Plan
- Description of what the graph illustrates.
- An overview.
Brief summary of what happens on the graph.
- Details, less noticeable features.
Where did the graph rise/decline sharply and where slowly? What is the difference between initial and final figures?
- Summary, comparison.
Verbs of movement
Going up ↑
To rise, to go up, to increase, to grow, to climb
Dramatically: to shoot up, to surge, to rocket, to soar
Highest point: to reach a peak, to peak, to reach the highest level
Going Down↓
To decrease, to fall, to decline, to go down
Dramatically: to drop, to plunge, to plummet, to slump
Lowest point: to fall to a low, to sink to a trough, to reach a bottom, to hit a low
No Change ─
to remain constant/steady/unchanged/stable, to stabilize, to level off
Up and Down ↑↓
To fluctuate, to undulate, to be erratic
to dip
Adverbs
A little: gently/slightly
steadily/gradually
suddenly
A lot: sharply/dramatically/steeply
Nouns of movement
Going up ↑
A rise, an increase, a growth, a climb
Dramatic: a surge
Highest point: a peak, the highest level, a high
Going Down↓
a decrease, a fall, a decline
Dramatic: a drop, a plunge
No Change ─
stabilization
Up and Down ↑↓
Fluctuation, undulation
a dip
Note! We cannot make nouns from some verbs, such as to rocket, to plummet, to level off etc.
Examples
The average income level rose from $800 to $1000/ There was a rise in the average income of $200.
Sales fell to 25 million dollars in 1998/ there was a fall in sales of 25 million dollars in 1998.
Sales fell by 2%/ there was a slight fall in sales of 2%.
It peaked at 40%/ it reached a peak of 40%.
It fluctuated between 10 and 13 percent, there was a fluctuation of 3%.
Introduction
The graph shows /indicates/depicts/illustrates/outlines/compares…
From the graph it is clear…
It can be seen from the graph…
As can be seen from the graph,…
As is shown / illustrated by the graph,…
E.g. The graph shows the percentage of school graduates entering universities in England over 10 years.
Comparison of graphs
The first one illustrates…, whereas/while the second one shows…
The number of … correlates with…
Useful verbs: to surpass, to exceed
Note!
You can use a combination of adjective + noun, or verb + adverb, to avoid repeating the same phrase.
Example: There was a sharp decrease in the numbers. The numbers decreased sharply.