Describing trends IELTS 8.0 Writting

Unit 1: Describing Trends
Trends are changes or movements in facts and figures over
a period of time
- an upward trend (increase)
- a downward trend (decrease)
- no movement (remain constant)
Visual aids:
- line graph
- bar chart


Unit 1: Describing Trends
Language for describing trends:
Using Nouns and Verbs for expressing movements:
e.g. Sales fell by $2m to $7m.
or we can use a related noun
e.g. There was a fall in sales.


Unit 1: Describing Trends
Examples taken from students’ assignments:
of £3 million in May before sales
- There was a sharp rise by
went down slightly to £15 million in June.


Unit 1: Describing Trends
Another example taken from students’ assignments:
- After a slight fall in 2002, inflation improved during the next year.

Sales slightly plummeted by $1,234 in May.


Some language which will be useful to
describe movement
• There are a number of words which are similar
in meaning. This means that you will be able
to use a variety of vocabulary which gives a
good impression to the reader.
• The words below are particularly useful for
line graphs but they can also be used where
appropriate to describe the other types of
graph.


Graph descriptions - introduction:
The graph covers the period of
shows
illustrates
gives the data on/about
presents
According to
It can be seen from
As can be seen from/in
As shown in

the

chart / graph
statistics

table
figures


Graph descriptions
Prepositions

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Verb + preposition
Income tax has gone up from 30% to 40%. (the total increase is 10%)
Income tax has gone up by 30% to 40%. (the total increase is 30%)
Inflation has risen to 5%. (inflation is now 5%)
Inflation has risen by 5%. (if it was 10% before, now it is 15%)
Inflation has increased to 5%. (movement)
Inflation now stands at 5%. (no movement)
Noun + preposition
The increase in salaries is around 5%. (in + noun)
There was an increase of 5%. (of + number)
The exchange rate reached a peak of
at USD 3.76 in April. (noun + of + number)

Verbs / Nouns
fluctuate / a fluctuation (around $30 / between $20 and $40)


Decrease Decrease

--reach /
hit /

go through
a trough
(of$2m)
trough (at
$200) (v)

reach a
low
point(of
$2m)
to bottom
out (v)

to reach/
to hit
(rock)
bottom

Decrease

--

-

(+by/to)

(+by/to)

plummet
(v) – a

plummet

decrease
(v) -a decrease

plunge (v)
– a plunge
(n)
slump (v)
– a slump
(n)
collapse
(v) – a
collapse
(n)

decline (v)
– a decline

Remain constant
(+at)
stand /
stay $2m)
(to focus on a
particular point)

Increase
+
(+by/to)
increase (v) –

an increase
rise (v)
– a rise

level off / level out
go down(v)
flatten out/
go up (v)
stop rising/
– an upturn
fall (off) (v)
stop falling
– a fall
(to indicate a change climb (v)
of direction)
drop (off) (v)
grow (v)
– a drop
remain steady/
- growth(n)
remain constant /
reduce (v)– a
remain unchanged / recover (v) -a
reduction
remain stable/
recovery
Stabilize/
dip (v)
stay at the same
improve(v)

– a dip
level
– an
maintain /stay at
improvement
shrink (v)
the same level
– shrinkage (n) (We use these
phrases to indicate
no movement)

Increase

Increase

+ +

+++

(+by/to)
soar (v)

peak at
$10m

jump (v)
a jump(n)
rocket (v)

boom (v)

– a boom
(n)
shoot up
(v)

to hit /
to reach
a peak
(of
$10m)


Graph descriptions
Generalizing numbers
a little more or
a little less than the a little more than
less than the
stated number or
the stated number
stated number or amount
or amount
amount
about
approximately
around
roughly

just under
well under
(just) less than

(slightly) less than
almost
nearly

just over
well over
(just ) more than
(slightly) more than


Expressing the Movement of a Line
ADJECTIVES

ADVERBS

Dramatic
Sharp
Huge
Enormous
Steep
Substantial
Considerable
Significant
Marked
Moderate
Slight
Small

dramatically
sharply

hugely
enormously
steeply
substantially
considerably
significantly
markedly
moderately
slightly

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Describing the Speed of a Change
Adjectives

Adverbs

Rapid

rapidly

Quick

quickly

Swift

swiftly

Sudden

suddenly

Steady

steadily

Gradual

gradually

Slow

slowly

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Graph descriptions


Graph descriptions
Students can find more vocabulary for describing trends.
They may need to
- consult a good Business English Dictionary such as
• Longman Business Dictionary
• Cambridge Dictionaries Online (at
)


Practice

Practice
QUESTIONS
1. What is the line graph about?
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2. What is the busiest time of day at the store?
_____________________________________________________________________
3. At what time does business start to slow down?
_____________________________________________________________________

4. How many people are in the store when it opens?
_____________________________________________________________________
5. About how many people are in the store at 2:30 pm?
_____________________________________________________________________
6. What was the greatest number of people in the store?
____________________________________________________________________
7. What was the least number of people in the store?
_____________________________________________________________________


Practice
Describe the movement of the line in the graph using the
language above
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Practice


Practice
Describe the movement of the line in the graph using the
language above
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Some extracts taken from articles on the websites

MUMBAI--JaguarLand Rover Thursday said its global sales for
November rose 14% from a year earlier to 29,893 vehicles,
with demand for its luxury cars rising in most regions.
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Apple shares slipped 1.5 percent to $531.17 at 12:24 p.m. in
New York, while Google rose less than 1 percent to $702.92.
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