GRAPHS TECHNICAL LANGUAGE

GRAPHS

Decide which graph, A or B, is described in each paragraph below.
Then say what you think each graph represents


1 This graph shows that there was a steady downward trend in the activity for both X and Y. This trend which lasted for over 20 years then began to level out.
2 Activity X was at a peak from about 1975 until 1980, but there was a steep decline over the next 16 years and a corresponding increase in Activity Y.
Match each expression in bold to features on the graph.

Useful language

Adjectives Slight/marginal Steady/gradual Sharp/steep/rapid Marked/significant
Verbs Raise/increase Fall/decline/decrease Be at/reach a peak Level out Remain steady exceed
Nouns increase/rise(in) decrease/decline/fall/downward trend (in)
Time expressions in(about) 2000 since 1999 for(nearly/just over/more than) ten years Between 1994 and 2004 during the period 1994 to 2004
Adverbs slightly/steadily/gradually sharply/steeply/rapidly

Fill in the blanks to describe the graph C.

Over the period 1971 to 1997 as a whole, there was
1.................................in the consumption of butter and margarine and a .........................in the consumption of low-fat spreads. Butter was the most popular fat at the beginning of the period, and consumption .....................of about 150grams per person per week in about 1975. Since then, there has been................................. In 1981, the consumption of margarine .....................that of butter for the first time, but since 1987 there has been..........................in the consumption of margarine which seems set to continue. Low-fat spreads were introduced ..................., and there has been....................................in their consumption since then, so that by about the...............................they were more popular than either butter or margarine.

Another - using the same graphs, but perhaps to use the following week:
After the introduction of low-and-reduced fat spreads in 1984, there was a ..........................in its consumption, while that of Margarine..........................during that time. The amount of people consuming butter ..............................between 1971 and 1974 when Margarine was at a ................................. But then the consumption of Margarine................................and in 1981 it.....................that of Butter for the first time. At this time, the consumption of Margarine or Butter was.......................grams per person per week. The consumption of Margarine began to..........................between 1981 and 1986. It then ........................ between 1986 and .........................The consumption of Butter has been influenced by the introduction of margarine and low-and-reduced-fat spreads, with a .............................................for the last............................years. In 1993 the consumption of margarine and low-fat spreads .................. that of butter.

SYNONYMS
To practice vocabulary from different lessons you can use the following, for example:
Memory chains game for vocabulary connected with graphs, and simple shapes and reading and describing them. Where one word is underlined - only that word is replaced
Preparation: Photocopy, cut along the horizontal lines and fold along the middle to make double sided cards with the synonyms on the back:

The biggest The most
The smallest The least
The sum of all the parts The whole
Getting higher taller
To use a pencil to make shapes ~To draw

The place where two lines meet The point
There are four of these in a square Right angles, corners, equal sides
A part of a circle A curve, an arc
A four sided shape with four right-angles A Rectangle
Measured in square metres, for instance An area
How big something is Its size
How long a line is Its length, dimension
How wide a shape is Its width
How tall it is Its height
Slight increase Marginal increase
Steady decrease Steady decline
Sharp rise Steep rise
Sharp increase Sharp rise
Reach a peak Reach a maximum
Flatten out Level out
A steep decline A rapid decline
To stop falling To level out
A slight decline A slight fall/decrease/drop
A gradual decrease A gradual fall/decline/drop
The proportion The Ratio
A part, measured out of 100 The percentage
The lowest point The Minimum


Practice describing the activities in the following graphs:
Which graph shows .......................?