研究生英语写作-第四次

1、 Unit 4（A） Describing Graphs & Tables1精选课件pptStructure for Writing Graphs The most common graphs you are going to see are line graphs & bar graphs Line graphs and bar graphs show changes over time. pie charts Pie charts show percentages at present. 2精选课件pptAreas of focus:Presenting an overview of th

2、e graphHighlighting major changes or lack of change (not describing every change)Describing general trendsMaking comparisons or contrasts (when there is more than one figure)Avoiding mechanical writingDescribing Graphs & Tables 3精选课件pptWe might compare an overview of a graph, diagram or table to loo

3、king down on a city or landscape from an airplane. The outline, shape and color of a mountain range, for example, can be seen, but its details like the kinds of trees, rocks or animals usually cannot. Think in general terms. Presenting an Overview (Introduction)4精选课件pptWhat is your purpose? What do

4、you intend to show in writing about this graph/diagram?Presenting an Overview5精选课件pptA graph illustrates the total number of DVD sales at a shop in 2007. By analyzing the graph, we are able to see the inconsistent purchasing habits of its customers.Presenting an Overview600500400300200100 Jan. Feb.

5、March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.6精选课件pptThe diagram below details the number of DVDs sold at a shop by month in 2007. From the diagram, we can observe fluctuating consumer trends in DVD sales at this particular shop, which might reflect the general purchasing habits of DVDs elsewh

6、ere.Presenting an Overview600500400300200100 Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.7精选课件pptLook closely at the graph below. How would you describe the graph in three sentences or less? Write an overview of the graph in your journal. 8精选课件pptThe line chart below indicates the p

7、roportion of the 65 years and older populations in the USA, Sweden and Japan. A general rising trend in all three countries is evident.Sample Overview9精选课件pptsteady sales from January to Marchan sharp drop in Aprila huge dip between April and Maya slow decline between May and Augusta major recovery

8、in Septembera steep increase from September to DecemberDescribing Major Changes or Lack of Change600500400300200100 Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.10精选课件pptWork with a partner. Together decide which changes (or lack of change) seem to be the most important. Locate at le

9、ast five. Also discuss why you think these changes might have or will occur. Describing Major Changes or Lack of Change11精选课件pptSwedens aged population jumped abruptly in the mid-1990s, an increase that has continued to this day.The aged growth in the USA is steady from the 1990s to the present and

10、will remain so until 2020.The USA starts in first place and is predicted to end in last.Japans number has risen slowly but steadily since the late 1980s and will continue to do so until 2030.Japan will shoot up dramatically in about 2030, taking it from third to first place.Describing Major Changes

11、or Lack of Change12精选课件pptone trend appears to be a decrease in DVD sales in the warmer months of the year and higher sales in colder months. In this case, there is an obvious tendency which could be related to the weather. a broader trend might point out higher sales in the early and late times of

12、the year and decreased sales in the middle months. It might be useful to point out that the changes in the graph do not appear to be random; there is little fluctuation and a clear pattern of purchasing habits can be identified. Describing Trends / Drawing Conclusions600500400300200100 Jan. Feb. Mar

13、ch April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.Better to discuss trendstowards the end of thedescription13精选课件pptDescribing Trends / Drawing ConclusionsGet back with your classmate. Locate a few general trends in this line graph. Locate at least one for each country and one or two broad overall tre

14、nds. 14精选课件pptDescribing Trends / Drawing ConclusionsJapans proportion is relatively unchanged for more than 40 years until the current dramatic surge.Swedens proportion is on an almost continuous rise with only two brief periods of decline.The USAs aged growth is the most consistent of the three ov

15、er the 100 years and increases the least.Though both the USA and Sweden look to increase significantly in the future, their growth will be dwarfed by Japans explosion in about 2030.The proportions of all three are set to rise in the late 2020s. 15精选课件pptWhen you describe a graph, it is important to

16、avoid sounding too mechanical. The purpose of describing a graph is not simply to report numbers and changes. A writer must remember to write in a style that is descriptive and human.Avoiding Mechanical Writing600500400300200100 Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.16精选课件pptT

17、he graph below shows the number of DVDs sold in a shop by month in 2007.In January, the DVD shop sold 600 DVDs. In February and March, the number of DVDs sold remained constant at about 580. The number of DVDs sold fell to about 525 in April and then declined greatly down to about 290 in May.In June

