TASK 3: UNDERSTAND THE MAIN POINTS OF INFORMATION PRESENTED IN CHARTS

Now, we will focus on exploring charts. This type of GOs is also popular to students and
teachers. Therefore, it is necessary for you, as professional EFL teachers, to understand about
how to comprehend and present information in charts.

What are tables? What is the purpose of presenting information in tables? How to read tables? How
are information presented using them?

First, watch these short videos. It provides you with information about what charts are.

 Graphs and charts1

 Types of Graphs. Pamela Shoemaker2

A Bar Charts3

You can display information in the form of a bar chart. Bar charts show data in a visual
and easy to read way.

Below are the results of the survey of ‘Pets owned by people in Tregain Street’ shown as
a bar chart:

A bar chart can be used to compare figures. Below is a bar chart with two bars or columns
for each category (type of pet). This type of bar chart is known as a dual bar chart. The
key on the right-hand side of the bar chart shows that the blue (shaded) bars represent
the men’s answers and the red (lined) bars show the women’s answers.

1
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/video/graphs-and-charts
2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ASmUsK_-5w
3
Modified from BBC. (2018). Graphs and charts. Retrieved from Skillswise: English and Maths for Adults:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/topic/graphs-and-charts/resources/e3
Key points

A bar chart needs a title. The title tells you what the bar chart is about. In this example
the title is ‘Survey of pets owned by people in Tregain Street’.

The horizontal axis is the line which goes along the bottom of the chart. It should have
a label. Here the horizontal axis is labelled ‘Types of pet’. Each of the bars should also be
named, for example here they are labelled ‘dog’, ‘cat’ etc.

The vertical axis is the line which goes up the left-hand side of the chart. It too should
be labelled, in this case the label is ‘Number of pets’.

Reading bar charts

To read the bar chart below you need to look at the scale on the vertical axis and then
read across to the top of each bar.

In this bar chart each bar is labelled, and you can read that:

 12 people owned dogs

 6 people owned cats
 7 people owned hamsters
 4 people owned rabbits
 1 person owned other type of pets

If your bar chart does not have lines like those in the above example, then you may need
to use a ruler to help you read across to the scale.
 Did you notice the marks on the scale? The difference between each mark on the scale is
2, so we say the scale goes up in divisions of 2. Can you see that the ‘hamster’ bar is half
way between divisions? So, the number of people who own hamsters is halfway between
6 and 8, which is 7. Sometimes bar charts can be shown with horizontal bars. In this case,
you will need to check the length and not the height of the bars to read the scale. For
example:

A Do these exercise and quizzes to check your understanding of the explanation in Text 1.

1 Extracting information from bar charts: football results

2 Graphs and charts: Entry 3 quiz

Now, study this other bar chart carefully to answer the questions listed below.

(1) What does the chart provide information about?

(2) What is the commonest means of transport? What percentage of visitors use it?
(3) Which two means of transport are used almost the same amount? What percentage of visitors
use them?
(4) What is the fourth most popular means of transport? What percentage of visitors use it?
(5) Which means of transport is used least? What percentage of visitors use it?
(6) Overall, which is more popular: private transport or public transport?
B Line and Pie Charts

In the previous section, you have studied about Bar Chart. Now, learn also about other
types of charts: the line and pie charts here.

 Extracting and interpreting data from line graphs

 Pie charts
 Analyzing Graphs, Diagrams and Statistics. Blue

Now, let’s check how much you understand the lessons. Do the following exercises. When you
finish, check your answer with the answer key.

1 Reading line graphs

Answer these questions based on the line chart that follows.

(1) What information does the chart provide?

(2) What is the most possible purpose of the chart?
(3) Which month has the highest average monthly temperature in the three cities?
What is the temperature height?
(4) Which month has the lowest temperature in Cairo? What is the average
temperature for Singapore for the same month?
(5) Which city has the most extreme temperature difference throughout the year?
What is the minimum temperature? What is its highest one?
(6) Which city has the most stable temperature? What is the lowest temperature
for this city? When does it happen?
 2 Reading pie charts
Answer these questions based on the pie chart that follows. Match the questions in
the right column with the best answer from the right column.

(1) What is the main reason for visiting New Zealand? a for pleasure
(2) What percentage of visitors go to New Zealand to b the number of people who go
see friends and family? to New Zealand on business
(3) What does the figure 13% refer to? c 29%
(4) What is meant by other on the chart? d for a holiday
(5) In general, do more people visit New Zealand for e other reasons
work or pleasure?

Learn more:  Reading Data Tables & Graphs. CrestClassroom

 Interpreting graphs and tables. Lauren Naumovski
 Analyzing Graphs, Diagrams and Statistics. Blue
 Lists and tables
 Graphs and charts. BBC-Skillswise