Report Writing Term 1 2020 2021 [PDF]

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HANOI UNIVERSITY ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES DEPARTMENT

REPORT WRITING STUDENT’S BOOK

TERM 1

2020- 2021 i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................... ii INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... iii UNIT 1:

INTRODUCTION TO REPORT WRITING ............................................................1

SECTION 1

GRAPHS/CHARTS WITH TRENDS.................................................................17

UNIT 2:

OVERVIEW ON GRAPHS/CHARTS WITH TRENDS ............................17

UNIT 3:

LANGUAGE

USED

IN

GRAPHS/CHARTS

WITH

TRENDS

(VOCABULARY&STRUCTURES) ...............................................................................34 UNIT 4: LANGUAGE USED IN GRAPHS/CHARTS WITH TRENDS53 (COHERENCE & COHESION) ........................................................................53 UNIT 5

CONSOLIDATION ...................................................................................................71

SECTION 2

COMPARATIVE CHARTS ..............................................................................78

UNIT 6

OVERVIEW ON COMPARATIVE CHARTS .............................................................78

UNIT 7

LANGUAGE USED IN COMPARATIVE CHARTS (STRUCTURES

&

INCORPORATING DATA) ...................................................................................................97 UNIT 8

LANGUAGE USED IN COMPARTIVE CHARTS ...................................................112 (VARYING LANGUAGE, LINKING SIGNALS & CORRELATIONS) .......................112

UNIT 9

CONSOLIDATION .................................................................126

REFERENCS .........................................................................................................................135

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INTRODUCTION REPORT WRITING is the course book specifically designed for students of the English for Specific Purposes Department (ESPD), Hanoi University in Term 1. Specifically, the students of the course book specialize in nine different majors, namely Business Administration, Accounting, Finance and Banking, Tourism, International Studies, Computer Science, Marketing, Multi Media and Development Study. After successfully completing the three-term course of English in the ESPD, students are eligible to start their major studies which are delivered in the medium of English. The course book is composed of nine units. In particular, Unit 1 gives an overview of report writing, indicating kinds of graphs/charts, rubric and sample report, general structure of a report and assessment criteria. Units 2, 3, 4 and 5 are included in Section 1 in which the students are instructed on how to describe graphs/charts with trends. Section 2 which includes Units 6, 7, 8 and 9 shows the students how to describe comparative charts. The last unit in each section is an opportunity for the students to review what they have learned with additional practice so that they could be more confident for their mid-term and final writing test. The curriculum materials of this course are selected to accomplish the following objectives: 1. Show the students how to describe graphs/charts with trends and comparative charts. 2. Improve the students’ knowledge and use of grammar, vocabulary, coherence and cohesion needed to describe the information shown in the graphs/charts. 3. Set the foundation for the next writing course in Term 2 and 3 when the students are required to design graphs/charts displaying the data obtained from the surveys conducted by themselves and describe the data shown for their research papers. 4. Build up the students’ writing habits, which will be the key factor for their later success. All in all, the course book is designed in an attempt to facilitate teachers’ teaching and enhance students’ learning in describing graphs/charts in particular and their academic writing skills in genera

iii

UNIT 1

INTRODUCTION TO REPORT WRITING

AIM: This unit is aimed at providing students with an overview of report writing. This unit highlights - two types of charts (charts with trends and comparative charts) - the question and sample report for each type of charts, - the general structure of a report, and - the assessment criteria.

OVERVIEW A report is the type of writing which describes the information shown in some kinds of charts. It is usually a minimum of 150 words and it is recommended that you spend about 20 minutes on this. The prompt for a report is always a type of charts. You have to write about the information shown, describing the main features and making comparisons whenever relevant. You have to refer closely to the charts and, where relevant, illustrate your main points with figures. You are not required to give any explanation for the data, but have to describe only the information given in the task. There are four different types of charts classified on the basis of format. -

Line graphs

-

Bar charts

-

Pie charts

-

Tables

There is another way to classify the charts, which is based on the language used to describe them as follows. -

Graphs/charts with trends

-

Comparative charts (charts with no trends)

This course book is designed to approach report writing in the second way.

1

TYPES OF GRAPHS The four different types of charts are illustrated as follows. 1. Line graphs Line graphs use one line (single line graphs) or more than one line (multiple line graphs) to compare items over time, to show frequency or distribution, and to show correlations. There are horizontal and vertical axes. When time is a variable, it is put on the horizontal axis. Multiple line graph with trends

2

Single line graph with no trends

Internet use (hours)

35 30 25 20 15 10

Int

5 0 20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Annual household income ($000)

Annual household income and Internet use 2. Bar charts Bar charts use thick lines or bars or columns to compare sets of figures. Bars can be horizontal, vertical or extended. Horizontal bars are used when labels are long; when the labels are short, either horizontal or vertical bars will work. Bar charts are easy to interpret because they ask people to compare distance along a common scale, which most people judge accurately. Bar charts are useful in a variety of situations: to compare one item to another, to compare items over time, and to show correlations. Vertical bar chart with trends

3

Horizontal bar charts with no trends Factors affecting work performance at a major company in Australia

Team spirit Chance for personal development Relaxed working environment Competent boss Job security Respect from colleagues Promotion prospects Job satisfaction Work environment Money 0

10

20

30

40

50

60

45- 60

70

80

90

100

18-30

3. Pie charts Pie charts show proportions, normally presented as percentages. The data in any pie chart can be put in a bar chart. Therefore, a pie chart is used only when to compare one segment to the whole. When one segment is compared to another segment, a bar chart, line graph, or a map is used– even though the data may be expressed in percentages.

4

Pie charts with trends

Main sources of energy in USA in 1980s and 1990s

1980 Nuclear power, 5% P Coal, 22%

Oil, 42%

Natural gas, 26%

5

Pie charts with no trends

Electricity generated in Germany and France from all sources and renewables in 2009.

6

4. Tables A table is a display of information usually given in numbers. It is arranged in some orderly fashion, usually in columns and rows. Tables provide us with an effective way of looking at groups of related numbers. They present us with many specific pieces of information in a form that makes it easy for us to compare those bits of data with each other. Tables with trends

Worldwide mobile phone sales in 2005 and 2006 (% share of market) Company

2005 % Market Share

2006 % Market Share

Nokia

32.5

35

Motorola

17.7

21.1

Samsung

12.7

11.8

Sony Ericson

6.3

7.4

L.G

6.7

6.3

BenQ Mobile

4.9

2.4

Others

19.2

16.2

Totals

100

100

Tables with no trends FAVORITE PASTIMES FROM 30 - 50 YEARS OLD TV Sport Reading Hobbies Music Beach

Sleep

Canada

60

22

15

40

3

0

2

France

/

/

30

20

4

/

/

England

/

/

30

21

4

/

20

Australia

65

30

15

45

5

30

4

Korea

22

21

60

45

2

2

4

China

15

25

60

50

0

5

5

USA

60

23

15

42

23

30

2

/

/

62

/

/

/

/

Japan

7

QUESTION AND SAMPLE 1. Charts with trends You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The table below shows the number of tourists from five countries to Australia in different years from 1991 to 1999. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Number of visitors to Australia (in thousands) Country of Residence

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

United States

259

267

288

310

393

Canada

51

48

55

61

75

United Kingdom

258

302

335

388

509

Germany

75

102

120

125

140

Other Europe

172

200

259

319

389

The table illustrates the number in thousands of visitors to Australia from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and other European countries over the 1990s. Overall, the number of visitors from all these countries increased significantly over the decade. It is also noticeable that the biggest number of visitors came from the United Kingdom. The biggest increase was in the number of visitors from other countries in Europe, which more than doubled over the period, from 172,000 to 389,000. The largest number of visitors came from the United Kingdom, which rose from 258,000 to 509,000. The number of visitors from the United States also increased over the decade. There were considerably fewer visitors from Canada although the figure rose over the same period from 51,000 to 75,000, with most of the increase occurring in the second half of the decade. There were almost as many visitors from the United Kingdom as from all of the other European countries, including Germany. However, by 1999 there were nearly as many tourists from the other European countries as from the United States. (Adapted from IELTS foundation by Rachael Roberts, Joanne Gakonga and Andrew Preshous)

8

2. Charts with no trends You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The pie charts show the main reasons for migration to and from the UK in 2007. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

Main reasons for migration to/from the UK - 2007 Immigration

Others, 11%

No reason , 6%

Definite job, 30%

Looking for job, 12%

Accompany , 15%

Formal study , 26%

Emigration No reason , 18%

Definite job, 29%

Others, 14%

Formal study , 4%

Looking for job, 22%

Accompany , 13%

9

The pie charts illustrate the primary reasons why people came to and left the UK in 2007. Overall, the main factor influencing this decision was employment. It is also noticeable that many more people immigrated for formal study than those who emigrated for the same purpose. Having a definite job accounted for 30% of immigration to the UK, and this figure was very similar for emigration, at 29%. A large number of people, 22%, also emigrated because they were looking for a job, though the proportion of people entering the UK for this purpose was noticeably lower at less than a fifth. Another major factor influencing a move to the UK was for formal study, with over a quarter of people immigrating for this reason. However, interestingly, only a small minority, 4%, emigrated for this. The proportion of those moving to join a family member was quite similar for immigration and emigration, at 15% and 13% respectively.

Although a significant number of people (32%)

gave ‘other’ reasons or did not give a reason why they emigrated, this accounted for only 17% with regards to immigration.

REPORT STRUCTURE An interpretation of a table/line graph/bar chart ... usually contains 3 structural parts which can be arranged in two different ways. The following illustrates the first way of arrangement as shown in the above sample report. -

An opening statement

-

An overview paragraph

-

Body paragraphs

1. Opening statement The opening statement explains what you are describing. It should include the following information: kind of the graph + verb + what + where + when -

The table illustrates the number of visitors to Australia from a number of other countries worldwide over the 1990s.

-

The pie charts illustrate the primary reasons why people came to and left the UK in 2007. 10

2. Overview paragraph FIRST, an overview includes a short summary of the main/ most important feature(s) seen in a graph or chart, illustrating overall/ general changes/trends from the beginning to the end and/or illustrating comparisons, i.e. differences between/among items. -

It can be clearly seen that the number of visitors to Australia from all these countries increased significantly over the decade.

-

Overall, the main factor influencing this decision was employment.

SECOND, an overview could include the following sentences where relevant: an additional comment on a special feature, an overall summary of the main ideas or future implications -

It is also noticeable that the biggest number of visitors came from the United Kingdom.

-

It is also noticeable that many more people immigrated for formal study than those who emigrated for the same purpose.

3. Body paragraphs The number of paragraphs in the body varies based on the data shown in the graph/chart. The way the information is grouped in body paragraphs will be presented in detail in the following units. Note: Another way of arranging the information is as follows. -

Opening = an opening statement + overall trends/features

-

Body paragraphs

-

Closing statement: special feature(s)

11

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA Report writing scripts are marked on four basic criteria and each one has equal weight. WHAT IS THE EXAMINER LOOKING FOR? Task achievement

Have you written at least 150 words? Have you understood and reworded the topic of the chart(s)? Have you made an overview of the data? Have you grouped the data in a way that helps the reader to understand the information? Have you included some data to support your description? Have you compared and contrasted the data in the chart(s)?

Grammatical Range

Have you used a variety of sentence structures?

and accuracy

Have you used noun phrases to express your ideas? Have you used appropriate verb tenses? Have you controlled your subject-verb agreement? Have you used correct prepositions? Have you used correct punctuation? Overall, is your grammar accurate?

Lexical resources

Have you used a variety of appropriate and academic words? Have you used correct word forms? Have you spelled the words correctly?

Coherence and cohesion

Have you organized your answer in some logical way to describe the data from the chart(s)? Have you included an overview sentence to tell the reader the main idea of the chart(s)? Have you used a variety of appropriate linking expressions? Have you used referencing pronouns and synonyms to avoid repetition? (Adapted from Lessons for IELTS advanced writing by NEWoriental)

12

PRACTICE Can the numbers in the following charts be displayed in another kind of charts? If yes, display the data in as many kinds of charts as you can. Task 1

Worldwide mobile phone sales in 2005 and 2006 (% share of market) Company

2005 % Market Share

2006 % Market Share

Nokia

32.5

35

Motorola

17.7

21.1

Samsung

12.7

11.8

Sony Ericson

6.3

7.4

L.G

6.7

6.3

BenQ Mobile

4.9

2.4

Others

19.2

16.2

Totals

100

100

Task 2

FAVORITE PASTIMES FROM 30 - 50 YEARS OLD TV

Sport Reading Hobbies

Music

Beach

Sleep

Canada

60

22

15

40

3

0

2

France

/

/

30

20

4

/

/

England

/

/

30

21

4

/

20

Australia

65

30

15

45

5

30

4

Korea

22

21

60

45

2

2

4

China

15

25

60

50

0

5

5

USA

60

23

15

42

23

30

2

/

/

62

/

/

/

/

Japan

13

Task 3

Main reasons for migration to/from the UK - 2007 Immigration

Others, 11%

No reason , 6%

Definite job, 30%

Looking for job, 12%

Accompany , 15%

Formal study , 26%

Emigration No reason , 18%

Definite job, 29%

Others, 14%

Formal study , 4%

Looking for job, 22%

Accompany , 13%

14

Task 4

Electricity generated in Germany and France from all sources and renewables in 2009.

