Writing Term 4: Week 1-4

UNIT 1. AN INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL DATA

ANALYSIS REPORT
Getting started:

When starting to write any type of essay, it is important to ask yourself several
questions:

 WHO AM I WRITING TO?

 WHAT WRITING STYLE IS NEEDED?

 WHAT INFORMATION DO I NEED TO INCLUDE?

When we think more specifically about statistical data report, the obvious answer to the
first question is for my teacher. However, it is better to answer for my professor at
university. This helps you to understand that, by studying this type of writing, you are
also beginning to prepare yourself for your future studies at a university in a foreign
country.

Then, knowing that your writing/report is going to be read by a professor, you have to
use a formal/ academic style. Do not worry if you are not sure what this means. As you
continue to read this book and do the exercises provided, you will find that your writing
style changes and becomes more formal as well as more academic.

Finally, you need to decide what information you want to put into your writing.
Remember, a well-written essay is not just an essay with perfect grammar and spelling.
It has to contain information that is relevant to the type of article being written as well.
Not enough information or the wrong type of information in your report writing will
dramatically lower your chances of getting a good score in the examination. However, at
university it can mean being handed back your essay and being asked to write it again.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
I. BASIC STRUCTURE OF THE STATISTICAL DATA ANALYSIS REPORT

The basic paragraph structure of the data report writing is quite simple:

1. Introduction: Explain in your own words what the graph(s), table(s), or diagram(s)
is showing

2. Overview: In general terms, tell what main/interesting features are.

3. Detailed description: Explain these features in detail. If you have numbers, this is
a good place to include them. Use two body paragraphs if you have two
graphs/tables/diagrams.

Let’s have a look at the following example:

1. Introduction: The bar chart compares the enrolment of men and women in full-time
and part-time British further education programs in the 1970, 1980, and 1990 school
years.

2. Overview: Overall, part-time education was several times more popular than full-time
education throughout the entire period. In addition, while men had larger initial
enrolment numbers in both part-time and full-time programs than women, by the end of
the period women had surpassed men in part-time study and matched them in full-time.

3.a. Detail 1: In regards to part-time education, male enrolment started in the 1970
school year at one million before dipping by about 150,000 in the 1980 school year and
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then making a slight recovery to around 900 thousand students in 1990/91. In contrast,
females started lower at about 775 thousand and rose steadily, finally surpassing males
in the 1990 school year for a total of approximately 1,100,000.

3.b. Detail 2: The trend for full-time education was only slightly different. Female
numbers again started lower in the 1970 school year at under 100,000 students but had
already surpassed male totals by 1980. While male enrolments grew faster in the
subsequent period, the final totals for both males and females in full-time education was
more or less identical at around 220 thousand students in the 1990-91 school year.

II. WRITING AN INTRODUCTION

2.1. Understanding different types of Graphs and Tables

We now need to look more closely at what graphs and tables show, and the differences
between them.

a. What features do the following graphs have in common?

b. What features do the following graphs have in common? How are they different from
the previous ones?
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
c. What about these graphs?

d. What kind of information do the following tables provide? How does this differ from
the graphs?

 Understanding graphs and tables involves understanding the following details:

1. What is the information or data in the graph or table about? (This information is
normally supplied with the graph or table)
2. What are the units of measurement used?
3. What is the area (place) involved?
4. What is the time-scale involved?
5. What is the purpose of the graph or table?

Let us look at the graphs and tables shown above once more, and answer the following
questions:
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
1. What are the units of measurement used?
2. What is the area (place) involved ?
3. What is the time-scale involved ?
4. What is the purpose of the graph or table?

After examining the graphs and tables above you will have noticed the following:

In the case of a line graph, the horizontal and vertical axes provide most of the
information. Usually trends over a specific period of time are shown in this way.

A bar graph shows the same kind of information but with the units presented as bars or
columns. Another kind of bar graph (also called a histogram) may show numerical
distributions rather than changes.

Pie graphs show proportions, normally represented as percentages.

Tables give detailed data and may be used to display changes over time or they may
show distributions of variables according to place, or type. They usually require more
interpretation than graphs do.

2.2. How to write an introduction

Although you might think that bar charts, line charts and tables look very different from
one another, they all present information in a similar way. Indeed, it is often possible to
display exactly the same information using all three types of chart. The main differences
you are likely to see are: some charts have a time period and others do not. Realising
these similarities will help you to develop your speed when writing the introduction, the
general statement, and when analysing the diagram.

2.2.1. Diagrams with a time period

A typical statement looks like this:

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagram below shows time spent watching TV', by age and gender, in the
UK in 1993 and 1999.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

 It tells you the recommended amount of time needed to write the essay, 20 minutes,
and that you need to write at least 150 words. It also gives you the introduction
sentence, and instructions on writing the main facts. Many candidates rewrite the
statement by replacing a few words with synonyms but fail to add extra information to
the sentence. This often results in an introduction that has copied too much of the
original sentence and lacks detail. By studying both the diagram and the statement, it is
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
always possible to write a more detailed introduction than the original. Before writing
your introduction, always look for the following six pieces of information: type of chart,
what is being measured, units, categories, years, time period. This will not only help you
to analyse the diagram but also add extra information to your introduction. You might
notice that some of these items may already have been listed in the given statement. If
this happens, simply collect the remaining data from the diagram.

The golden rule for data analysis is not to include opinions in any part of the essay.
Never put in your opinions about the diagram and the information it contains. If you add
your ideas, for example, about why you think certain changes have happened, you will
almost certainly get a lower score.

 Look at Exercise 1 and complete the table by adding the extra six pieces of
information.

Exercise 1.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagram below shows information about student attendance in various
schools.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
Extra information
1 Type of chart
2 What is being measured
3 Units
4 Categories
5 Years
6 Time period

 Look carefully at Exercise 2, collect the six pieces of information, and then complete
the table.

Exercise 2.

The diagram below shows information about the quarterly revenue of several
technology companies from 2004 to 2006.

Extra information
1 Type of chart
2 What is being measured
3 Units
4 Categories
5 Years
6 Time period
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
By adding this information, you can then start to rewrite the introduction.

E.g. The diagram below shows information about the quarterly revenue of several
technology companies from 2004 to 2006.

 The line chart below shows information about the quarterly revenue of three
technology companies over three years from 2004 to 2006.

