Download - HOW TO DESCRIBE A CHART,GRAPH OR TABLE Intermediate2/Higher ESOL Study Related Contexts.

HOW TO DESCRIBE A CHART,GRAPH OR TABLE

Intermediate2/Higher ESOL

Study 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

dramatic

sharp

substantial

considerable

significant

slight

consistent

rapid

quick

swift

slow

steady

immediate

rise

increase

recovery

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)

rise

increase

recover

go up

grow

dramatically

sharply

substantially

considerably

significantly

slightly

consistently

rapidly

quickly

swiftly

slowly

steadily

immediately

WHICH TENSE SHOULD I USE?

SIMPLE

PRESENT

SIMPLE PAST

PRESENT PERFECT

rise/rises

Increase/increases

recover/recovers

go up/goes up

grow/grows

rose

increased

recovered

went up

grew

has/have risen

has/have increased

has/have recovered

has/have gone up

has/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 ADJECTIVES

ADJECTIVE(amount of change )

ADJECTIVE(speed of change)

NOUN

A

dramatic

sharp

substantial

considerable

significant

slight

consistent

rapid

quick

swift

slow

steady

immediate

fall

decrease

decline

dropping 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)

fall

decrease

decline

go down

drop off

dramatically

sharply

substantially

considerably

significantly

slightly

consistently

rapidly

quickly

swiftly

slowly

steadily

immediately

WHICH TENSE SHOULD I USE?

SIMPLE PRESENT

SIMPLE PAST PRESENT PERFECT

fall/falls

decrease/decreases decline/declines

go down/goes down level off/levels off

drop off/drops off

fell

decreased

declined

went down

levelled off

dropped off

has/have fallen

has/have decreased

has/have declined

has/have gone down

has/have levelled off

has/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.


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 CHANGE

flatten out

stabilise

level off

hold steady

remain stable

not change

continue to be stable

UP AND DOWN

fluctuate

TO ITS MAXIMUM POINT

peak

NO CHANGE

a flattening out

a stabilisation

a levelling off

UP AND DOWN

a fluctuation

TO ITS MAXIMUM POINT

a peak

WHICH TENSE SHOULD I USESIMPLE

PRESENT

SIMPLE PAST PRESENT PERFECT

flatten out/flattens out

stabilise/stabilises

level off/levels off

hold steady/holds steady

remain stable/remains stable

do/does not change

continue/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.



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.



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.


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.
