IELTS and Business English students often ask us teachers the same old question: How can I describe a graph in English?
It’s a common problem and it is an essential part of English learning if you want to pass an academic exam like IELTS or Business like the BULATS test (Business Language Testing Service from Cambridge English Exams).
How do you accurately talk or write about the information shown in a line graph, bar graph or pie chart? Well, normally, in an IELTS Writing Task Part 1, you will see clear, distinct upward or downward trends in a graph question.
There are certain verbs that are appropriate for these situations and you can see how to use them effectively in the video. Â The appropriate language for describing any graph or trend are also are written out below the video for you.
At 6:32 in the video, you can see YOUR HOMEWORK! 🙂
Describe that graph in the comment section below and an SGI teacher will mark your answer for you. Good luck!
How can I describe a graph?
UPWARD TREND VERBS
- to increase
- to rise
- to go up
- to climb
- to shoot up
- to rocket
- to soar
- text
- text
DOWNWARD TREND VERBS
- to decrease
- to fall
- to go down
- to decline
- to drop
- to plunge
- to plummet
ADVERBS TO DESCRIBE BIG CHANGES
- dramatically
- sharply
- suddenly
- significantly
- drastically
- noticeably
- steeply
ADVERBS TO DESCRIBE SMALL CHANGES
- gradually
- slightly
- steadily
- gently
- moderatley
- little by little
- step by step
HOW TO DESCRIBE NO CHANGE
- remained the same
- remained constant
- stabilised
- levelled off
- moderatley
- little by little
- step by step
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