APPENDICES

APPENDIX-1: USEFUL EXPRESSIONS TO DESCRIBE GRAPHS

Graphs – Introduction
Starting Presentation Type Verb Description
shows
represents
diagram
depicts
table
illustrates
figure
presents the comparison of…
illustration
gives the differences…
graph
provides the changes...
chart
The given outlines the number of…
flow chart
The supplied describes information on…
picture
The presented expresses data on…
presentation
The shown outlines the proportion of…
pie chart
The provided compares the amount of…
bar graph
The above shows contrast information on...
column graph
The below indicates data about...
line graph
The figures comparative data...
table data
gives data on the trend of...
data
gives information on the percentages of...
information
presents information about information about…
pictorial
shows data about
process diagram
demonstrates
map
outlines
summarizes

Examples
1. The provided pie chart shows data on employment statistics in technology sectors in
Canada from 1980 and until 1985.
2. The above bar graph compares the number of male and female employees in the
technology sector in 2016 versus 2017.
3. The line graph outlines the expenditures of 4 companies on research and development
over the last decade.
4. The supplied bar graph compares the number of males and females graduating in three
developing countries while the table data represents the overall literacy rate in these
countries.
5. The bar graph and the table data shows the contrast in water usage in five regions of
America.
6. The bar graph enumerates the money spent on different research projects while the
column graph demonstrates the sources of the amount spent over a decade,
commencing from 1981.
7. The line graph delineates the proportion of male and female employees in three
different sectors in Australia between 2010 and 2015.

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 Graphs – Positive Trend

2016 Sales
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2016 S ales
15 2016 TREND
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What is a trend? It is the general direction of something over a period of time. The dashed
line above shows the trend for 2016. Notice that in July it’s lower, but overall the direction is
up.

Phrases To Describe This Graph

• Sales increased during the year
• Sales climbed during 2016
• Sales climbed to 37 million during 2016
• Sales trended upwards during 2016
• Sales increased throughout 2016
• Sales rose from 10 million to over 35 million during the year
• Sales rose from 10 million in January to over 35 million by the end of the year
• There was a significant increase in sales throughout the year
• There was a steady increase in sales during 2016
• There was a sharp increase in sales between July and October of this year
• There was a dramatic increase in sales between July and October
• Sales have risen to 37 million this year
• Although there was a slight fluctuation in July, sales have increased throughout the
year
• Sales have steadily climbed from 10 million in January to over 35 million in January
• The trend in sales for 2016 has been upwards with an increase of 27 million between
January and December of this year
• Sales in December are higher than they were at the beginning of the year

Notice that adjectives and adverbs can be used to describe the increase more accurately. This
can include: dramatically, sharply, significantly, slightly, barely, noticeably, etc.

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 Graphs – Negative Trend

2016 Sales
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What is a trend? It is the general direction of something over a period of time. The dashed
line above shows the trend for 2016. Notice that in March it’s higher, but the overall trend is
down.

Phrases To Describe This Graph

• Sales decreased during the year
• Sales dropped during 2016
• Sales plummeted to 10 million during 2016
• Sales trended downwards during 2016
• Sales decreased throughout 2016
• Sales fell from over 35 million down to 10 million during the year
• Sales fell from 37 million in January to 10 million by the end of the year
• There was a significant decrease in sales throughout the year
• There was a steady decrease in sales during 2016
• There was a sharp increase in sales between July and October of this year
• There was a dramatic decrease in sales in August
• Sales have fallen to 10 million this year
• Although there was a slight fluctuation in August, sales have steadily decreased
throughout the year
• Sales have steadily fallen from 37 million in January to below 10 million in January
• The trend in sales for 2016 has been downwards with an overall decrease of 27 million
between January and December of this year
• Sales in December are lower than they were at the beginning of the year

Notice that adjectives and adverbs can be used to describe the decrease more accurately. This
can include: dramatically, sharply, significantly, slightly, barely, noticeably, etc.

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 Graphs – Flat Trend

2016 Sales
30.6

30.4

30.2
S a le s (In Millions Of $)

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2016 S ales
29.8 2016 TREND

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What
is a
trend? It is the general direction of something over a period of time. The dashed line above
shows the trend for 2016. Notice that sales have not changed very much. This is still a trend.
This trend can be positive, negative or neutral.