15

Task 5

16

SECTION 1

GRAPHS/CHARTS WITH TRENDS

UNIT 2: OVERVIEW ON GRAPHS/CHARTS WITH TRENDS AIM: This unit is aimed at providing students with an overview of a REPORT on graphs/charts with trends. This unit highlights the - the general structure of a report on graphs/charts with trends - the techniques in writing the opening statement and the overview - the techniques in grouping the data or outlining the information shown

TRY IT FIRST 1. Study the following question. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The graph shows the income of four cafes in New York over last year. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

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2. Think about these questions before you start.

a. What is the main idea of the line graph? b. What are the trends for the four cafes’ sales over the whole period? c. Can you give a comment on a special feature shown in the line graph? 3. Are these sentences about the data shown in the line graph TRUE (T) or FALSE

(F)? a. There are two basic general trends: downward and fluctuation. b. The earnings for the Tea Room were down over the year, falling significantly from almost $160,000 a month to just under $40,000 in December. c. There was a rise in Café Cool’s sales over the first ten months, followed by a sudden increase to $120,000. d. The income for Wi-fi Café was upward, doubling from $50,000 to nearly $100,000 between January and June, and then rocketed to around $190,000 in December. e. The income for the Tea Room was lower in the winter months than for the other three cafes. 4.

.

Read the following report and make an outline for it.

The line graph illustrates how much money was earned by four cafes in New York during 12 months last year. It can be clearly seen that the earnings of the Tea Room fell while that of the others rose. It is also noticeable that the income for the Tea Room was lower in the winter months than for the other three cafes. As regards the downward trend, the earnings for the Tea Room were down over the year, falling significantly from almost $160,000 a month to just under $50,000 in December. By contrast, the income for the other three cafes went up by varying degrees. There was a rise in Café Cool’s sales over the first ten months from about $30,000 to $60,000, followed by a sudden increase to $120,000. The income for both Internet Express and the Wi-Fi Café also ended the year up in December. The former experienced a steady fall from $100,000 to $80,000 in June, but after that, income rose steadily, ending the year at approximately $130,000. Likewise, the trend for Wi-Fi was upward. Between January and July, earnings doubled from $50,000 to nearly $100,000 and then rocketed to around $190,000. (Adapted from Improve your IELTS writing skills by Sam McCarter and Norman Whitby)

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LANGUAGE NOTES 1. Writing the opening statement The opening statement usually explains what a graph or chart shows. It should include the following information:

The

Type of chart

Verb

Description (what / where / when)

line graph

illustrates

the number of ….

pie chart bar chart

compares presents

the proportion of... the sales figures of...

table

describes

how many …

provides information on

how much …

Use your own words to write the opening statement. If you copy the title of an illustration or the question word by word, the examiner will regard this as plagiarism and ignore the sentence. This could affect your score. To avoid plagiarism, change the structure, the words and the way you express the time period. For example, the question for a report above reads as follows. -

The graph shows the income of four cafes in New York over last year.

This question can be rephrased in the following ways: -

The graph presents the earnings of four cafes in New York during 12 months last year. Subject + verb + noun phrase + …

- The line graph provides information on/about the amount of money which was earned by four cafes in New York last year. Subject + verb + noun phrase (+ relative clause) + …

-

The line graph illustrates how much money was earned by four cafes in New York during 12 months last year. Subject + verb + noun clause + …

19

2. Writing the overview paragraph Writing (an) overall trend(s)/ changes

FIRST, an overview includes a short summary of the overview. In particular, in graphs/charts with trends, this statement states the overall trends which will be described in detail in body paragraphs. -

It can be clearly seen that there are two basic general trends: downward and upward.

-

Overall, the income of the Tea Room fell while that of the other cafes went up by varying degrees.

The following expressions can be used to begin the this statement. It can be seen from the graph / table that As the graph / table shows, As can be seen from the graph / table, As is shown by the graph / table, From the graph / table, it is clear / obvious / apparent /

that

Writing special/significant feature(s)

SECOND, an overview also indicates a special point - the most significant/ noticeable/important feature(s) shown in the graph/chart and written in general terms. -

It is also noticeable that the income for the Tea Room was lower in the winter months than for the other three cafes.

To signal the special features, you can use one of the following signals. Overall,

_____________

It is noticeable to see that _______________

_____________

In general,

_____________

It is not surprising that

_____________

NOTE: An overview DOES NOT INCLUDE personal opinions and reasons for the overall trends or pattern shown in the graphs/charts.

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3. Grouping data – Outlining It can be seen from the sample report on the income of four cafes above that there are two trends: the downward trend for the income of the Tea Room and the upward trend for the sales of Café Cool, Internet Express and Wi-fi Café. In the body of the above report, there are two paragraphs: the first describes the downward trend and the second describes the upward trend. Grouping the data into different body paragraphs based on the trends shown in the graphs with trends is the most common way. The number of paragraphs you have in the body depends on how many trends you identify from the graph and how complex the information is. If there are three trends, for example upward, downward and stability, you may want to have one paragraph describing the upward trend and downward trend and the other paragraph for the stability. Otherwise, you can combine the upward trend and stability in one paragraph and the downward trend in the other paragraph. In case there is one trend, you can group the information by describing the items with the same or different levels of increase or decrease. Look at the following line graph and think about the best way to group the data. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The line graph describes the number of people attending the cinema once a month or more by age in Britain from 1984 to 2000. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

21

As can be seen, one effective way is to group the data into two body paragraphs. The first paragraph is to describe the data of the people aged 15-24 and those aged 35 and over because they are different in the level of increase (the former had the strongest rise while the latter had the lowest rise). The second paragraph focuses on the data of those aged 7-14 and 25-35 because they had somehow the same increasing level of rise. In a word, the way you group the information in the body paragraphs varies, mainly depending on the trends shown in the graph. Read the following sample report to see how the data is grouped and make a brief outline for the main features shown. The line graph shows the percentage of people who went to the cinema once a month in Britain from 1984 to 2000. Generally, cinema attendance increased significantly over the period though the number of people watching films at the cinema varied with age. It is also noticeable that the most regular cinema goers were aged from 15 to 24 while the least frequent ones were from 35 years old onwards. From 1984, cinema attendance rose considerably across all age groups, but the increase was the greatest for the 15-24 age group, which rose substantially from about 18% in 1984 to over 50% in 2000. Though the figure fluctuated between 1990 and 1995, this age group still went to the cinema most frequently. Meanwhile, although older people (35 plus) were the least frequent cinema goers, their cinema attendance also experienced a considerable rise with the figure increasing from about 2.5% to over 10%. Cinema attendance of 7 to 14 and 25 to 35-year olds followed a similar pattern from 1984 to about 1997, which was characterized by a gradual increase to an average of 30% in 1994 followed by a decline after this date. However, from 1999 the trends differed in that 7 to 15 year olds went to the cinema less frequently while cinema attendance of 25 to 35 year olds rose. (Adapted from IELTS Masterclass by Simon Haines and Peter May)

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Study the question below and make an outline for it. Then, read the sample report, noticing the way the information is chosen and arranged. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The following pie charts show the results of a survey into the most popular leisure activities in the USA in 1999 and 2009. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

Leisure activities 1999

L Leisure activities 2009 bicycling

23

The two charts illustrate how the preferred leisure activities of Americans changed between 1999 and 2009. Generally speaking, while the list of activities remained almost identical over the decade, there were a number of changes in their relative popularity. Overall, walking and soccer remained the two most popular leisure activities in two years given. It is immediately evident that walking was by some distance the most popular pastime in both years, accounting for just under a third of the preferences expressed. Of equal note is that by 2009, yoga had disappeared from the list of preferred activities and had been replaced by weightlifting, which was chosen by one in ten Americans. Among the less popular activities, the most notable development was that the proportion of people who went swimming doubled, making it equal second in popularity with soccer at 18%. In stark contrast, around as half as many Americans went cycling in 2009 as compared to ten years earlier, with the result that it became less popular than camping, at 7% and 9% respectively.

Likewise, the number of people who went jogging and did

aerobics

also

dropped significantly, with less than 5% of respondents to the survey choosing them.

As can be seen, there are 8 different activities with 16 different figures over two periods of time. The writer of the report bases on the trends and the differences between the data to group the data. In the body, you can see two paragraphs. The first paragraph is to compare the activities based on their popularity and they are the most important details: the biggest number (walking) and the smallest number (yoga, which then is replaced by weightlifting). The second paragraph describes the two opposite trends: upward trend for walking and swimming and the downward trend for aerobics, jogging and cycling. It is usually harder to describe tables than bar charts and pie charts mainly because they lack the visual organization in the latter. However, the same principles apply as to graphs: look for trends and compare where relevant. When you are given a table to describe, you should look for the data from both the rows and the columns. When you look for the data from the rows (across), you look for the trends (upward, downward, fluctuate and stable). When you look for the data from the columns (down), you look for highest numbers and lowest numbers. 24

trends high numbers low numbers

Look at the following table and apply the principles shown above. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The table below highlights data on the number of travelers using three major British airports between 1998 and 2003. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words. Airport visitors, 1998 – 2003 (millions of travelers per year) Airports

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

Heathrow

27.2

36.4

48.2

37.1

33.2

45.6

Gatwick

36.5

41.9

44.4

47.3

51.1

69.3

Stansted

17.3

26.6

39.9

43.3

43.3

43.3

If you look across the table, you have the information about the trends over the years. You can see that all the three airports became more popular but the number changed differently (upward with fluctuation for Heathrow, consecutive upward for Gatwick and upward and then stability for Stansted). You can also see the biggest rise in Stansted, followed by Gatwick and then Heathrow. If you look down the table, you have the information about the most popular airport and the least popular one. According to the table, Gatwick had the highest number of passengers, followed by Heathrow and then Stansted. One special feature is that although Stansted was the least popular airport, it witnessed the largest rise compared to the other airports. Therefore, you can group the information in the body paragraphs as follows. -

The most popular airport and its consecutive rise in the number of passengers (Gatwick)

-

The second most popular airport and its fluctuating rise in the number of passengers (Heathrow)

-

The least popular airport and its rise and then stability in the number of passengers (Stansted). 25

The following is the sample report of the above table. Read the sample carefully and make a simple outline for it. The table provides information about how many people visited the UK through three major airports over a five-year period between 1998 and 2003. Overall, it can be seen that there was a fluctuating trend in the number of travelers who travelled via Heathrow, while the other two airports saw an upward trend. It is also noticeable that Gatwick airport was always the most popular over the period. Looking at the details, the number of passengers at Heathrow started at 27.2 million in 1998 and then increased remarkably to reach the highest point of 48.2 million in 2000. In 2002, the figure dropped to 33.2 million. In the last year, there was a slight growth to 45.6 million. On the other hand, Gatwick began at 36.5 million in 1998. After that, the figure rose substantially for the next three years to 47.3 million. In 2003, Gatwick hit a peak of 69.3 million passengers. However, looking at Stansted Airport, the number of passengers using this airport started at the lowest point of 17.3 million travelers in the first year. After this point, the trend increased significantly to 43.3 million in 2001. In the last two years, it remained stable at 43.3 million passengers. (Adapted from IELTS advantages: writing skills by Richards Brown and Lewis Richards, IELTS Advantage)

26

PRACTICE Practice 1: Study the following line graph. Then decide if each of the opening statements and the overview paragraphs is appropriate or not. Write A if it is appropriate, I if it is inappropriate and explain why. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The graph below shows the percentage of young people taking part in different outdoor sports from 1975 up till now in the South West of England. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

Opening 1 _________The line graph presented the proportion of young people who take up four different kinds of outdoor sports in the South West of England from 1975 up till now. Overview 1 _________It is noticeable that the percentage of young people who swim rose sharply from under 15%

to 35%.

27

Opening 2 The line graph illustrates the percentage of young people taking part in different outdoor sports from 1975 to the present year in the South West of England. Overview 2 Overall, there are two basic general trends: upward and downward. It is also noticeable that ball games were the most popular in the past. Opening 3 The line graph provides information on the proportion of young people who participate in four outdoor sports in the South West of England from 1975 up till now. Overview 3 Overall, during the period, there has been a fall in the percentage of young people who take part in certain outdoor sports, but not all the outdoor sports have become less popular. It is also obvious that swimming is the most popular sport now.

Opening 4 The line graph presents how many young people join four different kinds of outdoor sports in the South West of England since 1975. Obviously, swimming is the most popular sport now. Overview 4 Obviously, swimming has become more and more popular because it is an easy way to help people keep fit and healthy.

28

Practice 2: Study the charts below. Then, write an outline grouping the information shown in each of them. After that, write an opening statement and an overview paragraph for each of them.

Task 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The chart below shows the number of marriages and divorces in the United Kingdom from 1961 to 2001. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

29

Task 2 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The graph below shows the percentage of households who had cars in Great Britain from 1961 to 2000. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

30

Task 3 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The charts show changes in spending habits of people in the UK between 1971 and 2001. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

31

Task 4 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The table shows spending in the UK by visitors from Europe and purpose of visit between 2002 and 2006. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words. Spending in UK: visitors from Europe and purpose of visit 2002 to 2006 Europe

2002

Spending (£ million) 2003 2004 2005

Holiday

1,640

1,784

2,141

2,373

2,655

11.9

Business

1,833

1,848

1,994

2,237

2,614

16.9

Visiting friends /relatives

1,061

1,273

1,471

1,655

1,830

10.5

Miscellaneous

1,001

962

1,002

1,365

1,454

6.5

All visits

5,549

5,882

6,623

7,656

8,573

12.0

32

2006

Growth 2005 - 06

THINGS TO REMEMBER 1. Kinds of graphs/charts

Line graphs with trends Bar charts with trends Pie charts with trends

2. Structure of a report

Tablesstructural with trends Three parts: Option 1 Opening statement = main idea (what where when) - Note: Rephrase the question. Overview paragraph = Overall trends + Comments on (a) special feature(s) Body paragraphs Option 2 Opening statement + Overall trends Body paragraphs Closing statement = special feature(s) Note: Do not include your personal opinions or reasons.

