The bar chart below shows the percentage of Australian men and women in different age groups who did regular physical activity in 2010.

The chart compares the proportions of Australian males and females in six age categories who were physically active on a regular basis in the year 2010.

Roughly speaking, close to half of Australian adults did some kind of routine physical activity in 2010. Middle-aged females were the most physically active, proportionally, while males aged 35 to 44 did the least physical activity.

In the youngest age category (15 to 24), almost 53% of Australian men but only 47.7% of women did regular physical activity in 2010. However, between the ages of 25 and 44, men were much less active on average than women. In fact, in the 35 to 44 age group, a mere 39.5% of males did some form of regular exercise, compared to 52.5% of females.

Between the ages of 45 and 64, the figure for male physical activity rose to around 45%, while the proportion of active females remained around 8% higher, at 53%. Finally, the percentages of Australian women and men aged 65 and over who exercised regularly were almost identical, at approximately 47%.

(179 words, band 9)

Roughly speaking---Nói đại khái

routine physical activity ---hoạt động thể chất thường xuyên

Middle-aged females ---Nữ trung niên

proportionally---theo tỷ lệ

men were much less active on average than women---đàn ông ít hoạt động trung bình hơn phụ nữ

a mere 39.5% of males---chỉ có 39,5% nam giới

form of regular exercise---hình thức tập thể dục thường xuyên

almost identical---gần như giống hệt nhau

approximately ---xấp xỉ

Let's analyze some of the sentences in the that I wrote last week. Maybe you could analyze the other sentences in the same way.

Sentence 1

The purpose of this sentence is to begin the description by stating what the bar chart shows. The main feature of the sentence is the paraphrasing (of the question statement) that it contains:

The bar chart = the chartshows = comparesthe percentage of = the proportions ofmen and women = males and femalesin different age groups = in six age categoriesdid regular physical activity = were physically active on a regular basisin 2010 = in the year 2010

Sentence 2

The purpose of this sentence is to give a general overview of the information, by describing an overall trend. Some useful language:

roughly speaking - a nice way to introduce an approximate overall trendclose to half of Australian adults - grouping men and women in all age categories together, in order to describe an overall trendsome kind of routine physical activity - paraphrasing 'regular physical activity'

Sentence 3

The purpose of this sentence is to continue the overview by highlighting the highest and lowest figures on the chart. Some useful language:

Middle-aged females - more than one age category grouped togetherthe most physically active - highlighting age categories with the highest figuresproportionally - this word is necessary because the figures show percentages of people in each age group, not raw numberswhile males - contrasting with the statement about femalesthe least physical activity - contrasting the highest with the lowest