Dates, Months & Years related vocabulary and grammar:

» From 1990 to 2000, Starting from 1980, Between 1995 and 2005, After 2012.
» By 1995, In 1998, In February, Over the period, During the period, During 2011.
» In the first half of the year, For the first quarter, The last quarter of the year, During
the first decade.
» In the 80s, In the 1980s, During the next 6 months, In the mid-70s, Next 10 years,
Previous year, Next year, Between 1980 – 1990, From 1991 to 1995.
» Within a time span of ten years, within five years.
» Next month, Next quarter, Next year, Previous month, Previous year.
» Since, Then, From, At, In, By

Percentage, Portion and Numbers:

Percentages:
10% increase, 25 percent decrease, increased by 15%, dropped by 10 per cent, fall
at 50%, reached to 75%, tripled, doubled, one-fourth, three-quarters, half, double
fold, treble, 5 times higher, 3 timers lower, declined to about 49%, stood exactly at
43%

Fractions:
4% = A tiny fraction
24% = Almost a quarter
25% Exactly a quarter
26% = Roughly one quarter
32% Nearly one-third, nearly a third
49% = Around a half, just under a hal
50% Exactly a half
51% = Just over a half
73% = Nearly three quarters
77% = Approximately three quarter, more than three-quarter
79% = Well over three quarters

Proportions:
2% = A tiny portion, a very small proportion
4% = An insignificant minority, an insignificant proportion
16% = A small minority, a small portion
70% = A large proportion.
72% = A significant majority, A significant proportion
89% = A very large proportion.
89% = A very large proportion.

Useful Vocabulary to make Comparison and Contrast:

» Similarly, Meanwhile.
» However, On the contrary, On the other hand, In contrast.
* Almost the same as ... Nearly the same as ...
* Exactly the same ...The same as ...

Make sure you the appropriate comparative and superlative form of the words when
you make a comparison.
Here is a basic overview of the comparative and superlative forms to help you
remember what you already know.

One Syllable
Adjectives with one syllable form their comparatives and superlatives form. In your
academic writing task 1, you will often use such comparison and contrast related
words.
cheap » cheaper » cheapest || large » larger » largest ||
bright » brighter » brightest etc.

Exceptions:
good » better » best || bad » worse » worst etc.

Examples:
1. The fast food items in uptown restaurants were comparatively cheaper than that
of city restaurants.
2. The largest proportion of water was used in the agriculture sector in most of the
Asian countries while the European countries used the highest percentage of water
for industrial purposes.
3. The price of the book in store A is cheaper than the price of store B.
4. The temperature decreased further and that made the weather condition worse.
5. The temperature was better in the mid-April but in mid-July, it became worse.

Two Syllables
Some adjectives with two syllables form their comparatives and superlatives:
high » higher » highest || big » bigger » biggest etc.

Examples:
1. Customers were happier than now, according to the survey, as the price was
cheaper in 1992.
 2. The overall production level of this company made the authority happier as it
was doubled in the last quarter of the year.

But many form their comparatives and superlatives using 'more':

striking » more striking » most striking || common » more common » most
common tc.

Three or more Syllables

All adjectives with three or more syllables form their comparatives and superlatives
using 'more' & 'most':
attractive » more attractive » most attractive || profitable » more
profitable » most profitable || expensive » more expensive » most expensive.

Making Comparisons

• More/few/less + noun + than

Example:
Overall, more people preferred public transport than taxis.

1. of one syllable -er + than

Example:
A higher number of people preferred public transport than taxis.

1. More/less + adj. of more than one syllable + than

Example:
Taxis were more popular than public transport.

1. of one syllable -est.

Example:
The highest % of commuters preferred taxis.

1. The most/least + adj. of more than one syllable.

Example:
The least popular mode of transport was buses.

Examples:
1. Custom-made cars were more expensive in 2014 than they are now.
2. The factory offered more attractive overtime rates and that motivated more
employees to work for extra times.

Vocabulary to present Linkers:

However, On the other hand, Similarly, On the contrary, Meanwhile, In contrast, By
comparison.

