ENGLISH I

DESCRIBING CHARTS AND GRAPHS

READING GRAPHS AND CHARTS: INTRODUCTION

1. Do you know the different types of graphs, charts and diagrams? Match the
names with the pictures:

Single line graph B

A
Multiple line graph H
Bar chart E
Pie chart C
Population chart G
Flowchart D
Bubble diagram F
Paired bar chart A

B C
D

E
F

G
H

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2. Here you have some verbs and nouns that you can use to talk about trends
and changes when describing a graph or chart. Which ones show an upwards
trend? And downwards? Which ones show no change? Place them in the right
column:

VERBS NOUNS
RISE EXPANSION
CLIMB GROWTH
GROW IMPROVEMENT
INCREASE EXTENSION
SHOOT UP
RECOVER
STEP UP
SOAR
FLUCTUATE
FLUCTUATE REDUCTION
GO DOWN
DROP
DECREASE
PLUMMET
DECLINE
COLLAPSE
FALL
CUT
PLUNGE
BE CONSTANT STABILITY
LEVEL OFF STAGNATION
STABILIZE
REMAIN STABLE
MAINTAIN
STAND AT
STAY THE SAME
KEEP

Be constant expansion growth reduction

stability climb extension improvement
rise stagnation collapse fall
level off shoot up stand at cut
go down push down soar stay the same
stabilize recover drop increase
decrease step up maintain keep
grow decline remain stable plunge
plummet fluctuate

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 Could you write the verb or the noun form of the following words?

Verb Noun
To grow growth
To decrease A DECREASE
To INCREASE An increase
To rise A RISE
To reduce A REDUCTION
TO FALL A fall
To drop A DROP
TO PLUNGE A plunge

3. Look at the line graph below and answer the questions:

 What information does the graph show?

Estimated number of cigarette smokers aged 18 and older
 What does the horizonal axis (the x-axis) show?
YEAR

 What does the vertical axis (y-axis) show?

NUMBER OF PEOPLE
 Choose the correct option:
1) Between 1990 and 1992 the number of smokers increased/decreased.
2) Between 1992 and 1993 the number of smokers rose/fell.
3) From 1997 and 1998 the number of smokers stayed the same/fluctuated.

PAST SIMPLE OR PRESENT PERFECT?

The PAST SIMPLE is used to talk about The PRESENT PERFECT is used to talk about
something that happened in the past and is now something that started in the past but is not yet
finished. finished.

SIGNAL WORDS: last week, in January 2017, SIGNAL WORDS: since(August), for (5 years), this
from 2013 to 2016 (month, year), over the last (10 minutes, 6 months, 3
3 days, 10 years)
- Last month the number of employees
dropped to 104. - The number of employees has fallen since
- The number of employees rose in 2015. January.
- From January to June last year, the - Over the past six years numbers have
number of employees grew by 25%. doubled.
ENGLISH I

1. Write sentences using the past simple or the present perfect:

1. Numbers/ drop / at the beginning of the year

Numbers dropped at the beginning of the year.

_______________________________________________________________________
2. Numbers/drop/since the beginning of the year
Numbers have dropped since the beginning of the year.

________________________________________________________________________
3. Energy consumption / increase / over the past 30 years
Energy consumption has increased over the past 30 years.

_______________________________________________________________________
4. Food prices/ go up/ last month
Food prices went up last month.

_______________________________________________________________________

2. Write 2 sentences about the graph below. One of them in the past simple and the
other one in the present perfect tense:

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(millions)
Video games sales in the US
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
jul-21 oct-21 dec-21 jan-22 feb-22 aug-22 feb-23 sep-23
Date

Examples:

_______Video games sales in the US have risen since February 2023. ________

Video games sales in the US went down in January 2022.

ADJECTIVES & ADVERBS

1. Complete the following table:

ADJECTIVE ADVERB
dramatic DRAMATICALLY
sharp SHARPLY
CONSIDERABLE considerably
slight SLIGHTLY
MODERATE moderately

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2. Look at the lines and, using some of the words from the previous exercises, complete
the sentences (one word per gap). Think if you need a verb-adverb structure (fell
sharply) or an adjective-noun structure (a sharp fall):

A D E
C

A- There was a slight decrease.

B- Prices ____INCREASED____ ______MODERATELY___./ fluctuated gradually
C- There was a _sudden/quick/considerable________ _plunge________.
D- Sales ____increased _____ _______dramatically/sharply____.
E- There was a ___rapid______ _____fall/reduction____.