MR, the month of June, industrial output increased 23.1% yr/ys, which was a rise of 2.5% from the = € a “Frends, graphs and figures A Graphs and figures Here are some common types of graph: ABC 32 76 21 SG 65 12 30 J \43 9 12 previous month. First-half export sales grew 30.9%. Six-month industrial sales volume was up 20.3% yr/yt (cebd website) a Aine) graph (bon chart (ie) chart ‘able Numbers can be written as symbols (10) of words (ten). In formal writing use symbols for large amounts and words for everything else (ordinals like second, two numbers together, estimates lc) See exercise 4 on page 205, Note the following ways to say numbers: Currencies $6.50 six dollars fifty £6.15 sx pounds fifteen Decimals. Note that a decimal point is written as a ‘dot’, not 2 comma like in some languages. 65 sixpoint five 0.25 nought/zero point two five (NOT pownetwentyve) Large numbers: ‘A comme can be used to sepafaté thousands trom hunareds, Notice the use of ‘and: in British English 6,200. sivthousend two hundred (in BrE ard Ame) 6,280 six thousand two hundred and eighty (in BrE, but AmE has no ‘and’ here) 2m — two million (NOT sitions) 2.5m two point five/two and a half milion B Trends Study thew vrs that escbe detent trends (= tendencies) wh _— 7 9, Gaye mmatoetan be ploon Tew Tanah nboan t ~ a tf 7 ww Tatecemnigond—_pekthopak mcr tara foo Wy i Tunbapicdne tase ten“ Sop bei Tevel off49 TRENDS, GRAPHS AND FIGURES 203 Note also: to double, to triple, to halve. EE © Note these irregular verb forms go-went-gone grow grew- grown Tse - rose — risen fall -fell- fallen Note these nouns: a mse, growth, an improvement, a fall, a crop, a peak, a recovery. a half, a doubling ‘Mevagacturing industry orders in January rose U1. 1% from the same period « year carte, compared with forvasts of an 11.2% rise. (Wall Street Journal website) See also unit 48% Note the following prepositions: Sales increased from $5.4m to $5.8. (start and finish figures) Sales increased by $0.4m. (difference between start and finish tigures) There was an increase in sales of $0.4m. (after a noun or noun phrase} There was a 3% increase in sales (before the thing that is changing) ‘The shore of US. capital spending devoted wo information technology has more than tripled since 1960, from 10% to 45%. Fields such us biotechnology are booming. (Business Week website) € Verbs and objects See elso uiit 25 § tis important to use verbs in the right way. Study these three groups. Transitve verbs are always followed by an object: We'll raise/lower/cut/maintain his salary. (with an object) (BUT NOT birssbnyriahroneltomerertinaintit Intransitive verbs are never followed by an object: Inflation wal rise/fall/grow/go up.-(without an object) (BUT NOT The. gaveraments-paicesnabaseltaligrontaa up intlawon ) Tiansitve/Intransitive verbs can be used wath or Without an object: We'll increase/decrease/improve/recover our market share. (with an object) AND Our market share will ncrease/decrease/improve/recover (without an abject) D Adverbs and adjectives We can use adverbs and adjectives to give more details about verbs and nouns. Speed ‘Amount quickly/quick rapid change significantly/significant large change gracually/gradial constant, regular change sharplysharp sudden change steadilyisteady slow, step-by-step change _slightly/slight small change Sales grew steadily. There was a steady growth 1n sales. So fa, 6.25 billion USD has pouwed into Romana over the last decade, with last year’s figures shewving a slight increase on 1998, aconding to loest Tide Registry data. (Bucharest Business Week website) E Linking words and phrases Linking words are useful for descnbing trends. They can join parts of a sentence or link across sentences, See units 41-44, Here are just a few examples: addition and, in addition contrast but, although (+ subject + verb), in spite of (+ noun phrase), however reason because (+ subject + verb), because offdue to (+ noun phrase) result so, therefore204 49 TRENDS, GRAPHS AND FIGURES 49 Practice Exercise 1 ‘Write in words how you would say the numbers in brackets, in British English. There is an example in section A and another one below to help you. 1 (56,760) for handed, and. Fifty. 