Phrases To Describe This Graph

Positive
o Sales were stable during the year
o Sales were steady during 2016
o Sales were consistent during the year with only minor fluctuations
o Sales were consistently above 30 million this year
o There was no noticeable decrease in sales this past year
o Sales stabilized between April and June due to...
Neutral / Factual
o There was little variance in sales during 2016
o Sales averaged 30.2 million this year with no significant increase or decrease
o Sales floated around 30 million during 2016
o The 2016 sales were predictably around 30 million each month
Negative
o Sales were consistently below 35 million this year (negative)
o There was no noticeable increase in sales this past year
o Sales during 2016 were flat with little or no increase
o Sales growth during 2016 was disappointing despite being stable
o Sales plateaued between April and June because...

Notice that adjectives and adverbs can be used to describe the level trend in a more positive or
negative way. This can include: imperceptible, flat, disappointing, stable, consistent, etc.

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 Graphs – Explaining New Trends

2016 Sales
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Se

We have talked about trends before, but how do we explain a trend that changed? The dashed
line above shows the trend for 2016. Notice that sales declined until June when they started to
increase. There are two trends here, one before June and one after June. For this reason we
need to explain what caused the trend to change.

Phrases To Describe This Graph

• The decline in sales was halted in June due to the new marketing campaign.
• The new marketing campaign in June resulted in an immediate impact in sales.
• Although sales were declining prior to June, the new marketing campaign turned
things around.
• The abrupt change in sales trends in June was primarily the result of the new
marketing campaign.
• As you can see in the graph above sales were steadily declining prior to June. This was
addressed in June by launching a new marketing campaign which resulted in an
immediate increase in sales.
• The reversal in sales trends in June was due to the new marketing campaign that was
introduced.
• Sales dramatically improved since the launch of the new marketing campaign in June.
• There was a significant improvement in sales in June as a result of the new marketing
campaign.
• Sales recovered in June because of the new marketing program that was launched.

Notice that adjectives and adverbs can be used to describe the change in trends more
accurately. This can include: steadily, immediate, abrupt, significant, dramatically, etc.

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 Graphs – Explaining The Unusual

2016 Sales
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20 2016 S ales
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Month

We have talked about trends before, but how do we explain something that doesn’t fit the
trend? The dashed line above shows the trend for 2016. Notice that sales in September and
April seem unusual or different. The trend here is stable except for two months. First we
would describe the overall trend (rising, falling or stable) and then we would describe the
unusual data.

Phrases To Describe This Graph

Unusual increase
o Sales in September spiked significantly because...
o Sales in September jumped due to...
o Sales peaked in September because...
o The increased sales in September as a result of...
Unusual decrease
o Sales in April slumped because...
o Sales in April dropped considerably due to...
o April sales fell temporarily because...
o Sales bottomed out during April as a result of...
Unusual flat trend
o Sales levelled out between May and August because...
o Sales were flat between May and August as a result of...
o Sales were consistent between May and August due to...
o Sales stabilized between May and August because...

Notice that adjectives and adverbs can be used to describe the unusual data more accurately.
This can include: imperceptibly, temporarily, considerably, unexpectedly, significantly, etc.

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Vocabulary: Percentage to fraction or Vocabulary: Showing how many times
ratios
• Exactly the same
Percentage Fraction or Ratios • Roughly the same
80% four-fifths • Practically the same
• Twice, doubled
75% three-quarters
• Thrice, Trebled /tripled
70% seven in ten • Four times, Quadrupled, fourfold
65% two-thirds • Five times, Pentadrupled,
60% three-fifths fivefold
• Hexadrupled, sixfold, six times
55% more than half • Septupled, sevenfold, seven
50% half times
45% more than two-fifths • Octupled, Eightfold, eight times
40% two-fifths • Nonupled, Ninefold, nine times
• Ten times
35% more than a third • Hundred times, Centupled,
30% less than a third hundredfold
25% a quarter
20% a fifth
15% less than a fifth
10% one in ten
5% one in twenty

Vocabulary: Percentage to qualifiers

Percentage Qualifiers
77% just over three quarters
77% approximately three quarters
49% just under a half
49% nearly a half
32% almost a third

Vocabulary: Percentages to other

phrases

Proportion/ number/
Percentage
amount/ majority/ minority
75% - 85% A very large majority
65% - 75% A significant proportion
10% - 15% A minority
5% A very small number

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APPENDIX-2: EXERCISES

Exercise 1. To discover the meaning of specific verbs describing trends, complete the
sentence with the appropriate expression from the right-hand column.

