Writing Module1. The table below shows the proportion of different categories of families living in poverty in Australia in 1999.
Family type | Proportion of people from each household type living in poverty |
single aged person aged couple single, no children couple, no children sole parent couple with children all households | 6% (54,000) 4% (48,000) 19% (359,000) 7% (211,000) 21% (232,000) 12% (933,000) 11% (1,837,000) |
[范文]
The information given by the table is about the percentage of different types of poverty-stricken households in Australia in the year of 1999.
On average, 11% of all households, comprising almost two million people, were in this position. However, those consisting of one parent or a single adult had almost doubled this proportion of poor people, with 21% and 19% respectively.
Couples generally tended to be better, with lower poverty levels for couples without children (7%) than those with children (12%). It is noticeable that for both types of household with children, higher than average proportion were living in poverty at this time. In contrast, older people were generally less likely to be poor, only 4% for aged couple, and 6% for single aged person respectively.
Overall, the table suggests that households of single adults and those with children were more likely to be living in poverty than those consisting of couples.
[解析] 1.语言表达
本文用恰当的连接词、介词和分词短语语法结构,简洁地描述表格中的细节信息。
● The information given by the table is about the percentage of different types of poverty-stricken households in Australia in the year of 1999.
雅思小作文首段统一对原题进行paraphrase。本句用percentage替换proportion,type替换category,用poverty-stricken households替换families living in poverty。
● On average, 11% of all households, comprising almost two million people, were in this position.
这句中用comprising almost two million people作为插入语,是引用具体数字很好的方法。
● Couples generally tended to be better, with lower poverty levels for couples without children (7%) than those with children (12%).
本句中用括号引用数字。those表示the couples,避免重复。
2.逻辑结构
本文是典型的总分总结构的小作文。开篇先paraphrase原题,第二、三部分描述表格的细节。从百分比总数开始,然后从大到小逐项分析,分析过程中注意相互比较。最后一句话对全篇进行了高度概括,点出了本表最直观的特征。
2. On a recent holiday you lost a valuable item. Fortunately you have travel insurance to cover the cost of anything lost.
Write a letter to the manager of your insurance company. In your letter
●describe the item you lost
●explain how you lost it
●tell the insurance company what you would like them to do
[参考范文]
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to you with regard to an insurance claim. My insurance policy reference is XYZ1234. I took out the policy on 16th October 2011. I was staying at the Smithers Hotel in London on 25th February of this year when my laptop computer was stolen from my room (Room 501). I am enclosing a copy of the police report of the incident and a letter from the hotel manager, Mrs. Wilkins, in support of my claim.
The stolen laptop was a Mini Micro X (black) and originally cost me $399 when I bought it last year. I am enclosing a receipt for the purchase. Although the thief has been caught and prosecuted by the police, the laptop has not been recovered and the police doubt that it will be.
I hope that you will be able to accept my claim under the terms of the policy and can send me a cheque for the amount claimed.
Yours faithfully,
David Class
3. The table below gives information on consumer spending on different items in five different countries in 2002. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Percentage of national consumer expenditure by category-2002 |
Country | Food/Drink/Tobacco | Clothing/Footwear | Leisure/Education |
Ireland | 28.91% | 6.43% | 2.21% |
Italy | 16.36% | 9.00% | 3.20% |
Spain | 18.80% | 6.51% | 1.98% |
Sweden | 15.77% | 5.40% | 3.22% |
Turkey | 32.14% | 6.63% | 4.35% |
[参考范文]
The table compares spending on three categories—food/drinks/tobacco, clothing/footwear and leisure/education—in Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Turkey in 2002, as a percentage of total consumer spending.
People in Turkey (32.14%) and Ireland (28.91%) spend relatively high amounts on food/drinks/tobacco, whilst consumers in Spain (18.80%), Italy (16.35%) and Sweden (15.77%) spend roughly half that proportion.
The percentages for spending on clothing/footwear differ to a lesser degree. Consumers in Turkey (6.63%), Spain (6.51%) and Ireland (6.43%) spend around 6.5% of their household expenditure on clothing/footwear. People in Sweden spend a lower proportion (5.40%) and people in Italy spend relatively more (9.00%).
Spending on leisure/education is relatively low in all five countries, though there are marked differences. People in Turkey spent the highest percentage on this item (4.35%). Those in Sweden and Italy spent almost exactly the same percentages (3.22 % and 3.20% respectively). In Ireland, the figure was 2.21% and in Spain it was 1.98%—less than half the figure for Turkey.
Overall, we can see that spending on food/drinks/tobacco was always greater than spending on clothing/footwear, which in turn was always higher than expenditure on leisure/education.
4. Universities should accept equal numbers of male and female students in every subject.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
[范文]
Since the feminist movement, females have been enjoying increasingly equal opportunities, just as males do. They account for around half of colleges' student population. Some people thus demand complete equality in all subjects in terms of student number. I am, however, strongly against this proposal because enrolment should be based on academic performances and students' own interests.
To begin with, the enrollment of men or women in each major should be dependent upon their respective academic performances and overall abilities, rather than some unrealistic percentage quota. There is no denying that some boy students do really well in majors such as education and literature, but in general the overall performance of girls is better. On the contrary, boys tend to do better in science and engineering. Given the differences in their inherent abilities, it is right to expect boys and girls to have separate academic pursuits.
Besides, the natural interests of both sexes should be taken into consideration when we approach this issue. By compelling uninterested girls to study engineering merely to increase the female percentage, universities are forcing them to work against their natural inclinations while denying other boys the chance of pursuing their real interests. In general, it is as hard, for example, to persuade male students to learn embroidery as it is to coax a girl to study football. Therefore, students should be given the freedom as to what subjects they would like to learn.
As a preparation for people's future careers, universities should mark the fact that certain jobs are gender-specific. Take most manual work for example. It is physically unrealistic for a woman to be a construction worker, a plumber or a firefighter. Understandably, gender differences should be taken into consideration when students choose majors.
It is neither realistic nor necessary to recruit the same number of male and female students for each major. This is not an issue of equality, but a matter of choice. Given the differences in abilities and preferences, students should be given the right to choose for themselves rather than be subject to certain arbitrary quotas stipulating the number of students for each gender.
[解析] 1.语言表达
本文的语言简洁明了,长短句结合,行文流畅,客观清晰地表达了作者的观点。本文提出三个论点,并以足够的论据支撑,全面详细,增强了说服力。同时,本文运用较多客观论证的句型,如There is no denying that...,It is...to/that,不带任何个人感情色彩、有理有据地论证观点,陈述事实。这点在议论文写作中值得借鉴。
● To begin with, the enrollment of men or women in each major should be dependent upon their respective academic performances and overall abilities, rather than some unrealistic percentage quota.
句型To begin with...可用于议论文中提出第一个论点。
● In general, it is as hard, for example, to persuade male students to learn embroidery as it is to coax a girl to study football.
句型It is as...to…as it is to...可用于文中对两者进行比较。
2.逻辑结构
本文是典型的总分总结构的议论文。开篇先陈述事实并表达观点,第二、三、四段分别从不同角度论述作者的观点。最后一段对全文进行总结,并重申自己的观点。