DESCRIBING GRAPHS AND CHARTS

The function of a line graph is to describe a TREND pictorially. You

therefore should try and describe the trend in it. If there are many
lines in the graph(s), then ust generally describe the trend. If there
is only one or t!o, then use more detail. "o, describe the mo#ement
of the line(s) of the graph gi#ing numerical detail at the important
points of the line.
To describe the mo#ement, there is some language !hich !ill
al!ays be useful. $elo! is a list of language you can use. %hec& !ith
your dictionary !ords that you don't understand and practice using
the !ords(phrases so you use them in the right !ay. )s you !ill see,
there are a number of !ords !hich are similar in meaning. This
means that you !ill be able to use a #ariety of #ocabulary !hich
gi#es a good impression to the e*aminer !ho !ill read and mar&
your !riting. The !ords belo! are particularly useful for line graphs
but they can also be used !here appropriate to describe the other
types of graph.
Expressing the Movement of a Line
VERBS NOUNS

Rise (to) a rise
Increase (to) an increase
+o up to
+ro! (to) gro!th
%limb (to) a climb
$oom a boom
,ea& (at) (reach) a pea&
(at)

-all (to) a fall (of)
Decline (to) a decline (of)
Decrease (to) a decrease (of)
Dip (to) a dip (of)
Drop (to) a drop (of)
+o do!n (to)
Reduce (to) a reduction (of)
) slump

.e#el out a le#eling out
No change no change
Remain stable
(at)

Remain steady
(at)

"tay (at)
"tay constant
(at)

/aintain the
same le#el


ADJECTIVES ADVERBS

Dramatic dramatically
"harp sharply
0uge hugely
Enormous enormously
"teep steeply
"ubstantial substantially
%onsiderable considerably
"igni1cant signi1cantly
/ar&ed mar&edly
/oderate moderately
"light slightly
"mall
/inimal minimally

