English as a Second Language: Pass All Your Exams!

IELTS Writing Task 1: Other Notes (1)

DESCRIBING CHANGE

Since the variables in graphs change, specific vocabulary is required to describe these changes. Depending on the change, you should use appropriate verbs, nouns and expressions, as shown below:

VERBS:

· increase

· go up

· improve rise (rose, risen)

· climb

· shoot up (shot up)

· soar

· surge

· double/ triple

NOUNS:

· increase

· rise

· growth

· upward trend

· improvement

· boom

· surge

VERBS:

· decrease

· decline

· go down

· fall ( - fell - fallen )

· drop

· deteriorate

· be reduced

· slump

· plunge

NOUNS:

· decrease

· decline

· downward trend

· fall

· drop

· deterioration

· reduction

· slump

· plunge

EXPRESSIONS:

· remain steady/ stable

· remain unchanged

· stay constant

· be at/ maintain

the same level

VERBS:

· stabilise

· level off

EXPRESSIONS:

· reach a plateau

VERBS:

· fluctuate

· rise and fall

EXPRESSIONS:

go up and down

NOUNS:

fluctuation

  VERBS/ NOUNS:

· peak

· climax

EXPRESSIONS:

reach a peak

reach a climax

DESCRIBING CHANGE: Prepositions

Depending on the change you want to describe, it is essential that you use the correct prepositions in your writing. Look at the following figures and the example sentences below:

1. NOUN + IN + NOUN (what the increase is in)

The increase in the university dropout rate was 2 % between 2000 and 2005.

There was a 2% increase in the university dropout rate between 2000 and 2005.

2. NOUN + OF + FIGURE (how much the increase is)

There was an increase of 2% in the university dropout rate between 2000 and 2005.

3. VERB+ BY + FIGURE (how much something has increased)

The university dropout rate increased by 2% between 2000 and 2005.

4. VERB + FROM + FIGURE + TO + FIGURE [(from what value) to what value sth. has increased]

The university dropout rate increased (from 9% in 2000) to 11% in 2005.

5. START / FINISH / REMAIN STABLE / LEVEL OFF / PEAK + AT + FIGURE

The university dropout rate started at 9% in 2000 and then levelled off at 11% in 2005.

6. GO UP AND DOWN / RISE AND FALL / FLUCTUATE + BETWEEN + FIGURE + AND + FIGURE

The university dropout rate fluctuated between 9% in 2000 and 11% in 2005.

VARIED SENTENCE STRUCTURES

It is important to vary sentence structures, so your writing does not sound monotonous.

One effective way of doing this is altering between noun and verb forms:

· There was a dramatic increase in X in 2008.

· X increased dramatically in 2008.