This introduction is certainly better than the original - it contains more information - but
shows little attempt to change the overall structure. The sentence structure, and
therefore the level of writing, is rather simple and the length (21 words) is a little short.
To improve it, you can use two useful techniques:

1. Replace one word (or a short phrase) for another with the same meaning
2. Rearrange the order of some words or phrases

You may not have to, or be able to, use both methods when rewriting the introduction
sentence, but it is always good to look for the opportunity to do so. Now look at the
statement for Exercise 2 again. Try to see how the introduction can be improved even
more by using synonyms and rearranging the order of certain phrases.

a. Using Synonyms

Look at the following examples to see how the introduction can be improved.

Original phrase:

- shows information  compares and contrasts data on the changes in the

amount of

An important grammar point here is that you will have to decide if you need to use one
of the following expressions:

1. changes in the amount of (used for non-count nouns, e.g. money)

2. changes in the number of (used for count nouns, e.g. students)
3. changes in ... levels (used for changes in population, pollution, etc)

Original phrase:

- several technology companies  three different hi-tech companies

You would not write the three different hi-tech companies because by using the article
“the”, you are suggesting that the names of the three companies are already known to
the reader.

- 2004 to 2006  over a three-year period from 2004 to 2006

 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
Do not write “shows that/provides data that” or indeed any phrase that includes the word
“that”. This suggests you are going to provide information explaining what has
happened in the diagram. However, this is the purpose of the general statement and
body. The introduction only answers the question: What is it?

Also, you do not need to include the word below, or a synonym of it, because this would
not be true. Remember that you will be writing on the answer sheet, and this has no
diagram on it. Notice that 2004 to 2006 is a three-year period, not a two-year period.
You have data for the whole of 2004, 2005 and 2006. This makes it three years in total.

b. Rearranging the order of information

A phrase can often be rearranged, but the original information is kept the same.

- quarterly revenue  revenue per quarter (or use a synonym - income)

You could also add the phrase “earned by”.

If you now put all of these changes together, you end up with:

The line chart compares and contrasts data on the changes in the amount
of income per quarter, earned by three different hi-tech companies over a three-
year period from 2004 to2006.

 The length of this introduction is 30 words, equal to 20% of your essay.

ADDING CATEGORY NAMES

If you wanted to, you could also list the names of the items, or categories, in the
diagram. However, it is not a good idea to add them to the example above because the
introduction would become too long. Ideally, the combined length of the introduction and
general statement is between 50 and 60 words. This means that the introduction can
sometimes be a little longer if more information needs to be added. However, the
general statement would then need to be a little shorter. A good rule to remember is: do
not list the names of the categories if there are more than four of them. For instance, we
do not want to have an introduction that looks like this:

The line chart compares and contrasts data on the changes in the population
levels of eight different countries, for example, Switzerland. Belgium, France, Germany,
Holland, Italy, Greece and Norway over a six-year period from 2001 to 2006.

Also, if you do decide to include the name of each item, make sure that this is done in
the correct way.

Look at the following examples and see which sentences list the items correctly.
Discuss your answers with a classmate and see if you both agree.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
1. The line chart compares and contrasts data on the changes in the GDP
levels of three different cities, namely Paris, New York and Tokyo, over a
12-year period from 1996 to 2007.
2. The line chart compares and contrasts data on the changes in the GDP
levels of three different cities, including Paris, New York and Tokyo, over a
12-year period from 1996 to 2007.
3. The line chart compares and contrasts data on the changes in the GDP
levels of three different cities, for instance, Paris, New York and Tokyo,
over a 12-year period from 1996 to 2007.
4. The line chart compares and contrasts data on the changes in the GDP
levels of three different cities, Paris, New York and Tokyo, over a 12-year
period from 1996 to 2007.
5. The line chart compares and contrasts data on the changes in the GDP
levels of three different cities, like Paris, New York and Tokyo, over a 12-
year period from 1996 to 2007.
6. The line chart compares and contrasts data on the changes in the GDP
levels of three different cities, such as Paris, New York and Tokyo, over a
12-year period from 1996 to 2007.
7. The line chart compares and contrasts data on the changes in the GDP
levels of three different cities, for example, Paris, New York and Tokyo,
over a 12-year period from 1996 to 2007.

Only two of these examples are correct. You have to remember that you are listing the
names of all of the categories - Paris, New York and Tokyo — and so you cannot write
“including, for instance, like, such as, for example”. These imply that other cities are
also in the diagram, and the three you listed are only some of them. In other words,
these sentences suggest the three cities are only examples of a longer list. Only 1 and 4
are correct styles for including a list of items in the introduction.

2.2.2. Diagrams with no time period

Although many diagrams have a time period, many do not. This obviously changes what
you can write about in each paragraph. An introduction, for example, can no longer
state compares and contrasts data on the changes in the amount of. If there is no time
period, nothing can change. One way of altering this phrase is by writing compares and
contrasts data on the differences in the amount of.

Introductions also tend to be shorter, when there is no time period, because there is no
need to put in a phrase like over a ten-year period from 1996 to 2005. This might give
you more opportunity to list the category names, and still only write between 50 and 60
words for the introduction and general statement. Remember, this should only apply if
the lists are up to four items in total. The examiner does not want to see long lists.
Alternatively, you could add extra information about the units used in the diagram.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
Now look at Exercise 3 about the sale of various products in Japan in 2004. Collect the
six key pieces of information.

Exercise 3.

Extra information
1 Type of chart
2 What is being measured
3 Units
4 Categories
5 Years
6 Time period

Original: The diagram below shows information about the sale of cosmetics and
toiletries in Japan in 2004.

 The table below shows information about the sale of 12 cosmetics and toiletries in
Japan, in billions of US dollars, in 2004.

Now try to change the basic, revised sentence by using synonyms and/or rearranging
the order of information.

- shows information  compares and contrasts data on the differences in sales

of
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
- There is no time period so you cannot write “changes in”. However, you can
write: differences between ... and …

- 12 cosmetics and toiletries  12 types of cosmetic and toiletry products

- in billions of US dollars  measured in billions of US dollars

Having done this, you should be able to write an introduction similar to the following
example:

The table compares and contrasts data on the differences between 12

types of cosmetic and toiletry products in Japan, measured in billions of US
dollars, in 2004.

