Some More Advanced Trend Vocabulary

7/27/2019 Some More Advanced Trend Vocabulary

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Some more advanced trend vocabulary

Are you looking for a band score of 7 or over? If so, then you need to think about using some

more advanced vocabulary. You will find here some suggestions for useful language to describe

trends in charts and graphs in academic part 1. In each case, I list some words and phrases andgive you some notes on how to use them. Also check out the groovy interactive exercises to test

your skills.

Test yourself first

upward trends downward trends adjectives and adverbs

Verbs

These verbs are alternatives to the basic rise and fall vocabulary. One benefit of using them is

that sometimes they help you avoid repeating too many numbers. If you have a strong verb, you

don‟t always have to give the exact figure.

Up verbs

Notes:

“Soar “and “rocket” are both very strong words that describe large rises. “Rocket” ismore sudden. You probably do not need to qualify these verbs with adverbs.

“Leap” shows a large and sudden rise. Again, you probably do not need to qualify it with

an adverb.

“Climb” is a relatively neutral verb that can be used with the adverbs below.

Down verbs

http://www.dcielts.com/exercises/trend.htm


http://www.dcielts.com/exercises/trend2.htm









Notes:

“Plummet” is the strongest word here. It means to fall very quickly and a long way.

“Drop” and “drop” are normally used for fairly small decreases

“Slip back” is used for falls that come after rises

“Drop” and “Dip” are also frequently used as nouns: eg “a slight dip” “a sudden drop”

Adjectives and adverbs

This is a selection of some of the most common adjectives and adverbs used for trend language.Please be careful. This is an area where it is possible to make low-level mistakes. Make sure that

you use adjectives with nouns and adverbs with verbs:

a significant rise – correct (adjective/noun)

rose significantly – correct (adverb/verb)

a significantly rise – wrong wrong wrong

Please also note the spelling of the adverbs. There is a particular problem with the word

“dramatically:

dramatically – correct

dramaticly – wrong

dramaticaly – wrong

Adjectives of degree



notes

“sudden” and “sharp” can be used of relatively minor changes that happen quickly

“spectacular” and “dramatic” are very strong words only to used to big, big, big changes

Steady adjectives

Small adjectives

notes

“marginal” is a particularly useful word for describing very small changes

Other useful adjectives



These adjectives can be used to describes more general trends

notes

“overall” can be used to describe changes in trend over the whole period: very useful in

introductions and conclusions

“upward” and “downward” are adjectives: the adverbs are “upwards” and “downwards”

Read more: Trend vocabulary for academic IELTS task 1 charts and graphsDominic Cole's

IELTS and Beyond http://www.dcielts.com/task-1-2/trend-vocabulary-ielts/#ixzz2cf4vKByl

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IELTS Task 1:

How to respond when given 2 data sources

Article contributed by Ryan Higgins, ieltsielts.com

One of the most common questions I am asked as an IELTS instructor is how to link multipledata sources together. Often, students find it difficult to express the relationship between more

than 1 data source. In this article, written exclusively for www.ExamEnglish.com, I am going to

offer some insights regarding Task 1 response writing when given more than 1 data source to

analyze.

To get us started, let‟s look at the following example table and graph:

Glasgow age demographics (1998)

0-12 14%

13-19 12%

20-34 16%

35-49 20%

50-64 24%

64+ 14%

When looking at these 2 data sources, a few things should jump out as us. Firstly, according to

the table, in 1998 Glasgow had a population that was heavily weighted with people aged between

35 and 64. Many would rightfully call this an aging population. Our graph shows a steady risein average annual hospital visits between 1980 and 2010. So the obvious link between the 2 data

sources is that as Glasgow residents get older, hospital visitation increases.

Students rarely have problems making these sorts of connections between data. They do have

problems, however, when it comes to relaying this information accurately in writing. So what isthe ideal Task 1 structure when you are given multiple data sources?

