Describing Trends in Graphs

an upward trend (a rising trend)

GO UP - GROW GROWTH RISE RISE INCREASE  INCREASE IMPROVE IMPROVEMENT - UPTURN SOAR  - JUMP  JUMP (SKY)ROCKET - SURGE SURGE  - UPSURGE TAKE OFF TAKEOFF SHOOT UP - LEAP LEAP PEAK/REACH A PEAK PEAK TOP OUT -

to soar

to surge

to peak/reach a peak

a downward trend (a falling trend)

DECREASE DECREASE GO DOWN - DECLINE  DECLINE DROP DROP  FALL (OFF) FALL SLIP SLIP - DOWNTURN SLIDE SLIDE DIP DIP PLUNGE  PLUNGE PLUMMET  PLUMMET NOSEDIVE  NOSEDIVE SLUMP SLUMP CRASH CRASH SINK - TUMBLE TUMBLE

to drop

to plummet

to tumble

ECONOMICS IS FLYING (AIR) PLUMMET COLLISION TURBULENCE NOSEDIVE FREE-FALL SPIRAL LANDING GO THROUGH THE ROOF “When interest rates went through the roof, so did Mr Macdonald!”

ECONOMICS IS DIVING (WATER) PLUNGE FLOAT DIP DIVE SINK

ECONOMICS IS MOVING ON THE GROUND TUMBLE JUMP TOPPLE SLIDE SLIP WOBBLE STAGGER STUMBLE

to bottom out to recover to rebound to revive Change of direction to bottom out to recover to rebound to revive

CHANGE OF DIRECTION - to recover

to rebound 'Stocks rebounded from yesterday's losses on news that 'it aint over till it's over'.'

NO CHANGE to remain stable to level off/out to stay at the same level to remain constant to stagnate to stabilize

NO CHANGE to remain constant / to remain stable

Trends & movements - verbs

a dramatic fall

a substantial increase

A constant levelling off to level off ……………… Adjectives can be used to describe the degree or speed of change. Do you know the corresponding adverbs ?   A dramatic fall to fall ………………… An abrupt rise to rise ……………….. A sudden decline to decline ……………… A moderate growth to grow ……………… A slight increase to increase …………….. A rapid drop to drop ………………… A gradual decline to decline …………… A steady recovery to recover …………… Erratic sales to sell ………………….. A constant levelling off to level off ……………… dramatically abruptly suddenly moderately slightly rapidly gradually steadily erratically constantly  

Look at these headlines and say whether the statements about them are true or false.

Choose the correct verbs and try to connect them with appropriate graphs according to the type of change they describe: SLUMP RISE RECOVER PLUNGE PICK UP PLUMMET DROP SOAR BOUNCE BACK TAKE OFF CLIMB RALLY FLUCTUATE FALL CRASH HOLD STEADY FLATTEN OUT SLIDE ESCALATE DECLINE ROCKET DIP 5 2 6 5 1 6 5 4 1 2 6 6 7 4 5 4 3 3 1 4 1 4

Choose the correct words. There was a slightly/slight rise in profits last month. We rose/increased our profits slightly/slight last month. There was a sharp fall in/of our sales last quarter. Our sales fell by/of 6% last quarter. We fell/recovered our market share last quarter. Our share price hit/beat a low/down last month, but it has since recuperated/recovered and now stands at/in $3.89.

Our share price reached/met a top/peak in May, but it’s fallen back since then. Inflation is increasing slow/slowly at the moment, in/by about 1% a year. There is a slow/slowly increase in/of the rate of inflation, of/by about 1% a year. Operating profits went from $2.5m to/until $3.1m. Dividends paid to shareholders raised/rose by 6%. Last year they fell/cut. This year we raised/rose dividends to shareholders. Last year we fell/cut them.

1 Production started climbing steadily but flattened off at a level of around 70. Since then, it has fallen steadily.

2 Production grew more and more rapidly over the first three quarters but then reached a peak. Since then, it has quickly dropped.

3 Production grew rapidly in the first quarter, but reached a plateau of about 70. Since then it has remained more or less stable.

4 Production has dropped slowly but steadily over the year.

5 Production started the year in a stable position, but then plunged in the third quarter. It has now flattened out at a level of 20.

6 After a considerable drop in the first two quarters, production bottomed out at 20. Since then it has started to rise.

7 Production fell considerably over the first three quarters, reaching a low of 20. Since then it has staged a partial recovery.

8 Production has fluctuated all year.

DRAW GRAPHS USING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: After a three-year period of stability, the level of investment soared. Since the late 1990s, immigration has been rising in most OECD countries. This followed a sharp downturn from the start of the decade. After a sharp rise, sales levelled off during the period September-November, when they plunged again at the end of the year. Sales crashed last week following a slight rise. The share price reached a peak before falling a little and then maintaining the same level.