Search
Vocabularying
Listening
Reading
1. Academic
2. General
Writing
1. IELTSWriting Checker
2. IELTS Writing Samples
Speaking

Do you want to improve your writing? Try our new evaluation service and get detailed feedback.

The charts below show household spending patterns in two countries between 1980 and 2008.

The pie charts compare five categories of household expenditure in the UK and New Zealand in the years 1980 and 2008. It is noticeable that the proportion of spending on food and drink fell in both countries over the 28- year period, while spending on utility bills rose. Also, UK residents spent a significantly larger percentage of their household budgets on leisure than their New Zealand counterparts. In 1980, 29% of an average New Zealand household budget went on food and drink, while the equivalent figure for a UK home was 23%. By 2008, expenditure on food and drink had fallen by 4% in New Zealand, and by a full 10% in the UK. By contrast, both countries saw an increase in expenditure on utility bills for the average home, from 27% to 31% in New Zealand and from 26% to 28% in the UK. Leisure activities accounted for the highest proportion of UK household spending in both years, but only the third highest proportion in New Zealand. In fact, in 2008, New Zealanders spent only half as much in relative terms on recreation (17%) as UK residents (34%). In both countries, transport costs and other costs took roughly 15% and 10% of household budgets respectively.

The pie charts compare five categories of household

expenditure in the UK and You use this word too often, consider replacing it withlatedifferentstate-of-the-artmodernunusualunfamiliar
New
 Zealand in the years 1980 and 2008. It is

noticeable that the proportion of spending on food and drink fell in both

countries over the 28- year period, while spending on utility bills rose. Also
,

The genitive is possibly missing.UK's residents
UK residents
 spent a significantly
 larger percentage of their You use this word too often, consider replacing it withordinaryeveryday
household
 budgets

on leisure than their You use this word too often, consider replacing it withlatedifferentstate-of-the-artmodernunusualunfamiliar
New
 Zealand counterparts.

In 1980, 29% of an average You use this word too often, consider replacing it withlatedifferentstate-of-the-artmodernunusualunfamiliar
New
 Zealand You use this word too often, consider replacing it withordinaryeveryday
household
 budget went

on food and drink, while the equivalent figure for a UK home was 23%. By 2008,

expenditure on food and drink had fallen by 4% in You use this word too often, consider replacing it withlatedifferentstate-of-the-artmodernunusualunfamiliar
New
 Zealand, and by a full

10% in the UK. By contrast, both countries This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :witnessed
saw
 an increase in expenditure on

utility bills for the average home, from 27% to 31% in You use this word too often, consider replacing it withlatedifferentstate-of-the-artmodernunusualunfamiliar
New
 Zealand and from 26%

to 28% in the UK.

Leisure activities accounted for the highest proportion of

UK You use this word too often, consider replacing it withordinaryeveryday
household
 spending in both years, This phrase/word is too simple and can be replaced with:on the contrary
but
This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :exclusively
only
 the third highest proportion in

New Zealand. In fact, in 2008, You use this word too often, consider replacing it withlatedifferentstate-of-the-artmodernunusualunfamiliar
New
 Zealanders spent This phrase/word (depending on the context) can be potentially replaced with :exclusively
only
 half as much in

relative terms on recreation (17%) as UK residents (34%). In both countries,

transport costs and other costs took roughly 15% and 10% of You use this word too often, consider replacing it withordinaryeveryday
household
 budgets

respectively
. 