ADDING UNITS

You do not always have to include the units like billions of dollars or kilograms in your
introduction. This is a decision that you need to make when writing. They were not
added in the introduction for Exercise 2 because it would have made the sentence too
long. However, it is possible to put this information in Exercise 3. The total length then
becomes 27 words - an ideal sentence length for the introduction.

Remember, even if the introduction includes the units, the body must still clearly state
what the units are when you put in figures from the diagram.

Now look at Exercises 4 and collect extra information from the given diagrams. When
you have done this, try and write their introductions by using synonyms and rearranging
the order of information.

Exercise 4.

a.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagram below shows information about wiretap authorisations between
1997 and 2007.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4

b.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagram below gives the results of a survey showing the distribution of
foreign ladies' wear bought in New York in 2007.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4

c.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The table below shows the number of students living in the UK gaining English
language teacher training qualifications in 2007/8 and 2008/9, and the proportion
of male qualifiers.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

Qualifications for English Language Teachers obtained 2007/8 and 2008/9, UK

Total Female Male % Male

2007/8 Total 32,930 23,842 8,165 24.7%
TEFL 25,446 18,460 6,870 26.9%

Cambridge UCLES
CELTA & other 7,484 5,382 1,295 17.3%
degrees

2008/9 Total 32,945 24,324 7,511 22.7%

TEFL 24,917 18,446 6,545 26.2%
Cambridge UCLES
CELTA & other 8,028 5,878 966 12.1%
degrees
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
d.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The pie charts below show the average household expenditures in Japan and
Malaysia in the year 2010.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

Average Household Expenditures by Major Category

III. WRITING A GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The next part of the essay to concentrate on is the overall description. This can be
included in the first paragraph directly after the introduction, or put into a separate
paragraph. This part, as the name suggests, is an overview of the diagram. It must not
contain information that is too specific or be too long in length. Although it is a surprise
to many, it is perfectly acceptable to have a one-sentence paragraph.

3.1. Diagrams with a time period

The mistake a lot of students make, however, is to try to be too accurate in describing
what happens in the diagram.

E.g. The number of cars exported to Japan increased over the first three years
and then dropped a little but then rose for the next five years and then dropped
dramatically for eight years before rising again at the end.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
 This is far too much information. It is also too long at 39 words. Remember, you are
writing an overview of the information. No detailed data should be given, and certainly
no figures can ever be included. Although easy to write, there are several different
styles that can be used. This depends on whether or not the diagram has a time period.

* Look at the diagram from Exercise 2 again and try to decide what kind of information
can be put into the general description:

The diagram below shows information about the quarterly revenue of

several technology companies from 2004 to 2006.

There is usually no need for you to look at any data between the start and the end of the
time period. This will make the information too specific for a general statement.

This diagram has three categories - Windows, Google, and iPod - and, therefore, three
trends. Despite obvious fluctuations, if we look at the revenue for each company in the
first quarter of 2004, and then in the fourth quarter of 2006, we can see that the revenue
rose for all three technology companies. The trend is, therefore, increasing for all three
categories.

Take a look at the following examples of general statements, and decide which ones
you think could be used for this diagram.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
1. Generally speaking, the three lines in the diagram fluctuated a lot.
2. It can be clearly seen that, while sales for all categories rose over this time
period, figures for Windows were usually higher than the other two.
3. In general, all three categories went up over this time period.
4. Revenue for Windows was nearly always higher than the other two
categories, Google and iPod, over a three-year period from 2004 to 2006.
5. An overview of this diagram shows that Windows climbed gradually and
fell at the end, Google went up dramatically and iPod fluctuated a lot.
6. A closer look at the diagram highlights the fact that the revenue for all
three categories, Windows, Google and iPod, rose over this period of time.

Now try to explain why you made the choices you did, and try to suggest ways to
improve some of the sentences. Notice the different ways of starting each sentence.

 The table below explains which of these six general statement sentences are
suitable for a data report writing.

YES/NO
1 NO This is too general and you should never use the
word line/lines.
2 YES This is a good general statement showing trends and
which category was higher.
3 NO This shows a trend but uses the word up which is
seen as too informal.
4 NO This focuses on one category having a higher
revenue than the other two but repeats information
contained in the introduction.
5 NO This is too general.
6 YES This is a good general statement that explains the
trend of three categories.

VOCABULARY

An important vocabulary point to note is: when writing about trends, certain words are
considered more academic than others. For instance, do not use the words up and
down in any part of your data report writing. They are regarded as too informal. Look at
the list of vocabulary given here and put them into the correct column.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
UP DOWN

GRAMMAR

It is obvious that grammar is a very important part of achieving a high-quality data

report. However, it is also true to say that your grammar need not be perfect to get a
reasonable score. Although the purpose of this book is not to focus on improving
grammar skills, certain grammatical problems must be mentioned.

VERB TENSES

When writing an overall description, both the simple present and simple past verb
tenses can be used. However, it is more usual, for diagrams with or without a time
period, to use the simple past.

Adjectives/Adverbs

One common mistake, when writing either a general statement or body sentence,
is to use words like dramatically or dramatic. Do not think this will help you get a high
score in the test.

E.g. Generally speaking, the three lines in the diagram fluctuated a lot.

 This sentence is descriptive but missing both a trend and figures.

Equally, a sentence in the body that states:

Sales grew dramatically from US$10,000 in 1987 to US$35,000 in 2007, a climb

of US$25,000.

 The sentence fails to state why the information is important. So, although the
sentence itself is well written, it is still quite descriptive. This can be improved by adding
the reason why these particular figures have been quoted. A better sentence, stating
the importance of the data, would be:

The biggest overall increase in sales was in Brazil where figures grew
dramatically from US$10,000 in 1987 to US$35,000 in 2007, a climb of US$25,000.

Look at these two sentences and decide if they are correctly written. Then study the
tables below.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
1. There was a dramatically rise in sales ...
2. Sales rose dramatic...

