Interpreting charts

Objective?
🡪 being able to understand and learn how gow describe bar
charts/pie charts
Why?
This is considered an important academic skill, because it
shows that you can clearly and comprehensibly interpret and
describe data presented in charts, tables, graphs and
diagram.
5 step to mastering academic task 1

What not to include in your response?

🡪 personal opinions
TYPES OF CHARTS
Bar charts
Vertical axis: trục đứng, trục tung 🡪 it shows values
Horizontal axis: trục ngang, trục hoành 🡪 it depics categories
The green, blue, red shapes = bars

- More than eighty percent of students in the class pick

listening to music as their favorite activity.
- Only five per cent surveyed students enjoy skiing
- the second least popular pastime is painting, which is
chosen by twenty-one out of forty students
- The third most favored activity is shopping, which is
accounted for nearly fifty percent of students
- Very few students in my class choose skiing as their
favourite pastime.
- A large number of surveyed people opt for listening to
music as their favourite activity.

PIE CHARTS

the favourite activities in my class

Skiing
2%
Cooking
19%

Listening to music
32%

Playing Badminton
16%

Painting
11%
Shopping
20%

Per cent lun đi vs số

Percentage đi vs a, the, this, adjective high, low, medium....
Both goes with of:
1-10: write number eight per cent, >10 writen number
starting sentence always writing letters

methods of observing
1. general observation (highest, smallest...)/factual
statements (numbers)
2. highlight the largest and smallest proportions
3. comparing similarity and difference.

The average percentage of activities in a week

3%

6% 8%

25%

28%

30%

watching TV studying sleeping using the inernet doing sport doing other activities
- According to the chart, the largest percentage of his time in
a week is sleeping.
- While using the Internet accounts for up to twenty-seven
percent of his average time, the percentage of doing sport is
much lower.
- His third most popular activity is studying, which averagely
accounts for twenty-one percent.
- Watching TV has the smallest percentage in a week, only 4
percent.
- He only spends 4 percent of his time in a week for watching
TV.
-The percentage of his time spent using the internet and
studying is rather similar, being 27 percent and 21 percent,
respectively.
Account for/make up/take up/comprise of
Figure/number/data

Car ownership in Britain has

dramatically/significantly/considerably/quickly/rapidly
increased/risen over the years.
- Since 1960, car ownership has dramatically risen in Britain.
- Car ownership in Britain grew/rose/increased over a forty-
five years period between 1960 and 2005.
The number of car owners in Britain has risen dramatically
from below 2 milion to over 10 milion since 1960.
The number of car owners in britain rose significantly from
below 5 milion in 1960 to over 30 milion in 2005

Describing trends
1. introduction: what does it show? (in your own words)
2. overview: most important features, overall trends
🡪 an overview is simply a short summary of the main or most
important points in a graph, chart, ... it is normally 2 or 3
sentences long.

The chart shows the arrival of tourists in Brazil over a five-

year period between 1995 and 2000.
The chart shows the number of tourists visiting in Brazil over
five-year period between 1995 and 2000.
The bar chart shows the rise/increase in the number of
tourists visiting brazil over the six-year period between 1995
and 2000.
The number of tourists visiting brazil rose
considerably/significantly.
The chart shows a considerable increase in the number of
tourists traveling to Brazil.
-
The chart shows an increase in the number of tourists visiting
in Brazil over five-year period between 1995 and 2000.
Between 1995 and 2000, the number of tourist traveling to
Brazil grew significantly from below two milion to over five
milion.

