Types of graphs Writing Task 1 of IELTS Academic Module

34 ANI SUSANA, 2012 Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu both tasks have to be well-answered. Therefore, any students’ problem with completing not only Task 2 but also Task 1 should be coped with. Writing Task 1 is not an easy part of the test. Describing a graph well in 20 minutes is not something most people can do straight away whether they are English speakers or not. The fact is that it is in a foreign language for candidates as well does not help. Basically Writing Task 1 of IELTS Academic Module is an information transfer task related to the factual content of a graphs, charts, tables or diagrams or processes. It can be combinations of these inputs.

2.9.1 Types of graphs

As stated previously, IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 asks candidates to describe, summarize, compare or contrast information given in a graph or diagram. It can be a bar chart, pie chart, table, or line graph. It shoud be noted that the function of many graphs is to describe a trend so we have to be sure that we describe the trends ieltshelpnow, 2011. A trend is how values change generally over time and it is important to describe the changes along with some of the individual values. We do not need to analyse the data, for instance they do not need to give reasons why figures are low or high. Sometimes, when there is more than one graph, there is a relationship between the two and we can bring in some comparisons but more than this is not necessary. In the same way, no spesialised knowledge is needed or wanted nor our opinions. 35 ANI SUSANA, 2012 Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu One important issue with the IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 is how much detail to include in our report. This depends really on how much detail there is in the question. If there is only one graph and it does not have much numerical data in it, then candidates will be expected to include all or nearly all of the numerical detail. If, however, there are two graphs, both of which are very complicated with a lot of values,we will not be expected to include everything as they only have about 20 minutes and approximately 150 words to do the job. What we have to do is to include a selection of what we feel is the most important and significant detail that needs to be included to accurately describe the graph. Here the types of graphs are explained. Bar Charts Bar charts, also known as bar graphs Kaplan, 2009: 131, are similar to line graphs in that they have two axes and are useful for showing something has changed over a given period of time, especially when there are significant changes. Bar graphs consist of rectangular bars, which can be orientated horizontally or vertically, with the lengths proportional to the data values that they represent. They are typically used for comparing two or more values. Basically, with a bar chart, candidates need to describe the bars and their values Cole, 2011. When describing a bar chart we have to first decide in what order to describe the bars, highest value to lowest value or lowest value to highest value. It may be a mixture of this. If there are many bars, we can sometimes group together for description one or two or three bars which have similar or the same 36 ANI SUSANA, 2012 Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu values. If there are many and we cannot group them, then just describe the ones that are the most significant. Here is a sample: Figure 2.1 An example of bar chart Cole 2011 says that the first step to do is to analyse the graph carefully by looking at the y vertical and x horizontal axes one by one. It is done to see whether there are any patterns andor exceptions. It can be very confusing to look at the graph as a whole. As we do this, it is a good idea to look at the extremes as these are almost always key details. Besides, since there is always more than one way to organise a report, it is better for us to choose the simplest option. 37 ANI SUSANA, 2012 Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu Here the main choices we have are: going through each type of accomodation the y axis option and going through the countries the x axis option. It seems to be easier for us to use the countries. There are only four of them and three of those are very similar and it seems natural and easy to group England, Scotland and Wales together. Northern Ireland is the odd one out. This sample answer is not perfect. However, we can see how it is logically organised, grouping similar information together. There is one paragraph for England, Scotland and Wales showing the main pattern started by noting the most evident feature of the chart. England is used as a model and then the situation in Wales and Scotland is compared. Then there is a separate paragraph for Northern Ireland, highlighting the key exception. This bar chart shows the results of a survey on whether people in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales stayed in hotels, caravans, campsites or self-catering accommodation when they went on holiday in 2010. The most striking feature of the chart is that in all four countries the majority of people chose to stay in hotels . This figure was highest in England at around 55, almost twice the number of people who cooked for themselves 27 of the sample and far greater than the number who stayed in campsites 12 and finally caravans 6 . A similar pattern was repeated for the Scots and the Welsh. In each case, around 50 of holidaymakers went to hotels with around 30 in self-catering apartments. The one difference being that caravan holidays at 12 were twice as popular than camping holidays in Scotland, while the opposite pattern could be seen in Wales. 38 ANI SUSANA, 2012 Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu The one country that shows a different pattern is Northern Ireland. It is notable how there just over 30 of the population chose caravan holidays in preference to self-catering accommodation and camping both around 12. 182 words Pie Charts Pie charts are circular charts divided into sectors or ‘pie slices’, usually illustrating percentages. The size of pie slice shows the relative quantity of data it represents. Together, the slices create a full circle. They are commonly used in in the business world and the mass media, and are less common in scientific or technical publications Kaplan, 2009: 129. Pie charts are relatively straightforward as they usually only have a few sections though it is not always the case. We need to describe the segments and their values. If there are many then we just describe the ones that are the most significant. The values are often expresses in percentages but not always, so we have to be careful about the scale we use. A sample is given here: Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. 