Exercise 5. Write the introduction and overall statement(s) for the following diagrams
with time periods.

a.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagram below shows information about UFO' sightings in Great Britain from
1997 to 2007.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4

b.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagram below shows information about the CO, emissions from energy
production in several regions around the world and their ranking from 1985 to
2005.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

1985 1995 2005

Gt* Rank Gt* Rank Gt* Rank
US 5.8 1 6.4 2 6.9 2
China 5.1 2 8.6 1 11.4 1
Russia 1.5 3 1.8 4 2.0 4
Japan 1.2 4 1.3 5 1.2 5
India 1.1 5 1.8 3 3.3 3
*Gt = Gigatonne (1Gt = 1,000,000,000,000kg)

3.2. Diagrams with no time period

As you already know, some diagrams have no time period. This makes it impossible to
write about trends because nothing changes. However, a general statement can still be
written by referring to the category with the largest figure and the category with the
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
smallest figure. This is certainly the easiest way of writing a general statement, but you
must try not to mention these two important points again when you write the body. Just
imagine writing something like:

In general, the city with the largest population was Beijing whereas the city with
the smallest population was Berlin.

More specifically, the city with the largest population was Beijing with 10.1 million
people whereas Berlin had the smallest population with 3.4 million.

Certainly, it is possible to change the structure of these two sentences and make them
look a little less alike. The information, however, would still be the same. This
information is important and should really be in the body, but it now seems rather
repetitive. A useful tip is to look at the categories a little more closely and then, if
possible, divide them into different groups. This new way of looking at the diagram
might lead to a different general statement. For instance, if the diagram looked like this:

City Population
New York 8.3
Beijing 10.1
London 7.5
Hong Kong 6.9
Berlin 3.4
(measured in millions)

 You can write as follows:

In general, the city with the largest population was in Asia, whereas the
smallest city was in Europe.

More specifically, Beijing had the largest population with 10.1 million
people, making it just under three times larger than the smallest city, Berlin, with
3.4 million residents.

This has made the general statement quite different from the information that follows in
the body. Notice that the body sentence has also been written in a different way from
the first example. This has been done by including information on how much bigger one
city is than the other. Now look at the different categories on the next page and see if
you can either:

1. divide all of the categories into two or three new groups, or

2. put a few categories into a new group.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
Exercise 6. Write the introduction and overall description for the following diagrams.

a.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagram below shows the results of a questionnaire showing how many
times teenagers in Australia use an iPod in a week to play videos in 2009.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

b.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagram below shows the percentage of deaths from heart disease and
cancer, and calories consumed from unrefined plant foods.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4

MANAGING YOUR TIME

It is suggested that you spend about 20 minutes writing the data analysis (at least 150
words).

Number of Words Time Spent

Introduction: 25-30 words 3 minutes
General statement: 25-30 2 minutes
words
Body: 90-100 words 15 minutes
TOTAL: 150 words TOTAL: 20 minutes

Some people like to write a conclusion, but a general statement is not needed if you do.
This is because, for this type of writing, general statements and conclusions are very
similar and repetition of information is often difficult to avoid.

It is suggested that you only look for enough information from the diagram to allow you
to write the introduction and general statement. Then, move to the body and start to
analyse the diagram. There are always too many important points to mention, so only
pick a few key points and then look for them.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
UNIT 2. WRITING A REPORT: CONTRAST, TRENDS, AND
CORRELATIONS
I. LANGUAGE FOCUS

1.1. Introductory expressions

The graph / table shows / indicates / illustrates / reveals / represents

It is clear from the graph / table
It can be seen from the graph / table
As the graph / table shows,
As can be seen from the graph / table,
As is shown by the graph / table,
As is illustrated by the graph / table,
From the graph / table it is clear
Notice that it is best to avoid using personal pronouns. Instead of saying “We can see
from the graph....” it is better to use the passive or impersonal constructions, as above.

Exercise 1. Which is the best introductory sentence for a description of this graph from
the following?

1. This graph shows the changes in world meat production between 1950
and 1990.
2. From this graph we can see that most meat production is a lot higher in
1990 than in 1950.
3. Between 1950 and 1990 meat production in the world rose significantly for
all kinds of meat except sheep and goat meat.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
4. The graph shows that in 1950production of poultry and sheep and goat
meat was less than 5 million tons, while production of pork and beef and
buffalo meat was around 20 million tons.

1.2. Time expressions

As you can see in the above exercise, you can start your description with a time phrase
in some cases:

E.g. Between 1950 and 1990 production rose significantly...

Even if you do not begin your sentence with a time expression, in many cases,
particularly those involving line graphs, the time frame is given and is an important
element of the visual and will need to be mentioned. For this reason it is important that
you know how to use the common expressions of time, and that you revise them from
any normal grammar book if they cause you difficulties.

Here are the common ones:

in for during from - to / until

between -and before after

in: In 1999... In the 20th century... In the first ten years...

E.g. In the 20th century, there was a significant increase in production

for: For the first six months... For twenty years...

E.g. For the last six months, the number of employees remained the same.

during: During the first six months... During the first half of this century...
During the remainder of the year...

E.g. During the first half of the century, production was slowing down, while
imports increased.

from - to / until: From August to/ until November... From 1950 to 1960...

E.g. From January to March, there was no change in energy use.

between -and: Between 1950 and 1960...

E.g. Between 1950 and 1960, there was no change in the rate of fuel
consumption.

before / after: E.g. Before 1960 the number remained small, but after 1965 there was a
sudden increase.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
around / about: E.g. Around / about 1980 there was a change in the number of female
part-time employees.

by: E.g. By the late 19th century the rural workforce had declined significantly.

at: E.g. At the end of the last century there was a sharp increase in manufacturing.

since: E.g. Since the 19th century there has been a steady decline.

Other useful expressions are:

(in) the period from…to…

(in) the period between… and…
in the first/last three months of the year
over the period…to…
over the next years/ decades/ quarter of a century etc.
over a ten year period
throughout the 19th century
from that time on
after that
then
in the 1980s

Note that you can refer to a decade as the 1980s. There is no apostrophe before “s”.

1.3. Expressions of Measurement

Since graphs and tables show measurements, it is necessary for you to have
knowledge of the most common terms used to describe quantity and related
expressions, and, as always, to know how to use them CORRECTLY. The following
lists are there to act as a reminder for you of nouns that you are probably already
familiar with, and to show you the verbs that they are associated with, and the typical
phrases used to describe visual aids.

QUANTITIES

amount quantity number

figure the total the total amount
the total quantity the total number all of the
the whole of the the whole amount the full amount
the majority the greatest amount the greatest number
the maximum the minimum
It is best to use amount and quantity for uncountable nouns, although both are used for
countable nouns as well, particularly quantity. However, number can generally be
safely used for all countable nouns.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
E.g. The amount of production increased in the last 20 years.
The number of cars on the roads increased in the last 20 years.

