Which vocabulary can I use to describe trends in my IELTS Writing Task 1 answer?
In IELTS Writing Task 1, describe trends with phrases grouped by purpose: increase such as rise sharply, decrease such as decline sharply, variation, stability and plateau. Add comparison phrases for percentages. Task 1 asks you to describe, summarize or explain a graph, table, chart or diagram in your own words.
Task 1 asks you to describe, summarize or explain a graph, table, chart or diagram in your own words, so you need phrases for each kind of movement. Group your vocabulary by purpose and you will find the right phrase faster.
Trend Vocabulary by Purpose
| Purpose | Example phrases |
|---|---|
| Introduction | The table, graph or chart provides information about...; The chart illustrates...; According to the chart... |
| Increase | a significant increase; a considerable growth; to rise sharply; to show an upward trend |
| Decrease | a sharp fall; a significant drop; to decline sharply; to hit the lowest point |
| Variation | a considerable variation; a slight fluctuation; to vary considerably |
| Stability | a period of stability; to remain stable; to remain constant |
| Plateau | to reach a plateau; to level off; to flatten out |
Percentages and Comparisons
- Percentages: a large or small percentage; just under or over a figure; a percentage increase or decrease.
- Comparisons: to be slightly or significantly higher or lower than...; two, three or four times higher or lower than...
- Ranking: to remain the highest or lowest; to be closely followed by...
My Advice
Do not memorize a list and force it into every answer. Pick two or three phrases for each movement type, practice using them on sample graphs, and match the phrase to what the data actually shows. Check the official IELTS page for the latest task descriptions.
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