IELTS / TOEFL iBT / TOEIC Courses
Senior Lecturer: Ho Quang Ha – M.A, M.Ed. Tel: 0914 044 506 ACADEMIC WRITING
Learn more at https://anhvanthayha.com
CHECKLIST FOR EDITING GRAPH & DIAGRAM DESCRIPTIONS
N
o
Check Points I checked
(✓)
Further Notes / Examples
1
Remember to name the type of the graph (e.g. The
line / bar graph…/ The pie chart…/ The table…./
The diagram… / The map…. )
The bar graph shows the rates of
unemployment in…(NOT: The graph shows
the rates of…)
2
Don’t use “below / above” The pie chart below shows the percentage of…
3
Don’t write illogical statements ILLOGICAL: Women are higher than men.
LOGIC: The salary of women is higher than
that of men.
4
Don’t abuse ranking language “The first highest…/
The second highest is…/ The third largest…”
5
Don’t write more than 2 cliché expressions “It can
be seen that… / As has been shown… / As can be
seen, …/ It is clear / obvious that…”
6
Don’t use “fast / quickly / big” (These words are not
typical for graph writing)
Use “rapid / rapidly / great / large”.
7
Don’t give personal ideas
Just report what is shown. No other comments
e.g. 68% of Japanese people work in the
industrial sector. This is because Japan is a
very developed country.
8
Check “the” before a superlative
INCORRECT: Dubai college has highest
number of female graduates. (“the” is missing)
CORRECT: Dubai college has the highest
number of female graduates.
9
Check to have a preposition in front of a figure
INCORRECT: The sales of smartphones
increased about 1.2 billion devices in 2015.
CORRECT: The sales of smartphones
increased to about 1.2 billion devices in 2015.
10
Use “OF” after …% (percent), especially the first
mention.
The use of buses accounted for 20% of
passenger kilometres.
11
Do not abuse “possessive case: …‘s” for numbers /
figures / things.
USE: The rate / number / amount…OF sb/sth
INCORRECT: Men’s rate of smoking dropped.
CORRECT: The rate of men smoking / The
rate of male smokers...
12
No redundant or double time expressions (…over 5
years from 2015 to 2020)
From 2015 to 2020
Over 5 years / Over a 5-year period
(Your collection)
(Your collection)
(Please check your writing before submitting it to your teachers for correction)
AnhvanThayHa.com
AnhvanThayHa.com
IELTS / TOEFL iBT / TOEIC Courses
Senior Lecturer: Ho Quang Ha – M.A, M.Ed. Tel: 0914 044 506 ACADEMIC WRITING
Learn more at https://anhvanthayha.com
CHECKLIST FOR EDITING ESSAYS
N
o
Check Points I checked
(✓)
Further Notes / Examples
1
No clichés “Nowadays / As you know / As
mentioned above / For the reasons above / Every
coins has two sides…”
Viết trực tiếp, không dùng từ sáo rỗng
2
Do not copy task words.
Use your own expressions (Except technical terms)
3
Do not use questions in essays.
4
Do not list your points:
Firstly, … / Secondly (Second),… / Thirdly,…
Use Transition Signals: “Another…./ Moreover”
5
Do not use Vietnamese Word for Word (Vnese
W4W)
(Use plurals for countable nouns in general terms).
INCORRECT: I like cat.
CORRECT: “I like cats” or “I like a cat”.
Nguyên tắc: Khi nói về người / vật chung
chung, phải dùng danh từ đếm được ở số
nhiều hoặc có mạo từ).
6
No “Absolute Words / Exaggeration”:
“everyone / all / everywhere / anytime / always /
never …”
Use “most / many / in many places / usually /
rarely”
7
A lot of…/ Lots of… / Plenty of…
USE: “Many / Much / A (great / small…) number
/ amount of…)
8
Thing(s)…/ Something… / Nothing…
Use a specific noun
(Do not use Simplistic / Low-level Vocabulary)
9
good / bad
USE: “effective / productive / beneficial; harmful /
negative / detrimental…”
10
To get
USE: “obtain / acquire / earn / achieve…”
11
“which / who / whom…”
(Do not use these words or just use ONCE only)
Nên nối câu bằng liên từ hoặc tĩnh lược động từ
(Dùng V-ing với Active Voice; V-ed với Passive
Voice). Hạn chế dùng Mệnh đề quan hệ
12
To make
USE: To cause / allow / enable / produce /
force…
13
Like: …
USE: “such as ___, ___ and ___.”
Lưu ý: “such as + noun / V-ing”
(Không dùng dấu hai chấm (:) sau “such as”
14
Do not use Vietnamese listing
“…like / such as: ___, ___, ___, ___”
“…___, ___, ___... / etc / and so on”
Use English style:
…such as ___, ___, ___ and / or ___
(Trước liệt kê cuối cùng phải có từ “and” hoặc
“”or”; KHÔNG dùng dấu ba chấm / vân vân”
15
Do not use Colloquialisms (Spoken)
e.g. “kids / dad / mums / fridge…”
Use written / formal vocabulary:
“children / fathers / mothers / refrigerators …”
16
Do not use Contraction
(doesn’t / We’re / can’t… I think…)
Use full forms (Không được viết tĩnh lược):
…does not / We are / cannot… I strongly believe
17
Do not begin a sentence with “And / But / So…”
Use: “Furthermore / However / Therefore,…”
18
No Sentence Fragments
Fragment: Câu què, chỉ có mệnh đề phụ. Khi viết
câu với “because / as / although…” phải đảm
bảo có 02 mệnh đề.
19
No Comma Splice / Run-on
Lỗi “Comma Splice”: Chỉ dùng dấu phẩy giữa 02
mệnh đề mà lại không có Liên từ.
20
No Stringy Sentences
Câu lòng thòng, chứa các từ thuộc văn phong
nói như: “so / because / but / and”
21
No Choppy Sentences
Câu chặt khúc: Dưới 10 từ / câu
22
Poor Support
Too many explanations or personal ideas
Provide at least 01 Example / body paragraph
Give at least 01 Fact / Statistic / essay
(Mỗi đoạn thân bài phải có ít nhất 01 ví dụ; Toàn
bài viết phải có ít nhất 01 số liệu)
23
Not a paragraph (No Para)
Do not write ONE sentence in the Intro / Conclusion
• 2-3 sentences for the Intro / Conclusion
• 4-5 sentences for the Body paragraphs
24
Use “Who – Do - What” structure
(Action Verbs. NOT “to be”)
Ưu tiên dùng từ chỉ người / vật làm chủ ngữ +
Dùng động từ hành động (Hạn chế am/is/are…)
25
(Your collection)
(Please check your writing before submitting it to your teachers for correction)
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