PASSPORT

WRITING
PART 1
LESSON 9: Body Paragraphs
The general format for writing academic writing task 1

Introduction
(Paraphrase Sentence)

Overview
(Basic/General Trends/Main Features)

Details Descripions
(2 paragraphs)

Shouldn’t I write a conclusion?

No. Conclusions are really a summary of what you think or opinions. This is not an opinion essay, and
you do not need to write a conclusion. Save your conclusions for task 2.
Identify the introduction, overall sentence, key features and data:

Introduction Overall Key features Data

The graph compares the level of cinema-going (more than once a year) of
four age groups in Australia from 1998 to the present and makes predictions
until 2018. Overall, despite fluctuations, there was a steady upward trend in
cinema-going in Australia, although the recent decline in the 25-34 year olds
age group is expected to continue.

The popularity of the cinema has grown since 1998 for all age groups, with the
increase ranging from just over 5% for 14-24 year olds (90% to a projected
96%) to around 25% for the 35-49 year olds (60% to over 85%). Going to the
cinema has proved most popular with 14-24 year olds and least popular with
the 50+ age group, although the 40% in 1998 was expected to have risen to
almost 60% by 2018.

The only age group which is expected to record a decline in cinema

attendance is the 25-34 year olds, with numbers predicted to fall by just over
5% from their peak of 80% in the middle of the period.
 Northcom's Largest Products in 2000, 2015
and Future Projections for 2030

Home Broadband Telephone

Online Film/Music
250

200
1. What is the chart about?

2. What are the main features?

150
3. How will you organize the data to make it easier for the reader

to understand?
100

50

0
2000 2015 2030
1. What is the chart about?

2. What are the main features?

3. How will you organize the data to make it easier for the reader

to understand?
Sample:

The graph represents the unemployment rates in Japan and

America from March 1993 to March 1999. Overall, the
unemployment rate in the US was significantly higher than
Japan’s at the start of the period. Then, with the US’s rate
rapidly declining and Japan’s considerably rising, there was
almost no difference in the two countries’ unemployment
rates towards the end of the period.

From March 1993 to March 1998, 7.0 percent of the US’s labor
force was unemployed, this number then fluctuated wildly but
generally followed a downward trend to about 5.8 percent.
This decline then continued to happen more steadily until
March 1998. In contrast, Japan experienced a rapid increase in
their unemployment percentage, this figure was only 2.5
percent in March 1993 but then grew consistently until March
1998.

At this point, the proportions of the workforce without a job in

both countries were approximately 5%. For Japan, this was a
100% increase in the country's percentage of unemployment.
In other words, this rate doubled after 6 years. Meanwhile,
compared with the beginning of the period, the unemployment
rate in the US decreased by nearly 30%.
The chart below shows the results of a recent survey into the causes of poor school attendance in the UK.

Causes of poor attendance in UK schools

1. What is the chart about?

2. What are the main features?

3. How will you organize the data to make it easier for the reader

to understand?
both parents working
The chart below shows the results of a recent survey into the causes of poor school attendance in the UK.

Sample:

The pie chart shows the reasons behind the poor attendance of
students in the UK. Overall, the main reason why students have
bad attendance at school is that both of their parents work, as
well as the lack of discipline at school. The more minor reasons
are peer group pressure, bullying, and the student's upbringing.

To be specific, for 40% of the students, school attendance was

irregular because they come from families in which both parents
work. Another factor for poor attendance is a lack of school
discipline. In addition, a quarter of the students did not go to
school/were absent from their school due to a loose policy toward
discipline for them.

About the minor reasons, both bullying and peer group pressure
accounted for 15% of the answers. Finally, only 5% of the students
felt like it was their upbringing that negatively affected their
attendance rate.
1. What is the chart about?

2. What are the main features?

3. How will you organize the data to make it easier for the reader

to understand?
Sample:

The table shows the change in attitude, over ten years, of students at a
particular university to different aspects of its academic provision.
Overall, the most striking set of statistics related to approval for electronic
resources. For others factors, the shifts in students' attitudes were varied.

It is evident that there was a sharp increase in the percentage of students

giving the university's electronic provision a good rating, from 45 percent in
2000 to 72 percent in 2005, and 88 percent in 2010. Similarly, an overall
improvement in the good rating percentage for teaching quality also
occurred, though the increase was relatively small (65 percent in 2000 rising
to 69 percent in 2010), and there was a decline in the interim (63 percent in
2005).

In addition, the percentages of good ratings for printing and

building/teaching facilities stayed relatively stable at around 88 percent for
the former and 77 percent for the latter. Finally, in 2000, only 32 percent of
the surveyed students gave good ratings for the range of modules offered,
this number then fell to 27 percent in 2010.