What the exam asks
- Identify each item’s overall direction and the most significant changes: peaks, troughs, crossovers, fluctuations and stable periods.
- Quantify those changes with accurate figures, approximations, fractions and multiples.
- Compare the series: which rose faster, when one overtook another, and whether the gap widened or narrowed.
- Use the right tense for the time frame, including projected data.
A Band 7+ report on a trend visual has an overview of the main trends. Its body paragraphs group the series by behaviour, not year by year, and its trend language is varied and error-free.
Core ideas
Two grammar patterns for every trend
Pattern A (verb + adverb): Sales rose sharply in 2020. Pattern B (adjective + noun): There was a sharp rise in sales in 2020.
| Movement | Verbs (Pattern A) | Nouns (Pattern B) |
|---|---|---|
| Up | rise, increase, grow, climb, surge, soar, jump | a rise, an increase, growth, a climb, a surge, a jump |
| Down | fall, decrease, decline, drop, dip, plunge, plummet | a fall, a decrease, a decline, a drop, a dip, a plunge |
| No change | remain stable, stay constant, level off, plateau, stabilise | a period of stability, a plateau, a levelling-off |
| Up and down | fluctuate (around 40%) | fluctuations |
| Highest / lowest | peak at, reach a peak of, hit a low of, bottom out at | a peak, a high, a low, a trough |
| Degree (adverb / adjective) | Speed (adverb / adjective) |
|---|---|
| dramatically / dramatic, sharply / sharp, significantly / significant, considerably / considerable, moderately / moderate, slightly / slight, marginally / marginal |