Examples of sentences: Comparison

1. The number of male doctors in this city was greater than the number of female
doctors.
2. The number of European programmers who attended the seminar was fewer than
the number of Asian programmers.
3. The percentage of male doctors in this city was higher than the percentage of
female doctors.
4. During 2010, the inflow of illegal immigrants was lower than that of 2012.
5. the birth rate in Japan in 2014 was higher than the birth rate in 2015.

Vocabulary - Using the appropriate "Prepositions":

» It started at..., The sale started at $20..., It peaked at...
» It reached at/to..., It reached the lowest point at...
»It increased to 80 from 58. It decreased from 10 to 3.
»There was a drop of six units. It dropped by 3 units.
»It declined by 15%. There was a 10% drop in the next three years.

Increase:
A growth: There was a growth in the earning of the people of the city at the end of
the year.
An increase: Between the noon and evening, there was an increase in the
temperature of the coast area.
A rise: A rise of the listener in the morning can be observed from the bar graph.
An improvement: The data show that there was an improvement in traffic condition
between 11:00 am till 3:00 pm.
A progress: There was a progress in the law and order of the city during the end of
the last year.

Rapid Increase:
A surge: From the presented information, it is clear that there was a surge in the
number of voters in 1990 compared to the data given for the previous years.
A rapid increase/ a rapid growth/ a rapid improvement: There was a rapid growth
in the stock value of the company ABC during the December of the last year.

Highest:
A/ The peak: Visitors number reached a peak in 2008 and it exceeded 2 million.
Top/ highest/ maximum: The oil prices reached the top/ highest in 1981 during the
war.

Changes:
A fluctuation: There was a fluctuation of the passenger numbers who used the
railway transportation during the year 2003 to 2004.

Use 'adjective/adverb' to indicate the movement of a trend.

Examples:
1. There has been a slight increase in the unemployment rate in 1979 at which point
it stood at 12%.
2. The price of gold dropped rapidly over the next three years.

Steadiness:
Stability: The data from the line graph show a stability of the price in the retail
market from January till June for the given year.
A plateau: As is presented in the line graph, there was a plateau of the oil price from
1985 to 1990.

Decrease:
A fall: There was a fall in the price of the energy bulbs in 2010 which was less than
$5.
A decline: A decline occurred after June and the production reached to 200/day for
the next three months.
A decrease: After the initial four years, the company’s share price increased, and
there was a decrease in the bearish market.

Using 'Nouns' and 'Verbs' to describe trends in a graph:

Direction:

Verbs Nouns
» Increased (to) An increase
» Rose (to) A rise
» Climbed (to) An upward trend
» Went up (to) A growth

Direction:
Verbs Nouns
» Surge A surge
» Boomed (to) A boom / a dramatic increase.

Direction:

Verbs Nouns
» Decreased (to) A decrease
» Declined (to) A decline
» Fell (to) A fall
» Reduce (to) A reduction
» Dipped (to)
» Dropped (to) A drop
» Went down (to) A downward trend

Direction:

Verbs Nouns
» Plunge
» Slumped (to) A slum / a dramatic fall.
» Plummeted (to)

Direction:

Verbs Nouns
» Remained stable (at)
» Remained static (at)
» Remained steady (at)
» Stayed constant (at)
» Levelled out (at) A level out
» Did not change No change
» Remained unchanged No change
» Maintained the same level
» Plateaued (at) A plateau

Direction:

Verbs Nouns
» Fluctuated (around) A fluctuation
» Oscillated An oscillation

Direction:
Verbs Nouns
» Peaked (at) The peak/ apex/ zenith/ summit/ the
highest point

Direction:

Verbs Nouns
» Bottomed (at) The lowest point/ the bottom/ bottommost
point
 Sentence Patterns:

1. As / Whereas/ While X verb, Y verb (at the same time).

• While the figure for factories in Japan went up dramatically to 120,000 in
2010, the quantity in Korea plummeted to 12,000 at the same time.

2. Clause, followed by + Noun Phrase

• There was a dramatic growth in the number of factories in Japan to 120.000 in
2010, followed by a sharp decrease to 1,000 in 2015.

3. Clause, prior to/before Verb-ing

• The number of factories in Japan experienced an increase to 120,000 in 2010,
before hitting a free fall to 1,000 in 2015.

