Academic writing

D

 Skills-building exercises

InTroDuCTory verBS

indicate 

The graph indicates the growth in the service sector and the decline in the 

manufacturing sector.

show 

This graph shows how two programs performed over a ten-year period.

compare 

The graph compares changes in the annual rainfall in four cities.

provide/give information Information

 is provided/is given in this graph about the gradual  

growth of productivity for several firms.

provide data 

This graph provides data about three trends: … , … , and … .

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ACADEMIC WRITING

TASK 1  Line Graphs 

5 

Look at the title and the graph about average temperatures in Paris, Dubai and 

Melbourne. Write four introductory sentences about the graph using introductory 

verbs from the box on page 186. Try to use different sentence structures and 

vocabulary in each sentence.

 1

    This graph shows the average temperatures in three cities over a two-month period.

FoCuS

Writing introductory 

sentences to 

describe the graph 

in general terms