3. Assessment criteria

Task achievement Grammatical range and accuracy Lexical resources Coherence and cohesion

4. Grouping the data

Depending on the trends shown, you have different ways of grouping the data. Upward vs. Downward Upward + downward vs. Fluctuation Upward (from strongest rise to the lowest rise) ….

33

UNIT 3 LANGUAGE USED IN GRAPHS/CHARTS WITH TRENDS (VOCABULARY & STRUCTURES) AIM: This unit is aimed at providing students with -

the use of tenses the vocabulary and sentence structures to describe trends, the use of prepositions to give data and time expressions. the ways to join changes

TRY ITS FIRST 1. Study the table. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The table below shows the total length (in kilometers) of High-Speed Rail tracks of China, France, and Japan in 1990, 2010, and projections for 2025. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features of the table. Write at least 150 words. Length of High – speed rail (km) 1990

2010

2025

China

0

3,529

13,126

France

720

1,871

3,976

Japan

1,832

2,534

3,625

2. Think about these questions before you start. a. What is the main idea of the table? b. What are the trends for the length of high-speed rail in three countries over the whole period? c. Which numbers do you select to write about the trends? d. What tense do you use? e. What sentence structures and vocabulary do you need to use? f. Can you give a comment on a special feature shown in the table? 34

3. Read the sample for the above table. The table provides data on the numbers of kilometers of high-speed train tracks built in in China, France and Japan in1990 and 2010 and the projected numbers for 2025. Overall, what stands out from the table is that out of three countries, China is expected to have the greatest total length of high-speed train tracks constructed in 2025 despite having the lowest figure in 1990. China started off with no tracks for fast trains in 1990, but it dethroned Japan to become the country having the longest combined rail track (3,529 kilometers) by 2010. In 2025, China is projected to remain the leading country witnessing a dramatic increase of around 400% from 2010. By contrast, Japan had the highest figure in 1990 (1,832 kilometers), yet it is predicted to have 3,976 kilometers of high-speed train tracks constructed by 2025, the smallest figure of all three countries. The total length (in kilometers) of high-speed train tracks made in France began at 720, and it then increased significantly to reach 1,871 in 2010, and will reach 3,976 in 2025. However, the expected total length of tracks built in France and Japan by 2025 is just nearly one-fourth of that of China in the same year. (Adapted from the report written by Mr. Hiep ([email protected])

35

LANGUAGE NOTES 1. Describing trends over time In report writing, some graphs/ charts/ tables are used to indicate the trends over different periods of time given; thus, mixed verb tenses are expected to be deployed to deliver interpretation accurately; it would be best to use: Past Simple to talk about ‘finished’ time, e.g. in 2000, etc. Present Perfect to talk about ‘unfinished’ time or time ‘until now’, e.g. since 2007, 2010 – present, etc. Future tense to talk about predictions in future time, e.g. in 2030, next year, etc. We often use the following expressions when talking about future or predicted data because the simple future is a little too certain. predicted It is

anticipated estimated forecast

that Subject will + Verb

projected expected Subject

set (be)

predicted

to + Verb

anticipated estimated The prediction Subject

is that will

… subject + will + Verb Verb

-

It is predicted that the proportion of the world's population will double in 2030.

-

Between 1950 and 2030, the proportion of the world's population is expected to double.

-

The prediction is that the world's population will double in 2030.

-

The proportion of the world's population will double in 2030.

36

2. Verbs and nouns used in describing trends The following vocabulary is useful when writing a report describing trends. MEANING go down

VERB decrease(-d)

decline(-d) dip(ped) down and up

decrease fall drop decline /

plunge(-d) (big change) plummet(-ed) (big change)

/ /

slump(-ed) (big change)

/

increase(-d) rise (rose / risen)

increase rise

grow (grew / grown) rocket(-ed) (big change) leap(ed) (big change) shoot up (shot up) (big change)

double(-d) level(-ed) treble(-d) off at remain(-ed) the same at increase threefold / fourfold remain(-ed) stable at

growth / leap / / surge / a / leveling off at / /

remain(-ed) constant at remain(-ed) unchanged at stabilize(-d) at

/ / stability/a period of stability

fluctuate(-d)

fluctuation

vary (varied)

variation /

fall (fell / fallen) drop(-ped)

go up

soar(-ed) (big change) surge(-d) (big change) no change

constant change

position

NOUN

be erratic peak(-ed) at reach(-ed) a peak of hit/reach a trough of reach(-ed) a high of reach(-ed) a low of stand at (stood/stood) begin/start at end/finish at

37

3. Adjectives and adverbs for degrees used in changes over time MEANING small change

ADJECTIVE / ADVERB steady / steadily slight / slightly gradual / gradually minimal / minimally marginal /marginally fractional / fractionally

moderate change large change

remarkably moderate / moderately sharp / sharply steep / steeply considerable / considerably significant / significantly dramatic / dramatically substantial / substantially exponential / exponentially

-

The number of passengers using Heathrow airport increased remarkably from 27.2 million, reaching the highest point of 48.2 million in 2000.

-

In 2002, the figure dropped to 33.2 million.

-

The figure rose substantially for the next three years to 47.3 million.

-

In 2003, Gatwick hit a peak of 69.3 million passengers.

4. Sentence structures used to describe changes The flowing are two typical sentence structures to describe trends and facts. Adverb patterns Subject + verb + adverb

•

The number of students increased substantially from 1,000 in 2015 to 2,000 in 2018.

•

The income of the Tea Room fell sharply from US$60,000 in May to US$ 30,000 in June.

38

Adjective patterns There + be + (a/n) + adjective + noun in

-

There was a substantial increase in the number of students from 1,000 in 2015 to 2,000 in 2018. There was a sharp fall in the income of the Tea Room US$60,000 in May to US$ 30,000 in June

-

Subject + experience/witness/see (a/n) + adjective + noun in

-

School ABC experienced a sharp fall in the number of students from 500 in 2016 to 200 in 2017.

-

Company ABC witnessed a significant rise in the sales of computers last month.

5. Prepositions and articles Prepositions for data incorporation

In report writing, prepositions play an important role in illustrating time expressions or incorporating data, so you are highly expected to use them precisely. Otherwise, there is a likelihood that a great amount of information will be delivered in an incorrect way.

It decreased from 10 to 2

It started at 2

It dropped by 8

It peaked at 10

There was a drop of 8

It finished at 2

39

The following are the other versions of the Adverb Patterns and Adjective Patterns shown. Subject + verb + by ______ from _____in _____ to _____ in

-

The number of students increased by 1,000 from 1,000 in 2009 to 2,000 in 2012.

-

The income of the Tea Room fell by about $11,000 from almost $160,000 in January to just under $50,000 in December. There + be + (a/n) + noun of ______ in _____ from ___ in ____ to ___ in ____

There was an increase of 1,000 in the number of students from 1,000 in 2009 to 2,000 in

-

2012. There was a fall of about $11,000 in the income of the Tea Room from almost $160,000 in

-

January to just under $50,000 in December. Similarly, articles do need to be employed accurately in your answers. -

The line graph provides information about the income trends of four cafes in New York over a period of one year.

-

It is noticeable that the income for the Tea Room is lower in the winter months than that for the other three cafes.

6. Joining changes A good answer in report writing does need to consist of a wide range of sentence structures. Moreover, in order to upgrade your descriptions about graphs/charts with trends, the writer does need to show his/her competence of coordinating changes together. Accordingly, a number of ways are suggested to join two or more than two changes/trends in one complex sentence. Sequencing expressions Certain connectors are considered as helpful devices to clearly show the sequence of the changes seen in the graphs/charts. Then, After that, Subsequently, Following this, At this point,

40

-

In 1995, just over 80% of recent male graduates were working. After that, there was a steady increase in men’s figures until 2001, with sharper rises in 1996 and 2000.

-

In 1995, just over 80% of recent male graduates were working. Subsequently, despite some fluctuations, there was a steady increase in men’s figures until 2001, with sharper rises in 1996 and 2000. Relative clauses

Relative clauses can be used to link two changes over time. which , which is followed by , followed by

, after which -

The students spent 3% less on accommodation, which fell from 23% to 20% of the total expenditure. There was a rise in Café Cool’s sales over the first ten months, (which was) followed by a sudden increase to $120,000.

-

There was a rise of 2% in the percentage of females in full time work from 1995 to 1996, followed by a fall to 1995 level one year later. Adverb clauses of time

Adverb clauses of time can also be used to indicate the chronological order of the changes seen in the graph/chart. After

,

Before

,

Having + pp

-

,

After the proportion of male graduates declined steadily to over 78% in 1997, the figure soared to a peak of around 83% in 2000 before stabilizing at this level the following year.

-

Having declined steadily to over 78% in 1997, the proportion of male graduates soared to a peak of around 83% in 2000 before stabilizing at this level the following year.

41

PRACTICE Practice 1: Match the parts of the graph 1 – 10 with the verbs a – j.

1. A – B

a. hit a low

2. B – C

b. fell and then leveled off

3. B – D

c. remained flat/stable

4. D – F

d. plummeted

5. F

e. rose gradually

6. F – H

f. fell gradually

7. G

g. soared

8. I – J

h. dipped

9. J – K

i. fluctuated

10. L – M

j. hit a peak

For sentences 1 – 10 below, use the verbs in the above exercise to replace the underlined text.

1. The price of computers dropped, followed by a period of stability. 2. The quantity of goods transported by road reached a peak in the year 2009. 3. The amount of money spent on books fell slightly and then quickly recovered. 42

4. The number of visitors to the website plunged in the first half of the year. 5. The purchase of book increased slowly but surely over the years. 6. The number of students majoring in Language Studies stabilized over the decade. 7. Attendance at the meeting decreased steadily last year. 8. The population growth rate was erratic during the previous year. 9. The number of members in the club reached the lowest point in March. 10. Car sales rocketed in December. Practice 2: Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first sentence.

Example: There has been a substantial rise in the amount of money spent on fast food. The amount → The amount of money spent on fast food has risen substantially. → The amount of money spent on fast food has shown a substantial rise. 1. Spice exports from Africa fluctuated slightly over the period. There were 2. The production of films has risen considerably. There 3. There has been a marked decrease in research investment. Research 4. The purchases of online tickets dropped dramatically last month. There 5. On the Internet, the number of sites rose substantially. There was 43

6. There was a sudden decrease in the sale of apples. The sale 7. At the theme park, there were wild fluctuations in the number of visitors. The number 8. There was a gradual decline in rubber imports. Rubber 9. The quality of food in supermarkets has increased fractionally. There has 10. The number of air travelers remained unchanged during the period. There Practice 3: Choose one preposition from the box to go into each of the gaps in the sentences to describe the graphs that follow.

at in

to of at

by from

1. There was an increase 2.

1994

50,000 between 1990 and 1992. 1997, sales rose steadily

3. Overall, sales peaked _ plummeted

nearly 60,000

1992, but then

about 10,000 over the next two years.

4. In the year 2000, sales started was a rise

over 20,000.

_ around 10,000. In the first month, there around 2,000.

5. After some fluctuations, sales in 2000 reached their peak 15,000, a rise 6. Sales increased dropped

just over

5,000 since the beginning of the year. over 10,000 between 1994 and 1997, b u t then _ more than 10,000 between 1997 and 1999.

44

Practice 4: Study the graphical details below. Write sentences describing each trend as illustrated in the graphs. Each graph may have more than one suitable description.

Example: -

$n per toone

400

The price remained constant at $300 per ton from 1993 to 1994 and then

300

collapsed to about $20 in 1995 before

200

it experienced a three-year period of

100

stability until 1997.

0

-

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

The price remained unchanged at $300 per ton from 1993 to 1994. After

-

After the price remained unchanged at

that, the figure experienced a

$300 per ton from 1993 to 1994, the

substantial drop to about $20 in 1995,

figure fell sharply to about $20 in

followed by a period of stability for 3

1995 before it levelled off and then

years.

remained constant at this rate until 1997. 45

$ per tonne

A.

__________________________________ 120

__________________________________

100

__________________________________

80 60

__________________________________

40

__________________________________

20

__________________________________

0 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

B.

_________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________

C. _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________

46

D. _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ E. _________________________________

60

$ per tonne

50

_________________________________

40 30

_________________________________

20 10

_________________________________

0 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

_________________________________ _________________________________

Practice 5: Study the following table and complete the sentences using the prompts given. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The tables below give information about the world population and distribution in 1950 and 2000 with an estimate of the situation in 2050. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

47

World population 1950 – 2050 World population (billions)

1950 2.5

2000 6.0

2050 9.0 (estimated)

Distribution of World population by Region Africa Asia Europe Latin America North America Oceania

9% 56% 22% 6% 7% < 1%

13% 60% 12% 9% 5% 1%

20% 59% 7% 9% 4% 1%

1. 1950/ 2050/ the world population/ expect/ rise/, growing from 2.5 billion to 9.0 billion people.

2. Asia/ project/ retain/ their major share of the world population (56% to 59%)/ so/ their population/ probably/ continue / grow/ in line with/ world growth.

