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.

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 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.

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 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.
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 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 Clause connectors Others

However, but 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

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 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.

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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 four-
month 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

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 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.

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4. Variations on percentages

Percentage Proportion/amount/number/ majority Fraction

89% 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.

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 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.

three quarters almost half one third 75 per cent one in three nearly half 26 per cent
48 per cent about one in four 33 per cent three out of four just under one half just over a
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 a modest twelve per cent a hefty
85 per cent a mere twelve per cent the overwhelming majority

Very big

Very big (used before numbers)

Very small

Not very big (used before numbers)

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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 sales than Apple at the end of the period
(1) . However, this was a marked drop (2)
in 2008. Nokia’s sales were slightly erratic in general, (3) ,

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 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
highest point of 102 million in 2007, (5) .

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

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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) in 2006.

(5) , 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) 19.2% of the market in
2005 – more than all the companies 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

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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 non-
essential 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.

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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 1990 1995 2000 2005 Present day

% of island covered in forest 5
37 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

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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.

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 THINGS TO REMEMBER
1. Linking signals  Indicate overall trends
 Introduce new part
 Compare and contrast
 Highlight special features
2. Use compact style - -ing clause
- -ed clause
- comma
- with / at
- parentheses (….)
4. Expressions of
fraction
5. Variations on
percentages
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Assessment criteria
- Coherence and
cohesion Grammatical
range and accuracy
- Grammatical
range and
accuracy
- Lexical resources
- Coherence and
cohesion
- Lexical resources
- Lexical resources