Are you looking for a band score of 7 or over? If so, then you need to think about using some more advanced vocabulary. You will find here some suggestions for useful language to describe trends in charts and graphs in academic part 1. In each case, I list some words and phrases and give you some notes on how to use them. Also check out the groovy interactive exercises to test your skills.
Test yourself first
Verbs
These verbs are alternatives to the basic rise and fall vocabulary. One benefit of using them is that sometimes they help you avoid repeating too many numbers. If you have a strong verb, you don’t always have to give the exact figure.
Up verbs
Notes:
- “Soar “and “rocket” are both very strong words that describe large rises. “Rocket” is more sudden. You probably do not need to qualify these verbs with adverbs.
- “Leap” shows a large and sudden rise. Again, you probably do not need to qualify it with an adverb.
- “Climb” is a relatively neutral verb that can be used with the adverbs below.
Down verbs
Notes:
- “Plummet” is the strongest word here. It means to fall very quickly and a long way.
- “Drop” and “drop” are normally used for fairly small decreases
- “Slip back” is used for falls that come after rises
- “Drop” and “Dip” are also frequently used as nouns: eg “a slight dip” “a sudden drop”
Adjectives and adverbs
This is a selection of some of the most common adjectives and adverbs used for trend language. Please be careful. This is an area where it is possible to make low-level mistakes. Make sure that you use adjectives with nouns and adverbs with verbs:
- a significant rise – correct (adjective/noun)
- rose significantly – correct (adverb/verb)
- a significantly rise – wrong wrong wrong
Please also note the spelling of the adverbs. There is a particular problem with the word “dramatically:
- dramatically – correct
- dramaticly – wrong
- dramaticaly – wrong
Adjectives of degree
notes
- “sudden” and “sharp” can be used of relatively minor changes that happen quickly
- “spectacular” and “dramatic” are very strong words only to used to big, big, big changes
Steady adjectives
Small adjectives
notes
- “marginal” is a particularly useful word for describing very small changes
Other useful adjectives
These adjectives can be used to describes more general trends
notes
- “overall” can be used to describe changes in trend over the whole period: very useful in introductions and conclusions
- “upward” and “downward” are adjectives: the adverbs are “upwards” and “downwards”
“it rocketed to a high of 75%” means that it reached to more than 75%?
thanks for your unique website
No, not really. It just means it rose very quickly like a rocket. Its the speed of change that matters – the final number is still 75%.
thanks for your help and care!
you’re the best!!
Would it be correct to say ” the sales hit a trough” instead of saying sales plummeted or sank? guess I’ve read it somewhere, not sure whether it can be used in formal writing or not.
The trough is the low point on a line diagram. It is though quite an unusual word – much less common then peak for example. “Hit a trough” is a possible phrase but is more journalistic than academic. A more neutral alternative would be “low” or “low point”.
Wow, great lesson, that is what i am looking for. Thanks much.
You are amazing! So helpful.
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much . I understand their meanings more than before.
dear , which tense i have to use in writing task 1
It depends on the task and the question. Read the chart/graph carefully. If it is about the past, use past tenses etc, if there is no time frame at all then you use present tenses.