3. It/ estimate/ Africa and Latin America/ see/ similar upward trends/ their proportion of the global population/ rising by 11% and 3% respectively.

4. However, / population figure/ Europe/ forecast/ decline/ about two-thirds/ a span of 100 years from 1950 to 2050.

5. Prediction / be / that /population / North America / fall / 3% / 4% / 2050.

48

Practice 6: Study the following line graph and the sentences. Then reorder the sentences to form a report. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The graph below shows the number of members taking part in different sports activities at Santon Sports Club from 1990 to the present day. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

1. In 1990, it was the third most popular activity, but it now is the most popular with almost 300 using the gym regularly. 2. It can be clearly seen that over the past 20 years some sports at the club have become more popular, while the others have become less popular or have remained at virtually the same level. 3. This number has fallen from almost 275 in 1990 to approximately 140 in the present day, with the steepest decline occurring between 1990 and 1995. 4. There has been a steady rise in the number of club members regularly doing circuit training. 49

5. The line graph presents the number of people who play four different sports at Santon Sports Club from 1995 up till now. 6. It is also noticeable that circuit training has attracted most members in the present year. 7. Meanwhile, the number of people who go swimming has fluctuated over the period – 250 in 1990, falling and then rising by a small amount before falling back to 250 in the current year. 8. Fitness classes have also grown in popularity with the number rising from approximately 130 in 1990 from 230 in the present year. 9. On the other hand, there has been a decline in the number of club members taking part in racquet sports over the period. Practice 7: Study the following charts and make an outline for each chart, grouping the main features into different paragraphs. Then, write a report on one of the charts.

Task 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The graph below shows the differences in wheat exports over three different areas from 1985 to 1990. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

50

Task 2 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The chart below shows the contribution of three sectors – agriculture, manufacturing, and business and financial services – to the UK economy in the twentieth century. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

51

THINGS TO REMEMBER Assessment criteria 1. Major trends -

Upward Downward Stable Fluctuate (upward, downward)

-

Task achievement Coherence and cohesion

-

Past tenses Present tenses Present perfect Future

-

Grammatical range and accuracy Task achievement

3. Verbs/Nouns of movements

-

Upward Downward Stable Fluctuate (upward, downward)

-

Lexical resources Grammatical range and accuracy

4. Adjectives/Adverbs for degree

-

Large change Moderate change Small change

-

Lexical resources Grammatical range and accuracy

Adverb patterns S + V + Adv Adjective patterns There + be + Adj + noun S + V + Adj + noun

-

Grammatical range and accuracy

S + V + Adv from …. to S + V + Adv by … from …. to S + V + Adj + noun of … from …. to S + starts/begins/ends/finishes at … Sequencing expressions: first, next, then, after that Relative clauses: which, who, when, where, … Adverb clauses of time: before, after, …

-

Grammatical range and accuracy Lexical resources

2. Tenses

5. Sentence structures 6. Prepositions and articles

6. Join changes

52

-

-

-

Grammatical range and accuracy Coherence and cohesion

UNIT 4 LANGUAGE USED IN GRAPHS/CHARTS WITH TRENDS

(COHERENCE & COHESION) AIM: This unit is aimed at providing students with -

the use of linking signals to achieve coherence and cohesion the way to use compact style the ways to express fractions variations on percentages

TRY IT FIRST 1. Study the following question. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The bar chart shows the percentage of Australian graduates in full-time employment four months after graduating between 1995 and 2001. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

53

2. Think about these questions a. What is the main idea of the bar chart? b. What verb tense will be used in the description? c. What are the overall trends for two genders? d. How many ways are there to approach and organize a description of this bar chart with trends? e. Which figures do you select to write about the trend of each gender? f. What sentence structures and vocabulary do you need to use? g. Can you give some comments on some special features shown in the bar chart?

3. Read the model text below. Match paragraphs 1 - 5 with summaries a – e. a. Main information b. An overview ___ c. Data for males d. Data for females

1.

Similarly, as for female graduates, apart from some fluctuations, their figures also

witnessed an overall increase from 78% in 1995 to 83% in 2001. A further point of interest is that while there was a sharper growth in the proportion of men in work in 1996, the number for women remained constant at 83% from 2000 to 2001, and in the final year, employment figures were equal for both genders. 2.

The bar chart illustrates the number of recent graduates who found full-time work

within four-month period after graduating. 3.

Looking at the details, in 1995, just over 80% of recent male graduates were

working. Subsequently, despite some fluctuations, there was a steady increase in men’s figures until 2001, with sharper rises in 1996 and 2000, followed by falls. This was especially marked in 2000 when the male employment rate grew by 2% to a peak of 85%, before dropping to 83% the following year. 4.

It is also noticeable that the percentage of women in work was consistently

lower than it was for men, except in 2001. 5.

In general, employment levels experienced an overall upward trend during t h e six-

year period for both sexes. 54

LANGUAGE NOTES 1. Sequencing expressions In order to achieve cohesion and coherence as well as to enhance academic style of your answer, you are recommended to make the best use of linking signals to clearly show a new part of the graph/chart, to compare different trends illustrated and to highlight significant or interesting features as follows: Indicate overall trend As known, the second opening statement in the opening paragraph includes a short description of the overall trends seen in the graph. There are some expressions that can be used to signal the overall trend as follows. Overall, In general, It can be seen from the graph / table that

As can be seen from the graph / table, From the graph / table, it is clear / obvious / apparent /

-

that

In general, employment levels experienced an overall upward trend during the six-year period for both sexes, but the percentage of women in work was consistently lower than it was for men, except in 2001. Introduce new part

In order to designate that a new part of the paragraph is being analyzed, you can use one of the following expressions. Looking at the details, As regards Regarding As for

, , ,

With respect to

,

-

Looking at the details, in 1995, just over 80% of recent male graduates were working.

-

As for female graduates, apart from some fluctuations, their figures also witnessed an overall increase from 78% in 1995 to 83% in 2001. 55

Compare & contrast One important task in describing graphs/charts with trends is to make comparisons where relevant. Therefore, it is very common for you to compare similar trends and contrast different trends when describing the data. The following expressions are very popular for comparing and contrasting. COMPARISON STRUCTURE WORDS Sentence connectors

Clause connectors

Others

Similarly,

and

like (+ noun)

Likewise,

both ... and

(be) similar (to)

also

not only ...but also

(be) the same as

too

as

the same is true for

just as

-

Similarly, as for female graduates, apart from some fluctuations, their figures also witnessed an overall increase from 78% in 1995 to 83% in 2001.

-

Similar to the employment trend of men, the figure for women also witnessed an overall increase from 78% in 1995 to 83% in 2001.

-

The same is true for the employment trend of women when their figure also witnessed an overall increase from 78% in 1995 to 83% in 2001. CONTRAST STRUCTURE WORDS

-

-

Sentence connectors However,

Clause connectors but

Others despite (+noun) in

Nevertheless,

while

spite of (+noun)

By comparison,

whereas

differ from

Conversely,

(be) different (from)

In contrast,

(be) dissimilar to

By contrast,

(be) unlike

Employment levels experienced an overall upward trend during the six-year period for both sexes. However, the percentage of women in work was consistently lower than it was for men, except in 2001. While there was a sharper growth in the proportion of men in work in 1996, the number for women remained constant from 2000 to 2001, and in the final year, employment figures were 56

-

equal for both genders. Despite the overall upward trend during the six-year period for both sexes, the percentage of women in work was consistently lower than that for men, except in 2001. Highlight special features

With a view to earning a higher mark, it is of great importance for a writer to include significant features and interesting points of a graph or chart in his/her answer. The following are some expressions you can use to highlight the special features of the graph/chart being described. What stands out from the graph/ chart is that The most striking feature of the graph/ chart is that Another interesting point is that

One particularly interesting fact highlighted by the data/ figure given is that A further point of interest is that

-

In general, employment levels experienced an overall upward trend during the six-year period for both sexes, but the percentage of women in work was consistently lower than it was for men, except in 2001.

-

A further point of interest is that while there was a sharper growth in the proportion of men in work in 1996, the number for women remained constant from 2000 to 2001, and in the final year, employment figures were equal for both genders. 2. Using compact style

One of the ways for you to score high in report writing is to use the concise and precise language. The following can help you to have the right language. Present participle clauses

It is important to note that the present participle clauses, ending in -ing is active in meaning. It does not indicate the present tense at all, and can be used for any tense. -

Between 1860 and 1900 the temperature remained steady. During that time, the temperature rose and fell by no more than 0.1 Centigrade.

can become -

Between 1860 and 1900 the temperature remained steady, rising and falling by no more than 1 Centigrade. 57

Another typical expression is seen in the following sentence. - The US had by far the greatest share of the information technology market, accounting for 44% of Internet connections. - Spending on holidays rose over the period, increasing from $1,053 million to $1,230 million. Present participle clauses are also often with prepositions with and can include noun and adverbs. -

The developing countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America experienced the most dramatic growth, with Africa having around 5% per annum.

-

Spending on holidays rose over the period, with the expenditure increasing from $1,053 million to $1,230 million. Past participle clauses

The past participle (ending in -ed and PII) is used for the passive and is very useful in academic writing. -

The bar chart illustrates the number of recent graduates who found full-time work within fourmonth period after graduating.

can become -

The bar chart illustrates the number of recent graduates (who were) full time employed within four-month period after graduating. Commas

-

The percentage of female graduates employed full time increased by 5%, from 78% in 1995 to 83% in 2001.

-

The percentage of female graduates employed full time increased from 78% in 1995, an increase of 5%.

Preposition at and with

-

The greatest percentage of male graduates who found full time jobs was in 2000, at 85%.

-

The lowest percentage of female graduates who found full time jobs was in 1978, with 78%.

-

The number for women remained constant at 83% from 2000 to 2001.

Parentheses

-

Looking at the details, in 1995, a large number of male graduates (just over 80%) were 58

working. -

In 2000, the male employment rate grew significantly to a peak (85%), before dropping to 83% in the following year. 3. Expressions of fractions Approximating figures

Fractions

around

a tenth

about

a fifth

approximately

a quarter

approaching

a third

almost

half

nearly

two thirds

close to

three quarters

(well/just) under (well/just) over (slightly) more/less than

-

Aerobics comprised over one tenth of the total in 1999 and the number increased gradually to 18% 10 years later.

-

In 1999, almost a fifth of surveyed people preferred soccer, which comprised almost the same number in the next 10 years.

-

Over a quarter of the surveyed attendants chose walking as their leisure activity in 1999.

59

4. Variations on percentages Percentage Proportion/amount/number/ majority 89%

Fraction

the overwhelming majority/ the vast majority a massive 89%, a hefty 89%

73%

a significant/ vast majority

approximately three quarters

66%

a large proportion

precisely two thirds

48%

a good proportion

almost a half

35%

just over a third

25%

a small number

exactly a quarter

15%

a small minority

5%

a tiny minority, a modest minority,

a small fraction

an insignificant amount, a modest 5%, a mere 5%

-

In 1999, a good proportion of respondents to the survey enjoyed walking in their free time.

-

A very small number of the attendants did yoga to relax in 1999, and this activity was then replaced by weightlifting, which was chosen by one in ten Americans.

-

A minority of the Americans (12%) were interested in bicycling in 1999.

60

PRACTICE Practice 1: Do the tasks below. Task 1: The phrases in the list are alternative ways of describing proportions. Divide the list into four groups that each has similar meanings. C A B A

B

C

three quarters almost half one third 75 per cent one in three nearly half D

B

C cent 48 per cent about one in four 33 per

D

26 per cent

B Da threeAout of four just under one half just over

B

quarter

close to one half

A

B

C

D

Task 2: These adjective-noun collocations can also be used to describe proportions. Write the adjectives next to the correct meaning in the table. Can you add more to the list?

the vast majority a tiny minority a massive 85 per cent 85 per cent

a mere twelve per cent

a modest twelve per cent a hefty the overwhelming majority

Very big

A massive 85% per cent 85% percent

Very big (used before numbers)

the vast majority, the overwhelming majority

Very small

a modest twelve percent a helfty a mere twelve per cent

Not very big (used before numbers)

a tiny minority

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Practice 2: Study the following table and complete the following description with the phrases given the box below. Then highlight words or phrases for incorporating and commenting on data. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The table shows the number of mobile phones sold in millions for a period of six years. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words. Nokia

Ericsson

Samsung

Motorola

Apple

2006

345

74

117

210

2007

436

102

154

165

2.3

2008

475

95

202

108

12

2009

442

57

238

59

24

2010

463

42

282

39

42

2011

422

33

330

40

89

2012

335

28

396.5

28

135.8

a. achieving only 28 million sales each b. from a previous high of 475 million c. before leveling out and decreasing far less dramatically from 2010 where they were at 42 million d. with a total of 335 million e. rising rapidly from 2006 to 2008 before dropping in 2009

The table provides information on how many mobile phones were sold by five different brands from 2006 to 2012. Overall, some mobile phone brands increased their sales while the others lost their popularity over the period. Nokia had a higher number

of

(1)

. However, this was a marked drop (2)

d

sales

than

Apple

at

the

end

of

the

period

b

in 2008. Nokia’s sales were slightly erratic in general, (3) e ,

62

then repeating the cycle by improving to 463 million in 2010 before slipping downwards to its final result in 2012. Meanwhile, the other two brands, Motorola and Ericsson, followed a more persistently downward pattern.

