UNIT 5: HOW TO DESCRIBE

A CHART, GRAPH OR
TABLE
 HOW TO DESCRIBE A CHART,GRAPH
OR TABLE
1. INTRODUCTION:
Topic sentence describing what the data (displayed as a table,
graph or chart) is about.

2. GENERAL STATEMENT(S) ABOUT THE DATA:

What overall trends can you see?

3. DETAILED STATEMENTS ABOUT THE DATA :

Focus on the details that are relevant for your essay.

4. CONCLUSION:
Only one sentence which sums up what this data tells us or why
it is important to you argument.
A line graph or a line chart is a graphical display of
information that changes continuously over time. The
lines in a line graph can descend and ascend based
on the data.

A line graph provides a means in which to

compare two different types of information

A line graph has two axes. The x-axis and the y-

axis

The title of a line graph provides a general

overview of what is being displayed.
A bar graph is designed to show different values
of two or more subjects by using horizontal and
vertical bars.

 The bars can be plotted vertically or

horizontally. (A vertical bar chart is
sometimes called a Line graph).

 One axis of the chart shows the specific

categories being compared, and the other
axis represents a discrete value.
A pie chart is a circular statistical
graphic which is divided into slices to illustrate
numerical proportion.
Pie charts are very widely used in the
business world and the mass media.

However, many experts recommend avoiding

them because it is difficult to compare
different sections of a given pie chart, or to
compare data across different pie charts.
A table is the representation of data or
information in rows and columns.
Rows are also called a record or vector,
columns are also known as parameters,
fields, or attributes.

The point of intersection between a column

and a row is called a cell.

A table is used in research, data analysis, and

communication, and so on…
IDENTIFYING WHAT THE GRAPH IS ABOUT

KEY WORDS:
London Underground
Number of passengers/people
Travelling/using the underground during the day
 PUTTING TOGETHER YOUR TOPIC
SENTENCE
• HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES:

The graph shows the fluctuation in the number of people at a

London Underground station over the course of a day.
This graph shows the number of passengers travelling on the
London Underground during the day.

• The graph illustrates passenger numbers using the London

Underground during the course of the day
GO UP GO DOWN

increase decrease drop

climb
fall decline
grow dip
rise
HOW TO DESCRIBE TRENDS
• GO UP • GO DOWN

increase decrease drop

climb
fall decline
grow dip
rise
 MAKING A GENERAL STATEMENT ABOUT
THE DATA

• The graph shows/illustrates how passenger numbers

grow/increase/climb/rise during rush hour.
• The graph shows/illustrates how passenger numbers
fall/decrease/drop/decline/dip when rush hour has ended.
 DESCRIBING TRENDS
• GOING INTO DETAIL—You need to describe in detail particular
aspects of the data that prove the point that you are trying to
make in the essay.
• To do this you can use a verb and an adverb e.g Sales rose
sharply.
• Or an adjective and a noun. This is normally used with There
is/are ……
• There was/were…..
• There has been / have been…..
• e.g There was a sharp rise in sales.
• (Using an adjective and a noun is slightly more formal.)
 DESCRIBING UP TRENDS USING NOUNS AND
ADJECTIVES
ADJECTIVE ADJECTIVE NOUN
(amount of change ) (speed of change)
dramatic rapid rise
sharp quick increase
substantial swift recovery
A considerable slow growth
significant steady
slight immediate
consistent

The graph/chart shows a.. (adjective + noun)…in passenger numbers during……..

There is/was a.. (adjective+noun)…in passenger numbers during………..
DESCRIBING UP TRENDS USING VERBS
VERBS ADVERBS ADVERBS
(amount of change ) (speed of change)

rise dramatically rapidly

increase sharply quickly
substantially swiftly
recover
considerably slowly
go up significantly steadily
grow slightly immediately
consistently
 WHICH TENSE SHOULD I USE?
SIMPLE SIMPLE PRESENT
PRESENT PAST PERFECT
rise/rises rose has/have risen
Increase/increases increased has/have
recover/recovers recovered increased
go up/goes up went up has/have
grow/grows grew recovered
has/have gone up
has/have grown
 DESCRIBING UP TRENDS

Passenger numbers rose considerably between 6am and 8 am with a rise of

travellers from 100 to 400.
The number of underground travellers increases significantly between the hours
of 6 and 8 am peaking at 400 passengers.