4. Clause, after Verb – ing

• The figure for factories in Japan hit a free fall to 1,000 in 2o15,
after undergoing an increase to 120,000 in 2010.

5. In comparison to/with X, which verb, Y verb.

• In comparison with the number of factories in Japan, which witnessed a dramatic
increase to 120,000 in 2010, the quantity in Korea plummeted to 12,000 at this
time.

6. X verb, Verb-ing, (which verb).

• The quantity of factories in Japan went through a period of dramatic increase to
120,000 in 2010, exceeding the number in Korea, which had only 12,000.

There are two main grammatical structures we can use to describe trends.

1. There + be + adj. + noun + in + noun phrase

Example:
There was a gradual rise in the price of oil.
There has been a sharp drop in the price of oil.

2. Noun phrase + verb + adverb

Example:
The price of oil rose gradually.
The price of oil has risen dramatically.

Describing Increases and Decreases

1. Noun phrase + verb + adverb

Example:
The price of property fell sharply
The percentage of homes dropped dramatically.

2. There + be + noun + in + noun phrase

Example:
There was a fall in literacy levels.
There has been an increase in the cost of coffee.

Using fractions

Example:
The price of oil halved in less than a year.
The price of oil has halved since July.
By July, the price of oil has halved.

Other Important Language

Comparatives and superlatives are useful to compare and contrast, but they won't be
enough.

Here are some other useful words and structures:

Transitions

• The Middle East produces high levels of oil; however, Japan produces none.
• The USA produces large amounts of natural gas. In contrast, South Korea
produces none.
• European countries make great use of solar power. On the other hand, most
Asian countries us this method of power generation very little.
Subordinating Conjunctions

• The Middle East produces high levels of oil, whereas / while Japan produces
none.
• Whereas / While the Middle East produces high levels of oil, Japan produces
none.
• Although the Middle East produced 100 tons oil, Japan produced none.
Other Structures

• Developing countries are more reliant on alternative energy

production than developed countries.
• Solar power accounts for far less of the total energy production than gas or coal
does.
• Hydropower is not as efficient as wind power.
• Like Japan, South Korea does not produce any natural gas.
• The Middle East produces twice as much oil as Europe.
• Western countries consume three times more oil than the Middle East.
• Russia consumes slightly more oil than Germany.
• The UAE produced the same amount of oil as Saudi Arab

Vocabulary for Describing Graph Trends

Word Part of Speech Example Sentence
Total
verb: to increase, is increasing, has expenditure increased from
increased, increased $33,611m to $39,165m from
increase 1995 to 1996.
From 1995 to 1996 there
noun: an increase of $5,554m
was an increase
an increase in spending of $5,554m
in expenditure of $5,554m.
Expenditure on primary
verb: to decrease, is decreasing, has education decreased from
decreased, decreased 22.2% to 21.5% from 1995 to
decrease 1996.
From 1995 to 1996 there
noun: a decrease of 0.7%
was a decrease
a decrease in spending of 0.7%
in expenditure of 0.7%.
Total expenditure rose from
verb: to rise, is rising, has risen, rose $33,611m to $39,165m from
1995 to 1996.
rise
From 1995 to 1996 there
noun: a rise of $5,554m
was a rise in expenditure of
a rise in spending of $5,554m
$5,554m.
Expenditure on primary
verb: to fall, is falling, has fallen, fell education fell from 22.2% to
21.5% from 1995 to 1996.
fall
From 1995 to 1996 there
noun: a fall of 0.7%
was a fall in expenditure of
a fall in spending of 0.7%
0.7%.
drop Expenditure on primary
verb: to drop, is dropping, has dropped, education dropped from
dropped 22.2% to 21.5% from 1995 to
1996.
noun: a drop of 0.7% From 1995 to 1996 there
 was a drop in expenditure of
a drop in spending of 0.7%
0.7%.
Spending rose in all three
After an introductory clause that includes
-ing years, increasing from
some analysis; e.g. 'Spending rose in all
17.6% to 18% from 1995 to
forms three years', an '_ing' form can be used to
1996, and then rising again
describe numbers and dates.
to 18.2% in 1997-8.