Lesson 21 of 22
Practice exercises and answer explanations
Complete the exercises before reading the suggested answers. Several tasks allow more than one good response.
Exercise 1: preserve the measure
Paraphrase: “The chart shows the proportion of employees working remotely in four industries in 2023.”
Reveal the answer & explanation
Suggested answer: “The chart compares the percentages of employees who worked remotely across four industries in 2023.”
Explanation: The answer keeps employees, percentages, industries, and the year. Replacing “proportion” with “number” would change the measure.
Exercise 2: find an overview
In 2010, A records 50, B 20, and C 10. In 2020, A records 40, B 60, and C 10. Write an overview without listing the figures.
Reveal the answer & explanation
Suggested answer: “Overall, B rose to become the largest category, overtaking A, which declined. C remained unchanged and was the smallest category in both years.”
Explanation: The answer selects a ranking change, contrasting directions, and stability.
Exercise 3: percentage points
A rate rises from 15% to 24%. Complete: “The rate increased by ___ percentage points, equivalent to a relative increase of ___%.”
Reveal the answer & explanation
Answer: 9 percentage points; 60%. The relative increase is 9 ÷ 15 × 100.
Exercise 4: from, to, or by
Sales rise from 120 units to 180 units. Correct this sentence: “Sales increased by 180 units.”
Reveal the answer & explanation
Answer: “Sales increased to 180 units,” or “Sales increased by 60 units.”
Exercise 5: static data
One table shows spending in 2024: A, $80; B, $60. Is “Spending increased to $80 in A” justified?
Reveal the answer & explanation
Answer: No. There is no earlier value. Write “Spending in A was $80, compared with $60 in B.”
Exercise 6: map tense
A map compares 1995 with the present. A warehouse has become a theatre. Write one sentence.
Reveal the answer & explanation
Suggested answer: “The warehouse has been converted into a theatre.”
Explanation: Present perfect passive connects the past change with the current layout. If the plan instead showed two completed past years, a past form would generally fit better.
Exercise 7: process grammar
Combine: “Workers sort the glass. Workers wash the glass. Workers crush the glass.”
Reveal the answer & explanation
Suggested answer: “After being sorted, the glass is washed and crushed.”
Explanation: The material remains the grammatical focus and the actions retain their order.
Exercise 8: task analysis
“Why are more people living alone, and what problems can this create for older residents?” What must the essay cover?
Reveal the answer & explanation
Answer: Reasons for the increase and problems for older residents. A discussion of advantages for young professionals would not directly answer the second question.
Exercise 9: a clear thesis
Improve: “There are good and bad things about working from home.” The prompt asks whether its benefits outweigh its drawbacks.
Reveal the answer & explanation
Suggested answer: “For employees whose roles can be performed remotely, I believe the benefits of lower commuting costs and greater flexibility outweigh the difficulties of reduced face-to-face contact.”
Explanation: The sentence gives a comparative judgment and limits the claim to suitable roles. The essay must still explain both benefits and drawbacks.
Exercise 10: support a claim
Develop: “Evening classes help adult learners.”
Reveal the answer & explanation
Suggested development: “Evening classes enable adults with daytime jobs to attend without giving up their income. For example, a shop employee could study after work rather than reducing paid hours. This makes further education more accessible to people who cannot afford to stop working.”
Explanation: The development identifies the group, mechanism, and consequence.
Exercise 11: repair the grammar
Correct these sentences:
- “The number of visitors have increased.”
- “Despite the course was expensive, many people enrolled.”
- “The equipment are replaced every year.”
- “Buses are cheaper, however they are less reliable.”
Reveal the answer & explanation
Answers:
- “The number of visitors has increased.”
- “Although the course was expensive, many people enrolled.”
- “The equipment is replaced every year.”
- “Buses are cheaper; however, they are less reliable.” A full stop before “However” also works.
Exercise 12: identify an unsupported explanation
A graph shows that electricity consumption fell. A learner writes: “Consumption fell because the government introduced stricter environmental laws.” What is the problem?
Reveal the answer & explanation
Answer: The graph does not establish that cause. Report the fall and its scale without adding an explanation the task does not supply.
Exercise 13: evaluate an outweigh question
A learner identifies three small advantages and one serious disadvantage. Can they conclude that the advantages outweigh the disadvantage simply because there are more of them?
Reveal the answer & explanation
Answer: No. They need to compare significance. Consider the severity, duration, scale, and possibility of reducing the disadvantage.
Exercise 14: choose a useful next step
A report contains accurate sentences but no clear summary of the main patterns. Should the learner first memorise more advanced trend vocabulary or practise selecting overview points?
Reveal the answer & explanation
Answer: Practise overview selection. Better vocabulary cannot replace the missing summary. Write two overview sentences for several different visuals before attempting another full report.
Full practice tasks
Task 1: Use the museum graph in Lesson 12. Write a fresh report in 20 minutes, grouping the science museum separately from the other two. Compare your final selection with the model without copying its sentences.
Task 2: “Some people believe local governments should provide free sports facilities for all residents. Others think residents should pay to use them. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.” Write at least 250 words in 40 minutes. Explain each view and give a consistent judgment about who should pay.