Course: English Composition

Visual Writing

GUIDELINES

You need to summarize the main information, compare data, show contrasts and trends,
identify significant trends and describe a process. You should write between 150 to 200
words and the minimum word requirement is 150. You are advised to finish your report writing
in 20 minutes. Always present factual data based on the diagram presented, and NEVER assume
something, even if this is a common knowledge. Write in a way so that the reader (examiner in
this case) can very easily follow the trends of the graph and understand the factual information
regarding the diagram.

1. The line graph shows estimated sales of gold in Dubai for 12 months in 2002 in millions
of Dirhams.
Write a report describing the information in the graph below.

» You should write at least 150 words.

Model Answer 1:
The line graph shows monthly gold sales amount in Dubai throughout the year 2012. The sales
amount is given in million Dirhams for every month in 2012. A glance at the diagram reveals
that in March the sale amount was highest and average monthly sale of gold was between 100
and 200 million Dirhams.
According to the line graph, total sales of gold was 200 million Dirhams in January 2002 in
Dubai and this amount rapidly increased in the next two months. In March, the sales amounted
350 million Dirhams, the highest in the year but afterwards, the sales amount steadily declined
till July when the gold sale was recorded at just over 110 million Dirhams. August’s gold sale
went abruptly higher, over 200 million but it then dropped suddenly to 110 million again. Sales
of gold climbed in the next month, October but remained almost stable for the rest of the year at
around 170-180 million Dirhams. At the end of the year, Dubai gold sale was recorded at
approximately 185 million Dirhams, almost same as it was at the beginning of the year.

Sample Answer 2:
The given line graph shows data on Gold sales in Dubai from January to December of the year
2002. As is presented in the illustration, the highest amounts of sales were done in March and
lowest sales were in July and September.

As is presented in the line graph, initially in January 2002, two hundred millions of Dirham Gold
was sold in January and this amount kept increasing for the next two month and in March it
reached to 350 million which is the largest amount throughout the whole year. After that, the
sales volume keeps declining steadily and reached to 110 million in July. With some
fluctuations, the sale amount reached to 200 million in August and finally, in December, it
totalled about 200 million.

In summary, Mars was the best month for Dubai Gold sales in the year 2002 and throughout the
year the sale volume fluctuated keeping an approximate average of 180 million of Dirham per
month.
(This model answer can be followed as an example of a very good answer. However, please note
that this is just one example out of many possible approaches.)

Model Answer 3:
The given line graph compares the gold sales in Dubai from January 2002 to December 2002.
The sale price is given in millions of Dirhams and it is evident from the diagram that gold sales
in Dubai was highest in March while it was lowest in July & September.
According to the given illustration, the gold sale in Dubai was 200 million Dirham in January in
the given year and it increased to around 230 million Dirham in the next month. The highest sale
of the gold was in March amounting 350 million. From April to July, the sales amount kept on
decreasing and reached to the lowest level in July with just above 100 million Dirham. In August
the sale was just above 200 million and after that sales amount of Dubai gold showed some
fluctuations. In September the sales amount again reached at the lowest point while at the end of
the year, December 2012, the sale was just below 200 million Dirham.
 2. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The chart below shows estimated world illiteracy rates by region and by gender for the year
2000.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below.

Sample Answer 1:
The column graph compares the illiteracy rates between both sexes in six regions of the world in
2000. A quick glance at the diagram reveals that more women were unlettered globally than that
of men and the percentages of uneducated people in South Asia, Arab states and Sub-Saharan
Africa parts were considerably higher than other parts of the world.

As is observed from the illustration, more percentages of women in different regions in the world
were illiterate than that of men. Almost all of the citizens in the developed countries were literate
in 2000 as the illiteracy rate in these countries was almost nil, 1-2 % to be more precise. The
highest rate of illiteracy could be found in South Asia where more than half of women were not
educated at all while more than one in every three males was also unschooled. Similar
percentages of uneducated males and females could be found in the Arab and Sub-Saharan
African regions and in all these regions the percentages of illiterate females were significantly
higher than the uneducated males. On the contrary, the percentage of East Asian population who
were literate was far higher than that of the South Asian population and yet the percentage of
female illiteracy was more than double than that of males. Finally, the Latin America had around
10% unenlightened males and females and the gap between the unlettered males and females in
this region was remarkably lower, like the developed countries.