The best way to respond to a Task 1 question is to allot a paragraph to each data source and an

additional paragraph to describing the relationship between them. Thus, in the case of this table

and graph, our basic Task 1 writing structure is going to have 3 paragraphs and look like this:

Paragraph 1 – Analyzing data source 1 (table)

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A sentence describing the first data source and the broad trend it depicts

A sentence outlining the minor and minute details of the data source

Another sentence outlining the minor and minute details of the data source (if needed)

Paragraph 2 – Analyzing data source 2 (graph)

A sentence describing the second data sourceand the broad trend it depicts

A sentence outlining the minor and minute details of the data source

Another sentence outlining the minor and minute details of the data source (if needed)

Paragraph 3 – Brief description of the relationship between the data types

A sentence explaining the relationship between the sources

A sentence for further explanation (if needed)

A sentence elaborating or commenting on what this relationship means or what perhaps caused

it

A sentence summarizing, predicting or commenting on the data presented

In both paragraph 1 and 2, we are simply going to recite each data source individually, stating

precisely what each source shows. In paragraph 3, we interpret the data source relationship.

So, in the case of our Glasgow example above, we‟d write our response something like this:

The table presents Glasgow age demographics in 1998 and appears to reveal an aging

population within the city. Children and teenage Glasgow residents make up 14 and 12 percent

of Glasgow’s overall population respectively. People between 20 and 34 account for 16 percent

of the total Glasgow population and this figure grows by increments of 4 percent for the following 2 demographics, those between 35 and 49 and those between 50 and 64. The elderly

demographic is equal to that of Glasgow children. The chart shows the average annual number of hospital trips a Glasgow person makes. The figures given between 1960 ad 1980 appear to only waver slightly, at roughly 2.3 trips per

year. However, a steady climb is seen over the next 30 years, with Glasgow people ultimately

reaching 3.2 annual hospital visits in 2010.

What you can see above is a clear picture of both data sources. By simply reading the

description, a person could recreate the table and graph this data comes from.

Now to show the relationship between the 2 data sources, we would commence writing our third

paragraph:

It is clear when looking at the table and graph comparatively that Glasgow has an aging

population and that this is cause for the increased annual hospital visits. It is assumed baby-boomers play cause to this abnormal weighting. As these older Glasgow demographics continue

to age, it is expected that the annual number of hospital visits will also rise.



What you can see here is 3 sentences. The first outlines the nature of the relationship between

the 2 data sources. The second provides a quick comment on the possible cause and the third

gives a prediction for what the future of the data might look like.

Thus basically our overall response involves 2 paragraphs that present information and 1

paragraph that interprets it. Let‟s read through our entire response from start to finish:

The table presents Glasgow age demographics in 1998 and appears to reveal an aging

population within the city. Children and teenage Glasgow residents make up 14 and 12 percent of Glasgow’s overall population respectively. People between 20 and 34 account for 16 percent

of the total Glasgow population and this figure grows by increments of 4 percent for the next 2

demographics, those between 35 and 49 and those between 50 and 64. The elderly demographic

is equal to that of Glasgow children. The chart shows the average annual number of hospital trips a Glasgow person makes. The

figures given between 1960 ad 1980 appear to only waver slightly, at roughly 2.3 trips per

year. However, a steady climb is seen over the next 30 years, with Glasgow people ultimately

reaching 3.2 annual hospital visits in 2010. It is clear when looking at the table and graph comparatively that Glasgow has an aging

population and that this is cause for the increased annual hospital visits. It is assumed baby-

boomers play cause to this abnormal weighting. As these older Glasgow demographics continueto age, it is expected that the annual number of hospital visits will also rise.

As you can see, responding to Task 1 questions that pose more than 1 data source are much

easier when you employ an effective writing structure.

Good luck with your exam!



Academic Writing: Part 2

Introductions and Conclusions

Most students know that essays should start with an introduction and end with a conclusion.

However, beginning and ending the essay is often far more difficult than writing the main body.

Introductions are especially difficult because they give the examiner his or her first impression of your essay writing skills. Conclusions are the last thing the examiner will read before deciding

your grade! Therefore, it‟s important to know what should and should not be included in each of

these sections.

