DESCRIPTIV

ACADEMIC WRITING
DESCRIPTIVE
“writing a report on a data set,
map or process”

Strategy:
• Understand how the test is
marked – giving the examiners
exactly what they need
• Paraphrase the question
• Write the overview
• Support the main features
• Check your work
DESCRIPTIVE
Strategy:
Understand how the test is marked - giving the examiners exactly what they need, thus be aware of marking criteria

Paraphrase the question - using synonyms

Write the overview – Picking main features (3-4), write generally, without referencing any data

Support the main features – explain the data

Check your answer – spelling & grammar mistakes, data accuracy

DESCRIPTIVE
Marking Criteria

Task Achievement Coherence and Cohesion

Grammatical Range and

Lexical Resource
Accuracy
DESCRIPTIVE
Paraphrasing
1. Using Synonyms 2. Change the Word
Order

3. Change the Form of 4. Change from Active

the Word to Passive
 1. Using Synonyms

DESCRIPTI
VE My car needs petrol: My vehicle requires fuel

Paraphrasing
– Using Violent crime is on the rise among teenagers: Violent offences
are rising among young people

Synonyms Global warming is mostly caused by emissions from internal

combustion engines: Climate change is mainly caused by the
release of fumes from motor vehicles.
 As languages such as Spanish, Chinese and English
become more widely used, there is a fear that that many
minority languages may die out :
DESCRIPTI
VE Change word order:

Paraphrasing - There is a fear that many minority languages may die

out, as languages such as Spanish, Chinese and English
– Changing become more widely used.

Word Order Change word order and synonyms:

- There is dismay that many lesser used languages may
pass away, as languages such as Chinese, English and
Spanish become more broadly spoken.
 DESCRIPTIVE
Paraphrasing – Change Word Form

‘Longer life spans and

Longer life spans and
improvements in the health of
improvements in the health
older people are
of older people suggest that
suggesting that people over
people over the age of sixty-
the age of sixty-five can
five can continue to live full
continue living full and
and active lives:
active lives’.
 • The property developers invested $20 million
in the development of the shopping centre:
DESCRIPTI - $20 million was invested in the development
VE of shopping centres.

Paraphrasing
•  People say that global warming is caused by
– Change the burning of fossil fuels.
Active to - Global warming is said to be caused by the
burning of fossil fuels.
Passive
 Dynamic
Graphs: What does the data do from the
start to the finish?
Do they generally go up or down
or do they fluctuate?
DESCRIPTI Any significant difference from
VE the general trend?
Overview Overall increase/decrease?

Peaks/lows?
 Static
Graphs What are the
highest/lowest values?
What are the most
DESCRIPTI noticeable differences?
VE
Overview Any similarities?

Any significant
exceptions?
 Paragraph 1- Paraphrase Sentence

DESCRIPTI Paragraph 2- Overview

VE
Essay Paragraph 3- Details

Structure
Paragraph 4- Details
The chart below shows the percentage change in the share of international students among
university graduates in different Canadian provinces between 2001 and 2006.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.