18、, July and August, the number of DVDs sold declined slowly down to about 200, but in August and September the number of sales rose dramatically up to about 400. In October, November and December the number of DVDs sold continued to rise until it hit a peak of 600 DVDs sold in December.These are the

19、details of the number of DVDs sold at a shop in 2007.Example of an Overly Mechanical Description17精选课件pptA graph illustrates the total number of DVD sales at a shop in 2007. By analyzing the graph, we are able to see the inconsistent purchasing habits of customers at this particular store.DVD sales

20、start at a relatively high number of 600 in January, and business remains strong for another two months before a general decline begins to appear. By contrast, the month of April shows a major drop off as the number of DVDs sold plummets to below 300. The downward trend continues as the warmer month

21、s approach, hitting a low of under 200 units sold in early August.The end of the summer months and the ushering in of autumn brings a welcome trend to the shop owners as customers return for more DVDs as the weather cools. Late August and early September reveal a dramatic and abrupt increase in sale

22、s, and by early October the shop is back to business as usual as the number of DVDs sold returns to a respectable number of about 400. There is a continuous rise in November and December when the number soars to above 600 DVDs sold.The graph demonstrates some obvious trends. DVD sales are clearly mu

23、ch higher in the colder months of the year, while warmer months bring more outdoor activities to consumers which explains the major decrease in spring and summer sales. The return to normal business in the latter part of 2007 confirms that the decline in sales is only a temporary inconvenience for t

24、his shop. Example of a graph description, sounding less mechanical18精选课件pptA graph illustrates the total number of DVD sales at a shop in 2007. By analyzing the graph, we are able to see the inconsistent purchasing habits of customers at this particular shop.DVD sales at the shop start at a relative

25、ly high number of 600 in January, and business remains strong for another two months before a general decline begins to appear. By contrast, the month of April shows a major drop off as the number of DVDs sold plummets to below 300. The downward trend continues as the warmer months approach, hitting

26、 a low of under 200 units sold in early August.The end of the summer months and the ushering in of autumn brings a welcome trend to the shop owners as customers return for more DVDs as the weather cools. Late August and early September reveal a dramatic and abrupt increase in sales, and by early Oct

27、ober the shop is back to business as usual as the number of DVDs sold returns to a respectable number of about 400. There is a continuous rise in November and December when the number plateaus to above 600 DVDs sold.The graph demonstrates some obvious trends. DVD sales are clearly much higher in the

28、 colder months of the year, while warmer months bring more outdoor activities to consumers which explains the major decrease in spring and summer sales. The return to normal business in the latter part of 2007 confirms that the decline in sales is only a temporary inconvenience for this particular s

29、hop. Does this description present an overview of the graph? 19精选课件pptA graph illustrates the total number of DVD sales at a shop in 2007. By analyzing the graph, we are able to see the inconsistent purchasing habits of customers at this particular shop.DVD sales at the shop start at a relatively hi

30、gh number of 600 in January, and business remains strong for another two months before a general decline begins to appear. By contrast, the month of April shows a major drop off as the number of DVDs sold plummets to below 300. The downward trend continues as the warmer months approach, hitting a lo

31、w of under 200 units sold in early August.The end of the summer months and the ushering in of autumn brings a welcome trend to the shop owners as customers return for more DVDs as the weather cools. Late August and early September reveal a dramatic and abrupt increase in sales, and by early October

32、the shop is back to business as usual as the number of DVDs sold returns to a respectable number of about 400. There is a continuous rise in November and December when the number plateaus to above 600 DVDs sold.The graph demonstrates some obvious trends. DVD sales are clearly much higher in the cold

33、er months of the year, while warmer months bring more outdoor activities to consumers which explains the major decrease in spring and summer sales. The return to normal business in the latter part of 2007 confirms that the decline in sales is only a temporary inconvenience for this particular shop.

