DESCRIBING TRENDS OR
MOVEMENTS IN
GRAPHS/CHARTS
How to describe graphs and charts:
Such language is widely used in
business …
 THERE WAS A dramatic rise IN retail sales
in the year before.
 Britain’s economy grew AT its slowest
annual rate for 12 years in the second
quarter.
 A recent survey has reported the fastestever year-on-year sales decline.
 Germany’s August sales fell for the third
month in a row. (for the third consecutive
month)
Such language is widely used in
business …
 A plunge IN sales was recorded in
America.
 Consumer confidence is declining
sharply.
 Wal-Mart’s sales increased BY 0.2% TO
$76.8 bn in the second quarter.
 Tesco’s sales were up 14% TO
₤18.8bn. (sales are up ≠ sales are down)
 rising fuel costs / increasing debt
(falling...)
(decreasing...)
TRENDS AND MOVEMENTS
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upward trend
stability (no change)
change of direction
downward trend
(e.g. increase)
(e.g. be stable)
(e.g. recover)
(e.g. fall)
Language:
nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions,
time adverbials, sentence structure
Which NOUNS have verbs in the
same form?
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increase
rise
growth
decrease
fall
decline
fluctuation
recovery
drop
NOUN
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increase
rise
growth
decrease
fall
decline
drop
fluctuation
recovery
VERB
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increase
rise, rose, risen
grow, grew, grown
decrease
fall, fell, fallen
decline
drop, dropped, dropped
fluctuate
recover
PREPOSITIONS
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Our revenue rose ... $1m ... $2m
It increased (...) 100%.
This was an increase ... 100%
This was a 100% rise ... our revenue.
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Our sales fell ... $120,000 ... $60,000m
They decreased (...) 50%
This was a decrease ... 50%.
This was a 50% fall ... our sales.
 Housing prices are ... last year’s level.
PREPOSITIONS
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Our revenue rose FROM $1m TO $2m
It increased (BY) 100%.
This was an increase OF 100%
This was a 100% rise IN our revenue.
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Our sales fell FROM $120,000 TO $60,000m
They decreased (BY) 50%
This was a decrease OF 50%.
This was a 50% fall IN our sales.
 Housing prices are AT last year’s level.
Translate the following:
 povećanje cijene
od 15%
 An increase in the
price of 15%
(A 15% increase
in the price)
 povećati cijenu za
15%
 povisiti cijenu na
23,000
 povisiti cijenu za
23,000
 Cijena je na $2.3.
 To increase the
price by 15%
 To increase the
price to 23,000
 To increase the
price by 23,000
 The price is at
$2.3.
PODRAVKA MAKES HRK21m PROFIT
Podravka, the Koprivnica-based food producer, made
a net profit 1........ HRK21m. The company’s total
income increased 2......... 7.1 per cent reaching
HRK2.4bn. This year, its first quarter income went
up 3......... HRK631m, a rise 4......... 11 per cent.
Last year, Podravka’s sales grew 5......... 7.56 per
cent 6......... HRK2.3bn. They were 7......... HRK
596.5m in the first quarter of this year, an
increase 8......... 12 per cent. (HINA, 98)
PODRAVKA MAKES HRK21m
PROFIT
Podravka, the Koprivnica-based food producer,
made a net profit (1)of HRK21m last year. The
company’s total income increased (2)by7.1 per
cent reaching HRK2.4bn in 1997. This year, its
first quarter income went up (3)to HRK631m, a
rise (4) of 11 per cent. Last year, Podravka’s
sales grew (5) by 7.56 per cent (6) to
HRK2.3bn. They were (7) at HRK 596.5m in
the first quarter of this year, an increase 8of
12 per cent.
(HINA, 1998)
VERBS
drop
rise
increase
grow
fall
decrease
VERBS (regular & irregular)
decrease, decreased, decreased
increase, increased, increased
drop, dropped, dropped
rise, rose, risen
grow, grew, grown
fall, fell, fallen
VERBS
Attention! Rise vs. Raise vs. Arise
Rise, rose, risen -
irreg.v. (intr.: rise + Ø)
The price has already risen. Prices rose
yesterday.Prices are rising.
Raise, raised, raised -
reg.v. (trans.:raise+object)
They raised the prices. He has raised his
voice. Raise your hand!
Arise, arose, arisen
(irreg.v.)
Many problems have arisen. A crisis is arising.
Attention!
Rise vs. Raise vs. Arise
1.A crisis is ............
2.The price has already ........ .
3. .......... your hand!
4. Prices are ............ .
5.They ........... the prices all the time.
6.They managed to ....... much capital.
7.Prices .......... yesterday.
8.Many problems have ........ .
Use rise/grow/fall/drop and the necesary
prepositions (careful with tenses!):
 We have just heard that our sales
1…… dramatically.
 Have they ever 2… so much? Yes,
they 3…. to €2.5 m in 2007, due to a
drop 4…. 25% in our January retail
services, but already in April they
5…. 6…. 50% so we did not have any
problems as they 7… 8… as much as
€5m.
Verbs describing trends
(Study the next slide and fill in the chart)
RISE
FALL
NO CHANGE
↗
↘
→
CHANGE OF
DIRECTION
∩U
OTHER
Verbs to use:
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Level off
Rise
Remain constant
Hold steady
Drop
Reach a high
Climb back
Plunge
Decline
Fluctuate
Reach a low
Recover
Reach a peak/Peak
Go up
Increase
Plummet
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Slump
Boom
Escalate
Stabilize
Collapse
Slip back
Soar
Rocket
Crash
Grow
Fall
Bottom out
Pick up
Go down
Decrease
Decline
ADVERBS & ADJECTIVES
Intensity and speed
ADVERBS
↓
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& ADJECTIVES
↓
to rise suddenly / a sudden rise in
to drop sharply / a sharp drop in
fall slightly / a slight fall in
to decrease moderately/ a moderate decrease
to decline gradually / a gradual decline
to increase slightly / a slight increase
to recover steadily / a steady recovery in
Intensity and speed
Sales rose suddenly in 2013. VERB + ADVERB
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to rise suddenly / a sudden rise in
?
/ a sharp drop in
?
/ a considerable fall
?
/ a moderate decrease
?
/ a gradual decline
?
/ a slight increase
?
/ a steady recovery
?
/ a mild growth
Intensity and speed
(ADJ vs. ADV.)
ADJ.+ NOUN
There was a sudden rise in sales in 2013.
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to rise suddenly / a sudden rise (in sales)
to drop sharply /
?
to fall considerably/
?
to decrease moderately/
?
to decline gradually /
?
to increase slightly /
?
to recover steadily /
?
To grow mildly/
?
Fill in the missing words:
 Our profits (iznenada) fell last year.
 A (blagi) rise in our sales was
observed in February.
 A (nagli) fall in sales took place last
month.
 Sales have been rising (stabilno)
since December.
 A (stalni) growth in our profits has
attracted investors.
Key:
 Our profits suddenly fell last year.
 A mild rise in our sales was observed
in February.
 A sharp fall in sales took place last
month.
 Sales have been rising steadily since
December.
 A steady growth in our profits has
attracted investors.
SENTENCE STRUCTURE
a) Our sales fell rapidly in 2008.
b) There was a rapid fall in our sales in
2008.
c) A rapid fall in our sales was recorded in
2008.
1.a rapid fall (2008)
2. a steady growth (2013)
e.g. a steady growth (2013)
a) Our sales grew steadily in 2013.
b) There was a steady growth in our
sales in 2013.
c) A steady growth in our sales was
recorded in 2013.
SENTENCE STRUCTURE
a) Our sales fell rapidly in 2008.
b) There was a rapid fall in our sales in
2008.
c) A rapid fall in our sales was recorded in
2008.
1.a rapid fall (2008)
2. a steady growth (2013)
3.an abrupt rise (2004)
4.a gradual decline (2009)
5.a moderate growth (2007)6.a slight increase (2007)
7.a mild drop (2008)
8. a considerable decline (2010)
Sentence structure
Rephrase the following sentences:
Retail sales fell in the second quarter. (v.→ n.)
There was a fall in the second quarter retail sales.
A fall was recorded/observed in the second quarter retail sales
e.g.

