Breakdown of Practice Question 1

Welcome back.

Now that you’ve seen me do this practice question number 1 in real time.

We’re now going to break down my answer to see all the different components that we need for a great answer.

So let’s go ahead and take a look.

So this was the practice question which we answered in our previous video.

So now I’m first going to break down the strategy for writing the answer to this question and then I’ll break down the ingredients.

So we’ll first begin by talking about how to write the introduction.

So here in the question prompt in the red color we have what we call our collection language and for the introduction we have to paraphrase this question language by using synonyms and by changing up the word order.

So in my answer here’s how I rephrased this question language.

The given line graph illustrates data on the number of passengers in the underground station in London from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

so I used synonym for the word shows by changing it to illustrate instead of writing passenger numbers I’ve changed it to the number of passengers.

I’ve specified what type of craft we have by saying that we have a line graph and I’ve also added some additional information by telling the reader the period over which our line graph is plotted.

So that’s all I’ve done for my introduction.

Now let’s move on to the next paragraph which is the overview.

So in our overview which is our second paragraph we have to look at the starting data point.

The ending data point the highest data point and the lowest data point.

So that’s exactly what I did when I wrote my answer in the previous video in my answer.

I described the highest and the lowest data points.

Plus I described the starting and the ending data points.

So this is what my second paragraph looked like.

Generally speaking the underground station has the lowest number of passengers early morning at 6:00 a.m. and in the late evening at 4 p.m.

By 8 a.m. the station reaches its peak volume and by 10:00 pm the total amount drops significantly.

After finishing my overview paragraph; I then moved on to writing the specific details so to write the specific details I split my info graphic into two halves.

So I discussed this first half in the third paragraph and I discussed this second half in the fourth paragraph.

So let’s take a look at how I described the first half of the information in the third paragraph; to be specific, there are only 100 passengers at 6:00 a.m. but this number surges over the next two hours and reaches a peak of 400 passengers by 8 AM.

However this volume quickly plummets over the next two hours and settles at about one hundred eighty passengers by 10:00 a.m. before climbing again to a total of 300 passengers over the next four hours.

so notice that here are first described.

This data point at 6 a.m. I’ve said that there are only one hundred passengers here.

Then I’ve said that this number quickly surges and it reaches a peak meaning the highest point of 400 passengers by 8 a.m.

However this number quickly plummets over the next two hours by 10:00 a.m. and settles at about one hundred eighty passengers; and then this number climbs again to a total of three hundred passengers.

So in my third paragraph I’ve only described the data points which I thought were the most important.

So I’ve described this data point because this is where our graph starts then I’ve described this data point because this is the highest data point.

Then I described this data point because this is a turning point.

This is where our graph changes direction from going down to going up again.

And then I’ve described this data point which is the last data point for the first half of our info graphic and it is also a turning point because at this point our graph changes direction from going up to going down again.

let’s now move on to our fourth paragraph here.

We’re going to describe the second half of our line graph.

So let’s take a look at what I wrote for my fourth paragraph.

Starting at 2:00 pm the number of passengers continues dropping until reaching the lowest point of one hundred passengers by 4 p.m.

but over the next two hours the number rapidly increases to nearly 370 passengers before plummeting again over the next two hours to a little under 150 by 8 pm.

After this point passenger volume steadily rises over the next two hours by around 50 passengers.

So here we’re saying that starting at this point at 2:00 p.m. the number continues dropping until it reaches the lowest point which is a hundred passengers by 4:00 PM.

But over the next two hours this number rapidly rises to nearly three hundred and seventy passengers.

However after this point it quickly plummets again over the next two hours to a little under one hundred fifty passengers.

After this point, this number steadily rises again over the next two hours by around 50 passengers.

So notice that’s similar to the first half of our info graphic in the second half.

We’ve also only described the most important data points.

So we described this data point which is the starting data point for the second half of our info graphic.

This data point is also a turning point where the line graph changes direction from going up to going down again.

Then we described this data point which is the lowest data point for our line graph here.

Then we described this data point since this is a turning point.

This is a point where our line graph changes direction from going up to going down again and then we described this data point which is another turning point.

And finally we described this data point which is the ending data point for our line graph.

So now our fourth paragraph is complete.

So when we put together all of our different paragraphs the introduction the overview paragraphs number three and number four this is what our entire task one essay looks like.

Here we have a total of four paragraphs where in the first paragraph, we’ve paraphrased the question language; in the second paragraph in the overview we’ve given some general information about the starting and the ending data points plus the highest and the lowest data points.

Then in the third paragraph we’ve talked about the key numeric details.

Notice that we’ve started to describe numbers in our third and our fourth paragraph and we’ve split this information such that we’ve talked about the first half of our line graph in the third paragraph and we’ve talked about the second half of our line graph in the fourth paragraph.

Now I want you to notice a few more details about this answer.

First I want you to note that here we’ve used words such as about a little under a round and nearly to avoid overgeneralization.

So this is very important for maintaining accuracy whenever you are estimating the numbers you have to use soft words such as this to maintain accuracy.

The second thing I want you to note is the paragraph ring and the spacing.

Basically this just means that in my answer here of separated the paragraphs by leaving a line between any two given paragraphs.

So now we’re finished with breaking down the structure of our answer.

So now we’re going to be breaking down the different ingredients that have went into our answer.

So we’re going to start off by first talking about cohesive devices.

So you may recall that cohesive devices are words and phrases that help to glue our sentences and ideas together.

