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Describing graphs

Average: 4.2 (29 votes)
Fri, 10/10/2008 - 00:00 — Chris McCarthy

In the English-speaking business world you may have to discuss the information on graphs. Here we take a look at some of the vocabulary we use to describe graph trends.

Going Up

  • rose
  • increased
  • went up
  • grew

Going Down

  • decreased
  • fell
  • dropped
  • declined

No Change

  • stayed the same
  • remained constant
  • levelled off
  • stabilised

Up and Down

  • fluctuated
  • zig-zagged
  • fluttered
  • undulated

Small Changes - Adjectives / Adverbs

  • gently
  • gradually
  • slightly
  • steadily

Big Changes - Adverbs / Adjectives

  • suddenly
  • sharply
  • dramatically
  • steeply
  • a lot

Low Points

  • bottomed out
  • reached a low

Now match the graphs to the correct definitions by using the numbers of each graph:

 

 

 

  • Sales bottomed out in May.
  • Sales levelled off from July.
  • Sales rose steadily over the year.
  • Sales peaked in June.
  • Sales remained the same.
  • Sales increased sharply from June.
  • Sales rose gradually through the year.
  • Sales fell steadily through over the year.


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Comments

Fri, 10/10/2008 - 07:22 — nihatyavas

rsoe --> rose

"Sales rsoe gradually through the year."

Fri, 10/10/2008 - 13:36 — DDT

slightly

In the item "Small Changes - Adjectives / Adverbs" the word slightly is listed twice.

Fri, 10/10/2008 - 13:46 — Chris McCarthy

DDT

Thanks for your help DDT!

Sun, 10/12/2008 - 08:27 — kissiren

rose??

rose or raise??

Mon, 10/13/2008 - 06:49 — Chris McCarthy

raise or rise

raise / raised / raised (transitive verb) e.g. 'Raise your hand.'
rise / rose / risen (intransitive verb) e.g. 'The sun rose.'

Mon, 10/20/2008 - 12:03 — Ali

Sales rose

1. Sales rose gradually through the year.
2. Sales rose steadily over the year.
Please let me know what is the defference between in above two statement. They seems similar.

Mon, 10/20/2008 - 13:09 — Chris McCarthy

gradually steadily

Both show an upward movement; however, gradually shows a smaller increase than steadily.

Fri, 05/15/2009 - 20:35 — Yura

I have never done such

I have never done such exercise. It's someting marvellous, excellent!!!. I'll try to do it tomorrow once again. SUPER! Sleepy

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 13:53 — Natalysmart

Nataly Very interesting

Nataly

Very interesting task, but are the "steadily" and "gradually" the same? I put them in another way because it seems to me that "gradually" is increasing faster.

Thu, 08/20/2009 - 13:56 — Natalysmart

Nataly I am sorry, I didn't

Nataly

I am sorry, I didn't read the posts before where I found the answer for my question

Fri, 11/27/2009 - 08:12 — geofatma

pretty important

thanks a lot for this nice lesson.

Wed, 02/03/2010 - 19:11 — kristin b

Very useful lesson

I managed them all. But I still have a question to the last graph definition:
Sales fell steadily through over the year.

Why do you say "through over the year"? I think I would have said either "through the year" or "over the year", not both. Is this right, and if it is, why?