Describing the Speed of a Change

)decti#es )d#erbs

Rapid rapidly
2uic& 3uic&ly
"!ift s!iftly
"udden suddenly
"teady steadily
+radual gradually
"lo! slo!ly
"ource4 http4((!!!.ieltshelpno!.com(academic5!riting5test56.html
QUESTION S
6. 7hat is the line graph about8
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9. 7hat is the busiest time of day at the store8
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5
:. )t !hat time does business start to slo! do!n8
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;. 0o! many people are in the store !hen it opens8
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<. )bout ho! many people are in the store at 94:= pm8
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>. 7hat !as the greatest number of people in the store8
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?. 7hat !as the least number of people in the store8
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DE"%RI$E T0E /@AE/ENT @- T0E .INE IN T0E +R),0 B"IN+ T0E
.)N+B)+E )$@AE
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7rite se#en 3uestions about the graph
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DE"%RI$E T0E /@AE/ENT @- T0E .INE IN T0E +R),0 B"IN+ T0E
.)N+B)+E )$@AE
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Sample task
You should spend about 20 mnutes on ths tas!"
Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information in the graphs belo!
#$te at least %&0 'o$ds"
"our task
Complete the tas! one $epo$t '$tn( e)e$*se abo+e" Spend onl, 20 mnutes" Then loo! at the
(udelnes and the sample ans'e$ belo'"
Sample anser #
The pe *ha$ts *ompa$e the h(hest le+el o- edu*aton a*he+ed b, 'omen n Someland a*$oss t'o
,ea$s. %/0& and %//&" It *an be *lea$l, seen that 'omen $e*e+ed a mu*h h(he$ le+el o- edu*aton n
Someland n %//& than the, dd n %/0&"
In %/0& onl, 102 o- 'omen *ompleted the$ se*onda$, edu*aton and %2 'ent on to a -$st de($ee" No
'omen had *ompleted post3($aduate studes" Ths stuaton had *han(ed $ad*all, b, %//&" In %//&.
/02 o- 'omen n Someland had *ompleted se*onda$, edu*aton and o- those. hal- had ($aduated -$om
an ntal de($ee and 202 had (one on to post($aduate studes" At the othe$ end o- the s*ale 'e *an see
that b, %//& all ($ls 'e$e *ompletn( lo'e$ se*onda$,. althou(h %02 ended the$ s*hooln( at ths
pont" Ths s n sta$! *ont$ast 'th %/0& 'hen onl, 102 o- ($ls *ompleted p$ma$, s*hool. 1&2 had
no s*hooln( at all and 1&2 onl, *ompleted the th$d ($ade"
In *on*luson. 'e *an see that n the &0 ,ea$s -$om %/0& to %//& the$e ha+e been hu(e post+e
de+elopments to the edu*aton le+els o- 'omen n Someland"
Teacher's comments on the sample answer
4The $epo$t st$u*tu$e s *lea$ and 'ell o$(ansed 'th an nt$odu*ton. bod, and *on*luson" The
*anddate uses a +a$et, o- ($ammat*al st$u*tu$es and +o*abula$, so that the '$tn( s not $epett+e"
In te$ms o- tas! $e5u$ements. the $epo$t meets the 'o$d lmt" Althou(h the *anddate has not n*luded
e+e$, -(u$e p$esented n the *ha$ts. the ans'e$ does a**u$atel, $e-le*t the *ontent o- the ($aph*
mate$al and (+es a st$on( mp$esson o- the t$end o- *han(e n the edu*aton o- 'omen 'h*h s the
man pont o- the *ompa$son o- those pa$t*ula$ *ha$ts" The sample ans'e$ abo+e s the$e-o$e a +e$,
(ood one"6
Strategies for improving your IE$TS score
Selecting information
In *ompletn( ths tas!. t s mpo$tant that ,ou -ull, des*$be all o- the ($aph* n-o$maton (+en"
7o'e+e$. ths does not mean that ,ou should note e+e$, detal" In most *ases the$e 'll be too mu*h
n-o$maton -o$ ,ou to menton ea*h -(u$e" You 'll the$e-o$e need to summa$se the ($aph n
meann(-ul se(ments" In othe$ 'o$ds. ,ou 'll des*$be the s(n-*ant t$ends n ,ou$ $epo$t"
%eport structure
As n the lne ($aphs tas!. ,ou$ $epo$t should be st$u*tu$ed smpl, 'th an nt$odu*ton. bod, and
*on*luson" Tenses should be used app$op$atel,"
Use t'o standa$d openn( senten*es to nt$odu*e the ($aph o$ ($aphs and ,ou$ $epo$t" These openn(
senten*es should ma!e up the -$st pa$a($aph" Senten*e one should de-ne 'hat the ($aph s about. that
