Academic writing

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184

Task Type  2  Identifying information: True/False/Not Given

TASK 1  Line Graphs

ACADEMIC WRITING

Caption TBC

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 About the task

1 

Read the information about the task. 

Task 1 tests your ability to look at visual information in a graph, chart, table or diagram, and identify and report 

the most important information in your own words. 

One common way to present visual information is in the form of a line graph. On the question paper, you see a 

line graph with a title. The instructions for writing your response appear in a box above the graph. There is also 

a brief description of the information in the line graph in the box. There is usually a key (legend) which helps you 

to distinguish the lines on the graph and tells you what each line represents. Your job is to look at the graph and 

select, summarise and describe the most important information.

Line graphs typically show trends. A trend is a 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. An important part of your response is to describe trends and to compare them. 

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.

It’s important to examine the graph before you write your answer, and to think about what the graph is telling 

you. You have to look and think carefully and choose what information to include so that your response reports 

only the key information. 

Here are the basic rules for writing about a line graph:

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  Look at the graph carefully and decide what the most important information and striking features are. 

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  Write a well-organised overview.

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  Include data to support the key points.

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  Use an academic register or style.

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  Write at least 150 words.

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  Complete the task in about 20 minutes.

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  Include only the key points. Minor details or irrelevant data can be left out.

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  Don’t do any calculations or give your opinion about the information.

Think about the direction of trends.

37802_CGTI_SB_43_Academic Writing_Task 1_1_graphs.indd   184

19/12/2014   13:24

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