In IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, most line graphs and many bar charts ask you to describe change over time. Accurate, varied trend language is part of your Lexical Resource score, and using it in different sentence structures helps your Grammatical Range.
Verbs and nouns for trends
| Direction | Verbs | Nouns |
|---|---|---|
| Up | rise, increase, grow, climb | a rise, an increase, growth |
| Down | fall, decrease, decline, drop | a fall, a decrease, a decline, a drop |
| No change | remain stable, stay the same, level off | a period of stability |
| Up and down | fluctuate | fluctuations |
| Highest / lowest point | peak at, reach a high of / hit a low of | a peak, a low |
How much and how fast
| Size of change | Adjective (+ noun) | Adverb (+ verb) |
|---|---|---|
| Big | a sharp / significant / dramatic rise | rose sharply / significantly |
| Medium | a steady / moderate increase | increased steadily |
| Small | a slight / marginal fall | fell slightly |
| Fast / slow | a rapid / gradual decline | declined rapidly / gradually |
Two sentence patterns (use both)
Verb + adverb: The number of visitors rose sharply from 2 million in 2010 to 5 million in 2015.
There was + adjective + noun: There was a sharp rise in the number of visitors between 2010 and 2015.
Prepositions that cost marks
- rose to 5 million = the final figure. rose by 3 million = the amount of change.
- a rise of 3 million, a rise in visitor numbers.
- from 2010 to 2015 or between 2010 and 2015 (not "between 2010 to 2015").
Don't list every number. Choose the main trends and the key figures, and always include an overview. See how to write the Task 1 overview.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 'rose to' and 'rose by'?
'Rose to' gives the final figure (rose to 5 million). 'Rose by' gives the size of the change (rose by 3 million).
How many trend words should I use in Task 1?
Use enough variety to avoid repeating the same word, but accuracy matters more than quantity. Choose words that match the size of the change.
Should I describe every number on the graph?
No. Select the main trends and key figures, compare where relevant, and include a clear overview.
Is this vocabulary used in General Training Task 1?
No. General Training Task 1 is a letter. Trend vocabulary is for Academic Task 1 graphs and charts.