Both

suffered

the

lowest

number

of

sales overall, (4)

in 2012. Ericson’s sales dropped rapidly from the

c

highest point of 102 million in 2007, (5)

.

a

Overall, Samsung and Apple improved their sales, Motorola and Ericson showed dramatic drops and Nokia had a mixed performance with a negative trend at the end of the period. Practice 3: Read the report and fill in the gaps with the appropriate words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The table below provides information on the sales of mobile phones worldwide in 2005 and 2006. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

Worldwide mobile phone sales in 2005 and 2006 (% share of market) Company

2005 % Market Share

2006 % Market Share

Nokia

32.5

35

Motorola

17.7

21.1

Samsung

12.7

11.8

Sony Ericson

6.3

7.4

L.G

6.7

6.3

BenQ Mobile

4.9

2.4

Others

19.2

16.2

Totals

100

100

63

The

table gives information on

(1)

of mobile

phone

manufacturers for two consecutive years, 2005 and 2006. Overall, the market share of Nokia, and Sony Ericson rose while that of Samsung, L.G, BenQ Mobile and others fell over the period. In both years, Nokia was clearly the market leader, (2)

32.5% of all mobile phones in

2005, and (3)

(3.5%) in 2006. This is a greater

market share than its two closest competitors, Motorola and Samsung, added together. Motorola increased its market share from (4) (5)

in 2006.

, Samsung saw its share of the market decline slightly from

12.7% to 11.8%. The other companies listed each had a (6)

of the market. Sony

Ericsson’s share increased from 6.3% in 2005 to 7.4% in 2006 (7)

L.G.’s

decreased slightly from 6.7% t6o 6.3%. BenQ Mobile’s share more than (8)

from

2005 to 2006: from 4.9% of the market to only 2.4%. Other mobile phone manufacturers (9) 2005 – more than all the companies

19.2% of the market in

mentioned (10)

Nokia. However, in

2006, the other companies only made 16.2% of mobile phone sales – less than both Nokia and Motorola. It is noticeable that Nokia was the biggest mobile manufacturer in the period.

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Practice 4: Identify the 10 mistakes in the following report. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The chart shows student expenditure over a three-year period in the United Kingdom. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

Note: Other includes non-essential consumer items and credit repayments The bar chart shows changes in the amount of money spend on different items by the students in the United Kingdom over a three-year period between 1996 and 1999. Meanwhile, students spent more money on entertainment and essential travel but less on the other items. Looking at the details, the students spent 3% less on

accommodation, which fell from 23% to

20% of the total expenditure. By contrast, there was a 2% decrease in the spending on food, bills and household goods, which declined from 20% to 18%. During the same time, course 65

expenditure went down by 3% from 10% to 7%. Children, which constituted 1% of students’ budget in 1996 are not presented in 1999. Likewise, there was a 5% growth in the spending o n entertainment, on 26% of the total expenditure in 1996, following by a rise to 31% in 1999. But the spending on the o t h e r nonessential items and credit repayments grew by 4%, making up16% of total expenditure. The figure for essential travel increased by 3% however non-essential travel underwent a 1% fall. Also, with the exception of expenditure on travel, the most significant general change was a shift from spending on essential items to spending on non-essential ones.

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Practice 5: Study the following charts and make an outline for each chart, grouping the main features into different paragraphs. Then, write a report on one of the charts. Task 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The charts below show the annual spending of a particular UK university from 1981 to 2001. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

67

Task 2 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. A small tropical island has been developed into a tourism destination. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words 198 5 37

1990 24

18

18

17

17

Number of bird species

67

63

32

30

41

44

% of population (fishing)

80

78

63

42

35

30

% of population (tourism)

15

15

26

38

43

50

% houses with running water

0

35

70

95

95

95

% houses with electricity

0

0

50

94

97

97

% of school-aged children at school

34

35

32

76

80

91

% of island covered in forest

68

1995 2000 2005

Present day

Task 3

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The chart below shows the average growth in domestic products in wealthy countries, countries that have adopted a global approach to business and countries that have not.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

69

THINGS TO REMEMBER Assessment criteria 1. Linking signals

2. Use compact style

-

Indicate overall trends Introduce new part Compare and contrast Highlight special features

-

Coherence and cohesion Grammatical range and accuracy

-ing clause -ed clause comma with / at parentheses (….)

-

Grammatical range and accuracy Lexical resources Coherence and cohesion

-

4. Expressions of fraction

-

Lexical resources

5. Variations on percentages

-

Lexical resources

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UNIT 5

CONSOLIDATION

AIM: This unit is aimed at providing students with - the review of the techniques used to describe graphs/charts with trends - the Pilot test (The pilot test can be done on the previous lesson so that teachers could have time to mark the paper before they give students feedback) - and feedback on the pilot test.

THINGS TO REMEMBER ASSESSMENT CRITERIA Task Achievement - Have you written at least 150 words? - Have you understood and reworded the topic of the chart(s)? - Have you made an overview of the data? - Have you grouped the data in a way that helps the reader to understand the information? - Have you included some data to support your description? - Have you compared and contrasted the data in the chart(s)? Grammatical range and accuracy - Have you used a variety of sentence structures? - Have you used noun phrases to express your ideas? - Have you used appropriate verb tenses? - Have you controlled your subject-verb agreement? - Have you used correct prepositions? - Have you used correct punctuation? - Overall, is your grammar accurate? Lexical resources - Have you used a variety of appropriate and academic words? - Have you used correct word forms? - Have you spelled the words correctly? Coherence and cohesion - Have you organized your answer in some logical way to describe the data from the chart(s)? - Have you included an overview sentence to tell the reader the main idea of the chart(s)? - Have you used a variety of appropriate linking expressions? - Have you used referencing pronouns and synonyms to avoid repetition?

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-

CHARTS WITH TRENDS Word limit Structure: opening, overview, body Overall patterns: general trend(s) + special feature(s) Data grouping Cooperating Facts Comparisons and contrasts

-

Sentence structures of trends Prepositions/ grammatical structures for data incorporation Time expressions

-

Vocabulary of varied trends Data expressions

-

Signals for overview Linking signals Grouping data based on trends + similarities vs. differences

-

Practice 1: This exercise contains a range of mistakes, e.g. spelling and grammar that students often make in the language that they use to write about graphs. Some of the sentences have more than one mistake. Identify and correct them.

Example: The number of computers sold fell down sharply. → The number of computers sold fell sharply in 2010. 1. The sales of chicken burgers dramatically increased over the period. 2. Diesel rose considerably until the end of the period. 3. The figure plummeted substantially in 1999. 4. There was sharply decrease of the amount of people attending the theatre over the period. 5. It is estimated that the number of cars on the road plunge when road pricing is introduced. 6. Sales hit a peak in late summer and then felled back in the consequent months. 7. There was, according to the graph, no significant changes to sales from 1973 to 1976. 8. The birth rate raised quite slowly over the period. 9. The amount of students has been increased from 2011 to 2,000 in 2012. 10. The figure saw a remain constant over the whole period. Practice 2: Study the following line graph and three responses. Decide which one is: an expert response, a good average response and a weak response. Discuss your ideas with your partner. Use the list of questions from the assessment criteria to give three reasons for your decisions. Think about

-

the opening statement

-

the overview paragraph the vocabulary used the grammar used the way that data has been organized – is it logical and clear? the way the ideas are linked together

72

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The graph below shows the consumption of fish and some different kinds of meat in a European country between 1979 and 2004. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Response A The graph illustrates the consumption of beef and three different kinds of meat in a particular European country between 1979 and 2004. Overall, there is a difference in the consumption of meat eaten over the period. In 1979 beef was the most popular food with about 225 grams per person per week. Lamb and chicken were eaten in similar consumption with around 150 grams. During this 25 years period, the consumption of beef and lamb fell down dramatically to about 100 grams and 55 grams respectively. People ate much less fish with just over 50 grams in 1979. And the use of fish declined to just below 50 grams. We can see that only the use of chicken rises. (119 words

73

Response B The line graph provides information on the amount of beef, lamb, chicken and fish consumed in a country in Europe from 1979 and 2004. There was a sharp rise in the consumption of chicken per person per week, under 150 grams in 1979 to approximately 250 grams in 2004. With such a significant increase in the consumption level, chicken becomes the most popular kind of meat at the end of the period. On the other hand, the consumption of three other kinds of meat declined by varying degrees. From the most popular meat, with about 225 grams consumed per person per week, beef became less popular over the years, with the consumption falling to about 100 grams in 2004. Likewise, the consumption of lamb falls from about 150 grams in 1979 to over 50 grams in 1979. The consumption of fish also declined, but much less significantly to just below 50 grams. Overall, the consumption of chicken increased as opposed to that of the other three kinds of meat over the period. 173 words Response C The line graph illustrates the amount of beef, lamb, chicken and fish consumed in a European country from 1979 to 2004. Overall, while the consumption of chicken rose sharply, that of the other kinds of meat fell by varying degrees. In 1979 beef was the most popular of these foods, with about 225 grams consumed per person per week. Lamb and chicken were eaten in similar quantities (around 150 grams), while much less fish was consumed (just over 50 grams). However, during this 25-year period the consumption of beef and lamb fell dramatically to approximately 100 grams and 55 grams respectively. The consumption of fish also declined, but much less significantly to just below 50 grams, so although it remained the least popular food, consumption levels were the most table. The consumption of chicken, however, showed an upward trend, overtaking that of lamb in 1980 and that of beef in 1989. By 2004 it had soared to almost 250 grams per person per week. (176 words)

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Match the overall descriptions to each response.

Description 1 This is a good average response. A variety of vocabulary has been used, and there are only a few minor grammatical errors indicated by mistakes in prepositions. There is a good attempt to compare and summarize the data, and an overview sentence has been included. There is a

good variety of sentence structures used. There is one minor verb tense in this response.

Description 2 This is a weaker response. The opening sentence has virtually been copied word for word from the question, rather than being reworded. This response does not give an overview sentence, but instead simply repeats the opening sentence. The main ideas are not arranged logically and there is also a lack of facts for one main idea. Sentence structures and vocabulary are repetitive and simple. There are also several verb tense errors because a date which has been given for the table is in the past, verb tense usage must reflect this as well as being consistent. This is also below the required word count.

Description 3 This is an expert response. The opening sentence has been paraphrased, rather than being reworded. This response gives an overview sentence. Synonyms have been used in order not to repeat vocabulary, and complex sentence structures have been used along with linking

language to ensure good overall coherence and flow. The data has been logically grouped, summarized and compared to good effect.

75

PILOT MID-TERM WRITING TEST Task 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The graph shows the number of hours children aged 10 – 11 spend on watching TV and computers from 2000 to the present. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

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Task 2 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The chart below gives information about global sales of games software, CDs and DVD or video. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

77

SECTION 2

COMPARATIVE CHARTS

UNIT 6

OVERVIEW ON COMPARATIVE CHARTS

AIMS: This unit is aimed at providing students with - an overview on comparative charts (or charts with no trends) which includes kinds of charts, question and sample report, structure of a report and ways to group the data - practice exercises to familiarize students with the description of charts with no trends.

TYPES OF COMPARATIVE CHARTS There are four different types of comparative graphs/charts (charts with no trends) as follows. 1. Line graphs Line graphs use one line (single line graphs) or more lines (multiple line graphs) to compare items over time, to show frequency or distribution, and to show correlations. There are horizontal and vertical axes. When time is a variable, it is put on the horizontal axis. In the following line graph, there is no time available, and the annual household income is displayed on the horizontal axis instead.

Internet use (hours)

35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Annual household income ($000)

Annual household income and Internet use

This kind of line graphs is very rare, so they are not mentioned in this writing course book.

78

2. Bar charts Bar graphs use thick lines or bars or columns to compare sets of figures. Bars can be horizontal, vertical or extended. Horizontal bars are used when labels are long; when the labels are short, either horizontal or vertical bars will work. Bar charts are easy to interpret because they ask people to compare distance along a common scale, which most people judge accurately. Bar charts are useful in a variety of situations: to compare one item to another, to compare items over time, and to show correlations. In the following bar charts, there is no time available as they focus on comparing one item to another. Vertical bar charts

Leisure time in a typical week: by sex and employment status, 1998-1999 90

Hours of leisure time

80 70

60 50 40

Male

30

Female

20 10 0 Employed full time

Employed Unemployed part time

79

Retired

Housewives

Horizontal bar charts

(Elementary occupations = laborers and catering assistants) (IELTS Testbuider 2, Sam Mc Carter, Macmillan Testbuiders, page 115)

3. Pie charts Pie charts show proportions, normally presented as percentages. The data in any pie chart can be put in a bar chart. Therefore, a pie chart is used only when to compare one segment to the whole. When one segment is compared to another segment, a bar chart, line graph, or a map is used– even though the data may be expressed in percentages. The following pie charts do not show changes over time. Instead, they focus on comparing different items.

80

Money a children's charity in the USA spent and received in one year

4. Tables A table is a display of information usually given in numbers. It is arranged in some orderly fashion, usually in columns and rows. Columns run from top to bottom. The first column in the above table contains the row headings for the table. Rows are read from left to right. Tables provide us with an effective way of looking at groups of related numbers. They present us with many specific pieces of information in a form that makes it easy for us to compare those bits of data with each other.

81

A number of secondary schools in three countries conducted a survey about how their students travel to school.

