Notes on Writing a Bond 9 Response for Pie Charts

Introduction

• Aim of the lesson: To explain how to write a Bond 9 response for pie charts step by step.
• Focus on understanding pie charts and simplifying the writing process.

Understanding Pie Charts

• Common to encounter 2-4 pie charts in a question.
• Importance of reading the question statement carefully (e.g., "The charts below show the share of the Swiss Watch Market by brand in 2020 and 2021").
• Summarize information by selecting main features and making relevant comparisons.
• Do not attempt to write every piece of data; focus on the important features.

Shifting Perspective

• Recognize that pie charts are designed to simplify data interpretation.
• Students often fear pie charts due to lack of mathematical knowledge, but understanding the purpose is key.
• Necessary knowledge:
  • Understanding what a watch is.
  • Awareness of different brands manufacturing watches.

Purpose of Data

• One critical question: "What is the purpose of this data?"
• In this case, purpose includes:
  • Comparison of six Swiss brands.
  • Comparison between years 2020 and 2021.

Writing Structure

• Use a pyramid structure:
  • Paragraph 1: Introduction.
  • Paragraph 2: Overview.
  • Paragraphs 3 and 4: Detailed data analysis.
• No conclusion required; focus on reporting data, not opinions.

Writing the Introduction

• Paraphrase the question statement.
• Example: "The pie charts illustrate the proportion of wristwatch sales by six watchmakers in Switzerland in 2020 and 2021."
• Focus on changing key words while preserving meaning.

Importance of Overview

• The overview is essential for scoring above a band 6.
• Should contain 2-4 key features without detailed data.
  • Example key feature: "Rolex is the biggest in both years."
• Avoiding numerical data; focus on qualitative observations.

Identifying Key Features

• Ask key questions:
  • What is one significant observation about the data?
  • Why was this data created?
• Consider well-crafted headlines or executive summaries.

Writing the Overview

• Start with "Overall..."
• Include 2-4 key features:
  • Example: "Rolex was the most significant supplier by far..."
  • Mentioning key shifts in market share.

Detailed Analysis

• Organize details logically:
  • Choose between focusing on years, sizes, or increases/decreases.
  • Example structure:
    • First details paragraph: three largest brands.
    • Second details paragraph: three smallest brands.
• Ensure clarity for the reader.

Writing the Details Paragraphs

• Clearly state the focus of each paragraph.
  • Example: "The three biggest watch manufacturers in 2020…"
• Use appropriate terminology (e.g., "respectively").
• Compare current year data with the previous year.

Finalizing the Response

• Check for grammatical and vocabulary errors.
• Review overall structure and presentation.

Conclusion

• No explicit conclusion needed; focus on clarity in reporting data.
• Offer to provide a follow-up lesson on bar charts if interested.