Writing Task
Eng. 302
Describing a Diagram
• Must contain 150 to 200 words (10 to 15 sentences)
• Use academic language. Informal English should be avoided
• Describe only the key points
• Diagram: gives us some information in numbers
• Flow Chart: a method of how to complete a task/ shows how to do a
job
• Table: menu of a restaurant
• There can also be pie charts and column graphs to show percentages
of an activity over a period of time
Take a look at the chart below and perform the task as outlined:
This graph shows the proportion of four different materials that were recycled from 1982 to 2010 in a particular country.
How to write
• A description will be given underneath the diagram:
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features,
making comparisons where relevant.
• Pay attention to the tense
• Read the summary and analyze it
• What is being measured? 4 different materials
• What is the unit of measurement? Percentage of their recycling over a
period of time
Model Answer (194 words)
The chart shows the percentages of paper and cardboard, glass containers,
aluminium cans and plastics that were recycled in one country between 1982 and
2010.
In 1982, about 65% of paper and cardboard was recycled. This figure fluctuated
before rising steeply to reach a peak of 80% in 1994. From then on, however, it
decreased steadily to a level of 70% in 2010. In 1982, half of all glass containers were
recycled; after dipping to a low of 40% in 1990, the glass recycling rate gradually
increased to 60% by 2010.
Aluminium cans were first recycled in 1986, starting at about 5%, but this figure
climbed rapidly over 25 years and by 2010 it had reached 45%. Recycling of plastics,
on the other hand, was not introduced until 1990 and, although the growth in this
category was also constant, it was very slow, rising from about 2% to around 8% over
the period.
Overall, the proportion of paper and cardboard that was recycled was the highest of
the four classes of material, but this category experienced a decline after 1994,
whereas there was a continuing upward trend in the recycling of the other materials.
194 words
Write in 3 to 4 paragraphs
• Introduction: a paraphrased summary
• 2 body paragraphs
• Overview: describing the trends and making an overall comparison
Keep it simple and avoid jargons
The pie charts below show the average household expenditures in Japan and Malaysia in the year
2010.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
The two pie charts show the proportion of money spent on various household necessities
in Malaysia and Japan in 2010. The date is calibrated in percentage.
Overall, the data indicate that in both cases food, housing, and other goods and services
were the main expenses while both countries spent the least on health care.
It can be clearly seen from the chart, that in Malaysia, the greatest proportion of
expenditure (34%) was on housing, while in Japan housing accounted for just 21% of the
total. Followed by in Japan the greatest single expense was other goods and services at
29%, compared with 26% in Malaysia.
Moreover, food came in second place in Japan, at 24%, while in Malaysia the actual
proportion was higher (27%). In Japan, another major expense was transport, at 20%, but
this was much lower in Malaysia (10%). Surprisingly, in both countries, the smallest
percentage of expenditure was on health care.
(154 words)