HOW TO DESCRIBE A
CHART,GRAPH OR TABLE
Intermediate2/Higher ESOL
Study Related Contexts
OUTLINE PLAN
• INTRODUCTION:
• Topic sentence describing what the data (displayed as a
table, graph or chart) is about.
• GENERAL STATEMENT(S) ABOUT THE DATA:
• What overall trends can you see?
• DETAILED STATEMENTS ABOUT THE DATA :
• Focus on the details that are relevant for your essay.
• CONCLUSION:
• one sentence which sums up what this data tells us or
why it is important to you argument.
IDENTIFYING WHAT THE GRAPH IS
ABOUT
KEY WORDS:
London Underground
Number of passengers/people
Travelling/using the underground during the day
PUTTING TOGETHER YOUR
TOPIC SENTENCE
• HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES:
The graph shows the fluctuation in the number of people at
a London Underground station over the course of a day.
This graph shows the number of passengers travelling on
the London Underground during the day.
• The graph illustrates passenger numbers using the
London Underground during the course of the day
HOW TO DESCRIBE TRENDS
•
•
•
•
•
•
GO UP
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
increase
fall
climb
grow rise
GO DOWN
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
decrease
drop
dip
decline
MAKING A GENERAL
STATEMENT ABOUT THE DATA
• The graph shows/illustrates how passenger numbers
grow/increase/climb/rise during rush hour.
• The graph shows/illustrates how passenger numbers
fall/decrease/drop/decline/dip when rush hour has
ended.
DESCRIBING TRENDS
• GOING INTO DETAIL—You need to describe in detail
particular aspects of the data that prove the point that
you are trying to make in the essay.
• To do this you can use a verb and an adverb e.g Sales
rose sharply.
• Or an adjective and a noun. This is normally used with
There is/are ……
• There was/were…..
• There has been / have been…..
• e.g There was a sharp rise in sales.
• (Using an adjective and a noun is slightly more formal.)
DESCRIBING UP TRENDS USING NOUNS
AND ADJECTIVES
A
ADJECTIVE
ADJECTIVE
(amount of change )
(speed of change)
dramatic
sharp
substantial
considerable
significant
slight
consistent
rapid
quick
swift
slow
steady
immediate
NOUN
rise
increase
recovery
growth
The graph/chart shows a.. (adjective + noun)…in passenger numbers during……..
There is/was a.. (adjective+noun)…in passenger numbers during………..
DESCRIBING UP TRENDS USING
VERBS
VERBS
rise
increase
recover
go up
grow
ADVERBS
ADVERBS
(amount of change )
(speed of change)
dramatically
sharply
substantially
considerably
significantly
slightly
consistently
rapidly
quickly
swiftly
slowly
steadily
immediately
WHICH TENSE SHOULD I USE?
SIMPLE
PRESENT
rise/rises
Increase/increases
recover/recovers
go up/goes up
grow/grows
SIMPLE
PAST
rose
increased
recovered
went up
grew
PRESENT
PERFECT
has/have risen
has/have
increased
has/have
recovered
has/have gone up
has/have grown
DESCRIBING UP TRENDS
Passenger numbers rose considerably between 6am and 8 am with a rise of
travellers from 100 to 400.
The number of underground travellers increases significantly between the hours
of 6 and 8 am peaking at 400 passengers.
Remember to be consistent with your use of tenses!
DESCRIBING DOWN TRENDS USING
NOUNS AND ADJECTIVES
A
ADJECTIVE
ADJECTIVE
(amount of change )
(speed of change)
dramatic
sharp
substantial
considerable
significant
slight
consistent
rapid
quick
swift
slow
steady
immediate
NOUN
fall
decrease
decline
dropping off
The graph/chart shows a.. (adjective + noun)…in passenger numbers during……..
There is/was a.. (adjective+noun)…in passenger numbers during………..
DESCRIBING DOWN TRENDS
USING VERBS
VERBS
fall
decrease
decline
go down
drop off
ADVERBS
ADVERBS
(amount of change )
(speed of change)
dramatically
sharply
substantially
considerably
significantly
slightly
consistently
rapidly
quickly
swiftly
slowly
steadily
immediately
WHICH TENSE SHOULD I USE?
SIMPLE
PRESENT
fall/falls
decrease/decreases
decline/declines
go down/goes down
level off/levels off
drop off/drops off
SIMPLE PAST
fell
decreased
declined
went down
levelled off
dropped off
PRESENT
PERFECT
has/have fallen
has/have decreased
has/have declined
has/have gone
down
has/have levelled off
has/have dropped
off
DESCRIBING DOWN TRENDS
The number of passengers decreased consistently after 8 am from 400
passengers down to 200 by 10 am.
Passenger numbers drop off steadily after 8 am to reach 200 by 10 am.
Remember to be consistent with your use of tenses!
HOW TO DESCRIBE TRENDS
•remain steady
•fluctuate
•increase slightly
•decrease dramatically
•decrease slightly
•increase rapidly
•rise dramatically
•plunge
•drop suddenly
•stay the same
•go up a little
•go down slightly
MORE VERBS AND NOUNS
VERBS
NOUNS
NO CHANGE
flatten out
stabilise
level off
hold steady
remain stable
not change
continue to be stable
UP AND DOWN
fluctuate
TO ITS MAXIMUM POINT
peak
NO CHANGE
a flattening out
a stabilisation
a levelling off
UP AND DOWN
a fluctuation
TO ITS MAXIMUM POINT
a peak
WHICH TENSE SHOULD I USE
SIMPLE
PRESENT
SIMPLE PAST
flatten out/flattens out
stabilise/stabilises
level off/levels off
hold steady/holds
steady
remain stable/remains
stable
do/does not change
continue/continues to
be stable
flattened out
stabilised
levelled off
held steady
remained stable
did not change
continued to be stable
fluctuate/fluctuates
have/has flattened out
have/has stabilised
have/has levelled off
have/has held steady
have/has remained
stable
have/has not changed
have/has continued to
be stable
have/has fluctuated
fluctuated
have/has peaked
peaked
peak/peaks
PRESENT
PERFECT
DESCRIBING OTHER TRENDS
Passenger numbers peak at 8 am reaching 400 and again later in the
afternoon at 6pm.
The number of travellers using the underground peaked during the morning
and evening rush hour at 8 am and 6 pm when they reached 400.
Remember to be consistent with your use of tenses!
DESCRIBING OTHER TRENDS
Passenger numbers flatten out between the hours of 12 and 2 pm where they
remain at 300.
Passenger numbers stabilised from 12pm to 2 pm where they remained at
300.
Remember to be consistent with your use of tenses!
DESCRIBING OTHER TRENDS
Passenger numbers fluctuate considerably throughout the day recording the
biggest fluctuations between rush hour.
Passenger numbers fluctuated significantly during the day peaking at 400 and
dropping off to 100.
Remember to be consistent with your use of tenses!
AND FINALLY……………….
SUMMING UP/CONCLUDING
· In summary we can see that...
· To sum up...
· In conclusion it can be seen that….
· It can be concluded from the data/information
that…
· Overall the data shows/indicates/suggests…
· Summarising the findings it can be seen that..
· Overall it appears that..
YOUR CONCLUSION
In summary we can see that the busiest times on the London Underground
are at 8 am and at 6 pm. The quietest times are 6 am, 4 pm and after 8 pm.
Passenger numbers remain quite steady during the day.
Remember to be consistent with your use of tenses!