SAMPLE ESSAY:

The graph below compares changes in the birth rates of China and the USA between 1920
and 2000. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

The graph below compares changes in the birth rates of China and the USA between 1920
and 2000.
The line graph compares/shows/illustrates/depicts/describes birth rates in China and the
US and how these rates changed from 1920 to 2000 (Intro)
Overall, it can be seen that the birth rates of both nations experienced downward trends
over the period of 80 years. Although the two trends were similar in terms of a general decline,
the birth rate of the USA in most years was higher than that of China.
In the 1920-1935 period, the birth rate in America fluctuated, although it always
remained above 10%. However, in the following decade, the American birth rate fell sharply to
below 5%. In the 1950s, the figure for the USA increased significantly to exactly 15%, which
was its highest point during the 80-year period. Throughout the remainder of the period, there
was a gradual decline in the US birth rate, which fell to 7% by the year 2000.
Over the same period, the birth rate in China varied more significantly than in the US. It
dropped to 5% from 1940 to 1945 before reaching the highest point of the whole line graph,
20%, in 1950. By contrast, 5 years later, the birth rate in China decreased rapidly by over 10%,
falling to approximately 2% in 2000.
Here is the outline of a trend essay:
1. INTRODUCTION:
Paraphrase đề bài the chart description.
2. OVERVIEW:
- trends của từng subject
-Câu 1: List subject(s) experience(s) upward trends and downward trends
-Câu 2: List subject(s) with the highest/ lowest figure(s)
3. BODY 1:
- Compare subjects in the first year
- Describe subject(s) with upward/ downward trend(s) + data
4. BODY 2:
- Describe subject(s) with upward/ downward trend(s) + data
WRITING PRACTICE
A. How to write the introduction:
The number/ The amount of + N + relative How many/ How much + clause (mệnh đề
clause (mệnh đề quan hệ) thường)
- The chart shows the number of young males - The chart shows how many young men and
and females (N) playing sports in 2000. women played sports in 2000.
young males and females who played sports
- The chart illustrates the amount of electricity - The chart illustrates how much electricity
produced from three sources in 2010. was produced from three sources in 2010.
Electricity which was produced …
The percentage/ The proportion of +
relative clause (mệnh đề quan hệ)  %
- The chart shows the percentage of men and
women playing sport / who played sports

How to address subjects

The number of/ How many + countable nouns (cars, students…)

The amount of /How much+ uncountable nouns (money, water…)
The percentage/ proportion of + count. & uncount. nouns
The figure(s) for + count. & uncount. nouns

Time phases In 1990/ In the year 1990

From 2000 to 2005
Between 2000 and 2005
For five years
Over a period of 15 year, starting from 2000

Exercise : Rewrite the sentences:

1. The line graph shows the percentage of 3 types of crime: car theft, house burglary & street
robbery in England & Wales from 1970 to 2015
→
2. The chart below shows the average amount of money spent by students per week
while studying abroad in 4 countries.
→
3. The table shows the proportion of females and males aged 15 and aged 75 from 1911
to 2001 in the UK
→

B. How to write the overview:

Overall, it can be seen that/ it is evident that while the production of paper and packaging
experienced a(n) upward/ rising/ ascending trend, the opposite was true for sawn-wood and
wood pulp. In addition, paper and packaging accounted for the highest figure/ data.
LANGUAGE DESCRIBING TREND:
Direction Verb Noun
Xu hướng tăng Climb A climb
Rise A rise
Grow A growth
Increase An increase
Surge (tăng đột ngột) A surge
Double/ triple/ quadruple
Xu hướng giảm Decline A decline
Fall A fall
Drop A drop
Decrease A decrease
Plummet (giảm đột ngột) A plummet
Halve (half)  giảm một nửa A dip
Xu hướng duy trì ổn định Stabilize A stability
ở mức nào đó Plateau A plateau
Level off
Flatten out
Remain/ stay stable/ unchanged