Introductions

The purpose of an introduction is to clarify what you understand the title to mean. You may

also want to mention briefly why this is an important issue. Finally you need to outline how

you intend to answer the question. Let‟s examine each of these ideas in more detail.

1. Clarifying the meaning of the titleWhat are you being asked to do? Define any keywords. If there are no words which require a

definition, it is still a good idea to interpret any keywords in the title. Look at this essay title, for

example:

Illiteracy has traditionally been viewed as a third world problem. However, in developed

countries, illiteracy is increasing. Examine possible causes for this and its effect on society.

You should define „illiteracy‟ in the introduction. It‟s also important to make it clear that youunderstand the difference between „third world‟ and „developed‟ countries. You also might want

to interpret the word „society‟. What exactly does „society‟ mean in the context of this essay?

Clarifying this will help you to write a focused, relevant essay.

2. Mention briefly why this is an important issue.

You may want to include one sentence addressing why this issue is interesting or important, andto whom. However, take care. Students often begin essays with a statement such as „Illiteracy is

a hot topic in today‟s society‟. Try to avoid this. It sounds as if you are reciting a phrase you

have learnt and you are not thinking about the issue itself. Consider why illiteracy is important,

who it affects and whose job it is to solve the problem.

3. Outline how you intend to answer the questionThis is a very important part of the introduction. The last sentence of your introduction should

outline exactly what you aim to do in your essay, and how you aim to do it. This sentence is

called the Thesis Statement. The thesis statement is very similar to the title. For example, asuitable thesis statement for the title above could be:

This essay will firstly describe some reasons why illiteracy is increasing in developed

countries, and then examine the effect of illiteracy on society.

A good thesis statement will show the reader how the essay will be structured. For example, by

reading the thesis statement above, the examiner will know the number of sections in the essay,



and the topic of each paragraph. He or she will also know that the writer understands the

question in the title and is addressing it directly. Obviously, you cannot write a good thesis

statement unless you have planned your essay outline first.

One more important thing to remember is that you must not start answering the question in the

introduction. Do this in the main body of the essay.

Conclusions

Conclusions are actually quite simple. The purpose of the conclusion is to answer the question

in the title. Do this by referring to the points you have already made in the main body. Don‟t

repeat whole sentences, just summarise the main points. It is also important that you do not raiseany new ideas in the conclusion. The conclusion need not be long. Keep it brief and make sure it

is directly related to the question.



Academic Writing: Part 2

Answering the Question

In your academic essay, a considerable number of points are available according to how well youanswer the question in the title. Therefore, it‟s very important to make sure you understand the

title fully before you begin. Don‟t just find a keyword in the title and start writing. Examine the question carefully first.

You need to consider:

1. How many things are you being asked to do?Some essay titles may have two parts, so make sure you address both questions.

2. What are the question words in the title?

Make sure you understand what the question words mean. Here are a few of the commonest

question words:

Explain: If you explain something, you give reasons why it happens.

Discuss: If a question asks you to discuss a statement, you should consider the topic from

different, opposing viewpoints. Don’t just write about your own opinion; discuss two or more

sides of the argument. Conclude by giving your own point of view, based on the ideas you raised

in the essay.

To what extent…: ‘To what extent…’ means ‘how much…’ These questions often ask you

whether or not you agree with a statement, and should be tackled in the same way as a Discuss

question.

Evaluate/Assess: If you evaluate or assess something, you decide how good it is. The best way

to approach this is to examine the good points and then consider the negative aspects. In the

conclusion, state how good it is overall.

Illustrate: If you are asked to illustrate something, you need to use examples to support your

ideas.

IELTS academic writing essay topics are very varied. You could be asked about anything fromArchitecture to Zoology, and you may feel you know nothing at all about the subject.

Nevertheless, it is very important that you keep to the topic. Don‟t stray onto something else. So,how can you get ideas about a question that you know very little about?

Firstly, divide your essay up into manageable sections. If it is a „discuss‟ question, these sections

will be „Agreement with the statement‟ and „Disagreement with the statement‟. If it‟s an„evaluate‟ question, they will be „positive aspects‟ and „negative aspects‟.



