Writing Skills

Analytical Paragraph
An analytical paragraph is a form of descriptive writing which is written on
the basis of a given chart, graph, data, outline, clues, table etc. It requires
analysis and comparison of the given facts and drawing conclusion based
on the given data. When writing an analytical paragraph, one should
remember to describe the facts in the best possible manner and cover the
information provided. The paragraph must use clear and crisp language
along with providing complete details of the data provided in the question.
Features of an Analytical Paragraph:

 It describes the given chart, table, data, graph, cues etc.

 It should be brief and comprehensive but at the same time, include complete
information.
 It should state the facts that are provided.
 It should have simple and accurate language.
 It should mention figures and quantities appropriately.
 It should use the same tense throughout, as far as possible.
 It should not provide any personal observation or response.
 It should preferably use the passive form of the verb.
Format of an Analytical Paragraph

Content in 100-120 words The content of the paragraph must include the
following:
 Introduction (explain in one or two lines the context or what is clearly evident
from the chart or graph)
 Body of the paragraph (explain in detail the figure and trends, making
comparisons and contrasts)
 Conclusion (give the overall view or summary of the chart or graph)
Points to Remember:
 We must not include any personal opinions, conclusions or observations but
simply stick to the facts.
 We must choose wisely the important information, organize it well, state the
correct facts and summarize it properly.
 For introduction, we can start with phrases such as The chart given above
describes…/The given table suggests…/ The line graph shows…/ The data
given provides information about…/ The pie chart illustrates…, etc
 For body of the paragraph, we should organize the information well. We
should look for the large differences that are very prominent. We can
mention the aspect which is the smallest or the largest in the data given. Any
aspect that is similar should be mentioned next. We should further mention
about the aspect that has remained unchanged or is constant throughout.
 If the chart or table mentions two different groups, we should refer to both of
them in the paragraph. If there is any contrast or comparison that could be drawn,
we must present it effectively. If the chart is about a particular time period or
highlights trends of several years, we should mention about each year in a concise
manner. If any comparison or contrast can be made for two or more years, we
should write about that too.
 For describing the pattern of growth, we can use words and phrases like- ‘rapidly
doubled’, ‘skyrocketed’, ‘striking increase’, ‘peaked’, ‘soared’, ‘declined’,
‘plummeted’, ‘leveled off’, ‘stagnated’, ‘fluctuating’ , ‘starting to rise’, ‘starting
to fall’, ‘drop down’, ‘slightly’, etc.
 Mentioning quantities: When including numbers and figures, the accuracy must be
ensured. Quantities can be described in a number of ways, such as percentage,
fraction, ratios etc. For describing quantities, we can also use words and phrases
like ‘one-third of’, ‘nearly one-fourth of’, ‘majority’, ‘on an average’, ‘twice as
much’, ‘almost equal’, ‘the highest’, ‘the lowest’, ‘approximately’, etc.
 For establishing relationship or contrast, we can make use of words and phrases
like- ‘similarly’, ‘in contrast with’, ‘ in comparison to’, ‘however’, ‘whereas’, ‘as
opposed to’, ‘while’, ‘a striking difference’, ‘a noticeable difference’, etc.
 For conclusion, we may use words and phrases like ‘overall’, ‘subsequently’, ‘in
all’, ‘in a nutshell’, ‘in short’, ‘therefore’, etc.
Q1. The given line graph provides information about changes in birth and
death rates in New Zealand between 1901 and 2101. Write an analytical
paragraph summarizing the information and make comparisons where
relevant in about 100-120 words.
The graph shows changes in the birth and death rates in New Zealand since 1901
and forecasts trends till 2101.
Between 1901 and 2041, the birth rate has been consistently higher than the
death rate. It stood at 20000 in 1901, at the start of this period and started
increasing gradually after that. It reached to its peak of around 65000 in 1961.
Since then, the birth rate has fluctuated between 50000 and 60000. It is
expected to decline in the coming years, reaching approximately 42000 by
2101.In contrast, the death rate stood at around 10000 in 1901 and has increased
steadily after that. It is expected to rise strikingly from 2021 before leveling off
to approximately 60000 between 2061 and 2081. The graph indicates a slight
decline in deaths in the year 2101.The graph shows a huge gap between birth
rate and death rate from 1961 to 2001.
However, this gap is expected to reduce in the later years. Overall, as opposed to
the prevailing trends, the death rate will be reversed and will be more than the
birth rate in the later part of this century.
Q2. The given chart shows the division of household tasks by
gender in Great Britain. Write an analytical paragraph
describing the chart in not more than 100-120 words.
The chart provides information about the division of household tasks by gender in
Great Britain and the number of minutes per day spent by both males as well as
females in doing various tasks.
On an average, women spend approximately four hours doing the household
tasks, whereas men spend less than two and half hours for the same. The tasks
on which women spend more time than men include cooking, cleaning the house,
taking care of the children and laundry. In doing all these tasks, women spend
approximately 200 minutes which is almost three times the time spent by men in
accomplishing these tasks. On the other hand, men spend twice the time than
women in doing tasks like gardening and maintenance of odd jobs in the house.
Men spend majority of their time, almost 50 minutes, in gardening and pet care
whereas women spend only 30 minutes for these tasks. The time spent by men in
washing, ironing and sewing clothes is as low as 2 minutes per day as opposed to
25 minutes spent by women.
In a nutshell, women spend far more time when it comes to doing household
chores than men who prefer to do gardening, pet care and maintenance of odd
jobs.