Writing an introductory

sentence or paragraph
(Task 1)
Muhammad Ahkam Arifin, M.Sc., M.App.Ling.
Review: Writing
• 2 tasks (a report and an essay) for 60 minutes
• Task 1 (150 words; 20 mins): describe some visual information
(graph/table/chart/diagram) in their own words.
• Task 2 (250 words; 40 mins): respond to a point of view or argument
or problem.
• Responses to both tasks must be in a formal style.
Review: Writing (2 essays; 60 minutes)
• Assessment criteria:
1. task achievement (task 1) / task response (task 2): 25%
2. coherence & cohesion: 25%
3. lexical resource: 25 %
4. grammatical range & accuracy: 25%

• Scoring: task 1 (± 30%) and task 2 (± 60%)

If you`ve got 7 in task 1, and 6.5 in task 2, then it will be (7 + 6.5 + 6.5) /
3 = 6.667
 Types of visual information in task 1
1. Bar chart
2. Table
3. Pie chart
4. Map
5. Diagram or process
6. Line graph or line chart
• Combination of different charts
Task 1 marking criteria
Task Achievement
• analyse the chart and identify all key features
• highlight your key features in an overview
• supporting your body paragraph with data (numbers and dates if
possible)
• avoid putting in information which is wrong
• avoid an opinion
• write a factual report
• write over 150 words (penalty for under word count)
Task 1 marking criteria
Coherence and Cohesion
• plan where to put your information
• have four paragraphs
• use a range of linking devices (e.g., whereas, and, in addition)
• avoid mistakes with linking words (e.g., in spite | in spite of)
• use referencing (this, it, etc)
Task 1 marking criteria
Lexical Resource
• use a range of vocabulary (e.g., fluctuate, remain steady,
decline/drop, climb/increase)
• use vocabulary for presenting accurate data (e.g., slightly under,
approximately, marginally over, considerably more than)
• understand collocations (matching verbs with nouns)
• avoid spelling mistakes
• don’t use the inaccurate words or informal language
Task 1 marking criteria
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
• use a variety of complex sentence structures
• use the right tense for the chart given to you
• use the right word order (adjective noun / verb adverb)
• avoid grammar mistakes
• use the right punctuation (e.g., capitalisation, full stops, commas,
dashes, etc.)
Common structure of task 1 (a report)
• Introduction
• Overview / summary
• Body (generally 2 paragraphs)

OR

• Introduction
• Body (generally 2 paragraphs)
• Summary / overview
Writing an introductory sentence or
paragraph
• A description of the chart / what does it show?
• Use the information from the instruction; do not copy it (paraphrase)
• Paraphrase: to repeat something written or spoken using different
words
 Samples

Edinmelb Official; Full Bright Institute Official Edinmelb; fullbright_institute edinmelb.com; fullbrightinstitute.com
Sample answer:
The bar chart illustrates three areas of
difficulty that people have when they
move to another country and how these
difficulties vary according to age.

• Chart = bar chart

• Shows = illustrates
• Problems = difficulties
• Go to live in other countries = move to
another country
• Plus some information from the chart:
how these difficulties vary according
to age.
The chart below shows the average monthly
expenditure by British households in three years. • chart = bar chart
• shows = represents
• average = typical
• expenditure = amount of money
spent
• monthly = each month
• British households = households
in Britain
• information from the chart: utility
bills, transports, etc & years
(1990, 2000, & 2010).

Answer: The bar chart represents the typical amount of money spent each month on
utility bills, transport, rent, entertainment and groceries by households in Britain in
three years (1900, 2000, and 2011). Units are measured in pounds sterling.
The bar chart below shows the number of • The bar chart provides an overview
students in three different courses from 2001- of students in three different
2004. courses in four years from 2001 to
2004.
• The bar chart featured in Task 1
shows students in three different
courses over four-year time span
from 2001 to 2004.

• Bar chart = bar chart featured in

Task 1
• Shows = provides an overview
• From 2001-2004 = over four years
from 2001 to 2004
• The line graph provides information
about how the populations of India and
China have changed since 2000 and how
they will change in the future.
• The line graph compares the population
of China and India since 2000, and it also
shows the predicted growth of the two
countries up to 2040.
• Graph = line graph
• Shows = provides information = compares
• Population figures for India and China = the
populations of India and China
• Predicted population growth = how they
[populations] will change in the future
• since the year 2000 = since 2000
• Up until = up to
 The graph below shows the amounts of waste produced by three
companies over a period of 15 years.