However, you cannot write: “The quantity of production increased”. This is because
quantity is only used for items that can actually be measured or counted (e.g. iron ore,
shares, weapons), not for abstract terms. Since amount can be used more widely (e.g.
the amount of wealth / experience / waste) it is generally safer to use this word if you
are not certain.

For number you must of course have a plural, countable noun following: the number of
cars; the number of unemployed people.

There is some confusion about whether the verb following these phrases should be in
the singular or plural. Strictly, it should be singular, because the noun number is itself
singular, so we should write: The number of cars has increased. The number of
unemployed people has decreased.

But you may also come across this kind of sentence: There are a number of people who
have asked for this book. This is because in this case we are thinking about the people
rather than the number.

The word figure refers to the actual number itself, not the thing that the number refers
to: While the number of Internet users was only 2.6 million in 1990, this figure has more
than doubled in the last two years.

Note the combinations given in the table above (e.g. the total amount). A more simple
and idiomatic way of expressing the whole / total amount is to say all of the or the whole
of the. However, note that all of the can be used with both countable and uncountable
nouns (e.g. all of the population; all of the people), while the whole of the can only be
used with uncountable nouns (e.g. the whole of the population; the whole of the
production for that year). It is clearly safer to use all of the.

Warning! A common error is to omit the after expressions like all of or the whole
of. Do not write: “All of population” or “the whole of energy used”.

 It must be: All of the population; the whole of the energy used.

OTHER MEASUREMENTS
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
Rate is defined in the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English as:
a quantity such as value, cost, or speed, measured by its relation to some
other amount.

The Cambridge International Dictionary gives this definition:

a level of speed with which something happens or changes, or the number
of times it happens or changes within a particular period.

So we can talk about the rate of growth, or, more commonly, the growth rate of the
population; the birth rate; unemployment rate; divorce rate etc. These are all
measurements considered in relation to the rest of the population, or involving changes
over time.

Level indicates height, as in the level of water in a glass, but it also has the meaning of
amount. The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines it as:
a point or position on a scale of quantity, strength, value etc.

Collins Co-build English Language Dictionary gives this definition:

the amount of something at a particular time;

Thus we can talk about the level of production; the level of expenditure; and also the
level of unemployment.

In all the examples given above, the word level could be replaced by the word rate. (i.e.
the rate of production; the rate of expenditure; the rate of unemployment (or the
unemployment rate). In most cases it is probably safer, therefore, to use the word rate
unless you especially want to refer to a particular point, rather than to make a
comparison.

If you think of level being represented by a bar graph, and rate by a line graph, it is
easier to remember that level goes with the verb rise and rate goes with the verb
increase.

Most of the other words in the list are not quite so common, and you should not use
them unless you are confident that you know them well. However, another very
common and important term is percentage. While percent means literally for every
hundred, the word percentage is used more broadly to mean proportion. Thus we can
say that the percentage/proportion of women in the workforce has risen.

The term proportion is also used to compare two things:

The proportion of women to men in the workforce increased.

RELATED VERBS
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
be make up consist of
constitute comprise amount to
equal account for represent
include record reach
stand at become

MATHEMATICAL EXPRESSIONS

PHRASES

Note especially the use of the prepositions at, in and with in some of the following, and
try to learn these phrases, as they are very useful:

Production rose at a rate of 20% per year / per annum /p.a….

Consumption stood at the same level in the following decade…
The annual increase was in / within the range of 10% and 20%...
Production increased / decreased by 20%...
The increase was very significant, at 50%...
X was the largest producer, with 45% of the total production…
The number remained steady at 300 for the next year…
Exports doubled, to reach 80% of imports in 1990…
There were three times as many users as in the previous year…
The number of users increased fivefold…

Exercise 2. Make all the possible matches between the words in the first column and
those in the second.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
Note: Be careful to use measurement terms to avoid mistakes like the following:
In the past 10 years the cars rose
instead of:
In the past 10 years the number of cars rose.

COMMON ADJECTIVES

These are some of the more common adjectives, with examples of appropriate
collocations:

high / low: a high / low percentage

large: a large number
great: a great number
significant: a significant number/percentage / amount
considerable: a considerable amount / increase
substantial: a substantial increase / decrease
major: a major increase / decrease
remarkable: a remarkable increase
steady: a steady decrease
widespread: the widespread consumption

COMMON ADVERBIALS

Adverbs and adverbial phrases are also widely used to modify adjectives or numbers in
order to express precise meaning. Here are some examples:

over: over 20%

under: under 5000
just over / under: just over / under 50,000people
around / about: around / about 50%
approximately: approximately 25%
slightly: slightly more than half; slightly over 40%
marginally: a marginally smaller percentage
significantly: significantly fewer women
close to: close to half
considerably: considerably more exports
substantially: substantially less traffic
almost: almost exactly twice as many

Exercise 3. Fill the gaps in the following description of the table by selecting any
appropriate expression from those given. Note that more than one choice may be
correct.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4

Of all the waste reported in the UNSW survey in 1966, it was found that 1________was
paper which 2_______ 52% of the waste found in buildings. Both in outside eating
areas and in skips 3_________ of waste 4__________compostable materials, which
5_______ 40% of the total. Considering the 6__________ of waste collected in the
university, it is clear that 7_________ could be recycled or re-used in some way.

1. a) the largest amount b) the greatest proportion c) the majority

d) the biggest number
2. a) made up b) included c) accounted for d) was
3. a) the most significant proportion b) most c) the highest level
d) the greatest percentage.
4. a) consisted of b) was c) amounted to d) accounted for
5. a) represented b) was c)accounted for d) stood at
6. a) whole percentage b) total amount c) full number d) majority
7. a) the majority b) practically all of it c) nearly the whole amount
d) most of it

Exercise 4. Read the following description of the bar graph given underneath, then
cover the description and try to fill the gaps in the version below. You do not need to
use exactly the same expressions as those given, but the meanings and grammar must
be accurate.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4

Nine of the ten top rice producing countries in the world in 1999 were in Asia. As one
would expect, China was the greatest producer of rice, with nearly 193 million tonnes. It
was followed by India, which produced over 122 million tonnes, while the third largest
producer, Indonesia, was responsible for about one third of that amount, at just over 46
million tonnes. Bangladesh, Viet Nam and Thailand had similar levels of production, i.e.
between 20 and 30 million tonnes each, while Malaysia, Japan and the Philippines
ranged between 16 and 10 million tonnes. The only non-Asian producer on the list, the
USA, accounted for just over 8 million tonnes.