The table gives information on how many japanese tourists

are travelling outside japan over an 11-month period. (at the
time this book written, the number was still going on)
Generally, the numbers fluctuate, although more people
seemed to be travelling in the latter half of 2005 than in the
first part of 2006. (the first half of 2000)
The first quarter of 2000: quý đầu của năm.
- the early months of 2000: những tháng đầu năm
- travel outside japan/abroad/ to foreign countries
- the table chart presents/shows data on/gives information
on the number of Japanese tourists/people travelling abroad
over an 11-month period starting from July 2005 to May
2006.
- The chart gives information on how many people in Japan
travelled to foreign countries over an 11-month period
between 2005 and 2006.
- The table chart presents the number of Japanese travellers
going abroad during 11 months between 2005 and 2006.
- Overall/generally, there is a fluctuation in the data/figures.
- overally, it/the figures fluctuate, although more people
travelled in the latter half of 2005 than in the early months of
2006.
Task 6
1. a sharp fall/ a dramatic decline 🡪 It falls sharply/ it
declines/drops/dips dramatically
2. A gradual/steady increase (rise/growth)
3. a stable/constant pattern (trend)
4. a peak
5. a dramatic/sharp surge (increase/rise/growth)
6. a gradual fall/decrease/drop
Task 8.
1. The trend declines dramatically
2. the pattern grows gradually.
3. the trend remains stable/constant.
4.It reaches a peak.
5. it rises sharply
6. It dips gradually.
- There was a significant rise in the number of tourists visiting
brazil between 2995 and 2001.
- the number of people travelling to brazil grew/rose
considerably between 1995 and 2000.
Task 8
A.
The graph illustrates the percentage of new workers
(employees) (being) employed (recruited) in a company over
an 9-year period between 1997 and 2006. Overally, the
pattern declined considerably over the years. From 1997 to
2003, there was a gradual drop in the proportion of
recruitment from over 14 per cent to below 6 per cent, which
remained unchanged until 2006.

B.
The chart depicts the number of average hours spent at the
workplace every week during six years between 2000 and
2006. According to the figures, the trend rose gradually
during this period. Over the first 3 years, there was a slight
increase from forty hours in 2000 to forty-five hours in 2003
and after that, the pattern continued rising in the following
years.
C.
The graph shows the information on the expense spent for
resolving employees’ resignation due to illness over a 6-year
period between 2000 and 2006. Generally, there was a
significant growth in figures during this period. From 2000 to
2003, the cost that company had to pay remained stable at
$200,000 but after that, the figure dramatically surged at
approximately $1,000,000 by the end of 2006.

Task 9
The given chart illustrates the number of hamburgers sold at
HARRY’s over a one-year period. As is observed, there was a
fluctuation in the data. During the first 2 months, the sales
were relatively stable at 2000 hamburgers but after that, it
showed a downward trend by the end of May. However,
from May to July, the bakery experienced a significant
growth in the sales from below 2000 to 2500 hamburgers
and reached its peak in August with up to 3000 hamburgers
sold. Between the following 2 months, there was a dramatic
drop in the
sales of hamburgers when HARRY’S sold below 1500 units for
the first time since the beginning of the year. Despite the
slight rise in the last quarter of 2007, the figures were not
high.

The given chart depicts how many passengers use the metro
system during a day in London.
As is observed, the trend fluctuated throughout the day.
Between 6 a.m to 8 a.m, figures tended to gradually increase
and reached a peak at 8 a.m with 400 people using the
subway at the same time. After this point, the number of
people choosing the subway as their transportation relatively
varied. At 4 in the afternoon, the station recorded its lowest
point with approximately 100 passengers at the metro but
after that mere 2 hours, it rocketed up to nearly 400, which
marked the second-highest rise within a day. There was a
drop in the density of passengers after 6 p.m, followed by a
slight variation in subsequent hours.

The supplied chart presents information about the level of

owning fixed telephones per thousand people in 9 Southeast-
Asian countries in 3 separate years: 2000, 2002 and 2004.
As is observed, there was a fluctuation in data between these
areas. Countries that had a high rate of landline ownership in
the early years showed a downward trend over time in
comparison to others that experienced steady growth.
In Singapore, the number of landline telephone users
gradually declined throughout 3 years. With over 450 users,
2000 became the year with the most-registered fixed
telephone subscription, followed by a drop in subsequent
years.
In 2000, landline telephones were owned by 250 people in
Brunei Darussalam and after that 2 years, despite the peak in
the number of telephone subscriptions, the statistics were
also not very impressive.
The trend of using fixed telephones of Vietnamese and Laos
relatively rose between 2000 and 2004 with over 250 users.
As can be seen
https://llv.edu.vn/vi/tu-vung-ielts-writing-task-1-tu-a-z/

