AVTC5_Unit 1_Line graphs

Unit 1: LINE GRAPH (FULL REPORT)

I. PRE-WRITING
1. Definition
 Characteristics of a line graph:
Line graphs can be used to show how information or data changes over time. In other
words, they highlight trends. A trend is the movement of data in a general direction over time.
On a line graph, trends are represented by the direction of the lines. Trends can be upward or
downward, or they can remain at the same level. In your report, it is important to describe trends
and compare them.

 Elements of a line graph:

+ The horizontal axis usually involves units of time: days, months, years, and so on. Usually,
the time represented in the task is in the past, but some graphs include projections about the
future.

+ The vertical axis can show almost any kind of data: costs, temperatures, rainfall, amounts of
some commodity, population figures, and so on.

 Basic rules for analyzing a line graph:

Strategy to analyze a line graph

- Write at least 150 words.
- Use an academic style.

Requirements - Do NOT give your opinion about the graphs.

- You do NOT have to write a concluding paragraph or make
any calculations.

- General trends are the main changes that take place over the
whole period
- Compare the starting point of a line and the ending point to
General or overall trend(s)
find the general trend
- Identify the lowest and the highest range of data (e.g., most
popular vs. least popular, highest vs. lowest sales, etc.)

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AVTC5_Unit 1_Line graphs

Focus on:
- Starting point and ending point of the line
Details (separate line): - Periods with similar line trend (e.g., increased significantly,
Main features decreased slightly, remained stable, etc.)
- Changes in the trend of the line
- The lowest and highest point (e.g., peak, etc.)
Focus on:
- Similar and contrasting trends of multiple lines (e.g., both
increased/decreased; A increased, but B decreased, etc.)
Details (multiple lines):
- The lowest and highest range of data (e.g., most popular vs.
Main features
least popular, etc.)
- Intersection points (e.g., A and B both reached 5 hundred
thousand dollars in sales in 2010.)

2. Structure of a line graph

Explain in your own words what the graph(s) is showing
a. Introduction
(Paraphrase the question)
b. Overview Describe general trend(s)

c. Body 1 Describe the first group of information

d. Body 2 Describe the second group of information

*Notes:
- An overview is a short summary of the main features. If you do not give any overview, you will get below
band 5 in the Task Achievement criterion.
- You do not have to report all the information given in the graph. You only need to focus on the key
features, changes, differences, etc.

3. Language for Writing

a. Introduction
Type of
Verb Noun phrase Time
chart
The line illustrate(s) • the number of + countable • in [2010]
graph(s) demonstrate(s) noun • between [2010] and
represent(s) [2020]

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AVTC5_Unit 1_Line graphs

compare(s) • the amount of + • from [2010] to

give(s) information uncountable noun [2020]
about • the percentage of/ • over a [10]-year
proportion of + noun period

b. Overview
• Overall, / Generally, /
• It is obvious/ apparent that
• As we can see,
there is an increase/ decrease in [Noun phrase] (sales,
profits, consumers, etc.).
there is an upward trend/ downward trend in + the number of/
the amount of/ the percentage of + [Noun phrase].
more people + [Verb] (watched TV, ate pizza, etc.) in place
[A] than they did in place [B].

Example: Overall, there is a huge increase in the number of people using smartphones
over the 10-year period.
c. Details
*Common words and phrases to describe trends
Trends Verbs/ Phrases Nouns/ Phrases
to rise a rise from
to increase from an increase
to
to grow a growth
to
to decrease a decrease of
to fall a fall
by in
to drop a drop
to decline a decline

to remain unchanged/
stable/ steady at
to stay the same
to fluctuate between … and …
to fluctuate around a fluctuation
to be inconsistent/ unstable

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AVTC5_Unit 1_Line graphs

to stabilize at a stabilization

to reach a plateau at

to peak at

to bottom out at

Slow Moderate Fast Sudden

gradually steadily quickly suddenly
slowly rapidly unexpectedly
slightly

4. Sentence structures
a. Verbs + Adverbs

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AVTC5_Unit 1_Line graphs

Subject
(- The amount of +
Uncountable Nouns;
- The number of +
Verb Adverbs Time expression
Countable Nouns;
- The percentage of +
Nouns;
- Sales/ Production, etc.)

Sales increased significantly from (April) to (July).

The amount of water dropped gradually between (June) and (August).

• the amount of
+ Uncountable
saw/
Time Expression Nouns Verb Adverb
witnessed
• the number of
+ Countable
Nouns

the number of
international
The year (2000) witnessed rise steadily.
students at the
university

b. Nouns + Adjectives
Subject Verb a/an Adjective Noun Time expression
The number of
international from (2000) to
experienced a significant increase
students at the (2005).
university
in +
There + Be (+ a/an) Adjective Noun Time expression
Subject

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AVTC5_Unit 1_Line graphs

in the from (March) to

number of (June).
There was a substantial rise
(smart
phones)

c. Future trends
It is forecast/
Future Time
predicted/ expected/ that Subject
tenses expression
likely
will
It is likely that the price of oil next year.
increase

will have
It is predicted that the price of oil by (2040).
reached
$500
is forecast/
Subject predicted/ To + Verb Time expression
expected/ likely
The number of people
using the Internet in is expected to increase in (2030).
Asia

*Linking words

Look at the line graph and see how sentences (that describe the graph) are linked using
transitional phrases.