 Nine of the ten top rice-producing countries in the world in 1999 were in Asia. As one
would expect, China was …………… of rice, …………… tonnes. It was followed by
India, which …………… tonnes, while the ……………, Indonesia, was responsible for
……………, at just over 46 m. tonnes. Bangladesh, Viet Nam and Thailand had similar
…………… , i.e. between 20 and30 million tonnes each, while Malaysia, Japan and the
Philippines …………… tonnes. The only non-Asian producer on the list, the USA,
…………… 8 million tonnes.

II. WRITING A REPORT: COMPARISON AND CONTRAST

Graphs and tables are generally intended to show comparisons, contrasts or

correlations. In some cases a variety of things are compared or contrasted, while in
other cases the same items are compared at different times. This is done to show
movement or trends. This section will deal with comparisons of different items, while the
next section, on trends, will deal with changes over time. We will then look at how
correlations are used and interpreted.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
Note that the verb to compare means to show both the similarities and the differences
between two things, while to contrast means simply to reveal the differences. It is
therefore enough to use compare for both purposes. There is, however, a significant
difference in looking at correlations because they may show a relationship between two
things happening at the same time -often a cause and effect relationship. This will be
discussed further below.

There are many ways of expressing comparison.

2.1. Implicit Contrast

In some cases a contrast is implied because of the way the ideas are juxtaposed, that
is, placed next to each other. For example:
Alia is a republic with a popularly elected president. Betastan is a military
dictatorship.

In this case it is not necessary, or even desirable, to use a connector such as By

contrast, because the contrast is so obvious. The style of writing is improved if
connectors are not overused, so implicit contrast is worth using at least from time to
time.

2.2. Explicit Contrast

Contrast is shown explicitly by using various parts of speech, particularly connectors.

The most simple comparisons are expressed with the words:

more less fewer greater

larger smaller higher lower

To use these correctly you need to consider the nouns they are used with. Look again
at the common measurement terms we have studied:

amount number quantity degree

rate level size proportion

percentage

greater amount
a larger quantity
smaller size
greater degree
a higher rate
lower level
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
greater
larger number
a higher proportion
smaller percentage
lower

1. More, less and fewer do NOT combine with any of the nouns listed above.
2. More, greater, higher and less are used with uncountable nouns and the
singular verb: There is more / greater / less growth in GNP p.a.in Alia than
in Bestastan.
3. More and fewer are followed by countable nouns in the plural: There were
more / fewer accidents last year than the year before.

Exercise 5.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The bar graph below shows the number of television receivers per 1,000
inhabitants in the world in 1970 and 1990.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

a. In 1970 the number of TV receivers per 1000 inhabitants in the world was
much less than in 1997.
b. In 1997 the number of TV receivers in the world was much greater than in
1970.
c. There were nearly three times as many TV receivers in the world in 1997
as in 1970.
d. There were far more TV receivers in the world in 1997 than in 1970.
e. The ownership of TV receivers in 1997 was 200% (three times) higher
than in1970.

 Which of the above do you think are the best descriptions for the bar graph below?
Why? Then try to describe the rest of the graph using the most appropriate expressions
you can, and avoiding repetition.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4

LANGUAGE FOR COMPARISON AND CONTRAST

Similarity can be shown by using:

Contrast, which is more common, can be expressed by using:

Exercise 6. Which of the above are used to start a new sentence? Some are
prepositions and must be followed by nouns. Which are these?

Contrast can also be shown by using specific verbs, adjectives and nouns:
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4

WARNING!!!

Compared and comparing are often used incorrectly. Look at these sentences:

a. Compared with x, y is more efficient.

b. Comparing x with y we find that x is more efficient.
c. Comparing with x, y is more efficient.

 Two of the above are correct and one is incorrect. Can you see which is which?

People compare things (or people). If the active voice is used (comparing) then it must
refer to someone doing the comparing i.e. people. So we say:
Comparing x with y we find that...
Comparing x withy, it can be seen (by us) that....

If the person or people doing the comparing are not relevant to the sentence, then the
passive form (compared) must be used. So the first two sentences are correct, but not
the last one.

NOTE: Compared with X, Y is more efficient is grammatically correct, but it is not a very
good sentence stylistically. For a comparison within a sentence, the use of an explicit
expression of comparison is not usually necessary and actually makes the sentence
clumsy. Such expressions should only be used in more complex comparisons, between
sentences, or longer sections of text. Within a sentence, it is normally enough to say:
Y is more efficient than X.

Exercise 7. Fill in the gaps in the following description, using expressions from the
above lists. Try to vary the expressions you use, to avoid repetition.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4

In 1920, 75% of the labour force in Alia was employed in agriculture ………………only
10% worked in business and trade. At the same time ………………the manufacturing
sector ………………the professional sector constituted just 2% of the workforce each.
This situation changed only very gradually over the next 20 years, ………………the
professional workforce, which increased more than threefold. ………………by 1970
there had been a significant change in the pattern of employment. ………………the
agricultural employees had declined in number to 40% of the workforce, manufacturing
employees ………………professionals had increased their share to 13% and 10%
respectively. ……………… the business sector did not increase until 1970. The most
dramatic ………………could be seen by 1990, when the proportion of agricultural
workers was reduced to just 10% ……………… the three other major sectors had all
increased to over 20% of the workforce.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
World production increased in all types of meat ……………… sheep and goats between
1950 and 1990. There was a slow rise in the production of pork and beef buffalo meat
up to 1980, ………………after this pork production increased more rapidly. Poultry
production showed a ………………trend. Starting from a low base of just 5 million tons,
it increased relatively slowly for the first 20 years of the reported period. ………………,
after that it increased sharply, until by 1990 it had reached over 30 million tons.
………………, the production of sheep and goat meat remained steady throughout the
period at around 5 million tons.

Exercise 8. The expressions i-vi are useful for describing quantity. Match them with the
percentages a-f below.
c

f
b
d
e

Exercise 9. The bar chart below shows the results of a survey of how people felt about
examinations. Complete the sentences 1-6, which describe the chart, using the
expressions i-vi from Exercise 8.

iii
1 _______ of those surveyed said they found the challenge exciting.
ii
2 _______ of respondents said they felt anxious.
 v Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
3 _______ said they felt more competitive.
i
4 _______ of those surveyed replied that they felt more focused.