QUESTION AND SAMPLE REPORT 1. Question and sample report You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The table describes the enrolments for a number of different subjects in universities in the UK, Australia and France. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

Subjects studied at university Australia

UK

France

Medicine

10%

Media Studies

15%

Engineering

18%

History

8%

Literature

12%

Medicine

6%

Sports science

8%

Sports science

12%

Law

6%

Law

5%

Law

10%

Languages

6%

Engineering

3%

Medicine

4%

Literature

4%

Languages

2%

Languages

1%

History

2%

Literature

1%

Engineering

1%

Sports science

0%

82

The table illustrates the percentage of students majoring in different subjects at university in the UK, Australia and France. Overall, students in these countries are interested in different subjects. It is also noticeable that Engineering is the most popular subject in France while it is Media Studies for the UK and Medicine for Australia. Medicine is the most popular subject in Australia with 10% of the students compared to France and the UK with 6% and 4% respectively. In contrast, Australian students in Literature number only 1%, whereas in the UK it secures 12% of the students, the second most favored major after Media Studies which accounts for 15%. Engineering is the most studied subject in France with 18%, but in Australia and the UK few students select this specialization with only 3% and 1% respectively. Whilst more modern disciplines such as Media Studies and Sports Science attract interest in the UK and Australia, gaining 12% and 8% for the latter subject, in France they appear not to exist. In all three countries Languages is not very popular with France having the highest numbers at 6%, falling to 2% and 1% for Australia and the UK. (Adapted from IELTS practice tests 1 by James Milton, Huw Bell and Peter Neville)

2. General structure of a report An interpretation of a table/line graph/bar chart ... usually contains 3 parts:

an opening

statement, an overview paragraph and body paragraphs. The opening statement

The opening statement explains what you are describing. It should include the following information: kind of the graph + verb + what + where + when -

The table illustrates the percentage of students majoring in different subjects at university in the UK, Australia and France.

-

The table provides information on how the proportion of university students changes in different subjects in the UK, Australia and France.

The overview paragraph

The overview paragraph often consists of 2 statements. The first one presents the overall feature of the chart(s). 83

- Overall, students in these three countries are seen to be interested in different subjects. - It can be seen that there is a difference in the popularity of these subjects across the countries. The second statement could include any of the following, where relevant: a special feature, significant comments, an overall summary of the ideas or future implications. - It is also noticeable that Engineering is the most popular subject in France while it is Media Studies for the UK and Medicine for Australia. - It also appears that Medicine attracts more students in Australia and France than those in the United Kingdom. Body paragraphs

The number of the paragraphs in the body varies based on the data shown in the charts. The way to group the information in the body paragraphs will be shown in detail as follows. 3. Grouping information Bar charts

Students often face up with difficulties describing information or data in the form of comparative charts. Reasons may vary, but perhaps the main reason is that students do not know how to interpret diagrams. They then cannot see the organization and the underlying patterns, which means that, when describing a chart, they do not have a framework within which they can write. Their description is chaotic or nothing more than a lengthy list. Study the following example:

84

Results of a survey which asked people what they thought the main causes of crime were.

Causes of crime poverty unemployment boredom drug addiction lack of education poor housing family upbringing lack of facilities working parents lack of school disciplines peer group pressure 0

20

40

60

80

100

You can organize the above data into the three main categories, as follows: CAUSES

Family

Government

Individual

Family upbringing

Poverty

Boredom

Working parents

Unemployment

Drug addiction

Lack of education

Peer group pressure

Poor housing Lack of school disciplines Lack of facilities Within this framework, it is then easier to describe and analyze. Your description can move from general points to specific examples. For instance, according to the bar chart, people attribute crime to six causes within the control of the Government. You can therefore compare this with the Family and the Individual. You can then move deeper into the bar chart by giving specific examples from within the categories. You can also compare examples within categories,

85

or even across categories, thus moving from general to particular and from particular to particular. Another possible way to organize the data is Above 40% -

poverty

-

Under 40% boredom

-

unemploymentdrug addiction

-

lack of education

-

lack of school disciplines

-

poor housing

-

family upbringing

-

lack of facilities

-

peer group pressure

You can then describe and analyze the data within the top band and then within the bottom band. You can see that this approach is more simplistic than the framework above. Pie charts

Comparative pie charts show proportions, normally presented as percentages. Usually, there are no more than seven segments in one pie. If the data has more divisions, the smallest or the least important segments are usually combined into a single “miscellaneous” or “other” category. When you describe comparative charts, also like graphs/charts with trends, you should always group information in a logical way to make it easy to follow and read. With the following pie charts, the best way to group the data in the body paragraphs is to describe each pie chart in turn, rather than comparing the data across the pie charts because each pie chart focuses on one different category.

86

World spending Food, 24%

Others, 40%

Clothing , 6%

Housing , 12%

Transport, 18%

World population Others, 5%

Europe , 14% Americas , 14%

Asia, 57%

Africa, 10%

Consumption of resources Others , 40%

USA & Europe , 60%

However, when describing each pie chart, it is important to choose the most important points (or the largest segments) to describe first as mentioned above. For example, regarding World Spending, it is advisable to describe the data for spending on Food first, followed by spending on Transport, Housing and Clothing in the order of importance. Spending on Others will be mentioned last.

87

With pie charts with no trends, the most logical thing to do is usually to compare categories together across the charts, focusing on similarities and differences, rather than writing about each chart separately. If you write about each one separately, the person reading it will have to keep looking between the paragraphs in order to see how each category differs. Look at the following pie charts. Household expenditure in Britain 2000 Clothing , 7%

Housing , 18%

Transport, 17%

Other goods & services , 36% Food, 22%

Household expenditure in Hong Kong 2000

Other goods & services , 28%

Clothing , 4%

Housing , 32%

Transport , 9% Food, 27%

One of the possible ways to group the information in the above pie charts is to describe the greatest expense in each country compared with that item in the other country. Then comes the second greatest expenditure until the smallest one as follows. -

Hong Kong: greatest proportion (32%) on housing ≠ one of the smallest in Britain (17%)

-

Britain: greatest expense on other goods and services (36%), ≠ second largest in Hong Kong (28%). 88

-

Britain: Food second place (22%), higher in Hong Kong (27%).

-

In Britain: Transport is major expense (17%), but much lower in Hong Kong (9%).

-

Both countries: smallest expenditure on clothing.

Overall: In both cases food, housing and other goods and services were the main expenses, but in Britain, transport and other goods and services took up a higher proportion than in Hong Kong. Tables

It is usually harder to describe comparative tables than comparative bar charts and pie charts, mainly because they lack the visual organization in the latter. However, the same principles apply as to graphs: look for patterns. When you are given a comparative table to describe, you should look for the data from both the rows and the columns. When you look for the data from the rows (across), you look for the biggest contrasts and the closest similarities. When you look for the data from the columns (down), you look for high numbers and low numbers. high numbers low numbers the biggest contrasts the closest similarities Look at the following table and apply the principle shown above. Extreme sports that 11-14 year-olds participate in by gender, 2003 Males (%)

Females (%)

Total (%) (average)

Mountain biking

22.7

13.3

18.1

Snowboarding

8.1

4.0

6.1

Mountain climbing

10.6

9.3

10.0

Skateboarding

27.5

13.3

20.8

Rollerblading

21.7

31.7

26.6

If you look across the table, you have the information about the difference in the percentage of men and women. You can see that more men than women join all the sports except for

89

Rollerblading. You can also see the biggest contrasts (in Skateboarding, followed by Mountain biking) and the closest similarities (in Mountain climbing and Snowboarding). If you look down the table, you have the information about the most popular sports and the least ones. According to the table, Skateboarding had the highest number of male members, followed by Mountain biking. Snowboarding on the other hand had the smallest percentage following Mountain climbing. Therefore, you can group the information in the body paragraphs as follows. -

The sports in which more men participate than women in the order of their popularity.

-

The sport in which women outnumber men.

-

The most popular sport for both genders.

90

PRACTICE Practice 1: Do the following tasks. Task 1: Study the following table and three responses. Decide which one is

-

an expert response

-

a good average response

-

a weak response

Discuss your ideas with your partner. Use the list of questions from the assessment criteria to give three reasons for your decision. Think about

-

the vocabulary used

-

the grammar used

-

the way that data has been organized – is it logical and clear?

-

the opening statement

-

the overview paragraph

-

the way the ideas are linked together

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The table below shows the water usage for different purposes in six different countries in 2001. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words. Countries

Domestic water usage Agricultural (m3)

water Industrial

usage (m3)

usage (m3)

Australia

341

741

275

Canada

279

1,238

532

China

26

605

71

Russia

98

1,663

96

Turkey

80

1,462

73

United Kingdom

38

810

398

91

water

Response A The table shows the usage for different sectors in six different countries during 2001. Overall, the table shows the various amounts of water used by different countries in 2001. Australia’s domestic water usage was 341m3 whereas its agricultural usage was 741m3 and finally industrial usage stands at 275m3. Canada had 279m3 and 532m3 for the different sectors respectively. Domestic usage in China is 26m3, agricultural use 605 m3 and finally industrial usage 71m3. Water use in Russia was high, with 98m3 used for domestic purposes, 1,663m3 for agricultural purposes and 96m3 for industry purposes. Turkey used 80m3, 1,462m3 and 73m3 for the three categories and United Kingdom use 38m3, 810m3 and 398m3. (112 words) Response B The table gives water usage information for six countries in various sectors during 2001; domestic, agricultural and industrial. Overall, agricultural water usage was much greater than usage in the other two sectors for all the countries represented. Russia and Turkey both indicated relative low levels of domestic usage on 98m3 and 80 m3 respectively; however, water usage for the agricultural sector in these two countries was the highest of all six countries at 1,663 m3 and 1,462 m3. The lowest user of water for agricultural usage was China at 605 m3 and the highest amount of water used for industrial purposes is in Canada, at 532 m3. In

Australia, domestic water usage (34 m3) was higher than industrial water usage (275 m3) and this trend was similar yet less pronounced in Russia (98 m3 for domestic usage compared to 96m3 for industrial usage) and Turkey, where domestic use was recorded at 80m3 in contrast to industrial consumption at 73m3. In all other countirs, water usage for industrial purposes was higher than domestic use. (173 words)

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Response C The table provides information about the amount of water used in six countries in domestic, agricultural and industrial sectors. Overall, agricultural usage was much greater than either domestic or industrial in all the six countries. It is also noticeable that China had the lowest consumption of water in 2001, while Canada had the highest. China, Russia, Turkey and the United Kingdom all had noticeably low domestic consumption, ranging from 26 cubic meters to 98 cubic meters. Three of these also had light industrial usage (71–96 cubic meters), but the UK used ten times more water for industry, at 398 cubic meters. By contrast, Australia and Canada consumed 341 cubic meters and 279 cubic meters respectively in the home. Industrial consumption was higher for Canada, at 532 cubic meters, whereas it was only 275 cubic meters for Australia. Agriculture consumed between 605 cubic meters and 810 cubic meters of water in China, Australia and the UK, but the other three countries had very high usage rates: Canada at 1,238 cubic meters, Turkey at 1,462 cubic meters and Russia, even higher, at 1,663 cubic meters. 185 words

Task 2: Match the overall descriptions to each response. Description 1 This is a good average response. A variety of vocabulary has been used, and there are only a few minor grammatical errors indicated by mistakes in prepositions. There is a good attempt to compare and summarize the data, and an overview sentence has been included. There is a good variety of sentence structures used. There is one minor verb tense in this response. Description 2 This is a weaker response. It describes all the data in the table, rather than summarizing the main features, and does not compare data. A sentence structure is repetitive and simple. The opening sentence has virtually been copied word for word from the question, rather than being reworded. There are also several verb tense errors; because a date which has been given for the table is in the past, verb tense usage must reflect this as well as being consistent. This response does not give an overview sentence, but instead simply repeats the opening sentence. This is also below the required word count.

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Description 3 This is an expert response. Synonyms have been used in order not to repeat vocabulary, and complex sentence structures have been used along with linking language to ensure good overall coherence and flow. The data has been logically grouped, summarized and compared to good effect. Practice 2: Make an outline grouping the information in some of the following charts. Then write the opening statement and the overview paragraph for each of them. Task 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The table below shows the results of a survey conducted on finding how secondary schools in three countries travel to school. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

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Task 2 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The bar chart below shows the employment of all female and male workers by occupation in the United Kingdom in the year 2005. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

(Elementary occupations = laborers and catering assistants)

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Task 3 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The pie charts show the percentage of money a children's charity in the USA spent and received in one year Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

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UNIT 7

LANGUAGE USED IN COMPARATIVE CHARTS (STRUCTURES & INCORPORATING DATA)

AIMS: This unit is aimed at providing students with - the structures commonly used in making comparisons and contrasts in comparative charts - the ways to incorporate data

TRY IT FIRST 1. Study the following question. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The bar chart shows data about the average Saturday sales of two bakeries in London in 2010. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

Saturday sales at Bernie's Buns and Lovely Loaves 160

Avg number of items sold

140 120 100 80 60

Bernie's Buns

40

Lovely Loaves

20 0

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2. Think about these questions before you start. a. What is the main topic of the bar chart? b. What are the main differences between the sales from the two bakeries? c. What are the similarities between the sales from the two bakeries? d. What tense do you use? e. What sentence structures and vocabulary do you need to use? f. How could you group the data? 3. Decide whether these statements about the graph are True (T) or False (F). Correct the false ones. a. On a typical Saturday, Bernie’s Buns was generally busier than Lovely Loaves. b. Doughnuts were by far the most popular item among customers in both stores. c. The second best-selling item in Bernie’s Buns was cookies. d. Fresh loaves were the least popular snack overall. e. Toasted sandwiches were as popular as cookies. f. Lovely Loaves sold slightly more salads than Bernie’s Buns. g. Salads were well sold in Bernie’s Buns. h. Bernie’s Buns sold slightly less rolls than crisps. i.