Xu hướng dao động Fluctuate around Fluctuation around/ between

Fluctuate between

Đạt mức cao nhất Peak at Reach a peak of

Hit the highest point of
Hit the highest value on record
of

Đạt mức thấp nhất Bottom at Reach a bottom of

Hit the lowest point of
Hit the lowest value on record of
 Degree: Mức độ Adjective + Noun Verb+ Adverb
Large change Dramatic Dramatically
Substantial Substantially
Considerable: a considerable rise Considerably: ST rises
Remarkable considerably
Significant Remarkably
Sharp Significantly
Sharply
Average change Noticeable Noticeably
Marked Markedly
Moderate Moderately
Small change Marginal Marginally
Minimal Minimally
Slight Slightly
Others:
Adjective + N V + Adverb
Slow (châm) Slowly
Gradual (dần dần) Gradually
Steady (đều) Steadily
Sudden (đột ngột) Suddenly
Quick/ swift/ rapid (nhanh) Quickly/ swiftly/ rapidly

Exercise 1: Match the phases to the correct description:

1. A–C a. Remained stable

2. C–D b. Increased substantially
3. D–E c. Fell slowly
4. E–G d. Reached a peak
5. G e. Dropped significantly
6. G–L f. Rose gradually
7. J g. Hit the lowest point
8. L–N h. Fluctuated
PREPOSITIONS “AT, TO, BY, OF”
Stand at + data The crime rate stood at 5% in 2000.
AT (TẠI): dữ
liệu không
Remain stable/ the same at + The figure for rice export in Vietnam
tăng/giảm
data remained stable at $15 million in 2015.

(Verb) Increase/ decrease to + The number of students increased to

data 10,000 after 2 years
TO (TỚI): tăng
giảm tới mức
(Noun) An increase/ a There was an increase in the number of
nào đó
decrease to + data students to 10,000 after 2 years.

BY ((TĂNG/ (Verb) increase/ decrease by + The number of students increased by

GIẢM) BAO data số 2,000 after 2 years.
NHIÊU)

OF ((TĂNG/ (Noun) An increase/ a There was an increase of 2,000 in the

GIẢM) BAO decrease of + data number of students after 2 years.
NHIÊU)

C. Suggested structures for describing changes:

Structure Example
S + V + Adv + Data. The number of university students increased
significantly to 4000 in 2015.
There was + a/an + Adj + Noun + Data There was a significant increase of 4000 in the
+ Subject. number of university students in 2015.
S experienced/ witnessed/ saw/ The number of university students witnessed a
underwent + a/an + Adj + N + Data + significant increase of 4000 in 2015.
Time
Time + witnessed/ saw + a/an + Adj + N The year 2015 witnessed a significant increase of
+ in + Subject 4000 in the number of university students.
S + increased twofold/ threefold. Car sales increased twofold from 2009 to 2019.
S saw/ witnessed a twofold/ threefold Car sales witnessed a twofold increase from 2009 to
increase. 2019.

A/ an + adj + noun was seen in the A dramatic fall was seen in the figure for home
figure for Subject. furnishings sector.
The most dramatic fall was in the home furnishings
retail sector.

Exercise 4: Rewrite the sentences:

1/ The number of cars fell gradually over the period from 1990 to 2000.
The number of cars ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
2/ The research investment decreased significantly in 2005.
The year 2005 saw ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
3/ There was a slight fall in the sales of bikes in 2006.
The sales of bikes ____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
4/ The quality of food in supermarkets increased sharply.
There was a ________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
5/ There was a dramatic rise in the number of visitors to the website.
The number of visitors to the website ______________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

Some useful linking words:

Purpose Conjunctive adverbs
1. To add ideas Addtionally, in addition, moreover, furthermore
2. To show contrast Nevertheless, in contrast
3. To show similarity Similarly, likewise
PRACTICE:
The two pie charts below show the online shopping sales for retail sectors in Canada in
2005 and 2010.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant. Write at least 150 words.
The graph below shows the percentage of Australian exports to 4 countries from 1990 to
2012.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant. Write at least 150 words.