Answers and an explanation for each question appear once you add this activity to your own library.

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How to use this lesson

👨‍🏫 Teacher's Note:

Spend 10–12 minutes on this module to lock in essential trend grammar and figures vocabulary. Instant feedback helps learners write data reports with accuracy in Module 2.

🎯 Student's Guide:

Work through the four bus-commuter activities step-by-step to master report language. This quick warm-up prepares you to tackle the full writing task right after.

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Module 1: Vocabulary and Data Skills

Focus: City Bus Passengers

Let's warm up with some language for describing changes. Before we look at the main writing task, practice these words and patterns using numbers from city bus routes.

Part (a): Word Forms

5 Items

Choose the correct form of the word to complete each sentence about passenger numbers.

Morning passengers

The number of morning passengers is ______ again this month.

____ a. rise ____ b. rising ____ c. risen

Bus line 4

Bus line 4 saw a ______ fall in passengers after 8 p.m.

____ a. sharp ____ b. sharply

Ticket sales trend

Weekend ticket sales increased ______ between June and August.

____ a. steady ____ b. steadily

Annual low

Passenger numbers have ______ to their lowest level this year.

____ a. drop ____ b. dropped ____ c. dropping

Commuter changes

Daily commuter numbers experienced a small ______ in spring.

____ a. fluctuate ____ b. fluctuating ____ c. fluctuation

Part (b): Collocations for Describing Data

5 Items

Choose the natural verb collocation used in reporting statistics.

1. In July, the total number of passengers [ ? ] a peak of 12,000.

____ a. reached ____ b. touched ____ c. arrived

2. Route 12 [ ? ] a steady decline over the six-month period.

____ a. saw ____ b. watched ____ c. looked

3. In 2020, passenger numbers on Route 5 [ ? ] at exactly 8,000 per day.

____ a. stood ____ b. reached ____ c. touched ____ d. went

4. Evening travel figures [ ? ] stable for the rest of the year.

____ a. remained ____ b. continued ____ c. kept

5. School children [ ? ] for 35% of all afternoon bus trips.

____ a. accounted ____ b. counted ____ c. mounted ____ d. made

Part (c): Fill in Common Phrases

5 Items

Fill the gap in each sentence using the exact phrase from the Word Bank below.

📋 WORD BANK:

a slight increase in over the same period the vast majority of compared to a downward trend

1. University ridership:

There was ____ bus travel among university students in September.

2. Night vs. daytime travel:

Night bus ridership dropped, while daytime travel grew ____ .

3. Ticket preference:

____ city travelers chose single tickets rather than monthly passes.

4. Comparing line volume:

Line 8 carried 5,000 passengers daily, ____ only 3,200 on Line 3.

5. Downtown ticket trend:

Overall, ticket sales for downtown routes followed ____ from 2018 to 2022.

Part (d): Paraphrase Sentences

3 Items

Choose the sentence that correctly paraphrases the original statement without changing the facts.

Original Sentence

"Bus passenger numbers rose sharply in 2022."

Choose the best paraphrase:

____ a. There was a sharp rise in bus passenger numbers in 2022. ____ b. There was a sharply rising of bus passengers in 2022. ____ c. Bus passenger numbers will rise sharply in 2022.

Original Sentence

"Route 7 carried more passengers than any other line in the city."

Choose the best paraphrase:

____ a. Route 7 was the least used bus route across the city. ____ b. Route 7 was the most popular bus line in the city. ____ c. Other lines carried as many passengers as Route 7.

Original Sentence

"Forty percent of passengers traveled during the morning rush hour."

Choose the best paraphrase:

____ a. Four out of ten passengers traveled during the morning peak. ____ b. A quarter of travelers used the bus during the morning peak. ____ c. Nearly all passengers took the bus during the morning peak.

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How to use this lesson

👨‍🏫 Teacher's Note:

Set aside roughly 35 minutes for this full report task. Encourage students to submit their draft to AI evaluation to receive instant rubric-aligned diagnostics.

🎯 Student's Guide:

Analyze the data table thoroughly first, write your independent report, and verify each point on the checklist before submitting for automated feedback.

♻️

Module 2: Academic Writing Task

Topic: School Rubbish Collection Report (2015 vs. 2025)

Synthesise and summarise the factual data presented in the table below. Write a clear, objective report following formal academic conventions.