39 ANI SUSANA, 2012 Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu Figure 2.2 Example of pie chart The first step to do is identifying the main points of the two charts Cole, 2011. This is not just an important part of the task, it will also help us write our description. The main points are normally obvious. Sometimes they are so obvious that candidates ignore them. Here we get three important parts: there are 8 activities for each year, 7 of 8 activities are the same, and there are a number of differences in popularity between the two years. More than that, there are 16 different figures you can include. This is too many. The task is to select and report the most important details. This will include naming all the activities, but not all the numbers. To do this, we should look for: 40 ANI SUSANA, 2012 Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu the biggest number and the smallest number. These are generally important details to include. We should also consider what changes between the two charts such as what has gone up, what has gone down, what has not changed, and what is new; not least because the task asks us to make comparisons. Then, we get these details: walking is most popular in both periods; yoga disappears and weightlifting is new; swimming doubles; aerobics, jogging and cycling all fall; and soccer and camping do not change much. As we write our paragraphs, we shoud think of three key ideas: highlight the main points – they come first, group similar ideas together and find a logical structure to present the points. Therefore, we have this sample answer: These two pie charts show the changes in popularity of different leisure activities in the United States of America between 1999 and 2009. We can see that the most popular leisure activities were almost the same in both periods, but there were a number of differences in popularity between the various activities. It is clear that walking was the most popular activity in both 1999 and 2009, with around 30 of Americans saying that they preferred it. Also, yoga was no longer among the preferred activities in 2009, but weightlifting was chosen by 10 of people. The second most popular activity was soccer at just under 20 in both years, a figure that was matched by swimming in 2009, having almost doubled in popularity over the previous decade. Most of the other activities became less popular over the same period of time, with cycling, jogging and aerobics all falling by at least a half to under 10. The one exception to this trend was camping which stayed almost unchanged at around 9. 41 ANI SUSANA, 2012 Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu Line Graphs Line graphs can be used to show how something changes over time Cole, 2011; Kaplan, 2009. They have an x-axis horizontal and a y-axis vertical. Usually the x-axis shows the time period and the y-axis shows what is being measured. The function of a line graph is to describe a trend pictorially. Therefore, we should try and describe the trend in it. If there are many lines in the graphs, then just generally describe the trend. If there is only one or two, then we should use more detail. So, we describe the movement of the lines of the graph giving numerical detail at the important points of the line. Figure 2.3 Example of a line graph Sample answer: The line graph shows estimated sales of gold in Dubai for 12 months in 2002 in millions of dirhams. There were two main seasons for gold sales. 42 ANI SUSANA, 2012 Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu The main season for sales is in the December to May period. Sales were consistently above 200 million dirhams per month, rising sharply to a peak of 350 million dirhams in March. However, for the next four months, sales declined steadily, reaching an annual low of 120 million dirhams in July. In August, there was a sudden increase. Sales almost doubled, rising from 120 million dirhams in July to 210 million dirhams in August. This was followed by a drop in September, the July figure. From September to October, sales recovered, from 120 to 180 million. In October and November, sales remained steady, and there was a small increase in December to 190 million dirhams. In conclusion, the main sales period is in the early part of the year, slumping in the summer, except for a sudden increase in August. 167 words Tables Tables contain words and numbers, displayed in columns or boxes to illustrate a set of facts and the relationships among them. Describing a table is almost the most challenging in IELTS writing task Cole, 2011; Kaplan, 2009. As we can see in the sample task below, there are usually a lot of data we have from a table. We cannot describe all of the data, and do not try to. The table below shows the in which sector of the economy different age groups were employed. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, making comparisons where relevant 43 ANI SUSANA, 2012 Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu Figure 2.4 Example of table We cannot describe all of the data since there are 30 different pieces of information here. Moreover, we should remember the task is to summarise and to select the main featutes of the table. This means leaving some items of information out. The first step to do is dividing and conquering by looking at the table in columns and rows. This way makes us more esaily identify the key details and comparisons. The key is to understand that we have two sets of data: the data from the rows across and the data from the columns down. The main features are typically high numbers, low numbers, the biggest contrast, and the closest similarities. 44 ANI SUSANA, 2012 Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu Process diagram The process diagram is in many ways the odd one out in academic task 1 and it requires some different language from the other task types. Candidates often encounter difficulties in describing a process. Every stage of the process one by one should be described and they are connected by using linking words and it should be mentioned whether or not the stages are being performed at the same time. Alternative stages should also be noticed, either stage A or B is performed. The first step in learning to write about a process diagram is to see where the process starts and ends. Sometimes it is evident, frequently it is less so. The next point is try and understand how the process work. Typically, there will be some problem in understanding the diagram: it is not always the case that everything is in a natural order. The key is to stop and think, and look. This is a visual task and we need to look at all the visual clues. In the diagram below, we see the following details: there are five parties involved the pictures – Who, there are seven stages in the process the numbers – How many, some of the arrows point in two different directions – this need to be explained, item 4 seems to be out of order as it is next to item 1. 45 ANI SUSANA, 2012 Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu Figure 2.5 Example of process diagram In the diagram, the process falls into two parts: the customer receives her goods and the merchant gets his money. We should do the logical thing and divide or description into two main paragraphs. One to describe the autorisation process until the customer gets herhis goods and one for the payment process until the merchant is paid. The process will normally be an everyday event that everyone is familiar with. We should not need any spesialised language. Sometimes we are given some 46 ANI SUSANA, 2012 Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu topic vocabulary, as in this example; but we have to be careful of two points: trying to vary the language and not copying the language incorrectly. Some of the most important language we need is vocabulary to say in what order things happen. It is important to have some variation. Some very basic options are; next, then, after, before, once. Besides, a key grammatical area is very often the passive. We use this when it is not important who “does” the action. Sample answer: This diagram shows the different stages in the process of making a purchase with a credit card . We can see from it that there are five different parties involved in such a transaction and there are seven different steps until the merchant receives payment. The first step is that the customer offers to pay for the goods by credit card. At that point , the merchant has to request for the payment to be authorised by the credit card organisation, which must also request authorisation in turn from the consumer’s bank. Once that authorisation has been received , the merchant can then release the goods to the customer . The merchant, however, does not receive the money for the transaction until it has paid a fee to the credit card organisation. After that has been paid , the consumer’s issuing bank will transfer the money for the transaction to the merchant’s own bank, which will then credit the merchant’s bank account with the amount of the purchase less the credit card fee. 166 words 47 ANI SUSANA, 2012 Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu

2.9.2 Assessment Criteria