Remember to be consistent with your use of tenses!

 DESCRIBING DOWN TRENDS USING
NOUNS AND ADJECTIVES
ADJECTIVE ADJECTIVE NOUN
(amount of change ) (speed of change)
dramatic rapid fall
sharp quick decrease
substantial swift decline
A considerable slow dropping off
significant steady
slight immediate
consistent

The graph/chart shows a.. (adjective + noun)…in passenger numbers during……..

There is/was a.. (adjective+noun)…in passenger numbers during………..
 DESCRIBING DOWN TRENDS
USING VERBS
VERBS ADVERBS ADVERBS
(amount of change ) (speed of change)

fall dramatically rapidly

decrease sharply quickly
substantially swiftly
decline
considerably slowly
go down significantly steadily
drop off slightly immediately
consistently
 WHICH TENSE SHOULD I USE?
SIMPLE SIMPLE PAST PRESENT
PRESENT PERFECT
fall/falls fell has/have fallen
decrease/decreases decreased has/have decreased
decline/declines has/have declined
declined
go down/goes down has/have gone
level off/levels off went down down
drop off/drops off levelled off has/have levelled off
dropped off has/have dropped
off
 DESCRIBING DOWN TRENDS

The number of passengers decreased consistently after 8 am from 400

passengers down to 200 by 10 am.

Passenger numbers drop off steadily after 8 am to reach 200 by 10 am.

Remember to be consistent with your use of tenses!

 HOW TO DESCRIBE TRENDS
•remain steady
•fluctuate
•increase slightly
•decrease dramatically
•decrease slightly
•increase rapidly
•rise dramatically
•plunge
•drop suddenly
•stay the same
•go up a little
•go down slightly
 MORE VERBS AND NOUNS
VERBS NOUNS
NO CHANGE NO CHANGE
flatten out a flattening out
stabilise a stabilisation
level off a levelling off
hold steady UP AND DOWN
remain stable a fluctuation
not change TO ITS MAXIMUM POINT
continue to be stable a peak
UP AND DOWN
fluctuate
TO ITS MAXIMUM POINT
peak
 WHICH TENSE SHOULD I USE
SIMPLE SIMPLE PAST PRESENT
PRESENT PERFECT
flatten out/flattens out flattened out have/has flattened out
stabilise/stabilises stabilised have/has stabilised
levelled off have/has levelled off
level off/levels off
held steady have/has held steady
hold steady/holds remained stable have/has remained stable
steady did not change have/has not changed
remain stable/remains continued to be stable have/has continued to be
stable stable
do/does not change
continue/continues to have/has fluctuated
be stable

fluctuated have/has peaked

fluctuate/fluctuates
peaked
peak/peaks
 DESCRIBING OTHER TRENDS

Passenger numbers peak at 8 am reaching 400 and again later in the

afternoon at 6pm.
The number of travellers using the underground peaked during the morning
and evening rush hour at 8 am and 6 pm when they reached 400.

Remember to be consistent with your use of tenses!

 DESCRIBING OTHER TRENDS

Passenger numbers flatten out between the hours of 12 and 2 pm where they
remain at 300.
Passenger numbers stabilised from 12pm to 2 pm where they remained at
300.
Remember to be consistent with your use of tenses!
 DESCRIBING OTHER TRENDS

Passenger numbers fluctuate considerably throughout the day recording the

biggest fluctuations between rush hour.

Passenger numbers fluctuated significantly during the day peaking at 400 and
dropping off to 100.
Remember to be consistent with your use of tenses!
 AND FINALLY……………….
SUMMING UP/CONCLUDING
· In summary we can see that...
· To sum up...
· In conclusion it can be seen that….
· It can be concluded from the data/information
that…
· Overall the data shows/indicates/suggests…
· Summarising the findings it can be seen that..
· Overall it appears that..
 YOUR CONCLUSION

In summary we can see that the busiest times on the London Underground
are at 8 am and at 6 pm. The quietest times are 6 am, 4 pm and after 8 pm.
Passenger numbers remain quite steady during the day.

Remember to be consistent with your use of tenses!