4ix, thewzand,. Zeven. hundred. and. eighty, (1,230) (12,300) (12,030) (12,330) (120,300) (123,000) (123,330) (1,230,000) Exercise 2" ~ 7 Underline the correct words 1. There was a slighty/sliat rise in profits last month. We rosefincreased our profits sightly/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 sharellast quarter. ‘Our share price hit/beat a fow/cown last month, but it has since recuberated/recovered and now stands atin £3.78. 7 Our share price reathed/met a top/peak in May, but it's fallen back since then 8 Inflation is increasing slow/stowly at the moment, in/by about 1% a year. 9 There is a slow/slowuy increase in the rate of inflation, of/by about 1% a year 40 Operating profits went from £2.5m to/unti £3.1m, 111. Dividends paid to shareholders ratsed/rose by 6%. Last year they fell/cut 12. This year we raised/rose anvidends to shareholders. Last year we fell/cur them. > Exercise 3 E Complete the sentences with 2 word or phrase from the ist below. Look carefully at the punctuation to se ifthe words join parts of sentences or link across sentences, because because of so although inspite of 4radditien however therefore Sales are up 5%. In. AdMItION.., market share is up 2%. 1 2 Sales are up 5% _ market share is down 2%. 3. Sales are up 5%, market share is down 2% 4 Sales are up 5%, 2 drop in market share of 2% 5. Sales are up 5% _ we should get a bonus at the end of the year. 6 Sales are up 5%, welll all get @ bonus at the end of the year. 7 Seles are up 5% the new advertising campaign 8 Sales are up 5% ... the new advertising campaign has started,os Exel 49 TRENDS, GRAPHS AND FIGURES 205 48 Match the rules for formal wring 1-6 with the exemples a)-P. 1. Use symbols for dates and large amounts 2) We'll need twenty fourperson teams. 2 Use words for ordinals (first, second) []__by twelve people took part in the meetin. 3 Use words for two numbers together [_] ©) $100 will be paid on 28 August 4 Use words at the beginning of a sentence [_] _¢) There are three main recommendations. 5. Use words for estimates, 11 ©) Wehave about two hundred employees. 6 _Use words for numbers Leiow ten = Ais is our third annual reper. Exer & ite the phrases from the list below on the appropriate lines 1-6. considerably more than 50% around 50% little over 50% exactly 50% almost 50% litle under 50% much ess than 50% about $0% precisely 50% slightly more than $0% 40% 1 48% 2a. 12 48-52% 3a : 130 50% aa 1a 52% 5a 75d 60% 6 Exercise 6 + £ Complete the Conversetion between a financial Consultant, ‘Andrew Cutting (AC), and a sales director, Chins Wood (CW), by underlining the correct words Right. Before we decide on the conditions for the Joan, we need to have a carefil look at your bur ve got the sales (1) gui /gnaphic for lst year righ here. Um, can you just go through the figures for me? Of course. As you can see, sales at the start of the year were quite (2) fat /evel, (3) so although that’s not surprising (4) because /due 1 we always have a quiet period after Christmas (OK, but there wasn’t much of a (6) weaver /recovery over the spring period, was there? From your graph I see that gt the (6) peak /high in June you were only (7) inreased /up (6) by /with two ©) milion /nallions (10) pounds ‘of pounds (11) since/on the January figure. What happened? Well, ic... it was a difficult trading period for ~ our main competitor (12) cut /fell their prices (13) significa significantly. (14) However /In spite of the second (15) half/halve of the year things started to improve Um. How did that happen? Well, we launched a series of new products onto the market, and you'll see that sales (16) rsed /rse (17) sharp /sherply over the autumn, Ah. Oh, yes In fact the figure went (18) to /until a little (19) rmder /over fifteen million by the end of the year. Now. we were very happy with those results. And we expect the increase (20) offin sales to continue this year. Our sales forecasts are looking very good. Um, well, chat does look promising, I think we ean