Next, spend some time brainstorming. On rough paper, note down any ideas you can think of. If

your mind goes blank, try some of these ideas.

1. Consider the question from other people‟s points of view. What would a parent‟s opinion be?

What about an elderly person or a teenager? Would a man‟s opinion be the same as a woman‟s?

Would people from different countries have different opinions? How would the point of view of a politician differ from that of a conservationist or a businessperson?

2. If you‟re still stuck for ideas, think about the question from these different angles.

The economy: Is the issue expensive to solve? Who will pay for it? Or can this issue make

money?

The environment: How will animal life, soil, the air and water supplies be affected by this

issue?

Society: How will the issue affect people’s lives, their health and relationships?

Don‟t spend too long brainstorming. You only need two or three ideas for each paragraph.However, it‟s worth trying to come up with some examples to support your ideas. Don‟t worry,

you don‟t need to be an expert. You may have read about something in a newspaper, or seen a

programme on television which you can use to illustrate your points. Mention people, buildings,

places or festivals from your home country. It doesn‟t matter whether or not the examiner hasheard of them. As long as you describe them fully, the examiner will accept your answer.

Let‟s look at an example:

As computers are being used more and more in education, teachers wil l soon be unnecessary.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

1. Divide your essay in to sections This is a „To what extent…‟ question. Therefore it should be divided into two parts: „Agreement

with the statement‟, and „Disagreement with the statement‟.

2. Brainstorm some ideas:

Agreement with the statement:

Computers hold more information than a teacher

E.g. the Internet, websites, CD Roms

Lots of activities can be done on a computer

E.g. design software, videos

Children have been educated by computers for a long time in isolated places

E.g. central Australia

Disagreement with the statement:



Teacher has a role in disciplining children

Teacher has a role in encouraging and inspiring children

3. You now have a structure for the main body of your essay, and it answers the question

perfectly. Now you just need to add an introduction and a conclusion, and write it up!

http://www.examenglish.com/IELTS/ielts_writing_task2_Introductions_and_Conclusions.htm






Structure is very important in IELTS writing task 2. An IELTS essay should be written in a way that shows you can develop your ideas in a logicalway. This is also true of the introduction.

Here ia a very good example from the BBC website.called "Is the internet going to be the death

of television?" by Fiona Graham.

Read the introduction.

How is it organized?

How many sentences are there?

What does each sentences do?

Does the writer introduce the topic and ideas? In what order?

Does she tell you what she is going to discuss (state her aims)?

In August 2010, the end of the age of television as we know it was widely predicted. The US pay

TV market had suffered its first ever drop in subscribers. In the end the economy was roundly

found to blame, with cable packages being sacrificed as families were forced to tighten their

belts. But some commentators pointed to this as the inevitable result of the growth of on demand and over the top offerings available on the internet. So is technology killing what we think of as

traditional television - and taking pay TV operators with it?

Look again at how the introduction is written. There are 3 parts.

1 - Introduce the topic = In August 2010, the end of the age of television as we know it waswidely predicted.

2 - State the question / problem for discussion = The US pay TV market had suffered its first

ever drop in subscribers. In the end the economy was roundly found to blame, with cable packages being sacrificed as families were forced to tighten their belts. But some commentators

pointed to this as the inevitable result of the growth of on demand and over the top offerings

available on the internet.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13377164




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3 - State your aims / rewrite the question = So is technology killing what we think of as

traditional television - and taking pay TV operators with it?

This can also be used as a good model for IELTS task 2 introductions.

So, a typical task 2 introduction could be

1 - Introduce the topic

2 - State the question / problem for discussion

3 - State your aims / rewrite the question

This technique is quite often used in academic writing and journalism.

Here are some more examples which follow this introduction style.

Can celebrities expect privacy? By Genevieve Hassan http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-14151678

Is smoking in cars dangerous? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14142992

Plagiarism: The Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V boom http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12613617

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-14151678



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14142992







Documents

Some More Advanced Trend Vocabulary