Task Instructions Write at least 120 words

"The table shows the types of rubbish collected at a school in 2015 and in 2025, as a percentage of the total. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant."

📊 Rubbish Collection Data Table

Type of rubbish	2015 (%)	2025 (%)
Paper	40	28
Food	25	22
Plastic	20	30
Glass	10	12
Other	5	8

(Figures are fictional.)

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Report Standards Checklist

Ensure your finished text includes all 5 essential requirements:

☑ An overview

☑ Key features

☑ Comparisons

☑ Accurate figures

☑ At least 120 words

Your Report Workspace

Write clearly using paragraphs (introduction, overview, and detail body paragraphs).

🤖 AI Evaluated

Task Achievement

Completeness & accuracy

Coherence / Cohesion

Structure & linking

Lexical Resource

Data phrasing & range

Grammar & Accuracy

Structures & correctness

____ (Type your complete report here (minimum 120 words)...)

Tip: Keep an objective tone and avoid personal opinions. Target: ≥ 120 words

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Module 3: Model Answer

School Rubbish Collection (2015 vs. 2025)

Here is an example report written from the school rubbish table. Read through to see how the numbers and comparisons fit together.

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Complete Model Report

Word count: 129 words Target: 120–140 words

The table compares five types of waste collected at a school in 2015 and 2025, measured in percentages of the total waste.

Overall, it is clear that plastic waste increased significantly over the period to become the main category, while paper and food both declined.

In 2015, paper was the most common type of rubbish at 40%, followed by food at 25% and plastic at 20%. By 2025, plastic rose sharply to 30% and overtook paper to become the largest category. In contrast, paper saw a noticeable drop to 28%, and food fell slightly to 22%.

Glass and other items accounted for the smallest shares in both years. Glass rose slightly from 10% to 12%, while other rubbish climbed from 5% to 8% by the end of the period.

🔍 Why This Works: Phrase Breakdown

7 Key Patterns

Notice how these seven natural structures present data clearly without complicated jargon.

1 Introduction

"The table compares..."

Why this works:

A clean, direct way to state the topic and unit of measurement right away without repeating the exact verb "shows" from the question prompt.

2 Overview

"Overall, it is clear that..."

Why this works:

Signals the overview paragraph immediately. It tells the reader that you are highlighting the biggest overarching shifts before getting into individual numbers.

3 Position Shift

"overtook paper to become the largest category"

Why this works:

Captures a change in ranking dynamically. Instead of listing two separate numbers, it shows how plastic surpassed paper to take first place.

4 Noun Phrase

"saw a noticeable drop to..."

Why this works:

Pairs an adjective with a noun ("noticeable drop") followed by the destination figure, offering variety rather than repeating "decreased" or "fell".

5 Linking

"In contrast, ..."

Why this works:

A concise linking phrase that sets up an immediate contrast between the rising category (plastic) and the falling categories (paper and food).

6 Grouping

"accounted for the smallest shares"

Why this works:

Groups minor categories together efficiently so you do not waste words writing separate sentences for items with small percentages.

7 Range & Scale

"rose slightly from 10% to 12%"

Why this works:

Gives both the starting and ending points in one smooth clause, paired with the adverb "slightly" to show an accurate sense of scale.

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Check Your Math Before Writing

Common Mistake

In the data table, plastic increased from 20% in 2015 to 30% in 2025. That is a rise of 10 percentage points (an increase of one-half, or 50%).

Do not write that plastic "doubled". Doubling would mean jumping from 20% to 40%. Accurate descriptions such as "rose sharply", "increased by half", or stating the exact numbers "from 20% to 30%" keep your factual reporting reliable and truthful.

Writing: Recycling and Waste Statistics

How to use this lesson

Module 1: Vocabulary and Data Skills

Part (a): Word Forms

Part (b): Collocations for Describing Data

Part (c): Fill in Common Phrases

Part (d): Paraphrase Sentences

How to use this lesson

Module 2: Academic Writing Task

📊 Rubbish Collection Data Table

Report Standards Checklist

Your Report Workspace

Module 3: Model Answer

Complete Model Report

🔍 Why This Works: Phrase Breakdown

Check Your Math Before Writing

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