The least popular item in Lovely Loaves was toasted sandwiches.

j.

Salads and rolls were not as popular as sweet items.

4. Study the sample report below and list examples of: -

Comparatives

-

Linking devices

-

Superlatives

-

Ways numbers are incorporated

-

Not as + adjectives + as

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The bar chart presents the sales of eight items sold by Bernie's Buns and Lovely Loaves in London on a typical Saturday in 2010. Overall, Bernie's Buns was generally the busier bakery, outselling Lovely Loaves in six out of eight items. On the whole, savory foods such as toasted sandwiches, salads and rolls were not as popular as sweet items like cakes and cookies in both bakers over the year. Regarding Bernie's Buns, doughnuts came top of the list, with an average of around 135 sold on a Saturday. Cookies and cakes were the next best sellers, with around 115 and 100 of these snacks sold respectively. Savory foods were less popular. Bernie's Buns sold slightly more rolls than crisps, with roughly 75 of each leaving the shelves. Toasted sandwiches and salads were not nearly as popular, with just 25 and 18 sold in turn. Doughnuts were also the number-one purchase in Lovely Loaves, with just over 120 sold on a Saturday. Cakes and cookies were second and third, at around 75 sales and 65 sales, respectively. Salads came next, with just over 60, three times as many as those sold in Bernie's Buns. Rolls and fresh loaves were joint fifth, with 50 sales apiece, followed by crisps at approximately 45. The least popular item in Lovely Loaves was toasted sandwiches, with around 25 sales. (Adapted from IELTS advantages: writing skills by Richard Brown and Lewis Richards, IELTS Advantage)

LANGUAGE NOTES 1. Making comparisons In comparative bar charts - with no changes over time - you need to compare the information presented in the charts in a variety of ways. Simple comparatives A

be

than

more + long adj.

B C

short adj. + er

be (not)

as

adj.

D as

-

Bernie’s Buns was busier than Lovely Loaves.

-

Bernie’s Buns was more popular than Lovely Loaves.

-

Lovely Loaves was not as busy as Bernie’s Buns. 99

B A

Before comparatives, words indicating small or big differences can be used: much, a

lot, slightly, a bit, considerably, a little, far, ….. substantially considerably a lot A

be

far

more + long adj.

much

less + short/long adj.

than

B

somewhat significantly slightly fractionally

-

Doughnuts were much more popular than toasted sandwiches.

-

Rolls were slightly more popular than crisps.

Comparative structures to compare figures significantly

fewer + countable noun

There be

considerably

less + uncountable noun

There be

far

more + countable/uncountable noun

than noun

slightly

-

There were significantly more doughnuts sold than toasted sandwiches.

-

There were slightly fewer crisps sold than rolls. There be

as

nearly

There be (not)

-

many + countable noun much+ uncountable noun

There be

almost

twice

There be

more than

three times

as

noun

ss

There were more than twice as many toasted sandwiches sold by Lovely Loaves as fresh loaves.

-

There was nearly three times as much money spent on doughnuts as on fresh loaves.

100

A

be

as

about twice

as

adj.

B

three times

-

Doughnuts were nearly three times as popular as fresh loaves.

Simple superlatives be

A

the

short adj.+ est

noun

most long adj.

B The

short adj.+ est

noun

be

noun

most long adj. second most long adj. third short adj + est least long/short adj.

-

The most popular items sold in both bakers were doughnuts. (Doughnuts were the most popular items sold in both bakers).

-

The second most popular items sold by Bernie’s Buns were cookies. (Cookies were the second most popular items sold by Bernie’s Buns).

-

The smallest sales were generated from salads in Lovely Loaves.

Superlative structures to describe figures The

biggest

increase

be

in

largest

number of

be

from

smallest most significant

-

The biggest sales were from doughnuts with 120 sold by Lovely Loaves. A

have

the largest

percentage number

-

of noun

(____%) (______)

Lovely Loaves had the biggest sales from doughnuts with 120 sold.

Further examples

-

White, which is 56.11%, is considerably more common than blue, which makes up 12.72%. 101

-

Red, which constitutes 28.05%, is about twice as popular as blue, which is 12.72%.

-

The other colors, which constitute 3.12%, are considerably less popular than blue (12.72%).

-

School A has almost a quarter as many students as School B.

-

School A has approximately three quarters as much space as School B.

-

School A has the same number / proportion / amount of students as School B.

2. Incorporating data The following are the commonly used verbs to incorporate the data. to make up to constitute

nearly half of ….

to stand at to comprise to account for to record to consist of to amount to

the majority of …

30% of … a significant percentage of …

to represent

You have different ways to incorporate data in your description with the above verbs as follows. Subject + appropriate verb -

Joining a family member made up 15% of immigration to the UK in 2007.

-

The percentage of those immigrating to the UK for formal study in 2007 amounted to just over a quarter.

A relative clause (which + appropriate verb) -

Joining a family member which made up 15% of immigration to the UK shared almost the same figure as emigrating for the same purpose.

-

Moving for formal study which amounted to just over a quarter was the second most popular reason for those who immigrated to the UK in 2007.

-ing participle clause

-

Joining a family member, making up 15% of immigration to the UK, shared almost the same figure as emigrating for the same purpose.

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-

Another major factor influencing a move to the UK was for formal study, with over a quarter of people immigrating for this reason.

Number as subjects

-

22% of people emigrated to the UK in 2007 because they were looking for a job

-

30% of people immigrated to the UK to have a definite job accounted.

Prepositions at and with

-

Having a definite job accounted for 30% of immigration to the UK and this figure was very similar for emigration, at 29%.

-

The proportion of those moving to join a family member was quite similar for immigration and emigration, at 15% and 13% respectively.

-

Joining a family member with 15% of immigration to the UK shared almost the same figure as emigrating for the same purpose. Parentheses

-

Although a significant number of people (32%) gave ‘other’ reasons or did not give a reason why they emigrated, this accounted for only 17% with regards to immigration.

Commas

-

Interestingly, only a small minority, 4%, emigrated for formal study.

-

A large number of people, 22%, emigrated because they were looking for a job.

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PRACTICE Practice 1: Fill in the gaps 1 – 10 in the report of the bar chart below. For some of the gaps, there is a word in brackets to help you. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The bar chart below shows the world languages with the highest numbers of firstlanguage speakers. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

The bar chart shows the number of people who speak top ten languages as their mother tongue. It can be seen that Chinese is the most popular first language in the top ten languages in the world as opposed to French According to the chart, Chinese is by far the (1) _____________________ widely spoken first language, with 1,123 million speakers. This is more than (2) ___________________ the number of speakers of any other languages. English has the (3) ________________________ (high) number of speakers, (4) _____________ a total of (5) ______________________________, closely followed by Hindi, which is spoken by the (6) ______________________ (large) number

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of people. Further down the list, it is interesting that Bengali has (7) ___________________ number of speakers (8) ___________________ Arabic: 235 million. Of the top ten languages in the chart, the (9) _____________________ widely spoken is French, with 124 million speakers, which is only slightly (10) ______________________ than Japanese, which has 125 million. Practice 2: Study the following bar chart and make sentences indicated, using the language of comparing and contrasting you have learnt. You are encouraged to describe the facts in as many ways as possible.

Example: Playing a team sport/listening to music. -

Playing a team sport was the most popular activity on the list at 54%, making it slightly more popular than listening to music at 53%.

-

Fifty four percent of people said they played a team sport while the second most popular activity was listening to music at 53%.

-

Fifty four percent of people said they played a team sport in December, which was slightly more than the number of people who listened to music, with 53%.

-

The percentage of people who played a team sport was slightly higher than that of people who listened to music with 54% as opposed to 53%.

-

Slightly more people played a team sport than those who listened to music in December with 54% and 53% respectively.

-

Playing a team sport is slightly more popular than listening to music with the number of doing the former being 54% as compared with that of those who did the latter.

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You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The bar chart shows the percentage of people who joined different activities in December 2010 Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words. Percentage of people who joined different activities in December 2010

Shopping

Socializing

Listening to music

Playing team sports

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1. shopping/socializing ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. socializing/listening to music ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 106

___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 3. socializing/shopping ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 4. playing a team sport/shopping ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 5. socializing/playing in a team sport ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

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Practice 3: Read the sample answer below and put the missing phrases in the right place. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The bar chart below shows information about the problems people have when they go to live in other countries. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Integration problems for people living abroad 60

50

percentage

40

making friends finding somewhere to live

30

learning local language 20

10

0

aged 18 - 34

aged 35-54

aged over 55

a. In comparison, the youngest age group finds this easier, b. while even fewer people over 55 (23%) deal with this. c. only 22% of people in the last category do not find looking for accommodation at ease. d. while forming friendship is a problem for the young. e. a problem experienced by 46% of the people in this age group. f. but the percentage of older people who find language learning tricky is much higher than that in the others.

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The bar chart illustrates the difficulties people have to face up with when they move to a new country and how the problems vary according to people’s age. As can be seen from the chart, language seems to be a big barrier with age (A) ___. Looking at the details, the greatest problem for young people aged 18 to 34 is making friends, (B)___. However, only 36% of 35-54-year-olds find it hard to create friendship, (C) ___. As regards learning the local language, 54% of the older age group finds it the most problematic. (D) ___, and the percentage who have troubles acquiring the language is much lower, at 29% In contrast to their language learning difficulties, (E) ___. However, this is the second most significant obstacle for the other two age groups with 29 to 40 percent of the people in each group finding it hard. In general, all the age groups experience the same problems to some extent, (F) ____. Practice 4: Write a report describing one of the following charts. Task 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The bar chart below shows information about the problems people have when they go to live in other countries. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Integration problems for people living abroad 40 35

percentage

30

sorting out finances sorting out healthcare finding schools for chidlren

25 20 15 10 5 0 aged 18-34

aged 35-54

aged over 55

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Task 2 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The charts below show the electricity generated in Germany and France from all sources and renewables in 2009. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 250 words.

110

Task 3 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The table below gives information on consumer spending on different items in five different countries in 2002. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

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UNIT 8

LANGUAGE USED IN COMPARTIVE CHARTS

(VARYING LANGUAGE, LINKING SIGNALS & CORRELATIONS) AIMS: This unit is aimed at providing students with - the way to vary the language - the way to use linking signals to achieve coherence and cohesion - the way to indicate correlations

TRY IT FIRST 1. Study the following question. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The pie charts show the main reasons for migration to and from the UK in 2007. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

Main reasons for migration to/from the UK - 2007 Immigration

No reason , 6% Others, 11%

Definite job, 30%

Looking for job, 12%

Accompany , 15%

Formal study , 26%

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Emigration No reason , 18%

Definite job, 29%

Others, 14%

Formal study , 4%

Looking for job, 22%

Accompany , 13%

2. Think about these questions before you start. a. What is the main topic of the pie charts? b. What do the biggest and the smallest areas in each pie chart represent? c. Which areas are similar in size? d. What tense do you use? e. What sentence structures and vocabulary do you need to use? 3. Quiz a. What is the best way to organize your answer? Write one paragraph about immigration and one about emigration Write about the pie charts together, comparing each of the reasons. b. What tense should you use to write about the pie charts? Past Present c. Can you talk about ‘increases’ and ‘decreases’ when describing the information? Yes No

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4. Make a brief outline for the following report. The pie charts illustrate the primary reasons why people came to and left the UK in 2007. Overall, the main factor influencing this decision was employment. It is also noticeable that many more people immigrated for formal study than those who emigrated for the same purpose. Having a definite job accounted for 30% of immigration to the UK, and this figure was very similar for emigration, at 29%. A large number of people, 22%, also emigrated because they were looking for a job, though the proportion of people entering the UK for this purpose was noticeably lower at less than a fifth. Another major factor influencing a move to the UK was for formal study, with over a quarter of people immigrating for this reason. However, interestingly, only a small minority, 4%, emigrated for this. The proportion of those moving to join a family member was quite similar for immigration and emigration, at 15% and 13% respectively. Although a significant number of people (32%) gave ‘other’ reasons or did not give a reason why they emigrated, this accounted for only 17% with regards to immigration.

LANGUAGE NOTES 1. Varying your language As with any kind of graphs/charts in report writing, varying your language is important. You should not keep repeating the same structures. The key language when you write about pie charts is proportion and percentage. Common phrases to see are "the proportion of…" or "the percentage of…" However, you can also use other words and fractions. These are some examples from the model answer: -

a large number of people

-

over a quarter of people

-

a small minority

-

a significant number of people

-

less than a fifth

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This table presents some examples of how you can change percentages to fractions or ratios: Percentage

Fraction

80%

four-fifths

75% 70%

three-quarters seven in ten

65%

two-thirds

60%

three-fifths

55%

more than half

50% 45%

half more than two fifths

40%

two-fifths

35%

more than a third

30%

less than a third

25%

a quarter

20% 15%

a fifth less than a fifth

10%

one in ten

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. Percentage

Qualifier

77%

just over three quarters

77%

approximately three quarters

49%

just under a half

49%

nearly a half

32%

almost a third

This table presents some examples of how you can change percentages to other phrases. Percentage

75% - 85%

proportion / number / amount / majority / minority a massive 85% a hefty 80% a very large majority the vast majority the overwhelming majority

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65% - 75%

a significant proportion

10% - 15%

a minority

5%

a very small number a tiny 10% a modest 10%

The words above are interchangeable, though number is for countable nouns and amount is for uncountable nouns. 2. Age groups There are several ways to say age groups. -

people in the 20-29 age group/bracket

-

the 20-29 year-olds

-

people aged 20-29

-

20-29 year - old people

-

people from 20 to 29 years old

-

people in the youngest/oldest age group

3. Linking devices Useful linking devices can help better the description and make a difference. Study the following structures. COMPARISON STRUCTURE WORDS Sentence connectors

Clause connectors

Others

Similarly, …..

and …

Like (+ noun), ……

Likewise, …..

both ... and

Similar to (+ noun), …..

