IELTS exam treats this as completed data. Therefore, use the past tense:

“Samsung held the largest share…”
“Huawei accounted for 16%…”

Using the future tense (e.g., “Samsung will have…”) is incorrect and will lower your grammar score.

Sentence Variety

To demonstrate Grammatical Range, include different sentence types:

Simple: “Oppo held 9% of the market.”
Compound: “Huawei had a share of 16%, and Xiaomi followed with 12%.”
Complex: “While Samsung and Apple led the market, several Chinese brands also performed well.”

Varying sentence structure helps maintain reader engagement and demonstrates writing competence.

Grouping Data Strategically

Instead of treating each brand separately, group related data for a more coherent presentation.

Weak Example:

Samsung had 31%. Apple had 25%. Huawei had 16%. Xiaomi had 12%. Oppo had 9%. Others had 7%.

Problem: This format is robotic, repetitive, and lacks analysis.

Improved Example:

Samsung and Apple dominated the market with a combined share of 56%. Meanwhile, Chinese manufacturers such as Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo collectively accounted for 37%. The remaining 7% was held by various smaller companies.

Advantage: This example presents an organized structure and shows your ability to identify patterns.

Visualizing the Paragraph Structure

Here is the breakdown of the earlier sample paragraph:

Main Point First
“In 2024, Samsung held the largest share of the global smartphone market at 31%, followed by Apple with 25%.”
Emphasizing Dominance
“Together, these two companies accounted for more than half of all units sold.”
Grouping the Next Tier
“Among the Chinese brands, Huawei captured 16% of the market, while Xiaomi and Oppo held 12% and 9% respectively.”
Noting the Minor Segment
“The remaining 7% of smartphone sales were made up of various smaller manufacturers grouped under the ‘Others’ category.”

This approach ensures your paragraph is logically organized and focuses on the most relevant information.

Final Tips for Writing Pie Chart Descriptions

Keep It Focused

Don’t repeat information already covered in the overview. Stick to describing the data and using accurate language to compare and group the values.

Avoid Over-Explaining

You do not need to speculate or explain why one brand is more popular. Avoid sentences like:

Samsung is the most popular because it has good features.”
“Apple has many loyal customers, so it has a high percentage.”

This is inappropriate for IELTS Task 1. Your job is to describe, not analyze, causes.

Stay Within the Word Limit

Sample Introduction + Overview + Two Body Paragraphs

To tie everything together, here is a complete sample IELTS Writing Task 1 response based on the charts:

Introduction
The pie chart illustrates the distribution of global smartphone sales by brand in 2022, while the line graph presents data on the total number of smartphones sold worldwide between 2025 and 2025.

Overview
Overall, global smartphone sales increased steadily throughout the period, peaking in 2025. That year, Samsung and Apple dominated the market, while several Chinese brands also held notable shares.

Line Graph Description
In 2025, global smartphone sales stood at approximately 980 million units. Over the next three years, the figure rose steadily, reaching about 1.2 billion in 2018. A slight decline occurred in 2020, when sales fell to around 1.1 billion units. However, this was followed by a strong recovery, with sales rising to 1.6 billion by 2023 and peaking at 1.8 billion in 2024, the highest figure during the entire period.

Pie Chart Description
In 2025, Samsung held the largest share of the global smartphone market at 31%, followed by Apple with 25%. Together, these two companies accounted for more than half of all units sold. Among the Chinese brands, Huawei captured 16% of the market, while Xiaomi and Oppo held 12% and 9% respectively. The remaining 7% was made up of various smaller manufacturers.

This response is clear, organized, and rich in vocabulary, making it suitable for a high band score.

Final Thoughts

Mastering IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, particularly with mixed charts like a pie chart and a line graph, requires a clear understanding of both visual types, careful planning, and precise execution. A high-scoring response demonstrates the ability to paraphrase the question effectively, provide a clear overview, and present key data trends using appropriate comparisons and vocabulary. By organizing the essay into four structured paragraphs—introduction, overview, line graph description, and pie chart analysis—candidates can ensure coherence and logical flow. Success in this task depends not only on accurate data reporting but also on the ability to group information meaningfully, use a variety of grammatical structures, and avoid common pitfalls such as speculation, repetition, or disorganized content. Consistent practice with feedback is essential for refining these skills and achieving a high band score.