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

2. 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.

3. IDENTIFYING WHAT THE GRAPH IS ABOUT
KEY WORDS:
London Underground
Number of passengers/people
Travelling/using the underground during the day

4. 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

5. HOW TO DESCRIBE TRENDS GO UP GO DOWN ______________ ______________
______________ ______________
decrease
increase
climb
drop
fall
decline
rise
grow
dip

6. 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.

7. 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.)

8. DESCRIBING UP TRENDS USING NOUNS AND ADJECTIVES
(amount of change )
(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………..

9. DESCRIBING UP TRENDS USING VERBS
ADVERBS
(amount of change )
(speed of change)
rise
increase
recover
go up
grow
dramatically
sharply
substantially
considerably
significantly
slightly
consistently
rapidly
quickly
swiftly
slowly
steadily
immediately

10. 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

11. Remember to be consistent with your use of tenses!
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!

12. DESCRIBING DOWN TRENDS USING NOUNS AND ADJECTIVES
(amount of change )
(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………..

13. DESCRIBING DOWN TRENDS USING VERBS
ADVERBS
(amount of change )
(speed of change)
fall
decrease
decline
go down
drop off   
dramatically
sharply
substantially
considerably
significantly
slightly
consistently
rapidly
quickly
swiftly
slowly
steadily
immediately

14. 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

15. 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!

16. 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

17. MORE VERBS AND NOUNS VERBS 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
a flattening out
a stabilisation
a levelling off
 UP AND DOWN
a fluctuation
 a peak

18. WHICH TENSE SHOULD I USE
SIMPLE
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 out
stabilised
levelled off
held steady
remained stable
did not change
continued to be stable
fluctuated
peaked
 have/has flattened out
have/has stabilised
have/has levelled off
have/has held steady
have/has remained stable
have/has not changed
have/has continued to be stable
have/has fluctuated
have/has peaked

19. 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!

20. 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!

21. 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!

22. 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..

23. Remember to be consistent with your use of tenses!
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!