SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

ENGLISH PREPARATORY PROGRAMME

2021-2022 SPRING TERM
READING/WRITING
DESCRIBING CHARTS, GRAPHS

A. You can use certain verbs to describe changes in the lines on line graphs. Match the verbs in
the box to the lines on these line graphs. Write 1, 2,3 or 4 next to each verb.

to increase 1 to fall to remain stable to decrease to go down

to fluctuate to rise to drop to go up to stay the same

B. Complete the table with the noun forms of these verbs. Put a cross (X) if the verb has no noun
form.

VERBS NOUNS VERBS NOUNS

to increase to boom
to rise to reduce
to go up to climb
to decrease to decline
to fall to peak
to go down to dip
to drop to level out (at)
to fluctuate to stay constant
to remain stable to slump (to)

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 SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
ENGLISH PREPARATORY PROGRAMME
2021-2022 SPRING TERM
READING/WRITING
DESCRIBING CHARTS, GRAPHS

C. Match each graph a-h with the most suitable description below. Then underline the verbs and
decide if they show an upward change, downward change or no change.

a. e.

b. f.

c. g.

d. h.

1. Sales of audio cassettes fell steadily. g

2. I Pod sales rose gradually.
3. Plasma TV sales fluctuated wildly, but the trend was upward.
4. Sales of video cassettes fluctuated wildly, and the trend was downward.
5. Total digital camera sales dropped slightly.
6. Sales of audio cassettes fell and then leveled off.
7. The sales of MP3 players rose gradually and then climbed sharply.
8. Purchases of video cassette recorders declined dramatically.
9. Sales of game consoles decreased and then leveled off.
10. CD sales dropped suddenly.

D. The verbs in Exercise C are modified by adverbs such as steadily. Find the adverbs and put
them into the correct category below.

SLOW CHANGE FAST CHANGE

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 SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
ENGLISH PREPARATORY PROGRAMME
2021-2022 SPRING TERM
READING/WRITING
DESCRIBING CHARTS, GRAPHS

E. Sentences containing verb phrases such as fell steadily can often be rewritten using correct
there is / are and a related noun structure. Read the examples and rewrite the sentences below.

Examples
The consumption of chocolate fell steadily. (verb + adverb) (How did the consumption of
chocolate fall?steadily )

There was a steady fall in the consumption of chocolate. (there was a + adjective + noun)
(What kind of fall was there?A steady fall)

There has been a dramatic rise in the production of films. (there has been a + adjective +
noun)
(What kind of rise has there been?A dramatic rise)

The production of films has risen dramatically. (verb + adverb) (How has the production of
films risen?dramatically)

1. Spice exports from Africa fluctuated wildly over the period.

There were .
2. The development of new products fell gradually.
There was .
3. There has been a noticeable decrease in research investment.
Research .
4. The purchases of tickets dropped significantly last month.
There was .
5. On the internet, the number of sites rose remarkably.
There was .
6. There was a sudden decrease in the sale of mangos.
The sale .
7. There was a gradual decline in sugar imports.
Sugar .
8. The quality of food in supermarkets has increased slowly.
There has .

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 SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
ENGLISH PREPARATORY PROGRAMME
2021-2022 SPRING TERM
READING/WRITING
DESCRIBING CHARTS, GRAPHS

F. In your writing, you may need to use time expressions to explain when something started or
finished or to explain when something changed as well as other prepositions to show figures.
Complete the sentences below with a preposition or time expression from the box.

at (x2) for between from by of to and

1. There was a slight increase in holidays to France between 2006 2007.

2. Profits rose from 2 billion dollars 5 billion in the last few years.
3. Since 1985, the price of houses has increased 200%.
4. The number of flights fluctuated four years.
5. Road accidents reached a peak 50,000 in November.
6. Car sales remained constant around 75 per month for the rest of the
period.
7. The price of skiing holidays rose slightly 2005 to 2006.
8. During the summer, temperatures fluctuate 20 and 30 degrees.
9. In the last decade, the value of the company’s shares stood $25.

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 SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
ENGLISH PREPARATORY PROGRAMME
2021-2022 SPRING TERM
READING/WRITING
DESCRIBING CHARTS, GRAPHS

G. Read the text below and answer the questions.

The first chart illustrates the percentage of the population who owned a smartphone from 2011 to 2016, and
the second breaks the percentages down by age for 2011 and 2016. Overall, smartphone ownership increased
during the six-year period. In general, the younger people were, the more likely they were to own a
smartphone. However, the most significant increases in smartphone ownership between 2011 and 2016 came
from people aged 45 to 54, from 46% to 84%; from those in the 55 to 64 categories, from 9% to 59%; and from
those aged 65 to 74, from 5% to 50%. The percentage of people who owned a smartphone rose steadily,
starting at around 35% in 2011 and reaching about 77% by 2016. People aged 16 to 24 represented the greatest
percentage of smartphone ownership in both 2011 and 2016. 75% of people aged 25 to 34 and 72% of those
aged 35 to 44 owned a smartphone in 2011, rising to 88% and 86% respectively by 2016. Although almost
nobody in the 75+ age category owned a smartphone in 2011, 15% of this group owned smartphones
in 2016.

H. Are these sentences True or False.

1. The first sentence should explain what the charts show.
2. The detailed information should go after the description of the main trends or findings.
3. It is a good idea to repeat words to show you know how to use them.
4. It’s a good idea to bring in your own general knowledge of the world to explain the trends shown in the
charts.
5. You should try to use a range of language to describe the charts accurately.

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 SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
ENGLISH PREPARATORY PROGRAMME
2021-2022 SPRING TERM
READING/WRITING
DESCRIBING CHARTS, GRAPHS

WRITING TASK
The graph below shows the percentage of tourists to Scotland who visited four different
attractions in Edinburg. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features,
and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

( WORDS)