Helpful words and phrases to describe graphs:
VERBS
UP
DOWN
NO CHANGE
AT THE BOTTOM
AT THE TOP
bounce back
climb
go up
take off
shoot up
soar
jump
increase
rally
recover
rise
grow
rocket
improve
collapse
come down
crash
go down
come down
fall
fall off
drop
slump
decline
decrease
plummet
plunge
slide
slip
shrink
flatten out
fluctuate
level off
hold
remain
stable
stay at the same
level
remain constant
stagnate
steady
stabilize
reach a low point
bottom out
recover
reach
a peak
peak
top out
NOUNS
UP
DOWN
an increase
a rise
a growth
an improvement
an upturn
a surge
an upsurge
an upward trend
a fall
a decrease
a decline
a drop
a downturn
a downturn trend
DEGREES OF CHANGE
Adjectives
Adverbs
dramatic,
dramatically,
considerable, considerably,
sharp,
sharply,
significant, significantly,
substantial, substantially,
moderate,
moderately,
slight,
slightly
SPEED OF CHANGE
abrupt
sudden
rapid
quick
steady
gradual
slow
Many relationships are, not linear. Each unit change in the x variable will not always bring about
the same change in the y variable. The graph of this relationship will be a curve instead of a
straight line.
This graph below shows a linear
relationship between x and y.
This graph below shows a
nonlinear relationship between x
and y.
directly proportional
A relationship where a number increases or decreases together with
another number at the same ratio. Directly proportional is the opposite of inversely proportional.
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0
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inversely proportional
A relationship where a number either increases as another decreases or
decreases as another increases. Inversely proportional is the opposite of directly proportional.
110
100
90
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50
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40
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