Analytical Paragraph

What is an analytical paragraph ?

Analytical Paragraph writing - An analytical paragraph is a form of descriptive writing which is written on the basis of a given chart , graph , data , outline , clues , table , etc. When writing an analytical paragraph , one should remember to describe the facts in the best possible manner and to cover the information provided .

Features of an analytical paragraph writing 

1. It describes the given chart , table , data , graph , cues etc. 

2. It should be brief and comprehensive ( include complete information ) at the same time . 

3. It should state facts that are provided by the chart . 

4. It is necessary to make use of simple and accurate language . 

5. It should mention figures and quantities appropriately . 

6. It is appropriate to use the same tense throughout the analytical paragraph . 

7. No personal observation or response should be provided . 

8. It would be preferable to use the passive form of the verb .

Format of Analytical paragraph

Introduction  ( explain in one or two lines the subject of the graph given )

Body ( explain in detail what the graph is about , use relevant figures , explain trends , make comparisons and contrasts , divide into sub paragraphs , if required ) 

Conclusion ( conclude the paragraph giving the overall view or summary of the graph )

Useful tips for writing an analytical paragraph 

1. For an introduction , you can start with the following phrases 

1. The chart given above describes 

2. The table suggests 

3. The line graph shows 

4. The data given provides information about 

5. The pie chart illustrates , etc.

2. For describing trends , use phrases and words like- a pattern of growth , rapidly doubled , skyrocketed , striking increase , peaked , soaring rates , declined , plummeted , leveled off , stagnated , fluctuate , starting to rise , starting to fall , drop down , slightly , etc.

3. For describing quantities , use various styles like - 48 % of , one - third of , nearly one fourth of , almost 80 % , majority , on average , twice as much , almost equal , the highest , the lowest , very close to 2 % , roughly , approximately 5 % of , just under three percent , etc. 

4. For establishing a relationship or contrast , use phrases and words like relationship between , similarly , in contrast with , in comparison to , but in the opposite case , however , whereas , when it comes to , as opposed to , while , striking difference , noticeable difference ,

5. For the conclusion and other connecting phrases use- overall , subsequently , in all , in a nutshell , for the chart given , in short , striking changes , including , therefore , etc.

Examples

1. Below is a graph given showing birth and death rates in a country from 1901 to 2101. Write an analytical paragraph ( 100-150 words ) .

Answer. The graph shows birth and death rates starting from 1901 till 2101 . 

Since 1901 , the birth rate has remained more than the death rate until 2041. Birth rate was 20000 in 1901 and started increasing gradually . It peaked in 1961 to around 65000. From 1961 , birth rate has fluctuated multiple times between 50000 and 60000. It is expected to decline for the coming years reaching approximately 42000 by 2101 . On the other hand , the death rate stood at around 10000 in 1901 and then has increased steadily . It is expected to rise strikingly from 2021 before levelling off to approximately 60000 between 2061 and 2081. The graph indicates a slight decline in deaths in the year 2101 .

The graph shows the huge gap between birth rate and death during 1961 to 2001 . However , this gap is expected to reduce in the later years . Overall , as opposed to the prevailing trends , the death rate will be more than the birth rate in the later half of the 21st century .

2. The chart shows the division of household tasks by gender in Great Britain . Write an analytical paragraph describing the chart given in not more than 200 words .

Answer. The chart shows the number of minutes per day spent by British men and women in doing household tasks . On an average , the women spend about four hours doing household tasks whereas the men spend less than two and half hours .

The tasks on which women spend more time than men include cooking , cleaning house , taking care of the children and laundry . In doing all these tasks , women spend approximately 200 minutes which is almost three times the time spent by men in these tasks . On the other hand , men spend twice the time than women in doing tasks like gardening and maintenance of odd jobs in the house . Men spend the highest time , almost 50 minutes , in gardening and petcare . While the women spend only 30 minutes for these tasks . The time spent by men in washing , ironing and sewing clothes is as low as 2 minutes per day as opposed to 25 minutes spent by women . In short , women spend far more time doing household chores than men whilst men petcare and prefer to do gardening , maintaining odd jobs.

3. The pie chart shows the proportion of people from different households living in poverty in the UK in 2002. Write an analytical paragraph to describe the information in 100-120 words . 

Answer. The given pie chart illustrates seven different categories of households living in poverty in the UK in 2002 . It is clearly evident from the pie chart that 26 % of the total poverty - stricken households are those of sole parents . Single people without children account for the second highest proportion with 24 % . In contrast to couples without children that accounts for just 9 % , couples with children account for 15 % of the poor households . Single aged persons and aged couples proportion for 12 % together for poor households . Overall , 14 % of all households in the UK were living under poverty . The younger generation had a greater poor percentage than their aged counterparts . Couples without children had better economic conditions than those with children .

4. The following table shows details about the internet activities for six categories for different age groups . Write an analytical paragraph for the table given in around 150-200 words . 

Answer. The given table suggests the internet activities of seven age groups ranging from teens to those in their seventies for six different kinds of activities . The table shows that the younger generation is more interested in online games and news , while the older generation spends time on the internet to research and buy products . It is evident from the table that teens mainly use the internet for games ( as high as 81 % ) , news and downloads and are interested in searching for people or friends or doing any product research . The middle age group ( people in 20s to 60s ) is highly interested in getting news , doing product research and buying products , the percentage ranging from 70-80 % . The internet activity which gets the least time is searching for people . All the age groups spend less than 30 % of their internet time on the same . The amount of time spent on downloads decreases with age and gets as low as 6 % ( for people in 70s ) .

5. Below given are three pie charts showing consumption habits of India , China and World overall in 2008 . Write an analytical paragraph describing the pie charts ( 100-120 words ) . 

Answer. The three given pie charts depicts types of food consumption in 2008 as compared in two countries- India and China . In general , processed food is the major type of food eaten . 

Processed food comprises as high as 41 % of the global consumption . In China and India as well , processed foods are consumed the most , the rate of consumption being 34 % and 39 % respectively . On an average , vegetables and fruits constitute 29 % of consumption . In China , vegetables and fruits comprise 32 % of food consumption which is 9 % than that of India . For Indians , animal food accounts for 27 % of their diet , exceeding Chinese food consumption by a striking 12 % . However , nuts and seeds comprise almost one - fifth of Chinese food habits . This is way more than the global consumption of 4 % and 11 % of India . Overall , world food consumption largely comprises processed food . Chinese consumption of nuts and seeds is unbelievably higher than the average percentage .

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