HOW TO DESCRIBE A CHART,GRAPH OR TABLE

Intermediate2/Higher ESOLStudy 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 TRENDSGO UP GO DOWN

• ______________ ______________• ______________ ______________• ______________ ______________• ______________ ______________• ______________ ______________• ______________ ______________

increasefall

decreaseclimb drop declinerisegrow dip

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

ADJECTIVE(amount of change )

ADJECTIVE(speed of change)

NOUN

A

dramaticsharpsubstantialconsiderablesignificantslightconsistent 

rapidquickswiftslowsteadyimmediate

 

riseincreaserecovery 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 ADVERBS(amount of change )

ADVERBS(speed of change)

riseincreaserecovergo upgrow 

dramaticallysharply

substantiallyconsiderablysignificantly

slightlyconsistently

 

rapidlyquicklyswiftlyslowly

steadilyimmediately

 

WHICH TENSE SHOULD I USE?

 SIMPLEPRESENT

SIMPLE PAST

PRESENT PERFECT

rise/risesIncrease/increasesrecover/recoversgo up/goes upgrow/grows

 

roseincreasedrecoveredwent upgrew

 

has/have risenhas/have increasedhas/have recoveredhas/have gone uphas/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 ADJECTIVESADJECTIVE

(amount of change )ADJECTIVE(speed of change)

NOUN

A

dramaticsharpsubstantialconsiderablesignificantslightconsistent 

rapidquickswiftslowsteadyimmediate

 

falldecreasedeclinedropping 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 ADVERBS(amount of change )

ADVERBS(speed of change)

falldecreasedeclinego downdrop off  

dramaticallysharply

substantiallyconsiderablysignificantly

slightlyconsistently

 

rapidlyquicklyswiftlyslowly

steadilyimmediately

 

WHICH TENSE SHOULD I USE?

SIMPLE PRESENT

SIMPLE PAST PRESENT PERFECT

 fall/fallsdecrease/decreases decline/declines go down/goes down level off/levels offdrop off/drops off

 felldecreaseddeclinedwent downlevelled offdropped off

has/have fallenhas/have decreasedhas/have declinedhas/have gone downhas/have levelled offhas/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 NOUNSVERBS NOUNS

NO CHANGEflatten outstabiliselevel off hold steadyremain stablenot changecontinue to be stableUP AND DOWNfluctuateTO ITS MAXIMUM POINTpeak

NO CHANGEa flattening outa stabilisationa levelling off UP AND DOWNa fluctuationTO ITS MAXIMUM POINT a peak

 

WHICH TENSE SHOULD I USESIMPLE

PRESENTSIMPLE PAST PRESENT

PERFECTflatten out/flattens outstabilise/stabiliseslevel off/levels off hold steady/holds steadyremain stable/remains stabledo/does not changecontinue/continues to be stable

fluctuate/fluctuates

peak/peaks

flattened outstabilisedlevelled offheld steadyremained stabledid not changecontinued to be stable

fluctuated

peaked

 

 have/has flattened outhave/has stabilisedhave/has levelled offhave/has held steadyhave/has remained stablehave/has not changedhave/has continued to be stable have/has fluctuated

have/has peaked

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!