Sample Answer 2:
The given bar chart shows the approximate world illiteracy rates by gender and region for the
year 2000. As is observed in the given column graph, in all cases, the illiteracy rate among
women was higher than men. Developed countries had almost ignorable illiteracy rate. On the
contrary, about half of the population in South Asia, Arab states and Africa were illiterate.
The illiteracy rate in Latin America / Caribbean and East Asia / Oceania was only 1 percent
(approximately), 10 percent and 14 percent (approximately) respectively considering both male
and female. Sub-Saharan Africa, the Arab States and South Asia had rates of approximately
40%, 41% and 45%. Illiterate women were higher than the illiterate men in all the given
countries.

In the developed countries, the proportion of literacy among men and female was almost similar
but the differences increased for Asia, Arab states and Africa. Among the given 6 countries, the
South Asian population were far more illiterate than any other country.

(Approximately 163 words)

Sample Answer 3:
The given bar graph shows the illiteracy rates of different regions of the world both for male and
female for the year 2000. As is observed from the graph, South Asian, Arab and African
countries had a very high rate of illiteracy while this percentage was very low in developed
countries as well as in the Latin American countries. Besides, it is also observed that female
illiteracy rate was higher than male illiteracy rate in all part of the world.
As is presented in the graph, the illiteracy rate among female was higher than male in all parts of
the world. The illiteracy rate in South Asian, Arab states and in Sub-Saharan Africa was
alarmingly higher than any part of the world. More than 50 females in South Asian and Arab
countries were illiterate while this percentage was only 1 in developed countries. Around 30%
males were illiterate in these two regions while this percentage was less than 1 in developed
countries. The illiteracy rate in Sub-Saharan African countries was like the South Asian and
Arab countries. East Asia and Oceania had less than 20% illiterate people while this rate was
around 10% in Latin America/ Caribbean countries. Finally, in developed countries, most of the
people were literate as they had a very small percentage of illiterate people which amounted less
than 1%.

In summary, the South Asian, Arabian and Sub-Saharan countries had a severe illiteracy rate
compared to any part of the world and female illiteracy rate was higher than the male illiteracy
rate all over the world.
 3. The pie chart gives information on UAE government spending in 2000. The total budget
was AED 315 billion.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the key features and make
comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Model Answer 1:
The pie chart shows the UAE government’s budget spending in different sectors in 2000. As is
presented, the UAE government had AED 135 billion budget for the year 2000 and they used the
highest amount for ensuring social security.
According to the pie chart, the UAE administration allocated AED 100 billion in social security
from their national budget of AED 315 billion. This single sector cost the UAE government
almost one-third of the total budget. This year the government's expense was 53 million on
health and personal social services, which was the second largest sector in terms of expenditure
made by the UAE government. 38 million AED was spent on education while 23 billion both in
debt and other expenditures.

The government used 22 billion in defence sector while 13 billion for the industry, employment
and agriculture sectors. The lowest amount of money, only 9 billion, went to the transport sector.
Finally, 15 billion of the budget was spent on housing and environment.

In summary, UAE government's maximum spending went in social security and healthcare
sectors while the least amounts were spent on transport, law and order, housing and
industry/agriculture and employment sectors.

(Approximately 192 words)

Model Answer 2:
The pie chart illustrates the expenditure of the UAE government from the national budget 315
billion AED in 2000. It also shows the segments of expenditure of the UAE administration in
different sectors in the same year.

At a first glance, it is crystal clear that biggest slice of the budget was devoted to social security,
AED 100 billion. UAE spent 53 billion on health and personal social services followed by
education with 38 billion. However, the least amount of budget was spent on the transportation
system, AED 9 billion.

Moving further, it is vivid that debt interest and other expenditure accounted for AED 23 billion
of the budget. The expenditure of the UAE budget was 15 billion on housing heritage closely
followed by industry, agriculture and employment with AED 13 billion.

Overall, it can be deduced that the least amount of money was spent on transport while the
highest amount on the social security by the UAE government in 2000.
Sample Answer 3:
The pie chart delineates how the UAE administration spent the national budget in 2000. It is
obvious that social security and health and personal social services received the largest
proportion of incentives from the 315 billion Dirham' national budget in this year in the United
Arab Emirates.

As is presented in the diagram, the UAE administration’s budget in 2000 was 315 billion Arab
Emirates Dirham and 100 billion of it went on maintaining citizens’ social security. Just over 53
billion was allocated for the health and social services which was the second largest allocation by
the USA government. Budget allocation for education, defence and debt interests were 38, 22
and 23 billion Dirhams respectively. Housing heritage and environment sector was allotted 15
billion Dirham which was 6 billion higher than the allocation for transportation. The UAE
government shared only 9 billion Dirham, the least, for its transportation sector in 2000 while
other expenditure accounted for 23 billion.