Also, ……

not only ...but also

,too

as…. just as …..

-

Similar to Bernie’s Buns, Lovely Loaves also gained the biggest sales from doughnuts.

-

Bernie’s Buns and Lovely Loaves were similar in that they both earned most from doughnuts.

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CONTRAST STRUCTURE WORDS Sentence connectors However, Nevertheless, By comparison, Conversely, In contrast, By contrast,

Clause connectors but while whereas

Others despite (+noun) in spite of (+noun) differ from (+noun) as opposed to (+noun) compared to/with (+noun)

A

Although + clause, clause Though + clause, clause

-

Bernie’s Buns sold approximately 120 cookies, while Lovely Loaves sold only around 65.

-

Different from Bernie’s Buns which sold approximately 120 cookies, Lovely Loaves sold only around 65.

-

Bernie’s Buns sold approximately 120 cookies, as opposed to Lovely Loaves which sold only around 65.

-

Approximately 120 cookies were sold by Bernie’s Buns, compared to around 65 cookies which were sold by Lovely Loaves.

-

Although fewer doughnuts were sold by Lovely Loaves than by Bernie’s Buns, they were still the most popular items for the bakery.

4. Showing correlations Correlation is the link that connects two graphs or two parts of a graph together. Correlation can often show an indirect casual link. For example, it has not been possible to say that smoking causes illnesses in the same way that one can say that a poison causes illness because many people smoke without becoming ill. Nevertheless, as the example below shows, a strong correlation between smoking and death from certain illnesses can show that tobacco is an indirect cause of illness and death.

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Tobacco related deaths 1998 Total

Male

Female

Cigarettes consumed per capita, 1995

Africa

125,000

112,000

13,000

480

The Americas

582,000

413,000

169,000

1,530

1,369,000

900,000

469,000

2,080

Southeast Asia

580,000

505,000

75,000

415

India

383,000

332,000

51,000

1,200

1,185,000

986,000

200,000

1,945

913,000

783,000

130,000

1,800

Europe

Western Pacific China

The table shows the number of tobacco-related deaths in 1998 and the consumption of cigarettes per capita in 1995 in different regions. Overall, there is a clear correlation between the number of cigarettes smoked and the number of tobacco-related deaths. It is also noticeable that the number of female deaths was significantly lower than that of males, which seems to be a reflection of the fact that in general far fewer women than men smoke. In all regions except Southeast Asia, the higher the consumption of cigarettes, the higher the tobacco-related mortality rate. Looking at the details, the greatest consumption of cigarettes in 1995 was found in Europe, Western Pacific and China, and that each of these regions also had the largest number of tobacco related-deaths in 1998. Europe, with the greatest consumption of cigarettes with over 2,000 for 1995, also experienced well over 1 million tobacco-related deaths by 1998. The region with the second highest consumption of cigarettes was Western Pacific, with nearly 2,000, and it also recorded the second highest number of tobacco-related deaths with 1,185 million. However, in Southeast Asia, with the lowest level of cigarette consumption, at 415 per capita, the mortality rate was as high as in the Americas with 0.58 million, although in the latter the consumption level was nearly three times as high. (Adapted from Visuals writing about graphs, tables and diagrams by Gabi Duigu, 2004)

Correlation can also be used to show economic or other activity where there is no causal link, or where the cause is a separate one. These are often interesting because they can indicate trends and perhaps suggest future actions to be taken. It is necessary to understand why the two visuals have been placed together, but you are not expected to discuss the implications in any detail.

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PRACTICE Practice 1: Match the numbers on the left column with the phrases on the right column. NUMBER 1. 18%

a. a very large majority

PHRASES

2. 5%

b. a very small number

3. 27%

c. approximately 60%

4. 97%

d. just over three quarters

5. 58%

e. just under/nearly a half

6. 68%

f.

7. 32%

g. just over a quarter

8. 85%

h. almost/nearly a third

9. 77%

i.

almost all

10. 49%

j.

around two thirds

just under/nearly a fifth

Practice 2: Study the pie chart below and make sentences, using the language you have learnt. You are encouraged to describe the facts in as many ways as you can. Example: Coal -

The main fuel used to generate electricity in 1970 in the US was coal, which comprised 46% of the total energy.

-

The main fuel used to generate electricity in 1970 in the US was coal, at 46% of the total energy.

-

In 1970, coal production accounted for 46% of US electricity production.

-

Almost half of US electricity in 1970 came from coal.

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Sources of US Electricity, 1970

1. natural gas ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

2. hydro-electric power/oil ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 3. gas and coal ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

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4. nuclear power/coal ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 5. gas and oil ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Practice 3: Study the pie chart and fill in the gaps with the right words and phrases.

The pie chart shows American spending on (1)_________________________________. Overall, (2) _____________________________were on meats, fish and eggs, cereals and dairy products. (3)____________________spending

was

on

meats,

fish

and

eggs.

This

totals

(4)_______________of the food budget. The (5)__________________biggest area was cereals and bakery products. These (6)________________________16% of spending. Dairy products comprised

just

(7)________________________ 121

of

expenditure

on

food,

(8)_______________fruit and vegetables together accounted for (9)_______________20% of spending. Just under one-tenth of spending went on (10)_______________ such as coffee, tea, and soda. The (11) _____________________ categories in the typical US food budget were fats and oils, (12)_____________3%, and sugar and sweets, at 4%. Finally, miscellaneous food items comprised (13) _____________________ of purchases. Overall, dairy products, cereals, meat and fish constituted (14)_________________half of expenditure, while fruits and vegetables (15)______________________to a further 20%. Practice 4: Study the following table and rearrange the sentences into the right order as a report. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The table below shows the household expenditure in Britain and Hong Kong in 2000 Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 250 words.

Household expenditure in Britain and Hong Kong in 2000 Britain

Hong Kong

Clothing

7

4

Housing

18

32

Transport

17

9

Food

22

27

Other goods and services

36

28

1. Overall, the data indicates that in both cases food, housing and other goods and services were the main expenses, but that in Britain, transport and other goods and services took up a higher proportion of total expenditure than in Hong Kong. 2. The pie charts show the proportion of money spent on various household expenses in Hong Kong and Britain in 2000. 3. It can be seen that in Hong Kong, the greatest proportion of expenditure (32%) was on housing, while in Britain housing accounted for just 17% of the total.

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4. Food came in second place in Britain, at 22%, while in Hong Kong the actual proportion was higher (27%). 5. In Britain another major expense was transport, at 17%, but this was much lower in Hong Kong (9%). 6. In contrast, in Britain the greatest single expense was other goods and services at 36%, compared with 28% in Hong Kong. 7. In both countries, the smallest percentage of expenditure was on clothing. Practice 5: Write a report to describe one of the following charts. Task 1

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Task 2 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The table below shows the unemployment rates in 2000 for men and women in different parts of the world. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words. Country

Unemployment rates (%) Both sexes

Male

Female

Australia

6.5

6.7

6.5

Belize

12.7

8.9

20.3

Japan

4.7

4.9

4.5

Morocco

22.0

20.3

27.6

Netherlands

3.3

2.6

4.2

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Task 3 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The charts below show the results of a survey about what men and women say makes them most happy. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 250 words.

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UNIT 9

CONSOLIDATION THINGS TO REMEMBER ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

COMPARATIVE CHARTS

Task Achievement

-

Word limit Structure: opening, overview, body Overall patterns: Differences + similarities Data grouping Cooperating Facts Comparisons and contrasts

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Comparatives Superlatives Comparison structures Contrast structures

Lexical resources

-

-

-

Variations in percentages/proportions Age groups

-

Have you written at least 150 words? Have you understood and reworded the topic of the chart(s)? Have you made an overview of the data? Have you grouped the data in a way that helps the reader to understand the information? Have you included some data to support your description? Have you compared and contrasted the data in the chart(s)?

Grammatical range and accuracy -

-

Have you used a variety of sentence structures? Have you used noun phrases to express your ideas? Have you used appropriate verb tenses? Have you controlled your subject-verb agreement? Have you used correct prepositions? Have you used correct punctuation? Overall, is your grammar accurate?

Have you used a variety of appropriate and academic words? Have you used correct word forms? Have you spelled the words correctly?

Coherence and cohesion -

Have you organized your answer in some logical way to describe the data from the chart(s)? Have you included an overview sentence to tell the reader the main idea of the chart(s)? Have you used a variety of appropriate linking expressions? Have you used referencing pronouns and synonyms to avoid repetition?

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-

-

Signals for comparing Signals for contrasting Signals for special features Grouping data based on similarities vs. differences Grouping data based on high numbers vs. low numbers

PRACTICE Practice 1: Study the following pie charts and do the tasks that follow. Task 1: Complete the gap in each sentence below. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The pie charts below illustrate the number of journal articles read per week by all students, PhD students and junior lecturers at an Australian university. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

a. The three pie charts illustrate _______________________ many articles from academic journals are read weekly by PhD students and junior lectures _________________other students at an Australian university. b. _____________________________, the overwhelming majority of those studying doctorates read at least twelve articles per week in comparison with the average students. c. The figures were 80 per cent and 12 per cent __________________________________. d. Furthermore, only five per cent of PhD level students read between one and five articles, __________________________the average for all students in this category is a hefty 67 per cent. e. ________________________, for junior lecturers, the pattern appears to be slightly different. f. Most read six or more articles per week (99 per cent), __________________ out of this total 24 per cent read twelve or more, ___________________________ is almost a third of the corresponding figure for PhD level students.

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g. It is clear that those students _____________________________ are researching for PhD read more articles than either junior lecturers or other students. Task 2: Rewrite the following sentences using the given words so that the meaning is the same.

a. Far more PhD students read over 12 articles a week compared with junior lecturers. Far fewer ________________________________________________________________ b. The average student reads fewer journal articles than the average junior lecturer. The average junior lecturer __________________________________________________ c. The other students at the university do not read as many articles as the average PhD student. The average PhD student ____________________________________________________ d. Junior lecturers do not have as much time to read articles as those students who are researching for PhD. Those students who are researching for a PhD ___________________________________ Practice 2: Study the bar chart and indicate the possible ways to group the data in the body paragraphs. Then, match the first half of each sentence (1-6) with its ending (a-f) to form correct sentences about the chart. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The bar chart below shows the number of people in two age groups who join different clubs/associations. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

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1. The arts and crafts society has the greatest number of 20-30 year olds, 2. Only 25 of people from the younger age group are members of the historical society, 3. Some societies are clearly more popular with one of the age groups, 4. The keep fit and social clubs have slightly more members in the younger age bracket, 5. In general, the 20-30 year olds are more actively involved in societies 6. The keep fit and social clubs attract a broader range of people ____________ a. whereas the archeological society is equally popular with both. b. in comparison with the historical society. c. but it is one of the least popular clubs with the older age group. d. compared with the older age group. e. while the figure for 45-65 year olds is about 50. f. although they are fairly popular with both age groups.

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Practice 3: Study the bar chart and fill in the gaps with the appropriate words or phrases. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The bar chart below shows the different types of accommodation chosen by the British when they went on holiday in 2010. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

This bar chart shows the results of a survey on (1) ____________________ people in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland stayed in hotels, caravans, campsites or self-catering accommodation when they went on holiday in 2010. The most striking feature of the chart is that in all the four countries, the majority of people chose to (2) _________________________ . This figure was highest in England at around 55%, which was (3) ________________________ the number of people who cooked for themselves (4) ___________________and far greater than the number of people who stayed in campsites (12%) and finally caravans (6%). A (5) ____________________ was repeated for the Scots and the Welsh. In each case, (6) ____________________ holidaymakers went to hotels (7) _______________

in self-catering apartments. The one difference is that caravan holidays at

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12% were twice (8) ____________________ camping holidays in Scotland, while the (9) _________________could be seen in Wales. The one country that shows a different pattern is Northern Ireland. It is notable that just over 30%

of

the

population

chose

caravan

holidays

______________________________(both around 12%).

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in

preference

to

(10)

PILOT END-OF-TERM WRITING TEST Task 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The charts below show the results of a survey about what people of different age groups say makes them most happy. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

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Task 2 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The bar chart below shows the most important causes of stress for different age groups in Canada. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

The most important cause of stress for different age groups in Canada 35 30

Percentage

25 20

age 25-54

15

age 55-64

10

age 65-74 age 75 and over

5 0 own health problems

not enough money

working too much

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no particular reason

Task 3 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The table illustrates the proportion of monthly household income four European countries spend on food and drink, housing, clothing and entertainment. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Household income on food and drink, housing, clothing and entertainment

Food and drink

Housing

Clothing

Entertainment

France

25%

31%

7%

13%

UK

27%

37%

11%

11%

Turkey

36%

20%

12%

10%

Spain

31%

18%

8%

15%

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