Britain’s economy grew slowly in the second quarter.
There was a slow growth in Britain’s economy in the
second quarter.
A slow growth was recorded in Britain’s economy in the
second quarter.

Shoe imports from China to the EU rose by 300% in the
nine months ending in October 2005 compared with the
same period 2004.
There was a rise of 300% in shoe imports from China...
A rise of 300% was observed in shoe imports from
China...

Cadburry Schweppes reported a 46% rise in net profit in
2005 (n.→v.)
Cadburry Schweppes’s net profit rose by 46% in 2005.
Guidelines to describe a
chart/graph (RB):
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Describe the general trend
e.g. A downward trend is noticed in the retail sales in 2005.
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When did it peak/reach a low?
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Time: In what period...? For how long ....?
e.g. in the period between March and June 2005, in the first
quarter of 2005, in the second half of 2005, for three
consecutive months...
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How intensive/quick was the change? There was a rapid
increase in the sales ... Sales fell dramatically ...
1.Overall trend, 2.Specific trends (details:v+n, highs,
lows), 3.Intensity & speed (adj +adv) , 4. Time frame
5.Prepositions (in, from…to, at, to, by)
 In the period between February and January, an
upward trend was recorded in the growth rate of
retail sales peaking at $ X at the end of the observed
period.
Having reached a low at the end of January, retail
sales started rising in February, slipped back in
March and remained stable at $ X throughout April.
A sharp increase to $X is visible in early May
followed by an abrupt drop of X% in June. Retail
sales climbed back to $X in July. They went up
mildly in August and continued rising in
September….
ASSIGNMENT: Describe the graph using the
expressions below (use the previous slides, especially
slides 29 & 30).
…………