5 vi
_______ indicated that examinations made them lose interest in their studies.

6 iv
_______ of those who responded said they felt motivated to work harder.

Exercise 10. Complete the sentences 1-6 with a comparative or superlative form.

one third so
1. Nearly …………….many students sat the Art and Design exam …………….did
the Chemistry exam.
2. The percentage of students gaining top marks in Art and Design was slightly
less
…………….than the percentage of students achieving top marks in Chemistry.
3. The …………….popular
least subjects were Physical Education, Health and Food
Technology, and Computing.
less
4. The HFT examination was taken by …………….students than the PE
examination.
quarter
5. However, a …………….percentage of students taking the HFT exam gained top
marks.
least
6. The …………….percentage of students gaining top marks was in Media, Film
and Television Studies.

Exercise 11. Read the sentences 1-4 below. Write S if the sentence expresses
similarity and D if it expresses difference. Underline the words which helped you decide.

1. The percentage of top marks was quite high in subjects such as

Mathematics, which are traditionally regarded as difficult. On the other
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
hand, the percentage of top marks was relatively low in subjects such as
HFT, which are commonly regarded as ‘soft’. D
2. Whereas 45 per cent of Mathematics candidates gained top marks, only
12 per cent of Media, Film and Television candidates gained top marks. D
3. Similar numbers of students sat examinations in Art and Design and in
Chemistry. S
4. Sixteen per cent of students gained top marks in both Physical Education
and Computing. S

Exercise 12. Re-write the sentences 1-5 using the words in brackets.

1. More girls than boys passed their English examinations. (fewer)

 There are fewer boys passed their E.E than girls.
2. The same number of boys and girls achieved a passing grade in Mathematics.
(as... as) The number of boys achieving ... is as many as the number of girls.

3. The same number of boys and girls achieved a passing grade in Mathematics.
(as... as) The number of boys achieving ... is as many as the number of girls.

4. The number of passes in Religious Studies was higher for girls than for boys.
(lower) The number of passes in Religious Studies was lower for boys than
 girls.
5. Nearly as many girls as boys passed the Economics exam. (similar)
 The number of girls and boys passed the Economics exam is
similar.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
EXAM PRACTICE

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The chart shows the percentage of male and female teachers in six different
types of educational setting in the UK in 2010.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
III. WRITING A REPORT: TRENDS

In statistical data analysis you may have to describe trends. This may come up in a line
graph, bar chart or when comparing more than one chart.

There are two main grammatical structures we can use to describe trends.

1. There + be + adj. + noun + in + noun phrase

E.g. There was a gradual rise in the price of oil.

There has been a sharp drop in the price of oil.

2. Noun phrase + verb + adverb.

E.g. The price of oil rose gradually.

The price of oil has risen dramatically.

3. Using fractions

E.g. The price of oil halved in less than a year.

The price of oil has halved since July.

3.1. Verbs

3.2. Usage

WARNING: Please do not confuse fall with fall down! The latter is only used for
physical falls. In other words, a person or a vase can fall down, but not the value of the
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
dollar! Also do not confuse grow with grow up! Only a person can grow up to become
an adult, but not a whole population or an economy!

You must know the verb forms of the irregular verbs in the above list: rise; fall; shrink. In
particular, do not confuse rise (rose; risen) with raise (raised; raised). The other two are:
fell; fallen and shrank; shrunk although you can really forget about the last one because
it is hardly ever used in the past or present perfect tense.

Note that arise has the same forms as rise, but a very different meaning!

Remember that it is very important to know which verbs are transitive and which are
intransitive, since only transitive verbs can be used in the passive.

Exercise 13. Mark those verbs in section 3.1. which are transitive with tr. and the
intransitive ones intr. Some can be both!

Check your answers in your Learner’s Dictionary.

Exercise 14. Identify which form of the verb should be used in the following:

Note that in those cases where the verb can be both transitive and intransitive, the
choice depends on whether the action itself is stressed (intransitive) or there is the idea
that someone was responsible for the action.

1. The number of workers in manufacturing increased / was increased between

1950 and I960.
2. The total professional sector expanded / was expanded throughout the last 80
years.
3. The business sector also grew / was grown after 1980.
4. The number of manufacturing employees rose / was risen / raised / was raised
significantly between 1950 and 1970.
5. The agricultural workforce has steadily decreased / has been steadily decreased
over the last 80 years.
6. Other kinds of employment remained / were remained fairly steady throughout
the period.
7. The agricultural workforce reduced / was reduced quite sharply after 1960.

3.3. Nouns
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
Exercise 15. Note that it is very important to combine nouns and verbs correctly.
Combine as many of the followings as is possible:

Exercise 16. The verbs a-h can all be used to describe line graphs. Match each
expression with the part of the graph it best describes.

a. rise (rose, risen)

b. fall (fell, fallen)
c. peak (-ed, -ed)
d. reach (-ed, -ed) its lowest point
e. level (-led, -led) off
f. dip (-ped, -ped)
g. remain (-ed, -ed) the same
h. fluctuate (-d, -d)
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
Exercise 17. The adjectives a-g can be used to describe the degree of change
represented in a line graph. Adjectives are placed before the noun.
E.g. There was a sharp rise in fast food consumption.
Match each adjective with the line that it best describes.

a. gradual
b. moderate
c. modest
d. sharp
e. dramatic
f. slight
g. steep

Exercise 18. Adverbs can also be used to describe the degree of change. Adverbs
come after the verb.
E.g. Fast food consumption rose sharply.
The sentences 1-5 on the left describe trends using there be +adjective + noun.
Complete the sentences on the right using the corresponding verb + adverb.

Exercise 19. Complete the passage below using verbs, adverbs, adjectives and nouns.
Make sure you use the correct verb tenses. The first one has been done for you.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4

The percentage of malnourished elderly people in the EU fell gradually between 1970
and 1978. Over the following seven years, it (1)…………………….. (2)
…………………….., until 1990, when it (3) ……………………..at 16 per cent. After
falling slightly, the rate of malnutrition (4) …………………….. for a decade. Since 2000,
there (5) ……………………..a (6) ……………………..fall. Over the next ten years, it is
(7) ……………………..to (8) …………………….. (9) ……………………..

