Brevity and appropriateness

-writing concisely and avoiding redundancy

implies suitable writing style _formal non formal
IELTS Academic Test - Types of Graphs
1. Line graph
2. Bar chart – OR – column graph
3. Pie chart
4. Table
5. Multiple charts
6. Process or cycle
7. Describing objects
8. Map

Now, this number seems big, but fortunately the vocabulary you need to learn falls
in only four categories

1. Line graph vocabulary also called the time graph vocabulary

2. Percentage vocabulary
3. Process vocabulary
4. Maps vocabulary

How to write a graph?

Introduction:
You need only one or two sentences describing the following:
The type of graph you are describing, the title of the graph, date of the graph and scale.
You need not have all this information but you should report what you have.

Body:
What you need to do is to describe factually the graph. No specialized knowledge of
your own is needed nor your opinion.
You don’t need to analyze the data, for example you need not give the reason for why
figures are high or low. Sometimes, when there is more than one graph, there is
relationship between the two, and you can bring in some comparison between them but
going beyond this is not necessary.

Ending:
You need not write a long and analytical conclusion. The introduction and the ending
should be more or less the same.

Time phrases
It is important that you know how to use the common expressions of time.
Here are the common ones:
In:
a. In 2000
b. In the 20th century
c. In the first ten years...
For:
a. For the first six months...
b. For twenty years...
During:
a. During the first six months...
b. During the first half of this century...
c. During the remainder of the year...
From – to
a. From September to November...
b. From 2000 to 2005...
between —and:
a. Between 1960 and 1970...
Stood at / started at / finished at
Note that you can refer to a decade as the 1980s etc. There is no apostrophe before the s.

EXERCISE # 3

The bar chart shows the percentage of the whole world population in four countries from 1950 to 2000,
with projections until 2050. It is clear from the chart that India is continuously increased in the time than
other three countries.
India’s population is are constantly increasing in from 1950 to 2000 to 2050. However, China and Japan’s
population are constantly decreasing in at this time. About USA, decreased in during 1950 to 2000
Furthermore, the USA decreased from 1950 to 2000.

India had a 15% of the whole world’s population in 1950, during this period china had one-fourth of the
world population. Only 5% world population in japan less than other countries in 1950.

Corrected:

The bar chart shows the percentage of the whole world population in four countries from 1950 to 2000,
with projections until 2050. It is clear from the chart that India is continuously increased in the time than
other three countries.

India's population is constantly increasing from 1950 to 2000 to 2050. However, China and Japan's
population are constantly decreasing at this time. Furthermore, the USA decreased from 1950 to 2000.

India had a 15% of the whole world's population in 1950, during this period china had one-fourth of the
world population. Only 5% world population in japan less than other countries in 1950

NoTE: Make it a little more longer by giving more details to each variables presented.

Suggested ANSWER:

The column graph compares the changes in the proportion of population in India, China, the
USA and Japan in 1950 and 2000, and also indicates the projections for 2050. It is clear from
the graph that China had the highest percentage of world population in 1950 and 2000, but
estimates show that India will take the lead by 2050.

In 1950, China accounted for a little over a quarter of the world’s population. Although it
decreased to a little under a quarter, it was still the highest in 2000, compared to the other
three countries. It is estimated that the population of China will continue to drop and would
reach approximately19% by 2050.

India showed an opposing trend to China. The population in India in 1950 was 15%, which
was considerably lower than that of China. However, the population increased moderately
to 19% by 2000 and is further expected to grow and reach nearly 20%, which would be the
highest among the given countries by 2050.

When it comes to the population of the USA and Japan, both showed a decrease from 1950 to
2000. It is predicted that the percentage will remain the same in the USA, whereas in Japan,
the population is likely to keep falling till 2050.

Overall, Japan had the least population in the given period, and the population is expected
to decrease to approximately 3% by 2050.
EXERCISE # 4

NOTE : Talking about combinations – Only two types of word combinations can be used in the
time graphs – The adjective noun OR the verb adverb. You must learn the relevant
vocabulary by making a table like the one given below
The bar chart shows the number of working hours per week, industrial sector, in four European
countries in 2002. 36-40 age group is the highest percentage of workers in four countries.

Approximately the highest percentage by 50% for 31-35 age group in France. About in Denmark, the
highest percentage of workers group age is 36-40 at 50%, Sweden and UK were same as Denmark about
this age group. The lowest age group is 1-14 in four countries, approximately just about 0-9%. Thirteen
five age was sharply grew point in these countries. Therefore, dropped point was 41. Thirteen-five age
sharply grew point in these countries. Therefore, the dropped point was 41.

Suggested Answer:

The given column graphs compare the number of hours spent on work per week by
industrial workers in France, Denmark, Sweden and the UK in 2002. In three countries, it can
be seen that the maximum workers worked 36-40 hours, but in France the maximum
workers worked 31-35 hours per week.

In France, approximately half the workers worked for 31-35 hours per week. The percentage
of people who worked for 36-40 hours and 46-50 hours was 35% and 20% respectively. The
figures for the rest of the working hours accounted for around 10% workers each.
Denmark and Sweden witnessed the highest proportion of people working for 36-40 hours,
which was quite different from that of France. The second and the third place came from 31-
35 hours and 41-45 hours workers (25% and 10% in Denmark; 35% and 30% in Sweden). The
proportion of people working for the remaining hours was higher in Denmark than in
Sweden.

It is interesting to note that in the UK, the percentage of people working 50+ hours was the
maximum. Almost 50% worked 36-40 hours per week. Overall, France was a country where the
people worked for the least hours, where as the Swedish people spent the most time on work
among the people from four different countries.
EXERCISE # 5

EXERCISE #6

Exercise #7
POINTERS :

How to incorporate data in the graph?

There are two ways of incorporating data
1. By using brackets - (…..)
2. By using – which +
is
makes up
constitutes
accounts for

Example sentences
White is considerably more common than blue.
White (55%) is considerably more common than blue (20%).
White, which is 55%, is considerably more common than blue, which makes up
20%.
Red, which constitutes 28%, is almost twice as popular as blue, which is 13.8%.
The other colours, which constitute 8% are considerably less popular than blue
(20%).
Grouping information

When you write a task 1, you should always group information in a logical way to make
it easy to follow and read.
With an IELTS pie chart, 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.

Language of comparison
Comparative form – when comparing 2 things

Than
In comparison with
As compared to

As compared to/with // Than - used when comparing things or people, especially

when comparing numbers or amounts:

Example:
This year's profits are much higher as compared to (than) (in comparison with) last
year's.

Mortality rates are lower for women as compared with (than) men.
as against/as opposed to conjunction used when you are comparing two figures or
pieces of information, in order to show how they are different:

Example:
The company achieved sales of $404 million, as against $310 million in the previous year.
One study predicted that 42% of female university graduates would remain single the
rest of their lives, as opposed to just 5% of male graduates.

3. Process Vocabulary
The first step in learning to write about a process diagram is to see where the process
starts and ends. This is important information as it will help structure your writing. The
obvious thing to do is to start at the beginning and carry on until you get to the end.
Some of the most useful vocabulary for describing a process is the language of
sequencing. This means that you need to find language to say in what order each thing
happens. The key here is variation. Try not to use “and then” “and then” all the time.
Here are some alternatives –
• The first
• The second
• The next
• A further
• Eventually
• This step involves
• After this stage is complete
• At the same time / Meanwhile
• Finally