34、Does this description highlight major changes, or lack of changes?20精选课件pptA graph illustrates the total number of DVD sales at a shop in 2007. By analyzing the graph, we are able to see the inconsistent purchasing habits of customers at this particular shop.DVD sales at the shop start at a relative

35、ly high number of 600 in January, and business remains strong for another two months before a general decline begins to appear. By contrast, the month of April shows a major drop off as the number of DVDs sold plummets to below 300. The downward trend continues as the warmer months approach, hitting

36、 a low of under 200 units sold in early August.The end of the summer months and the ushering in of autumn brings a welcome trend to the shop owners as customers return for more DVDs as the weather cools. Late August and early September reveal a dramatic and abrupt increase in sales, and by early Oct

37、ober the shop is back to business as usual as the number of DVDs sold returns to a respectable number of about 400. There is a continuous rise in November and December when the number plateaus to above 600 DVDs sold.The graph demonstrates some obvious trends. DVD sales are clearly much higher in the

38、 colder months of the year, while warmer months bring more outdoor activities to consumers which explains the major decrease in spring and summer sales. The return to normal business in the latter part of 2007 confirms that the decline in sales is only a temporary inconvenience for this particular s

39、hop. Does this description describe general trends?Ending a description of agraph or chart with trends is an excellent strategy!21精选课件ppt Tip!Dont explain every small detail of a graph. As mentioned above, focus on the major developments and changes. Before you write, consider several questions: whi

40、ch changes or developments stand out? Which do not appear as significant? How much information is enough or too much for the reader to understand and digest in a short essay?22精选课件pptWhich words dont you understand?Language of Change23精选课件pptLanguage of Change ChangeVerbsNounsUpgo up-risea riseincre

41、asean increaserecovera recovery-a humpjumpa jumpclimb-skyrocket-Highest Point peakthe peak-a high ofgo down-falla fallDowndecreasea decreasedescenda descentdipa dipdropa dropplummet-Lowest Pointbottom outa bottoming out -a low oflevel offa leveling offNo changeremain constant-remain steady-24精选课件ppt

42、Degrees of ChangeDegrees of Change Adjective Form Adverbial Formconsiderableconsiderablygradualgraduallyslightslightlysharpsharplysteepsteeplyrapidrapidlyabruptabruptlyslowslowlysubstantialsubstantiallysignificantsignificantlygreatgreatlyconstantconstantlyconsistentconsistently25精选课件pptPut the degre

43、e of change after if it is a verb of changeSales dropped considerably.Rain increased dramatically.Put the degree of change before if it is a noun of changeThere was an abrupt bottoming out in January.The graph shows a slight hump in the second half of the year.General Rules26精选课件ppt An Example: Face

44、book stock sank a disastrous 25 per cent on Monday, the social networks second day of trading as a public company. The timing coincided with the absence of financial giant Morgan Stanleys backing of the stock, which balanced the market initially to ensure that prices wouldnt plummet on Friday, the C

45、alifornia Companys opening day. The social media companys shares fell $4.64 to $33.67 in the first minutes of trading - a decline of more than 12 per cent from Fridays close and about 24.4 per cent from the soaring high of $45 a share. Mr. Zuckerbergs portion of the stock fell nearly $2billion from

46、the fluctuation and the closing bell valued a share at a meager $34. The stocks bounced between millions of buyers almost immediately, calling into question the entire system of defining Facebooks true value. Nearly 581 million shares were traded on Friday in the five or so hours that the stock was

47、open. On Monday, volume was again massive with more than 52 million shares trading hands in 15 minutes. As the stock fell, there was a long list of questions - ranging from whether the price of the shares was too high or too low. A Facebook spokeswoman declined to comment on the share price issue. N

48、ews of the faltering stock comes just days after Mr Zuckerbergs announcement that he wed his long-time girlfriend Priscilla Chan. The couple met as undergraduates at Harvard University in 2004. Mr. Zuckerberg, now 28, dropped out of college to work on Facebook, while Mrs. Zuckerberg, a pediatrician,

49、 stayed to earn her undergraduate degree in 2007.27精选课件ppt Vocab and Structure of Pie Charts Now look at words that show a number.NumberAmountPercentageTotalProportionAllocationShareQuantity28精选课件pptUsing verbs to explain what we are showing: These areas represent.These areas symbolise that.This acc

50、ounts for.This indicates that.These figures demonstrate that.This shows that.These areas illustrate that.These percentages display.29精选课件pptUsing words to compare two or more things.In comparison to/withCompared to/withIn contrast to/withContrasted to/withComparative adjectives: More/Less thanHigher/Lower thanLarger/Greater/S