IELTS Modular

TREND
You don’t need it..
It is not necessary to use ‘trend’ at all when describing trends (= general changes
over time). The following are all trends:

• In general, sales increased dramatically during the period.

• During the period there was a gradual decline in the use of condoms.
• Between January and July sales increased steadily, but they have fallen
dramatically ever since. (2 trends!)

But if not using it makes you ‘gatal’..

1. Examine these examples and complete the rules using words from the box.

b. Unemployment followed an upward trend.

c. The area of nutmeg cultivation is showing a downward trend continuously.
d. In the EU the trend was upward, while in the US it was downward.
e. What you see here is a bar chart showing an upward trend from 1997 to 2011.
f. Lending continued on an upward trend in May, although at a slower rate
compared with April.
g. Sales increased to 5,000 in May, and this trend continued upward until the end
of the period.

• The noun ‘trend’ collocates with certain verbs (follow, _________ , experience).

• The noun ‘trend’ is often used together with the words upward and
____________ , either as adjectives or ___________ .

• The noun ‘trend’ is ______________ , so you need to use an article and/or an ‘s’
to communicate OOM, AOTE, or TOE.

• Most of the time the noun ‘trend’ is used to describe a general, striking, very
____________ change over time, without mentioning specific _________.

• Occasionally the noun ‘trend’ can be used in the detail section of your essay to
identify a pattern that applies to a larger part of the graph. Often this involves
use of the word ‘___________’.

adverbs, continue, countable, data, downward, obvious, show

2. Rewrite the examples (a-f) without using the word ‘trend’.

c. Unemployment followed an upward trend.

e.g. Unemployment increased throughout the period.

d. The area of nutmeg cultivation is showing a downward trend continuously.

e. In the EU the trend was upward, while in the US it was downward.

f. What you see here is a bar chart showing an upward trend from 1997 to 2011.

g. Lending continued on an upward trend in May, although at a slower rate

compared with April.

h. Sales increased to 5,000 in May, and this trend continued upward until the end
of the period.