___1. To plunge means to fall a. continuously between one level and another
___2. To level off means to stop b. extremely quickly
___3. To fluctuate means to change c. suddenly and often a long way down
___4. To slide means to go d. quickly and without control
___5. To stagnate means to stay e. increasing or decreasing
___6. To rocket means to rise f. the same and not grow or develop
___7. To jump means to increase g. suddenly by a large amount
___8. To tumble means to fall h. suddenly and strongly
___9. To surge means to increase i. quickly to a high level
___10. To soar means to rise j. into a worse state due to lack of control or care

Exercise 2: Match each report to the graph.

___ a. Production fell considerably over the first three

quarters, reaching a low of 20. Since then it has staged
a partial recovery.
___ b. Production started climbing steadily but
flattened off at a level of around 70. Since then, it has
fallen steadily.
___ c. After a considerable drop in the first two
quarters, production bottomed out at 20. Since then it
has started to rise.
___ d. Production grew more and more rapidly over the
first three quarters but then reached a peak. Since then,
it has quickly dropped.
___ e. Production started the year in a stable position,
but then plunged in the third quarter. It has now
flattened out at a level of 20.
___ f. Production has experienced a strong, steady
growth over the whole year.
___ g. Production has dropped slowly but steadily over
the year.
___ h. Production started off steady, but fell sharply in
the last quarter.
___ i. There was a rapid drop in production in the first
quarter, but it bottomed out at about 20.
___ j. Production showed a marginal rise in the first
three quarters, but then suffered a sharp drop.
___ k. Production grew rapidly in the first quarter, but
reached a plateau of about 70. Since then it has
remained more or less stable.
___ l. Production has fluctuated all year.
___ m. There has been a slight increase in production
over the year.

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Exercise 3: Look at the graphs below and describe each in 150 words.

Task 1: The graph shows average annual expenditures on cell phone and residential phone services
between 2001 and 2010. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Task 2: The graph below shows a survey result of 4000 participants who expressed what important
aspects they have learned from the internship they have completed. Summarize the information by
selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150
words.

Task 3: The bar chart shows the number of hours adolescents in Chester spent on some activities.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant. Write at least 150 words.

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APPENDIX 3: ANSWER KEY
Exercise 1:
1.c 2.e 3.a 4.j 5.f 6.b 7.g 8.d 9.h 10.i

Exercise 2:

1.b 2.d 3.k 4.g 5.e 6.a 7.l 8.h 9.j 10.c 11.f 12.m 13.i

Exercise 3:

Task 1 Sample Answer:

The line graph illustrates the average cost that American customers spent on mobile and landline
phone services annually over a 10-year period.

Overall, spending on residential phone services dramatically declined, while popularity of mobile
services increased sharply throughout a decade. Also, both of services met at the same record in 2006.

In 2001, spending on mobile phone services began by merely $200, while the amount of annual
expenditure on the residential phone services was around $700. Over the following five years,
expenditure on landline phone services gradually dropped below $600, whereas expenditure on cell
phone services rose to just over $500.

In 2006 cell phones overtook landline phones, and the services became equal in popularity with
customers' annual expenditure of about $550. Then, cell phone expenses rose to approximately $750 in
2010, making nearly a fourfold jump relatively to its initial figure in 2001. Meanwhile, spending on
residential phone services experienced a steep fall in 2007 and went on to steadily decrease for the rest
of the period.

(168 words)

Task 2 Sample Answer:

The pie chart gives data on the most important aspects that candidates have learned from their
internship, according to a survey which considered 4000 candidates opinion. Generally speaking,
practical knowledge, skill development, understanding industry, work environment and planning for
the future career are the most important perspectives those candidates have learned.

