Describing a graph? MK p 115
Can you name any point / segment of the graph?
Steps to take when describing a graph:
 Determine the topics and time frame
 What do the numbers and labels represent?
A number? A percentage? A price?
 Describe the overall situation. The general trend.
 Focus on the highs and lows.
 When? In what period? For how long?
 How intensive was the change? Use adjectives
and adverbs.
→ RB, p 18
Tools to use:
 verbs and nouns
 prices rise vs. a rise in prices
different levels of intensity: to rise vs. to soar

a growth vs. a surge
 transitive & intransitive verbs: rise vs. raise
(is an object required?)
 adjectives and adverbs used to describe:
degree of change: the prices rise significantly
a significant rise in prices
speed of change: the prices rise suddenly
a sudden rise in prices
NOUNS
a rise in prices
an upsurge in prices
a decline in interest
ADJECTIVES
sharp
A dramatic fall
steep
slight
NOTE: Mind the article!
skyrocketing prices
soaring prices
leaping prices
VERBS
prices shot up
prices took off
prices rallied
figures tumbled
ADVERBS
(HOW? HOW MUCH? HOW QUICKLY)
prices grew rapidly
prices fell dramatically
figures rose slightly
INTRANSITIVE
VERBS (no object)
PRICES RISE
PRICES GROW
PRICES JUMP
PRICES RALLY
PRICES SOAR
TRANSITIVE
VERBS + a direct object
 TO RAISE PRICES
 TO BOOST SALES
 TO SPUR SPENDING
INCREASE
DECREASE
PRICES FALL
PRICES DECLINE
PRICES PLUMMET
PRICES SLUMP
PRIECES PLUNGE
→ Handout: Trends 1 & 2
 TO SLASH TAXES
 TO BRING DOWN PRICES
TENSES (IRREGULAR VERBS)
grow / grew / grown
rise / rose / risen
go / went / gone
fall / fell / fallen
 Sales fell in June last year.
 Retail sales rose in 2003.
 Our market share grew last year.
 Our profits dropped in the first half.
 Our sales have grown since last year.
 Their popularity has risen enormously.
 The output has fallen in the recession.
TENSES – IRREGULAR VERBS
grow / grew / grown
rise / rose / risen
go / went / gone
fall / fell / fallen
 Sales f...↓ in June last year.
 Retail sales r...↑ in 2003.
 Our market share g... ↑last year.
 Our profits d...... ↓ in the first half.
 Our sales ........ ↑ since last year.
 Their popularity ............. ↑ enormously.
 The output ........ ↓ because of the recession.
COPY THE TABLE AND SORT THE VERBS OUT.
FALL
RISE
CHANGE
PICK UP, TOP OUT, DIP, SURGE, PLUMMET,
PLUNGE, TAKE OFF, BOTTOM OUT, REBOUND,
SKYROCKET, SLIP, SLUMP, SOAR, CRASH, RALLY,
TUMBLE, SHRINK, ESCALATE, LEAP
MARK 1 “go up”, 2 ”go down”,
FOCUS ON VERBS
3 “go up a lot” or 4 “ go down a lot”
As part of an overall boom, spending on advertising
rocketed in the late 1990s and, in 2000, it soared by more
than 8% in America, which represents about half the world
market. But then the following year it plunged by 8%. Now
the industry is feeling positive again and advertising is
expected to escalate by nearly 5% this year. But how is the
money being spent? Thanks to the Internet, there was a
jump in website advertising of nearly 40%. But is traditional
TV advertising shrinking? America’s big TV networks used
to reach 90% of households but then this figure plummeted
to as low as 33%. Consequently, TV advertising
by some multinationals also slumped.
ADJECTIVES or ADVERBS used in
describing trends or movements
AD+VERBS
 DEGREE OF CHANGE
A D J E C T I V ES+NOUNS
 DEGREE OF CHANGE
The oil prices rose
sharply.
There was a sharp
increase in the price of
gold.
SPEED OF CHANGE
 SPEED OF CHANGE
In November the oil
prices started falling
abruptly.
The stock markets saw
an abrupt decrease
in the ratings.
TO GO UP OR DOWN A LITTLE
Verbs
adverbs
Nouns (a/an)
adjectives
to increase
to grow
to rise
to improve
to go up
dramatically
considerably
significantly
sharply
substantially
moderately
slightly
abruptly,
suddenly,
rapidly,
quickly,
steadily,
slowly e
gradually…
an increase
a growth
a rise
an improvement
an upturn
dramatic
D
considerable E
significant G
sharp
R
substantial E
moderate
E
slight
abrupt
S
sudden P
rapid
E
quick
E
steady
D
slow
gradual
to decrease
to fall
to drop
to decline
to go down
a decrease
a fall
a drop
a decline
a downturn
grow, rise, increase – not followed by “up”
fall, drop, decrease – not followed by “down”
ADJECTIVE OR ADVERB?
 There was a CONSIDERABLY / CONSIDERABLE
fall.
 It fell SLIGHT / SLIGHTLY.
 There was a SLIGHT / SLIGHTLY upturn.
 The government decreased taxes MODERATE/
MODERATELY.
 They reported a DRAMATICALLY / DRAMATIC
downturn.