Basically these words and phrases increase the fluency of our writing.

So here you’ll notice that we’ve used many different types of cohesive devices.

For example here we’ve used the word given to reference back to the line graph that we’re referring to.

Here, we’ve used what’s called a discourse marker to start our paragraph.

We’ve said generally speaking; here’s another discourse marker to be specific.

Here, we’ve used the word however to show contrast and you’ll also notice that here we have some coordinating and subordinating conjunctions which are also acting as cohesive devices to link our ideas together.

So I suggest that you pause the video and take a closer look at these cohesive devices so that you can understand exactly how to use them.

Next, we have coordinating conjunctions so all the coordinating conjunctions are highlighted here in the green and the blue color.

Now I want you to note that here in the green color we have coordinating conjunctions which form compound sentences.

So if you’ll recall a compound sentence is when we have two independent clauses that are joined together by a coordinating conjunction.

Now here we also have coordinating conjunctions in the blue color.

However these coordinating conjunctions do not form compound sentences.

However I want you to note that there are still great to use and you should include them where you can because they do connect long phrases together and they do help you to form complex structures.

So this will definitely help your score as well just as much as writing a compound sentence would now other than coordinating conjunctions in our answer.

We also used subordinating conjunctions.

So if you’ll recall, we usually use subordinating conjunctions to form complex sentences.

Complex sentences are when we connect an independent clause and a dependent clause using a subordinate in conjunction.

Now let’s move on to our next ingredient.

Here we have relative pronouns, in this answer we don’t have any relative pronouns.

So I want you to note that even though we don’t have relative pronouns in this answer; our answer is still a great answer.

I want you to note that you don’t have to have every single ingredient to have a great answer; even if you have a few of the ingredients that you’ve used really well.

You can still get a band nine on your exam let’s move on to our next ingredient.

Here, we’re talking about the voice of our answer.

So if you’ll recall we have two different types of voices in the English language.

We have what’s called the active voice and we have what’s called the passive voice. So the active voice is when the subject does the verb and the passive voice is when the verb does the subject. So when this answer I’ve written everything in the active voice. We have not used any passive voice here.

Now let’s move on to our next ingredient.

Here.

We’re looking at the different tenses that we have in our answer; in this answer we only have one tense.

We only have the present simple tense, so all the present simple tenses are highlighted in the green color.

Let us move on to our next category.

Here.

We have called occasions; call occasions are groups of words that often appear together.

Essentially these are chunks of words that frequently appear together in the English language.

For example late evening is a group of words that are often used together with each other.

Early morning is another pair of words that often appear together.

Another call location is over the next four hours.

Usually we use the word over when we’re describing a period of time.

So in this case we’re describing a period of four hours.

So therefore over the next four hours is a group of words that fit together with each other.

So for that reason this is another call location. So I suggest that you pause the video now and go through these qualifications to get a better understanding of them. Now you may be wondering why we have some cool locations that are so long?

Actually I’ve highlighted this entire part not because we have a really long convocation.

That’s not the reason.

The real reason, is that here the words are called skating with each other as a chain.

You see, so one word co-located with another word and this word co-located with the next word.

And this word co-located with the next word.

And therefore we have a long string of words that all co-located with each other.

So let me show you what I mean.

Let’s take a look at this string of words over here.

In this case, we have several different cholera patients.

Our first colonization is passenger volume.

Our second colonization is volume rises.

OK.

So volume often goes up rises.

So this is another collocation. Another collocation is steadily rises, steadily rises. Then we have high rises over.

OK. That’s our next collocation.

Then we have over the next two hours and then we have rises by.

So here we have the word by.

And here we have the word arises.

So here you can see how intricately all the different words are co-located with each other how all the different words fit together with each other.

If you’re wondering what’s the best way to learn the collocation.

Well, the best way is to actually do a lot of reading so that you can get used to seeing the words that often appear together with each other.

Now we’re going to move on to our final ingredient.

We’re going to talk about the vocabulary; you have to use new words if you want to get a high vocabulary score.

So here I’ve highlighted all the new words in the blue color and I’ve highlighted all the vocabulary words that are used in the question language in this brown color.

So all these words that we’ve used here such as drops, significantly, surges.

These are new vocabulary words.

And when you use them in your writing you’re going to get points for that on your vocabulary category.

However when you use words such as number or passengers in this particular case you’re not going to get any points for that since these words have already been used in the question itself.

So to get a high vocabulary score you have to use new words. So I suggest that you pause the video now and make sure that you know the meaning for all of the words that are highlighted in this answer.

So that concludes this video.

I hope that by now you have a better understanding of how all the different components come together to form a great answer.

Now before I end this video, I want to make a very important note.

I want you to note that you should never try to force these ingredients into your writing.

If you try to force these ingredients into your writing your writing is going to sound unnatural and this may also waste your time as you try to think about how to fit the different ingredients into your answer.

So don’t do that, don’t try to force the ingredients into your answer and don’t try to fit the different ingredients into your answer; whenever you use any of these ingredients.

They should come to you naturally.

I’ve only shown you this breakdown to give you a better understanding of how all the different components work together in a good answer.

But I don’t want you to force these ingredients into your answer. So that’s my final note, we’re going to end this video here.

I’ll see you in the next video in which I’m going to take you through a second example of doing another practice question in real time and then we’re going to break down that answer as well in the same way that we’ve broken down our practice question number one in this video.

So I’ll see you there.