Exercise 20. When describing a line graph, you should also indicate precisely the time
you are referring to. Use the expressions a-e to complete the passage below.

a. over the next... / for

the following ...
b. thereafter
c. from ... to / between
... and
d. until
e. in (x2)

The percentage of children using supplements is at its highest level (1)…………....

January…………....March. It then falls sharply and fluctuates (2) …………....two
months. Supplement use continues to fall gradually (3) ………….... it reaches its lowest
point (4) …………....August. (5) …………...., it increases gradually during the autumn
months and more sharply (7) …………....December.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
EXAM PRACTICE

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graph shows the percentage of UK adolescents following a vegetarian diet.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
IV. WRITING A REPORT: CORRELATIONS

One of the most interesting ways to use graphs and tables is to place two together that
show a connection, or a correlation. In this case it is necessary to understand what the
link is that connects the two.

Correlations can often show an indirect causal link. For example, it has not been
possible to say that smoking causes illness 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.

Correlations can also be used to show economic or other activity where there is no
causal link, or where the cause is a separate one (as in the example about tourism
below). These are often interesting because they can indicate trends and perhaps
suggest future actions to be taken. In data analysis 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.

4.1. Vocabulary and Usage

There is no special vocabulary to be used for describing correlated graphs and tables.
There are two grammatical forms which are more likely to occur in this context: the
superlatives of quantity, such as the greatest number, the lowest incidence / occurrence
etc. and the comparative form: the greater the..... the greater the....etc.

Exercise 21. In the following description, underline all the useful expressions you can
find and use them in your own description of the correlation of the graphs that follow.

There is a clear correlation between the number of cigarettes smoked per capita and
the number of tobacco related deaths. The table shows that the greatest consumption of
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
cigarettes in 1995 was to be found in Europe, China and the Western Pacific, and that
each of these regions also had by far the largest number of tobacco related deaths in
1998. Europe, with the greatest consumption per head of cigarettes, namely over 2000
for 1995, also experienced well over 1 million tobacco-related deaths by 1998. The
region with the second highest consumption of cigarettes was the Western Pacific, with
nearly 2000per head, and it also recorded the second highest number of tobacco-
related deaths, namely 1.185 million.

In all regions except Southeast Asia it can be seen that the higher the consumption of
cigarettes, the higher the tobacco-related mortality rate. It is interesting that in
Southeast Asia, with the lowest level of cigarette consumption, at 415 per capita, the
mortality rate was as high as in the Americas, namely 0.58 million, although in the latter
the consumption level was nearly three times as high. Clearly other health or economic
factors must be involved. It is also interesting to note that in each case 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.

EXAM FOCUS

Data analysis sometimes requires you to describe two figures. Before writing your
response, it is important to ask yourself the following:

1. What do both figures relate to?

2. What kind of relationship is evident?

a. a similarity c a cause and effect relationship

b. a difference d. some other type of relationship

Once you have answered these questions, you are then in a better position to answer
questions 3 and 4:

3. Which aspects of each figure should be highlighted?

4. a) Should the figures be described in separate paragraphs or b) should different
aspects of the figures be compared within a series of paragraphs?

Exercise 22. Answer the questions 1-4 above in relation to the two figures below.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4

Exercise 23. Read the response below and answer questions 1-6.

The line graph shows average disposable income for three different age groups from
2000 to 2010. The table gives the percentage increase in sales for six different products
at three-year intervals from 2001 to 2010. Seen together, the figures suggest a link
between the disposable income of different age groups and how well certain products
sell.

The disposable income of young people in the UK between the ages of fifteen and
twenty-four peaked in 2006 and reached another high point in 2007 before falling
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
sharply. Sales of products typically enjoyed by young people, trainers and video games,
showed a similar pattern with sales of both products increasing sharply by 2006 (5%
and 6% respectively).

The disposable income of the 35-66 age group peaked in 2008 after reaching its second
highest point in 2006. Sales of business suits, books and children's toys – all items that
people of this age group might be expected to buy - also peaked in the third quarter of
the decade, with particularly strong growth in sales of toys (8%).

For people aged 65-76, disposable income remained roughly constant. Not surprisingly,
sales of reading glasses also remained steady throughout the period.

Overall, the figures show that the sales performance of different types of products may
be influenced by the disposable income available to different sectors of the population.

1. Look at the three sentences of the introduction. What information is given in each
of them?
2. What type of relationship between the two figures is identified and how is this
expressed?
3. How is each of the three body paragraphs structured?
4. What specific information has the writer chosen to highlight? Why?
5. What expressions has the writer used to highlight the similarities in the trends
represented?
6. What expression is used in the conclusion to express the relationship between
the two figures?

Exercise 24. Look at the two figures below. The two italicized expressions in sentences
1-2 can be used to describe relationships between data sets. Indicate what each of
them means by rephrasing the sentence.

1. The two figures show that there is a positive correlation between the availability
of cheap credit and levels of consumer spending.
2. The two figures show that the rate of taxation correlates negatively with levels of
consumer spending.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4

Now rephrase each sentence in three different ways using the expressions a-f below.

a. inversely proportional d. when ... falls, ... appear to...

b. proportional e. the less ... the more ...
c. when ... rises, ... also appear to ... f. the more ... the more ...

Exercise 25. Write a description of the two figures in Exercise 24 using the following
prompts.

Introduction:
 State what figure 1 shows.
 State what figure 2 shows.
Body paragraph 1:
 Describe the overall relationship between the availability of credit and consumer
spending using one of the phrases from Exercise 24.
 Give a more detailed description of the trends.
Body paragraph 2:
 Describe the overall relationship between taxation and consumer spending using
one of the phrases from Exercise 24.
 Give a more detailed description of the trends.
Overall description:
 Rephrase the relationship between credit, taxation and spending.

*Remember the Overall description can be placed before the 2 body paragraphs.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
EXAM PRACTICE

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The figures give information about economic growth and household expenditure
across a range of categories.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
 Writing Term 4: Week 1-4
REFERENCES
Writing exercises are taken from the following sources:

1. Biggerton, P. (2013). The Complete Guide to Task 1 Writing with model answers.
Vietnam: Nhan Tri Viet, Co. Ltd.

2. Duigu, G. (2001). Writing about Graphs, Tables and Diagrams. Australia: Academic
English Press.

3. Williams, A. (2011). Writing for IELTS. London: HarperCollins Publishers.