Describing Graphs and Charts

The table shows how many visitors, in thousands, came from Europe, Asia and the Americas over the six years from 2015 to 2020.

Overall, arrivals from all three regions grew steadily until 2019 and then collapsed in 2020. Asia was the largest source throughout the period and also showed by far the greatest growth.

Asian arrivals rose from 200,000 in 2015 to 380,000 in 2019, an increase of 90 per cent and the steepest climb of the three. European numbers grew more modestly over the same years, from 120,000 to 170,000, while arrivals from the Americas increased only marginally, from 40,000 to 50,000.

In 2020 the pattern reversed sharply. Asian arrivals fell to 90,000, less than a quarter of the previous year's figure, and European visitors dropped to 45,000. The Americas, which had always contributed fewest, fell to 12,000. Despite this fall, the ranking of the three regions was unchanged: Asia remained the largest source and the Americas the smallest in every year shown.

The overview is separate and signalled. Overall tells the examiner exactly where to find it. Two features only: growth then collapse, and Asia dominant.

It selects. Eighteen figures are available; twelve are used. The others add nothing.

It compares rather than lists. by far the greatest growth, more modestly, only marginally, always contributed fewest.

It varies the grammar. rose from... to, an increase of 90 per cent, grew more modestly, dropped to, fell to — both the verb+adverb and adjective+noun shapes appear.

It ends with a comparison, not a new fact. The ranking sentence pulls the whole thing together.

Note what is absent: no explanation of why 2020 fell. Task 1 never asks for reasons, and speculating wastes words you need elsewhere.

The chart compares the proportion of households owning five different items in 2005 and in 2020.

Overall, ownership of every item rose over the fifteen years. The most striking change was in mobile phones, which went from the third most common item to the most common of all, while cars remained by far the least widely owned in both years.

In 2005 the television was the item most households possessed, at 60 per cent, followed by the refrigerator at 30 per cent and the mobile phone at 25 per cent. By 2020 this order had changed completely: 95 per cent of households owned a mobile phone, overtaking the television, which had itself risen to 88 per cent.

The refrigerator and the computer both more than doubled, reaching 72 and 45 per cent respectively, with the computer showing the largest proportional increase of any item, from a very low base of 8 per cent. Car ownership grew least in absolute terms, from 5 to 14 per cent, and remained a minority in 2020.

It finds the story, not just the numbers. The story is the mobile phone overtaking the television — a reader would notice that first, so it belongs in the overview.

**It distinguishes two kinds of biggest.** The mobile phone rose most in percentage points (70); the computer rose most proportionally (nearly six times over). Noticing that difference is a Band 7 move.

**It uses respectively correctly** — two items named in one order, two figures given in the same order. Used wrongly it is worse than not used at all.

It groups. Items are handled in sensible pairs, not one sentence each in chart order.

It closes the comparison it opened. Cars are mentioned in the overview and again at the end.

The task: The charts show how an average household divided its monthly spending in 2000 and in 2020. Practice data, invented by RCF English:

2000: Food 45% · Housing 20% · Other 17% · Transport 10% · Education 8%

2020: Food 30% · Housing 28% · Transport 15% · Education 12% · Other 15%

Before you write, decide: which category changed most, and does most mean percentage points or proportion? Which is still the largest? Which overtook which? Your overview should answer the first and last of those.

Pie-chart language: accounted for, made up, a share of, the largest proportion, by contrast. Percentages in each chart must total 100 — check before you claim a trend.

The task: The diagram shows how black tea is produced. Stages: plucking → withering → rolling → oxidation → drying → grading → packing.

A process needs different language from a graph. There is no overview of trends; instead say how many stages there are and where the process begins and ends.

Use the passive: The leaves are withered for several hours, not workers wither the leaves. The agent is rarely important.

Sequence carefully: First · Next · Once this has been done · At this stage · Finally. Do not write Firstly, secondly, thirdly down the whole answer.

No figures, no comparisons, no opinion. Candidates who have only practised graphs often panic here — the structure is simpler, not harder.

The task: The maps show a town centre in 1990 and today. Changes: the factory by the river became apartments; the car park became a park; a footbridge was added; the primary school doubled in size; the row of small shops became a supermarket.

Maps need location and change language together. to the north of · on the opposite bank · adjacent to · in the north-east corner · where the factory once stood.

Use the passive for change: The factory was demolished and replaced by apartment blocks. · A footbridge was constructed across the river. · The school was extended.

The overview should say how much changed overall — for example that the area became more residential and less industrial. That single sentence is worth more than any individual detail.