English: Describing Trends & Data

Level: B2. Describing a chart or a set of figures uses a small, reliable kit: a verb for the movement (rise, fall, stay the same), an adverb for how big or fast the movement is (sharply, slightly, steadily), and the right preposition for the numbers (by, to, from). Learn the kit and you can describe any graph, report or exam task clearly.

By the end of this page you can…

…choose the right verb for up, down and no change, say how big and how fast a change is, use by and to with figures correctly, and compare data points with comparatives and superlatives.

Movement verbs — up, down, and no change

Group the verbs by direction. Each has a matching noun you can also use.

The top and bottom points have their own words: a line reaches a peak (the highest point), hits a low (the lowest point), or bottoms out (falls to a low and then stops falling).

How big, how fast — adverbs and adjectives of degree

A bare verb (sales rose) tells the direction but not the size. Add an adverb after the verb, or an adjective before the noun:

• Big change: rose sharply / dramatically / significantly → a sharp / dramatic / significant rise
• Small change: fell slightly / marginally → a slight / marginal fall
• Speed: grew rapidly / steadily / gradually / slowly → a rapid / steady / gradual rise

Teaching point 1 — the right adverb form

The words after a verb are adverbs of manner, usually ending in -ly: rose sharply, grew steadily. Watch the irregulars: fast stays fast (not fastly), and the figure stayed high uses the adjective because stay links to the subject. Review adverbs of manner.

Prepositions with figures — by vs to vs from

This is where learners lose marks. The preposition tells the reader whether a number is the change or the final value:

• by = the size of the change: Sales rose by 10%. (the gap)
• to = the final figure: Sales rose to 90 million. (where it ended)
• from … to … = start and end: Sales rose from 80 to 90 million.
• at = a value that is not moving: Unemployment stood at 4%.
• of = the size of a change as a noun: a rise of 10%.

Teaching point 2 — comparing the figures

Charts are about comparison, so comparatives and superlatives do a lot of work: Exports were higher than imports, Group A spent twice as much as Group B, This was the steepest fall of the decade, Sales hit the highest figure on record. Strengthen a comparison with far, much or significantly: far higher than, significantly lower than. Review comparative adjectives and superlative adjectives.

Teaching point 3 — the passive for the data itself

When you describe how figures were produced, the passive keeps the focus on the data, not the people: The figures were collected over five years, The data is shown in Table 2, The results were based on a survey of 500 adults. Review the passive (present and past).

A short conversation

Presenter: As you can see, sales rose sharply in the first quarter. Colleague: By how much? Presenter: By about 15%, to just over four million. Colleague: And then they levelled off? Presenter: Exactly — they stayed stable for the rest of the year, with a slight dip in the summer.

Usage notes

• rise (verb) vs raise (verb): rise has no object (Prices rise); raise needs one (The shop raised its prices). The noun a rise is common in British English; American English often prefers a raise for pay.
• percent vs percentage point: a change from 10% to 12% is a rise of 2 percentage points, not 2 percent. Use percentage point to avoid confusion in exams.
• trend: an upward / downward trend is the overall direction over time; a single month going up is not a trend.
• roughly, approximately, just over / under: soften exact numbers: just over 4 million, approximately a third, around 50%.

Example sentences

Press play and read each line as if you were presenting a chart.

1. Sales rose sharply in the first three months.
   verb + adverb for a big change.
2. There was a slight fall in demand over the summer.
   adjective + noun pattern.
3. Prices increased by 10% last year.
   by = the size of the change.
4. The figure rose to 90 million.
   to = the final value.
5. Exports grew from 80 to 95 million tonnes.
   from X to Y for start and end.
6. Unemployment stood at just under 4%.
   stand at for a static value.
7. After the peak in March, the line levelled off.
   reach a peak, then level off.
8. Numbers plunged after the new rule came in.
   plunge = fall very fast.
9. The market fluctuated throughout the year.
   fluctuate = go up and down.
10. Costs remained stable for the next six months.
    remain stable = no change.
11. This was the steepest drop of the decade.
    superlative: the steepest drop.
12. Group A spent twice as much as Group B.
    twice as much as for a ratio.
13. Imports were far higher than exports.
    far + comparative for emphasis.
14. The figures were collected over five years.
    passive to focus on the data.
15. The data is shown in the chart below.
    passive, present tense.
16. Revenue grew steadily before it plateaued.
    steady growth, then a plateau.
17. The rate hit a record low in 2019.
    hit a low = reach the lowest point.
18. Overall, the trend was clearly upward.
    trend = the direction over time.

