WRITING

1. Structure of Overview
Must contain: - The overall trend
- The most noticeable feature
Opening of an overview:
 Overall, …
 What stands out from the chart is that
 It is clear from the graph that
 As can be seen,…
 As is highlighted in the graph,
 It can be clearly seen that…
 It is noticeable that..
 In general,
 The most striking feature from the graph is that
Upward trend:
A rise (n) Rise (v)
An increase (n) Increase (v)
A growth (n) Grow (v)
A climb (n) Climb (v)
* A jump (n) * Jump (v)
* A boom (n) * Boom (v)
* A surge (n) * Surge (v)

Downward trend:
A fall (n) Fall (v)
A decrease (n) Decrease (v)
A reduction (n) Reduce (v)
A decline (n) Decline (v)
A drop (n) Drop (v)
* A plunge (n) * Plunge (v)
* A plummet (n) * Plummet (v)
* A crash (n) * Crash (v)
Static trend:
Remain/Stay + stable/ steady/ constant/ static/ unchanged
Stabilize (v) → Stability (n)
Plateau (v) → A plateau (n)
Level-off (phr.v)

Rapid changes:
Fluctuate (v) → A fluctuation (n)
Be volatile (v) → A volatility (n)
Vary (v) → A variation (n)
Erratic (adj)
Adverbs – Adjectives:
Level Adjective Adverb
Dramatic : Tốc độ thay đổi mạnh, ấn tượng Dramatically
Sharp : Cực nhanh, rõ ràng Sharply
Rất lớn
Enormous : Cực lớn Enormously
Steep : Tốc độ thay đổi lớn Steeply
Substantial : Đáng kể Substantially
Considerable : Đáng kể Considerably
Significant : Nhiều Significantly
Tương đối lớn
Rapid : Nhanh Rapidly
Moderate : Đánh kể Moderately
Remarkable: Đáng kể Remarkably
Gradual : Tốc độ thay đổi từ từ Gradually
Ít Slight : Nhẹ, không đáng kể Slightly
Marginal : Tốc độ thay đổi chậm, nhỏ Marginally

Cohesive Devices:
Từ nối thể hiện sự liên kết In addition,
Furthermore,
Moreover,
 Additionally,
Subsequently,
Then,
Afterwards,
However,
On the other hand,
Từ nối thể hiện sự tương phản But,
Nevertheless,
While,
Likewise,
Từ nối thể hiện sự tương đồng
Similarly,

Eg: The number of visitors in Vietnam experienced a significant decrease in

2020. Furthermore, the figure increased dramatically in 2021.
Basic structure of sentence describing trend:
 The number/ amount of data + verb + adverb
Eg: The number of books sold dropped considerably.

 There + be + trend + in the number/ amount of + data.

Eg: There was a considerable drop in the number of books sold.

 Data + witnessed/ experienced/ saw + trend.

Eg: The sales of books witnessed a considerable drop.

 Time period + witnessed/saw/experienced + trend + in + data.

Eg: The period between 2008 and 2016 witnessed a considerable drop in the
number of books sold.
* Practice:
Data: Population of Hanoi/ Trend: upward/ Level: significant/ Time: 2021- 2022
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Data: Teachers in Vietnam/ Trend: downward/ Level: slight/ Time: 2019 - 2020
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Data: Students in Ho Chi Minh City/ Trend: stable/ Time: 2000 - 2003
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Data: Convenience shops in a town/ Trend: fluctuate/ Level: moderate/ Time: 1990
- 2010
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Data 1: Convenience shops in a city/ Trend: drop/ Level: slight/ Time: 2000 – 2020
Data 2: Supermarkets in a city/ Trend: increase/ / Level: considerable/ Time: 2000
– 2020
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Advanced structure for describing trend:
 The number/ proportion/ amount/ volume of + data started at …, after which
it experienced a rise/ decline to … in … , before ending the period at …
E.g: The volume of commodities transported by water started at 40 million
tonnes, after which it experienced a rise to 60 million, before ending the
period at 65.

 Data …, with a subsequent increase/ decrease/ levelling off, … and a final

increase/ drop to …
E.g: In 1974, 40 million tonnes of goods were carried by rail, with a
subsequent fluctuation 20 years later and a final recovery to 40.

 The number/amount of … was …, followed by a(n) increase/ decrease to …

 E.g: The amount of goods carried by road was 70 million tonnes in 1974,
followed by a dramatical rise to 100 million in the final year.

 The figure for …. + change, ending/ reaching …

E.g: The figure for road increased significantly, reaching 100 million in 2002.

 Data 1 …, which was higher/ lower than data 2 …

E.g: Road facilities transported 70 million tonnes of goods, which was
around three times higher than water.

Practice:
1. Data: Population of Hanoi/ Start: 10 million/ Time: 2021 -> Change: increase to
15 million/ Time: 2022 -> Change: decrease to 12 million/ Time: 2022.
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2. Data: Students/ Start: 1000/ Time: first semester -> Change: remain stable/ time:
second semester.
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3. Data: Income/ Start: 2000$/ Time: 2010 -> Change: decrease significantly to
1000$/ Time: 2015 -> Change: increase slightly to 1200$/ Time: 2020
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4. Data: Teachers in Vietnam/ Change: decrease slightly to 1000/ Time: 2019 - 2020
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5. Data 1: Convenience shops in a city/ number: 3000.
Data 2: Supermarkets in a city/ number: 1000.
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Exercise 1:

The line graph shows the percentage of New Zealand population from 1950 to
2050.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make
comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Exercise 2:
The picture below shows the use of renewable energy accounting the total energy
from 1971 to 2011.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.
Exercise 3:

The chart below shows the changes that took place in three different areas of crime
in New Port city center from 2003-2012.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.