Describing Trends

• A trend is a general
direction. It is shown by
the line, or curve, which
reflects the relationship
between two variables.
• The upward movement
• On a simple chart like
this, it is easy to see that
there is an upwards trend

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• It took (PRETERIT) thousands
of years for the world
population to grow to 1
billion at the end of the 18°th
century.

• At the beginning of the 21st

century the global population
reached (PRETERIT) the 7
billion mark.

• In just 200 years or so, the

world population grew
sevenfold.

• A seven-fold increase in ..

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Transitive verb Intransitive Noun

to increase Sales have increased by a 10% increase in sales

10% There was an increase of
10%
A 10 percent increase

to raise prices Profits have risen to $2m. a rise in profits to $2m.

[US: a pay raise]

to go up the economic growth

to bounce back
“Business is picking up.”

to expand to expand expansion

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 The downward movement
• The trend in the following
graph is downwards: there
is a downward trend.

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 transitive verb instransitive verb noun
to decrease to decrease a decrease
to drop to drop a drop
to push down / to put to go down
down
to fall a sharp fall in
to collapse unemployment levels
to plummet the financial collapse
of 2008.
the economic
recession
a dramatic fall in stock
prices
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 No movement?
transitive verb intransitive verb noun

to keep something To remain stable / stability

stable steady
to maintain To stay constant
something at the
same level To level off

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 Describing the degree of change
Dramatic(ally)

Vast(ly) / huge(ly) / enormous(ly)

Substantial(ly) / considerable (considerably) /

significant(ly)

moderate(ly)

Production has increased slightly

Slight(ly) / a little

T
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 Describing the speed of change
Ex: One can note a rapid increase in sales.

Rapid(ly) / quick(ly) / swift(ly) / fast

Gradual(ly) / gentle (gently)

Slow(ly)

T
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