Getting back to details, 15% candidates expressed their opinion that the most significant lesson they
have learned from their internship experience was practical knowledge while 7% thought real work
experience was the most necessary lesson for them. The second highest ratio of these candidates
opined that they have developed their communication skills and this was the best knowledge they have
gained from the internship. One out of ten thought that understanding industry was the most beneficial
thing they learned. Moreover, time management, work operation and planning for future career each
was picked by 7% internship students as their most valuable knowledge from their internship activity.
Comparative a small ratio of those candidates picked teamwork and work environment, 3% and 4%
respectively, to be their greatest lesson. Just over one fourth of those four thousand survey participants
expressed other aspects that they learned to be most important.

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Task 3 Sample Answer:

The bar chart illustrates how many hours adolescents in Chester spent on seven activities each week
between 2002 and 2007.
Overall, the most popular activity over the period given was watching TV, whereas bowling was the
least favourite. Going to pubs and discos, watching TV and shopping all showed an increase in the
number of hours teenagers spent on these activities. The other pursuits showed a decrease in hours,
except watching
DVD's which fluctuated.
Teenagers spent 25 hours on watching television in 2002 which increased to almost 40 hours in the
final year. Both going to pubs and discos, and shopping more than doubled in hours from over 5 to
over 15 and from over 5 to exactly 15 respectively.
While teenagers occupied 10 hours doing homework in 2002, this figure dropped to just over 5 in
2007. Playing sport fell more dramatically from 10 hours to around 3 hours. Bowling was under 5
hours throughout the entire period declining by about 4 hours in total. The number of hours teenagers
dedicated to watching DVD's was only 10 hours in first and final years, but reached a peak of over 15
hours in 2004 and 2005.
Word count = 194

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APPENDIX 4: EXTRA USEFUL LINKS
GRAPHS AND CHARTS
https://fliphtml5.com/cvidb/ibpq/basic
DESCRIBING LINE GRAPHS- QUIZ
https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/56dea3b851260ad77ba6c152/describing-line-graphs
IELTS WRITING- DESCRIBING A GRAPH- QUIZ
https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/5ecd5eef4f5d5c001bb2e09a/ielts-writing-part-1-describing-
graphs
BRITISH COUNCIL- DESCRIBING CHARTS
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/writing/b1-writing/describing-charts
DESCRIBING GRAPHS & CHARTS IN ENGLISH-FREE BUSINESS ENGLISH COURSE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAU_qh-WBuQ
IELTS WRITING TASK 1: HOW TO DESCRIBE BAR GRAPHS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC8vN3GVQhI
BUSINESS ENGLISH: HOW TO DESCRIBE GRAPHS AND TRENDS IN ENGLISH
https://en.islcollective.com/english-esl-video-lessons/how-to-describe-graphs-and-trends-in-
english/331052

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REFERENCES

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjHu
cuSpoT9AhU6SPEDHT5YA8MQFnoECA4QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.onestopengl
ish.com%2Fdownload%3Fac%3D2754&usg=AOvVaw35A7bmxZPTCG2ky9qqE_YM
https://en.islcollective.com/english-esl-worksheets/general-topic/technical-english/describing-
graphs-flat-trends-no-trend/105138
https://en.islcollective.com/english-esl-worksheets/general-topic/technical-english/describing-
graphs-positive-trends/105121
https://en.islcollective.com/english-esl-worksheets/describing-graphs-introduction/104862
https://en.islcollective.com/english-esl-worksheets/describing-graphs-a-change-in-the-
trend/105391
https://en.islcollective.com/english-esl-worksheets/describing-graphs-unusual-events/105390
https://www.kanan.co/ielts/writing/task-1/pie-chart/vocabulary/

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi-o-
Den7r9AhUvSfEDHRgvBmgQFnoECAwQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.profitiraj.hr%2
Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FDescribing-graphs.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3feF-1gPjRtPpnt0NyQQ-
f

https://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-academic-writing-task-1.html

https://ieltsliz.com/full-model-answer-to-bar-chart-lesson/

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