1. Describing Trends in Graphs

2. an upward trend (a rising trend)

3. 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 -

4. to soar

5. to surge

6. to peak/reach a peak

7. a downward trend (a falling trend)

8. 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

9. to drop

10. to plummet

11. to tumble

12. 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!”

13. ECONOMICS IS DIVING (WATER)
PLUNGE
FLOAT
DIP
DIVE
SINK

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

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

16. CHANGE OF DIRECTION - to recover

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

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

19. NO CHANGE to remain constant / to remain stable

20. Trends & movements - verbs

21. a dramatic fall

22. a substantial increase

23. 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

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

25. 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

26. 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.

27. 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.

28. 1
Production started climbing steadily but flattened off at a level of around 70. Since then, it has fallen steadily.

29. 2
Production grew more and more rapidly over the first three quarters but then reached a peak. Since then, it has quickly dropped.

30. 3
Production grew rapidly in the first quarter, but reached a plateau of about 70. Since then it has remained more or less stable.

31. 4
Production has dropped slowly but steadily over the year.

32. 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.

33. 6
After a considerable drop in the first two quarters, production bottomed out at 20. Since then it has started to rise.

34. 7
Production fell considerably over the first three quarters, reaching a low of 20. Since then it has staged a partial recovery.

35. 8
Production has fluctuated all year.

36. 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.