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Diagrams
Writing Guide Diagrams are drawings intended to explain how something works or show the relation between the parts, helpful and efficient in business communication as they contain large volumes of information of various categories and systematize collection of littery and immethodical information. Types of diagrams include pie chart, bar chart, line chart, flow chart and organization chart and so on.
A pie chart displays value data as percentages of the whole. Categories are represented by individual slices. The size of the slice is determined by the value. Pie charts are typically used to show percentages; A bar chart displays series as sets of horizontal bars that are grouped by category. Values are represented by the length of the bars as measured by the x-axis. Category labels are displayed on the y-axis. Bar charts are typically used to compare values between categories; A line chart displays series as a set of points connected by a line. Values are represented by the height of the point as measured by the y-axis. Category labels are displayed on the x-axis. Line charts are typically used to compare values over time; A flow chart, also called flow diagram or flow sheet, is a schematic representation of a sequence of operations, as in a manufacturing process or computer program; An organization chart is one that tells the internal structure and composition of a company, an organization ...
The following words and expressions are helpful in making presentations with diagrams:
Increase, rise, ascend, core, surge, go up, climb, mount, level up
Decrease, fall, drop, descend, decline, reduce, lessen, level down
Stable, steady, remain/maintain/keep/be the same as/similar to, fluctuate, fluctuation, rise and fall, up and down
Occupy, take up, account for, gain
While, however, whereas, on the other hand, actually/in fact
By contrast, on the contrary, likewise, compared with
The highest, the top, the summit, the peak, the most
Bottom, less, least, rock bottom
Mean, average
Tendency, trend, inclination
The table shows the changes in the number of ... over the period from ... to ...
The diagram illustrates/shows/depicts/describes/reveals/...
The graph provides some interesting data regarding ...
As is shown/demonstrated/exhibited in the diagram/graph/chart/table ...
From the table/chart/diagram/figure, we can see clearly that .../ it is clear/apparent from the chart that ...
The figures peaked at ... month/year.
... decreased year by year while ... increased steadily.
From that year on, there was a gradual decline/reduction in the ... reaching a figure of ...
The difference between A and B lies in ...
... (year) witnessed/saw a sharp rise in ...
Writing Sample The Income Statement of OrpusTech Company for the Years 2007-2011($×1000)
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
Revenue at sales | 63,386 | 77,711 | 86,346 | 94,886 | 100,943 |
Costs and expenses | | | | | |
Cost of sales | 49,238 | 59,837 | 63,996 | 71,818 | 75,808 |
Selling expenses | 7,470 | 9,234 | 10,935 | 11,437 | 13,104 |
Administrative expense | 2,840 | 3,867 | 5,490 | 5,795 | 7,038 |
Engineering expense | 1,342 | 1,689 | 1,832 | 1,949 | 2,109 |
Gross income | 2,652 | 3,084 | 4,093 | 3,887 | 2,884 |
Income taxes | 1,081 | 1,281 | 1,630 | 1,505 | 1,254 |
Net income | 1,571 | 1,803 | 2,463 | 2,382 | 1,630 |
The above table is the income statement of the OrpusTech Company for the years 2007-2011. It shows figures of net sales, costs and expenses, gross income, income taxes and net income. Costs and expenses are further divided into cost of sales, selling expenses, administrative expense and engineering expense.
It is shown that net sales grew steadily in the five-year period, from $63,386,000 to $100,943,000. The profit, however, fluctuated. It went up three years in a row till 2009, which was the most profitable year, with a dramatic rise from 1,803,000 in 2008 to 2,463,000 in 2009. This is an increase of 37 percent. Then the profit declined in the following years. The biggest drop of net income occurred in 2011.
Attention should be drawn to the rise of selling and administrative expenses for the year 2011. Though net sales went up $6,057,000, increase of expenses on sales and administration were disproportionately large.
Writing Exercise An international survey has recently been conducted, asking whether companies plan to alter their spending on information technology next year. The pie charts below compare planned expenditure on IT by European and South-East Asian companies in the coming year. Using the information from the pie charts, write a short report describing the differences between Europe and South-East Asia.
Grey: In creasing IT spending
White: Decreasing IT spending
Black: Keeping it at this year's level
IT Expenditure in Europe vs. Asia
The overall result of this international survey on planned IT expenditure for the next year shows significant differences between Europe and Asia.
According to the survey results, European companies are almost equally divided between increasing their IT spending, keeping it at this year's level or decreasing it.
The situation in Asia is quite different. Almost 60% of the surveyed Asian companies plan to increase IT expenditure next year, compared to just over a third in Europe.
Moreover, Asian companies seem less keen on cutting IT spending, as only 16% are planning to decrease it, compared to 30% in Europe.
Finally, the percentage of companies who are planning to keep IT expenditure at the same level is also lower in Asia, although not to the same extent.