Contents:
Review: Chart
Writing: How to write a complex sentence
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1. REVIEW
What is the chart?
A chart is a diagram, picture, or graph which is intended to make information easier to understand.
Types of Charts
There are several different types of charts and graphs. The four most common are probably line graphs, bar graphs and histograms, pie charts, and Cartesian graphs. They are generally used for, and best for, quite different things.
You would use:
- Bar graphs to show numbers that are independent of each other. Example data might include things like the number of people who preferred each of Chinese takeaways, Indian takeaways and fish and chips.
- Pie charts to show you how a whole is divided into different parts. You might, for example, want to show how a budget had been spent on different items in a particular year.
- Line graphs show you how numbers have changed over time. They are used when you have data that are connected, and to show trends, for example, average night time temperature in each month of the year.
- Cartesian graphs have numbers on both axes, which therefore allow you to show how changes in one thing affect another. These are widely used in mathematics, and particularly in Algebra.
Axes
Graphs have two axes, the lines that run across the bottom and up the side. The line along the bottom is called the horizontal or x-axis, and the line up the side is called the vertical or y-axis.
- The x-axis may contain categories or numbers. You read it from the bottom left of the graph.
- The y-axis usually contains numbers, again starting from the bottom left of the graph.
The numbers on the y-axis generally, but not always, start at 0 in the bottom left of the graph, and move upwards. Usually the axes of a graph are labelled to indicate the type of data they show.
Bar graphs generally have categories on the x-axis, and numbers on the y-axis. This means that you can compare numbers between different categories. The categories need to be independent, that is changes in one of them do not affect the others.
A pictogram is a special type of bar graph. Instead of using an axis with numbers, it uses pictures to represent a particular number of items. For example, you could use a pictogram for the data above about ages, with an image of a person to show the number of people in each category.
A pie chart looks like a circle (or a pie) cut up into segments. Pie charts are used to show how the whole breaks down into parts
Line graphs are usually used to show dependent data, and particularly trends over time. Line graphs depict a point value for each category, which are joined in a line. We can use the data from the pie chart as a line graph too.
2. WRITING
How to write a complex sentence?
“Complex” sentences are not actually very complex; they are just two or more simple sentences put together. Putting them together makes the essay more coherent and cohesive.
1. Relative Clauses
You can use relative clauses to give essential or extra information about a person, place, or thing. This makes our writing more fluent and more coherent. We do this by using relative pronouns like who, which and that.
For example:
- He’s the kind of person who is always friendly.
- Air pollution can cause health problems. Air pollution is largely caused by motor vehicles.
- We can convert these two simple sentences into one complex sentences by using the word ‘which’.
- Air pollution, which is mostly caused by motor vehicles, can cause health problems.
2. Subordinate Clauses
A subordinate clause can describe nouns and pronouns; describe verbs, adverbs, and adjectives; or act as the subject or object of another clause. They are made by connecting an independent clause with a dependent clause with words like as, because, while, until, even though, although, when and if.
3. Conditional Clauses
Also known as ‘If clauses’, they are used to express that the action in the main clause can only take place if a certain condition is met.
For example:
- If I had a million dollars, I would quit my job.
- I will be really happy, if I pass the IELTS test.
4. Compound Sentences
Compound sentences consist of two independent clauses linked together with a conjunction such as ‘and’, ‘for’ or ‘but’.
Examples:
- I really want to study, but I’m too tired.
- She got to the test centre early, and she did really well on her IELTS test.
- Some students think these sentences are too simple to count as complex but they are wrong.