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

Practice

Describing trends and data practice

Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.

1 Complete with the preposition for the size of a change: 'Sales rose ____ 10%.' (one word)

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Hint: the gap, not the final figure

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by — Use 'by' for the amount of change: rose by 10%.

2 Complete with the preposition for the final figure: 'The figure climbed ____ 90 million.' (one word)

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Hint: where it ended up

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to — Use 'to' for the final value: climbed to 90 million.

3 Which sentence describes a large, fast rise?

Prices rose slightly. Prices surged. Prices remained stable. Prices fluctuated.

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Prices surged. — Surge means rise a lot and fast; slightly is a small change.

4 Put the words in order (verb + adverb pattern).

fellsharplyDemandin the winter

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Show answer

Demand fell sharply in the winter — Verb + adverb: Demand fell sharply in the winter.

5 Match each verb to its meaning.

• plateau Match for plateau — choose — fall very fastgo up and downreach the highest pointstop rising and stay level
• plunge Match for plunge — choose — fall very fastgo up and downreach the highest pointstop rising and stay level
• fluctuate Match for fluctuate — choose — fall very fastgo up and downreach the highest pointstop rising and stay level
• peak Match for peak — choose — fall very fastgo up and downreach the highest pointstop rising and stay level

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• plateau → stop rising and stay level
• plunge → fall very fast
• fluctuate → go up and down
• peak → reach the highest point

These are the movement verbs for this lesson.

6 Which comparison is correct English?

Exports were more higher than imports. Exports were far higher than imports. Exports were the higher than imports. Exports were high than imports.

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Exports were far higher than imports. — Strengthen a comparative with far/much: far higher than.

How to say it

Some of these words are easy to misread — copy the sounds.

• rise has a long i and a z sound: RYZE; its past form rose rhymes with nose.
• increase moves its stress: the verb is in-KREESS, the noun is IN-kreess.
• data is said DAY-tuh or DAH-tuh; both are accepted in English.
• fluctuate is FLUK-choo-ate, with a ch in the middle, stress on the first syllable.

Quiz

Check yourself

Describing trends and data quiz

11 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.

0/11 0 answered

1. 1Choose the preposition for the amount of change: 'Profits fell ___ 5%.'

   A to B by C at D of
   Show answer

   by — Use 'by' for the size of a change: fell by 5%.

2. 2Choose the preposition for the final figure: 'The rate dropped ___ 2%.'

   A by B to C from D with
   Show answer

   to — Use 'to' for the value a figure reaches: dropped to 2%.

3. 3Which word means 'go up and down repeatedly'?

   A plateau B fluctuate C soar D plummet
   Show answer

   fluctuate — Fluctuate = rise and fall repeatedly.

4. 4Which is a correct verb + adverb pair?

   A rose sharp B rose sharply C a rose sharply D rose a sharp
   Show answer

   rose sharply — A verb takes an adverb: rose sharply.

5. 5Which is a correct adjective + noun pair?

   A a sharply rise B a sharp rise C a sharp rose D sharply a rise
   Show answer

   a sharp rise — A noun takes an adjective: a sharp rise.

6. 6'Sales levelled off' means they…

   A rose quickly B fell quickly C stopped changing and stayed steady D went up and down
   Show answer

   stopped changing and stayed steady — Level off = stop rising or falling and stay steady.

7. 7A change from 10% to 12% is a rise of…

   A 2 percent B 2 percentage points C 12 percent D 20 percent
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   2 percentage points — The gap between two percentages is measured in percentage points.

8. 8Which sentence uses the superlative correctly?

   A This was the steeper fall of the decade. B This was the steepest fall of the decade. C This was steepest fall of the decade. D This was more steep fall of the decade.
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   This was the steepest fall of the decade. — Superlative with 'the': the steepest fall.

9. 9'The highest figure on record' means the highest…

   A this month B ever measured C in the forecast D that is predicted
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   ever measured — On record means the highest ever measured.

10. 10Pick the natural passive for describing method.

    A They collected the data over five years. B The data were collected over five years. C The data collecting five years. D Five years the data collected.
    Show answer

    The data were collected over five years. — The passive keeps the focus on the data, not the people.

11. 11Which verb needs an object?

    A rise B raise C fall D fluctuate
    Show answer

    raise — Raise needs an object (raise prices); rise does not (prices rise).

Recap cheat-sheet

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