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Lesson 40 - What Are Graphs and Charts

Graphs and charts are visual representations of data that can show numbers, figures, or other information. They include line graphs, bar graphs, pie charts, and other pictorial formats. Tables are another way to present organized data using rows and columns. The document provides an example of each, with a table showing populations of major cities and a line graph depicting increasing salaries over time for different sports. It also gives tips for interpreting graphs, such as identifying trends, major numbers, and the overall main idea.

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Don Andantino
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107 views8 pages

Lesson 40 - What Are Graphs and Charts

Graphs and charts are visual representations of data that can show numbers, figures, or other information. They include line graphs, bar graphs, pie charts, and other pictorial formats. Tables are another way to present organized data using rows and columns. The document provides an example of each, with a table showing populations of major cities and a line graph depicting increasing salaries over time for different sports. It also gives tips for interpreting graphs, such as identifying trends, major numbers, and the overall main idea.

Uploaded by

Don Andantino
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What are Graphs and Charts?

Graphs, charts, and tables are ways of presenting information.


Graphs and charts are pictures which show numbers or figures,
and tables are just rows and columns of information.

This is a table.

City Country Population


Mumbai (Bombay) India 12 million
Sao Paulo Brazil 10.5 million
Seoul South Korea 10 million
Karachi Pakistan 9.8 million
Delhi India 9.8 million
Shanghai China 9.2 million
Jakarta Indonesia 9.1 million
Mexico City Mexico 8.5 million
Istanbul Turkey 8.1 million

Here is the same information in a graph.


Getting the Main Idea

One of the most important things to do is get the main


idea of the graph.

First, identify the main features of the graph. What is


happening? What are the biggest numbers? If it is a time
graph, what are the biggest changes? What are the trends?
(“Trends” means the main changes or differences over time.)

Use a Pen!

Ideally you need to find one main idea and, if possible, one or
two more smaller ideas.

 Don’t have too much information


 Don’t analyze or explain everything in the graph
 Don’t go from left to right, explaining everything.
Instead pick the main ideas.
 Use the biggest and next biggest - don’t mention
everything in between.
 Don't mention the small or unimportant stuff
 Pick an idea and find information that supports it

Look at the graph above, from The First Measured


Century, by PBS. It shows US sports players' salaries in
dollars.

In 1970, baseballers earned $125,000 a year, footballers'


salaries averaged $99,000 a year, and basketball players
earned about $43,000 annually.

Note the main ideas:

 All salaries increased


 Big differences between 1970 and 2000 for all
sports
 Basketball was biggest in 2000, followed by
baseball
 In 1970, basketball was the lowest, baseball was
the highest
 There was a sudden rise beginning in 1980
 There was another sharp rise for all sports in 1990
 Salaries in football from 1995 decreased gradually
Grouping Information

Sometimes there is too much information in a graph. You may need to group similar
information.

This makes it easier for the reader to understand. It is also less work for you, because you
can put more than one piece of information in a sentence.

Use a Pen! Make Groups!

For example, you might be able to divide a list into three groups. Often there is one group at
the top, one in the middle, and one at the bottom.

Look at the graph below, which shows the number of Internet users in European countries in
2000.

Look at the graph above, from www.eu-esis.org. It shows the number of people

Using the Internet using the Internet in European countries in 2000.

Possible groups are


.

 Top: Finland, Sweden, Netherlands, and Denmark (about 40 users per hundred)


 Group 2: Germany, Austria, UK (about 20 to 25 users per hundred)
 Group 3: Ireland, Belgium, France and Italy (14-16 users)
 Group 4: Spain, Portugal, Greece (less than 10% Internet use)
Vocabulary 1: The Language of Graphs

You need to know some special vocabulary for graphs.

In the IELTS exam, you have to write only 150 words, so show how
much vocabulary you know. You don't need to repeat the same word!

Prepositions

 Between 1995 and 2000


 From 1995 to 2000

Movement: Down

 Fell
 Declined
 Dropped
 Decreased
 Sank
 Went down

Movement: Up

 Rose
 Went up
 Increased
 Grew 

Strong Words (Use Carefully!)

 Fell
 Shot up
 Rocketed
 Surged
 plummeted
 plunged

Adjectives

 slightly
 a little
 a lot
 sharply
 suddenly
 steeply
 gradually
 gently
 steadily 
No Movement

 remained steady
 were unchanged
 did not change
 remained constant
 remained stable
 stabilized

Tops and Bottoms

 reached a peak
 peaked
 reached their highest level
 fell to a low
 sank to a trough
 reached a bottom

Look at the graph above, from the IELTS preparation text "Insight into IELTS" by
Vanessa Jakeman and Clare McDowell, Cambridge University Press.

The graph shows the fluctuation in the number of people at a London underground


station over the course of a day.

The busiest time of the day is in the morning. There is a sharp increase between 06:00
and 08:00, with 400 people using the station at 8 o'clock. After this the numbers drop
quickly to less than 200 at 10 o'clock. Between 11 am and 3 pm the number rises, with
aplateau of just under 300 people using the station.

In the afternoon, numbers decline, with less than 100 using the station at 4 pm. There
is then a rapid rise to a peak of 380 at 6pm. After 7 pm, numbers fall significantly, with
only a slight increase again at 8pm, tailing off after 9 pm.

Overall, the graph shows that the station is most crowded in the early morning and
early evening periods.

Vocabulary Tips

 Don't repeat verbs


 Before you start to write, make a list of synonyms (words with the same
meaning)
 See how many ways you can rephrase the title of the graph. Use one in the
introduction and another in the conclusion
 Be careful with prepositions. They can make a big difference in meaning. For
example, "rose by" is very different from "rose to." Learn your verbs with the
preposition that goes with them.

Vocabulary 2: Numbers

There are some special words for numbers, fractions and percentages.

Look at the following table which shows a number in different years (1990-1995) :

1990 1995
1200 1800

You could describe the above table using numbers, fractions or percentages:

 The number went up by 600, from 1200 to 800. (Number)


 The number went up by half, from 1200 to 1800. (Fraction)
 The number went up by 50%, from 1200 to 1800. Percentage)
 The number went up 150%, to 1800. (Percentage)

1992 1994 1996 1998


500 1000 3000 12000

Use "trebled," "-fold," and "times:"

 The number doubled between 1992 and 1994.


 The number trebled between 1994 and 1996.
 The number quadrupled from 1996 to 1998
 There was a twofold increase between 1992 and 1994.
 The number went up sixfold between 1992 and 1996.
 The figure in 1996 was three times the 1992 figure.
 The figure in 1998 was four times the 1996 figure.
1992 1994 1996 1998
1000 800 400 100

Use Fractions:

 Between 1992 and 1994, the figure fell by one-fifth.


 Between 1994 and 1996, the number dropped by a half.
 The figure in 1998 was one-tenth the 1992 total.

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