WRITING SKILLS AND GRAMMAR
2. INFORMATION TRANSFER
(Converting verbal information into non-verbal form)
Information presented through words is often converted into tables, diagrams, graphs, charts, etc. to present data visually. It saves the labour of reading. Let us examine a few examples to understand the information transfer.
Example :
Milk is a wholesome food. It contains all important nutrients for the growth and development of a living body. It consists of nutrients like carbohydrate, fat, protein, vitamin & minerals and water. In 100 ml. of milk, the percentage of water is the highest, i.e. 87.2%. The percentage of Vitamins and minerals is the lowest, i.e. 0.7%. The percentage of fat and proteins is 3.8 % and 3.5% respectively. Carbohydrate, which supplies instant energy, constitutes only 4.8%.
Let's convert the data in the paragraph into a table.
Contents in 100 ml. of milk
Exercise : Covert the following information into a table:
The average weight of children at school is lowest in Nagaland at 32 kilograms, while in Maharastra, the average weight of 36 kilograms is the highest. In Punjab and Odisha, the average weight of school children is 35 kilograms and 33 kilograms respectively. In West Bengal the average weight is 34.
Ans. : Average Weight of Children at School in Indian States SI. No. Name of the Nutrient Amount in %
1 carbohydrate 4.8 %
2 fat 3.8%
3 protein 3.5%
4 vitamins & minerals 0.7%
5 water 87.2 %
SI. No. Name of the State Weight in KG
1 Maharastra 36
2 Nagaland 32
3 Odisha 33
4 Punjab 35
5 West Bengal 34
PIE CHARTS
Pie charts are useful to compare different parts of a whole amount. A pie chart is a circular chart in which the circle is divided into sectors. Each sector visually represents an item in a data set to match the amount of the item as a percentage or fraction of the total data set. Let's see how data presented in a paragraph is converted into a pie chart.
Example : Draw a pie-chart on the following information:
A family spends 45% of its monthly income on food, 18% on fuel, and 15% on the1 education of children, 12% on savings and 10 % on entertainment. The family spends the maximum on food and the minimum on entertainment. The expenditure on fuel is more than that of the education of children. As a result, they are unable to save enough money for future.
Pie chart on Monthly Expenditure of a Family
Exercise : Draw a pie chart on the data given below:
A survey on the people engaged in various sectors of India reveal that the majority of people (40%) were daily labourers in 2012-13. The number of people engaged in industry (15%) was slightly higher than those engaged in agriculture (20%). The number of people depending on jobs both in the public and private service sector is limited to 25% of the population. The rest do nothing and depend on others for their living.
Ans.: People working in various Sectors in India
Diagrams
A diagram is representation of information in a geometric figure. Read the following paragraph on the Rise in Consumer Price Index in 2012:
RISE IN CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
The Consumer Price index (CPI) of the first six months of 2012 shows a rising trend. It rises to 1.2% in April and reaches 5% in September. There is a steady rise and it has never been on the decline in any month. The CPI was 1.20% in April, 2.00% in May, 2.60% in June, 3.20% in July, 4.10% in August and 5.00% in September. It indicates that the consumers might have been in distress due to rise in prices of commodities and services.
Note how the data in the diagram is presented in the following Bar Diagram which represents rise in Consumer Price index in the first six months of 2011:
Exercise : Represent the following information in a bar diagram:
India exported the highest amount of cement, i.e.9000 tonnes in the year 2009 but it was the lowest in 2006. The amount of cement exported in 2006 was 3000 tonnes. In 2007, it was 5000 tonnes and in 2008 the export increased to 6000 tonnes. It is evident that the export of cement by India is on the increase every year.
Ans.: Export of Cement in India
Line Graph
The title of the line graph tells us what the graph is about. The horizontal label across the bottom shows numerical data and the vertical label along the side shows the time span etc. The points or dots on the graph show us the facts. The lines connecting the point give estimates of the values between the points.
Study the following paragraph that shows the increase in weight of a young man named Ansuman during the first six months of 2012:
Ansuman's Weight in kilograms for 5 Months
Ansuman's weight was 49 kg. in January, 54 kg. in February, 61kg. in March, 69 kg in April, 73 kg. in May and 75 kg. in June 2012. It shows a rising graph. There has been an increase of 2 kilograms only in the last two months. This seems very unusual. The increase in weight does no seem to be under control and might be causing a lot of worries to Ansuman.
Let's represent the information in the paragraph in a line graph.
Exercise: Represent the information in the following paragraph in a line graph:
It is heartening that the number of road accidents has been decreasing in the twin city of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack in recent months due to lockdown for COVID-19 that started in March, 2020. A survey of the number of road accidents reveals that in January 60 , in February 70, in March 40, in April 10, in May 5 cases of accidents occurred. The number of casualties has substantially declined.
Road Accidents in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack January to May , 2020