• Graph = line graph

• shows the amounts of waste
produced by three companies =
compares three companies in terms
of their waste output
• Over a period of 15 years = between
the years 2000 and 2015

The line graph compares three companies in terms of their waste

output between the years 2000 and 2015.
The first chart below gives information about the money spent by
British parents on their children’s sports between 2008 and 2014. The
second chart shows the number of children who participated in three
sports in Britain over the same time period.

The line graphs show the average monthly amount that parents in
Britain spent on their children’s sporting activities and the number of
British children who took part in three different sports from 2008 to
2014.
The graph below shows the consumption of fish and some different kinds of
meat in a European country between 1979 and 2004.
The line graph illustrates the amount of fish
and three other kinds of meat namely lamb,
beef and chicken that people of a European
country consumed during the period of 1979
and 2004.

The line graph illustrates the amount of fish

and three other kinds of meat (lamb, beef and
chicken) that p that the Europeans consumed
during the period of 1979 and 2004.
Answer:
The two tables contain sales
data for Fairtrade coffee and
bananas in 1999 and 2004,
in five nations of Europe.

• Give information about

sales = contain sales
data
• Five European
countries = five nations
of Europe.
• Fairtrade-labelled
coffee = Fairtrade
coffee
The table below gives information about
consumer spending on different items in five
different countries in 2002. • Gives information about =
illustrates
• Consumer spending =
national expenditure
• In five different countries =
in Ireland, Italy, Spain,
Sweden, and Turkey
• On different items = on
three types of consumer
The table illustrates the proportion of national items
expenditure in Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden and
Turkey on three types of consumer items in
2002.
The charts below show the proportion of the energy produced from different
sources in a country between 1985 and 2003.

The given pie charts compare the percentage of energy generated from
various sources in a particular country from 1985 to 2003.
The charts below show the comparison of some kinds of energy
production of France in 2 years.

The pie charts compare 5 different types of energy sources, namely coal,
gas, petrol, nuclear and other, of France in 1995 and 2005.
The three pie charts illustrate the average
proportions of three types of nutrients in
typical meals, which can be unhealthy if
consumed too much. The three types include
sodium, saturated fats, and added sugar. The
data is taken from the United States of
America

• Charts = three pie charts

• Show = illustrate
• The average percentages = the average
proportions
• If eaten = if consumed
• + some additional information
• thesaurus.com/
• dictionary.cambridge.org/dic
tionary/english/

• Proportion = percentage
• from 2000 to 2005 =
between 2000 and 2005 =
over a fiver year period =
during five years from 2000
to 2005
• Consumed = eaten
• generate = produce
• Spending = expenditure
• Diagram = plan = scheme
Be careful with your paraphrase
Question: It is important that young children are taught art, drama and
music, alongside more traditional subjects like maths and science.
Paraphrase: It is important that young people are taught
extracurricular activities, alongside serious subjects like mathematics,
biology and chemistry.

• young children – young people

• art, drama and music- extracurricular activities
• traditional subjects- serious subjects
Several ways to paraphrase
Use synonyms
• My car needs petrol. My vehicle requires fuel.
• Violent crime is on the rise among teenagers.
Violent offences are rising among young people.
Change word order
• What he wants now is to get a good a high-paying job.
• Getting a well-paid job is what he currently wants.
Active to passive, or vice versa
• Several types of food that Indonesian people consume in five years.
• Various kinds of food that are consumed by Indonesian people within a five-year period.
Verb to noun, or vice versa
• Parents’ spending on children’s sports increased gradually.
• There was a gradual increase on parents’ spending on children’s sports.
Exercise for an introductory sentence (1)

Chart = bar chart

Shows = illustrates
Percentage = proportion
• With projections till 2050
= Predicted population
growth up until 2050 /
how the population will
change in the future
The graph below shows the consumption of fish and some different kinds of
meat in a European country between 1979 and 2004.
Edinmelb Official; Full Bright Institute Official Edinmelb; fullbright_institute edinmelb.com; fullbrightinstitute.com
The table below gives information about changes in modes of travel in
England between 1985 and 2000.

Average distance in miles travelled per person per year, by mode of travel