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AVTC5_Unit 1_Line graphs

(Source: https://www.english-exam.org/)

• Comparison (Similarities)

Similarly,
S + V + O.
Likewise,
Example: Team sports experienced an increase in the amount of participation by
numbers from 1995 to 2010. Similarly, the number of gym goers also rose significantly
over the 15-year period.
• Contrast (Differences)
However,
On the other hand,
S + V + O.
By/ In contrast,
But
Example: In 1995, around 50% of club members participated in swimming, so this was
clearly the most popular activity. However, this figure decreased steadily to 15% in 2010
and remained steady at this rate until 2015.
Although
While S1 + V1 + O1, S2 + V2 + O2.
Whereas
Example: Although swimming began as the most popular activity, with 50% of the
participants, the rate declined rapidly and stabilized at 15% in 2010.

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AVTC5_Unit 1_Line graphs

5. Sample line graph

The graph below shows the number of tourists visiting a particular Caribbean Island
between 2010 and 2017.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

(Source: IELTS Cambridge 15)

Task 1. Look at the line graph above and answer the questions.
1. What is the line graph about?
2. What are the trends of the lines?
3. What is measured on the vertical axis?
4. What is measured on the horizontal axis?
5. What is the time period described in the graph?
6. What major trends do you see in the graph?
7. What are some of the most important features of this graph?

Task 2. Work in pairs. Fill in the blanks to complete the outlines for the line graph.
Discuss how the information is grouped in the two outlines and which way is
better to group the information. Give reasons for your answers.
 1st outline:

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AVTC5_Unit 1_Line graphs

It’s a line graph about

The number of tourists visiting Caribbean Island and
___________________________
Paragraph 1

where they stayed from 2010 to 2017

____________________________________________

2
They have ____________ trends. The number of
tourists on ____________
cruise ship was ____________
lower than
Paragraph 2 island
that of those choosing to stay on ____________ during
most of the period.

Paragraph 3 Describe the trend for visitors ______

staying on cruise ships

Paragraph 4 staying on island

Describe the trend for visitors ______

 2nd outline:

Paragraph 1 It’s a line graph about ______

They have ____________ trends. The number of

tourists on ____________ was ____________ than
Paragraph 2 that of those choosing to stay on ____________
during most of the period.

Paragraph 3 Describe the data during ______

Paragraph 4 Describe the data during ______

Task 3. Now, read the sample report and check your answer.

The line graph illustrates the number of visitors going to a specific Caribbean island, as well as
where they stayed, from 2010 to 2017.

Overall, there was a significant upward trend in the total number of tourists to the island over the
period. In addition, the number of tourists on the island was higher than that of those choosing
to stay on cruise ships during most of the period.

In 2010, the total number of tourists traveling to the Caribbean island stood at exactly 1 million.
Specifically, 75,000 of them chose to stay on the island, whereas the rest decided to stay on
cruise ships. Over the following two years, while there was an insignificant drop to the lowest

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AVTC5_Unit 1_Line graphs

point of just below 0.25 million in the number of visitors staying on cruise ships, staying on the
island was still a more popular choice with 1.25 million visitors.

In the final year, the Caribbean island witnessed a sharp rise to 3.5 million in the total number of
visitors. Likewise, the number of tourists who stayed on cruise ships experienced a sharp
increase to precisely 2 million, surpassing the figure for those staying on the island.

(195 words)

(Adapted from ieltspracticeonline.com)

6. Brainstorm ideas
Task 4. Read the Writing Task 1 below and answer the questions.
The graph below shows the number of books read by men and women at Burnaby Public
Library from 2011 to 2014.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

(Source: www.ielts-mentor.com)

1. What is the graph about?

2. What information do the 2 axes give?

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AVTC5_Unit 1_Line graphs

3. What are the time periods and unit of measurements?

4. What trends do you see in the graph?
5. What are the highest number and the lowest number of books read by men?
6. What are the highest number and the lowest number of books read by women?
7. What is the most significant change in the number of books read by men?
8. What is the most significant change in the number of books read by women?

Task 5. Complete the following outline for the graph in Task 4.

The
__________ graph shows ____________________________________
the number of books read my men and women
Paragraph 1: 2011 to 2014
Time period: __________.
Introduction
- __________
Changable trend in the number of books read by men.
Paragraph 2:
- __________
Women read more books than _________
men in 2011, but the
Overview
number of books read by _________
men was higher than that by
women
_________ in 2014.

8000
- In 2011, women read _________ books - men just read _________
4000
Paragraph 3:
books.
Body 1 change
- Between 2012 and 2013, there was a sudden _________ in the
number of books read by male while the figure of books read by female
_________
stay steadily.

similar
- In 2013: the number of books read by both men and women: _______
Paragraph 4:
higher
- In 2014: the number of books read by men _________ => the
Body 2
highest figure in the period.
_________

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