Earnings = income= salary = payment

Graduate = having a degree/diploma
the given chart illustrates the comparison between the
average income of men and women with a degree per week
according to age groups.
the given chart depicts the comparison between the average
income earned per week by men and women with and
without a degree according to age groups.
overview: men group is higher than women
- men’s age is higher than women’s
Men: - graduate first, trend, which age, high/low start
increasing?
- nongraduate: the same but lower
Women: - graduate:

The given graph depicts how much money that three bakeries
made (earned) annually in London during an 10-year period
between 2000 and 2010 (measured by pound).
As is observed, the income of Lovely loaves witnessed a sharp
drop over the period, whereas, there was a significant
growth in the earnings of Bernie’s bun and Robbie's bakery.
Despite declining steadily to 80,000, income then recovered
to 90,000 in 2004
having dropped sharply to just over 60,000, earnings then
rose slightly.

Income of Lovely Loaves began at just over 80,000 in 2000,

and after that, there was a slight rise to around 95,000 in
2001. At this point, the figure went down steadily to 80,000
in 2003, but this was followed by a slight increase to around
90,000 in 2004. Next, there was a sharp fall to just over
60,000 in 2005, after which income dipped in 2006. Despite
increasing negligibly to just under 60,000 in 2007, income fell
considerably to 40,000 in 2000. Subsequently, the figure
leveled off in the last two years.
The given graph illustrates the proportion of people
employed in three areas of the British economy during
a-10-year period between 2000 and 2010.

Overall, what stands out from the graph is that both

the public sector and self-employed area witnessed a
considerable growth over this period, whereas the
percentage of private sector sharply dropped. Also,
despite being the most popular area in 2000, the
private sector lost its number one spot to public sector
by the end of 2010.

Looking at the data, with respect to public sector, the

percentage of employment started at just below 40 in
2000, after which it significantly rose to nearly 50
percent in 2005. Having dropped slightly in 2006, the
number of people working in this sector went up to
over 50 percent by the end of 2010. Regarding self-
employed, its employment rate started at only nearly
20 percent, which was the lowest number in 2000.
Next, there was a fluctuation in the number of workers
recruited in this area over the next 4 years, which was
followed by a steady increase to 30 percent in 2010.

On the contrary, the number of people employed in

the private area accounted for approximately 50
percent in 2000. Despite remaining stable at over 40
percent during 2002 and 2003, the trend dramatically
declined for the rest of the years and it hit the trough
in 2010, with only 20 percent of workers in this sector.

The given graph illustrates the proportion of people

recruited in three areas of the British economy during
a-10-year period between 2000 and 2010.

Overall, what stands out from the graph is that both

public sector and self-employed area witnessed a
considerable growth over this period, whereas the
percentage of private sector sharply dropped. Also,
despite being the most popular area in 2000, private
sector lost its number one spot to public sector by the
end of 2010.

Looking at the data, with respect to public sector, the

percentage of employment started at just below 40 in
2000, after which it significantly rose to nearly 50
percent in 2005. Having dropped slightly in 2006, the
percentage of people who worked in this sector went
up to over 50 percent by the end of 2010. Regarding
self-employed, its employment rate started at only
nearly 20 percent, which was the lowest number in
2000. Next, there was a fluctuation in the proportion of
workers recruited in this area over the next 5 years. At
this point, the rate stood at 20 percent, which was
followed by a steady increase to roughly 30 percent in
2010.

On the contrary, the proportion of individuals hired in

private area accounted for approximately 50 percent in
2000. After which, it dipped gently to over 40 percent
in 2002 and remained stable at this rate until 2003. The
trend then sharply declined and hit the trough in 2010,
with only 20 percent of workers in this sector.