A.

STRUCTURE PLAN
Question 1: The table below gives information about the consumer spending on
different items in five countries in 2002

Percentage of national consumer expenditure by category – 2002

Food/Drinks/ Clothing/ Leisure/

Country
Tobacco Footwear Education
Ireland 28.91% 6.43% 2.21%
Italy 16.36% 9.00% 3.20%
Spain 18.80% 6.51% 1.98%
Sweden 15.77% 5.40% 3.22%
Turkey 32.14% 6.63% 4.35%

STRUCTURE OUTLINE SAMPLE ANSWER

(1)Introduction: (1) The table shows percentages of consumer

Rewrite the question in your own expenditure for three categories of products and
words services in five countries in 2002.

(2)Overview: (2) In general, the largest proportion of consumer

Give an overview of the main idea spending in each country went on Food, Drinks and
in the paragraph Tobacco. On the other hand, the Leisure/Education
category has the lowest percentages in the table.

(3)Body 1: (3) Out of the five countries, consumer spending on

Describe the most important Food, Drinks and Tobacco was noticeably higher in
changes and numbers. Turkey, at 32.14%, and Ireland, at nearly 29%. The
proportion of spending on Leisure and Education was
also highest in Turkey, at 4.35%, while expenditure on
Clothing and Footwear was significantly higher in Italy,
 at 9%, than in any of the other countries.
(4)Body 2: (4) It can be seen that Sweden had the lowest
Describe the most important percentages of national consumer expenditure for
changes, including numbers. Food/Drinks/Tobacco and for Clothing/Footwear, at
nearly 16% and just over 5% respectively. Spain had
slightly higher figures for these categories, but the
lowest figure for Leisure/Education, at only 1.98%.

B. SENTENCE STRUCTURE
Comparing and contrasting language

 So sánh bằng - Comparisons of Equality

 So sánh hơn – Comparative comparisons
 So sánh gấp – Numerical comparisons
 So sánh nhất – Superlative comparions

1. Simple sentences

Comparisons of Equality

a. There were as many students attending A as B in 2000.

b. The number of students attending A was as high as that of B in 2000.
c. A was as popular as B for students in 2000.

Adv: nearly, almost

Numerical comparisons

a. There were twice/ three times as many students attending A as B in 2000.

b. The number of students attending A doubled that of B in 2000.

Adv: more than twice/ exceedingly twice/ almost twice/ nearly twice

Comparative comparisons

a. There were more students studying at A than at B in 2009.

= There were fewer students studying at A than at B in 2009.

Uncountable Noun: more/less

 b. The number of students studying A was higher than that of B in 2009.
c. A was more popular than B for students in 2009.

Adv: much/far/a bit

Superlative comparisons

a. The highest percentage of students studying in secondary schools was from/in A in

2005.
b. A showed/had the greatest number of students among four school types in 2005.
c. A was the most popular for students of all schools in 2005.

2. Complex sentences

 While/ As/ Whereas

=> Females accounted for over 90% of the teaching staff at Primary school whereas
their counterparts made up only under 10%.

 Relative clause

=> The percentage of female teachers at Primary school, which stood at over 90%, was
over 10 times as much as that of males.

=> Standing at over 90%, the percentage of female teachers was 10 times as much as
that of males

C. PRACTICE
EXERCISE 1:
1. Look at the chart and write accurate comparative sentenses about the
information in it using these prompts.
 b. Coffee in the UK/ expensive/ France
c. The cost of a coffee in Spain/ cheap/ France
2. Complete these sentenses using the information in the chart in Exercise 6.
a. The most expensive coffee is in ………………………, at $2.90.
b. The second most expensive is in ………………………, where it costs ………………………
c. Coffee in ……………………… is the third m………………………, at ………………………
d. The next ……………………… coffee is ………………………
e. The least ………………………
3. Write two more sentences about the chart.

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EXERCISE 2:
 1. Look at the bar chart in Exercise 1 and complete the sentenses below using the
words in the box. Then study the grammar structure in each one.

Three times half Twice

a. Action movies are ………………. as popular as comedies for men.

b. Thrillers are ………………. as popular as romantic comedies.
c. Science-fiction films and westerns are only ………………. as popular as comedies
among men.
2. Use the same structures to write sentences to compare these pairs.
a. comedies/action movies
b. westerns/ romantic comedies
c. comedies/ science fiction
3. The same word is missing in these there sentences. Is it as, than or for?
a. Twice as many men said they liked action movies ………………. comedies.
b. Three times as many men said they enjoy watching thrillers ………………. romantic
comedies.
c. Four times as many men prefer watching action films ………………both westerns and
science-fiction movies
 EXERCISE 3:
Gap filling

The bar chart below shows the percentage of Australian men and women in different
age groups who did regular physical activity in 2010.

Compare much lower whereas age and gender while

highest percentage turning to accounted for higher

The bar chart ……………………….. the proportion of people in Australia who exercised on
a regular basis in 2010, according to ……………………….. .

Overall, women exercised more than men. It is also noticeable that boys aged 15 to 24
and women aged 45 to 54 accounted for the ……………………….. of the total people who did
regular exercise.

In 2010, over 50% of women aged 35 to 64 exercised regularly, ……………………….. the

figures for men in the same age groups were ……………………….., ranging from 39.5% to 45.1%.
The 15 to 24 age group was the only group in which the proportion of males taking regular
exercise was ……………………….. than that of females, 52% and 47.7% respectively.

……………………….. the two remaining groups, 48.9% women at the age between 25 and
34 exercised on a regular basis, ……………………….. the figure for the opposite sex in the same
age group was only 42.2%. Men and women aged 65 or older who did regular physical
activity ……………………….. a similar percentage, at around 47%.

EXERCISE 3:
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The bar chart below shows the top ten countries for the production and
consumption of electricity in 2014.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.