Interference in

Choice of friends 19% 23%

Future education choices 18% 52%

Spending of self-earned money 12% 27%

Task Six

Three students wrote the following incomplete data commentaries. They include only the locations statements and the highlighting sections. What are the differences among the three? Which do you think makes the best highlight statements and why?

Student A

Table 7 shows the percentage of teenagers reporting parental restrictions on their lives. As can be seen, about one-fourth of female teenagers reported parental restrictions on average across the six categories. Restrictions were most common on going out at night (56%) and fewest on expenditure of self-earned money (12%). In contrast, 40% of the males reported restrictions on average across the six categories. Restrictions were most frequent for the time of expected return (61%) and fewest for choice of friends.

Student B

Table 7 shows the percentage of teenagers reporting parental restrictions on their lives. As can be seen, boys tended to be more restricted than girls. Over the six categories, boys reported an average of 40% restrictions, but girls only 25%. In fact, boys were more restricted in five of the six categories, the only exception being ‘going out at night.’ In this category, 56% of the girls reported restrictions, but only 35% of the boys did so.

Student C

Table 7 shows the percentage of teenagers reporting parental restrictions on their lives. As can be seen, overall, boys tended to me more restricted by their parents than girls. However, the real difference lies in the rank order of the restrictions. The top three categories for boys were ‘time of expected return’, ‘post-secondary education choice’ and ‘use of the family car’; for girls, ‘going out at night’, ‘time of expected return’, and ‘choice of friends.’ Although ‘choice of friends’ occupied third place for girls, it was reported least by male teenagers.

Language Focus: Qualifying Comparisons

It is important to convey the full magnitude of the comparison that you are trying to express. Just looking at the difference between the two is not that informative. Some useful alternatives follow. Can you complete each sentence?

a) Almost exactly twice as many boys reported ...

b) A marginally smaller percentage of girls reported ...

c) Slightly over twice as many boys reported ...

d) Close to three times as many boys reported ...

e) Boys exceeded girls in the times they reported...by a ratio of 2.5 to 1.

Task Seven

Now write a full data commentary for Table 7. Begin with a location element plus summary. Choose whatever highlighting statements you want. Students A, B, and C did not offer any cautious explanations of the results. When you write your commentary, be sure to do so.

Concluding a Commentary

As we have seen, qualifications can be important in making highlighting statements. They can be even more so in the concluding parts of a commentary. These parts are diagrammed in Table 7, in the order in which they typically appear.

Table 8. Concluding a Data Commentary

Explanations and/or implications Usually required

Ї

Unexpected results or unsatisfactory data If necessary

Ї

Possible further research or possible future predictions If appropriate

Language Focus: Dealing with ‘Problems’

The following phrases may be helpful as you discuss wrong data.

The difference between expected and obtained results may be due to the incorrect calibration of the instruments.

The discrepancy can be attributed to the small sample size.

The anomaly in the observations can probably be accounted for by a defect in the camera.

The lack of statistical significance is probably a consequence of weaknesses in the experimental design.

The difficulty in dating this archeological site would seem to stem from the limited amount of organic material available.

Language Focus: Referring to Lines on Graphs

Graph lines have a special terminology. From the following list, choose a term that describes each letter on the line of figure 2.

upward trend peak low point sharp rise

steep fall rise leveling off fell off

remained steady spike increase decline

Fig. 2. Qualifying examination pass rates 1982-94 for mechanical engineering at Midwestern University @@@

Task Eight

The sentences in this commentary expand on the information given in Figure 2. They are not in the correct order. Re-arrange them in an appropriate order. Place 1 in front of the first sentence, and so on.

__ a) Some fluctuations are probably inevitable, since only less than 20 students took the qualifying exam each year.

__ b) As can be seen, the pass rate fluctuated quite widely.

__ c) From 1989 until the end of the period covered, pass rates have steadily climbed.

__ d) Figure 2 gives the qualifying exam pass rates in mechanical engineering at a U.S. research institution for the 1982-94 period.

__ e) In fact, the pass rate seems to be cyclical.

__ f) Other possible factors are the amount of research funding, the quality of the students themselves, and the priority given to doctoral funding.

__ g) Even so, the fact that 10 out of 15 students passed in 1985 probably caused the department to try and reduce its number of doctoral students the following year.

__ h) The years 1982-85 saw a rapid rise followed by a steep fall in 1986 and then a low trough until 1989.

__ i) For instance, it reached a peak of 66% in 1985 and a low of 38% in 1989.

Language Focus: Preposition of Time

Find all the prepositions of time in Task Eight. Now study these alternatives:

From 1982 to 1985 the pass rate rose. (During the first four years)

The pass rate fluctuated from 1982 to 1994. (throughout the period)

The pass rate remained under 50% from 1986 to 1991. (until 1991)

Study more of data commentary from figures 3 and 4 (from: Слепович В.С. Basics of Academic Speaking = Устное выступление на английском языке. Мн.: БГЭУ, 2000; Слепович В.С. Business Communicaiton = Деловой английский. Мн.: Тетра-Системс, 2001).

Fig. 3. Price of gold per ounce in 1987—1992

(Source: “Fortune”, February 10, 1992)

Pay attention to the use of prepositions:

On January 1992, the price of gold was $356 per ounce.

At the end of 1987 the price of gold was almost $500 per ounce.