s the date. lo*aton. 'hat s ben( des*$bed n the ($aphs et*" 8o$ e)ample9
The pie charts compare the highest level of education achieved by women in Someland across two
years, 1945 and 1995.
Not*e that n the sn(le lne ($aph 'e sad that :the ($aph sho's; but 'th t'o *ha$ts 'e *an mo$e
a**u$atel, sa, :the pe *ha$ts *ompa$e<"
Note the tense used" E+en thou(h t des*$bes n-o$maton -$om the past. the ($aph sho's the
n-o$maton n the p$esent tme"
Not*e that the sample openn( senten*e does not smpl, *op, the 'o$ds used on the ($aph* mate$al"
Coped senten*es 'll not be assessed b, the e)amne$ and so ,ou 'aste ,ou$ tme n*ludn( them"
Senten*e t'o =and possbl, th$ee> m(ht sum up the o+e$all t$end" 8o$ e)ample9
It can be clearly seen that women received a much higher level of education in Someland in 1995 than
they did in 1945.
Not*e the Smple ?ast tense s used" 7e$e 'e a$e tal!n( about 'hat happened n the past"
The bod, o- the $epo$t 'll des*$be the *ha$t o$ *ha$ts n detal" You 'll need to de*de on the most
*lea$ and lo(*al o$de$ to p$esent the mate$al" In ths *ase t m(ht be best to 'o$! th$ou(h the *ha$ts
one b, one"
Ideall, ,ou$ $epo$t should end 'th one o$ t'o senten*es 'h*h summa$se ,ou$ $epo$t o$ d$a' a
$ele+ant *on*luson"
&rammar and vocabulary
You 'll $e*e+e a h(he$ ma$! - ,ou$ '$tn( uses a $an(e o- st$u*tu$es and +o*abula$, *o$$e*tl,
$athe$ than a lmted numbe$"
?e *ha$ts (ene$all, sho' -(u$es n pe$*enta(es and ,ou$ lan(ua(e n '$tn( the $epo$t should $e-le*t
ths" You 'll tal! about :the pe$*enta(e o- ($aduates< o$ the :p$opo$ton o- people 'ho *ompleted
se*onda$, s*hool<"
@a!e su$e that ,ou a$e *on-dent 'th *ompa$at+es and supe$lat+es used to *ompa$e and *ont$ast and
the lan(ua(e used to des*$be pe *ha$ts"
'omparing and contrasting
One syllable
AdAe*t+es 'th one s,llable -o$m the$ *ompa$at+es and supe$lat+es l!e ths9
(ositive 'omparative Superlative
*heap *heape$ *heapest
la$(e la$(e$ la$(est
b$(ht b$(hte$ b$(htest
E)ceptions*
(ood bette$ best
bad 'o$se 'o$st
To syllables
Some adAe*t+es 'th t'o s,llables -o$m the$ *ompa$at+es and supe$lat+es l!e ths9
(ositive 'omparative Superlative
p$ett, p$ette$ p$ettest
happ, happe$ happest
+ut many form their comparatives and superlatives like this*
st$!n( mo$e st$!n( most st$!n(
,lthough some can form their comparatives and superlatives like this*
*ommon mo$e *ommon most *ommon
*le+e$ mo$e *le+e$ B *le+e$est most *le+e$ B *le+e$est
Three or more syllables
All adAe*t+es 'th th$ee o$ mo$e s,llables -o$m the$ *ompa$at+es and supe$lat+es l!e ths9
(ositive 'omparative Superlative
att$a*t+e mo$e att$a*t+e most att$a*t+e
p$o-table mo$e p$o-table most p$o-table
e)pens+e mo$e e)pens+e most e)pens+e
E)ercise
#hat a$e the *ompa$at+e and supe$lat+e -o$ms o- these adAe*t+es9
(ositive 'omparative Superlative
a**u$ate
use-ul
*on+enent
*o$$e*t
dan(e$ous
happ,
l!el,
mode$n
ne'
possble
p$obable
Sho' Ans'e$s 3 7de Ans'e$s
-escribing one part of the chart
Sta$tn( 'th the adAe*t+e9
The highest
The greatest
The loest
The most
, significant
The smallest
The largest
percentage of
proportion of
number of
omen
cars sold
holiday makers
are employed in the . category
are red
come from Spain
Sta$tn( 'th the subAe*t9
%ed is the
(rofessional is the
Spain is the
most
second/third most
least
popular
prevalent
common
car colour
employment category
holiday destination
-escribing to parts of the chart
Sta$tn( 'th the adAe*t+e9
,s many
Tice as many
Three times as many
Not as many
red cars
omen
holiday makers
are sold
are employed in .
come from .
as 0
1ore
2ar more
1uch more
1any more
, lot more
Substantially more
'onsiderably more
Significantly more
Slightly more
2ractionally more
than
Sta$tn( 'th the subAe*t9
+lue cars are
Women are
Spain is
as
3uite as
4ust as
nearly as
almost as
common
popular
prevalent
as 0
not as
more
much more
far more
substantially more
considerably more
slightly more
fractionally more
less
much less
far less
considerably less
fractionally less
omen
cars sold
holiday makers
than