Academic Writing: Describing Trends

Describing Charts with Verbs and Nouns

There are two main ways you can describe trends in line charts. You can use a verb e.g. increase, or you can use a noun e.g. an increase.

You can use verbs with adverbs and adjectives with nouns. Usually the word order is: verb + adverb  e.g rise slowly  and adjective + noun e.g. a slow rise.

Verbs or nouns with a strong meaning do not usually use an adverb or adjective. These include: rocket, jump, peak, plummet, plunge.

There are also several useful phrases you can use:

• remain/ stay the same

• remain/ stay constant

• remain stable

• reach/ hit a high point

• reach/ hit a low point

• hit a peak

• hit a trough

• rise to the highest point

• fall to the lowest point

• hit a plateau

In the chart below, verbs and phrases are used to describe the trend:

In the following chart adverbs + nouns are used:

How to Use Prepositions:

With Verbs:

Verb + by + number/ percentage/ fraction. This shows the size of the change up or down.

Examples:

• The cost of production went up by 5% between 2001 and 2010.

• The number of students enrolled at the university fell by 1200 between 1999 and 2009.

• The proportion of people who were completely satisfied increased by a third over the 20 year period shown in the chart.

With Nouns:

Noun + of + number/ percentage + in ..........  (it is unusual to use nouns with fractions)

Examples:

• There was a decrease of 100 units in production in 2009.

• From 2001 to 2015 there was an increase of 25% in spending on healthcare.

• There was a jump of 35% in sales.

Or:

Noun + in + ……….  + of + number/ percentage

Examples:

• There was a decrease in production of 100 units in 2009.

• There was a jump in sales of 35%.

Here are some more examples:

Following you’ll find more example sentences using various combinations of these verbs, adverbs, nouns and adjectives, useful phrases and the corresponding prepositions:

• In 2001 there was a dramatic increase in sales, rising from 20,000 units to 29,000 units in one year.

• The number of visitors to the museum fell substantially from 2010 to 2015. In 2015 the number hit a low point at 3500.

• The proportion of candidates who applied for the position went up by 10% from the 1st to 2nd year.

• There was a significant drop in the quantity of sulphur  dioxide produced between 1900 and 1950.

• The number of books taken out from Tadworth library climbed gradually from 2000 to 2010.

• The number of late trains fell steadily from 2510 in 1999 to 1430 in 2007.

• Both companies' capital expenditures remained steady at 10%.

• The number of births stayed the same from December 1980 to December 1990.

• There was hardly any change in the number of births between December 1980 and December 1990.

• The costs peaked at just over $3 million in 2013.

• His monthly income increased by 10% from $30,000 to $33,000.

• His monthly income fell by 10% from $30,000 to $27,000.