Describing Trends
Increase:
– rise
– Example: “There was a significant rise in the number of students enrolling in the course.”
– grow
– Example: “The population of the city grew steadily over the decade.”
– climb
– Example: “The unemployment rate climbed to 8% in 2020.”
– surge
– Example: “Profits surged in the second quarter of the year.”
– go up
– Example: “The cost of living has gone up significantly.”
– escalate
– Example: “Tensions escalated rapidly between the two countries.”
Decrease:
– fall
– Example: “The temperature fell to below freezing.”
– drop
– Example: “Sales dropped sharply after the holiday season.”
– decline
– Example: “There was a gradual decline in the number of visitors.”
– decrease
– Example: “The crime rate has decreased in recent years.”
– reduce
– Example: “Efforts were made to reduce waste production.”
– dip
– Example: “The stock prices dipped slightly before recovering.”
No Change:
– remain steady
– Example: “The level of pollution remained steady throughout the year.”
– stay constant
– Example: “The birth rate stayed constant over the decade.”
– stabilize
– Example: “After a period of fluctuation, the prices stabilized.”
– plateau
– Example: “The number of new cases plateaued by mid-year.”
Comparing Data
Similarities:
– similarly
– Example: “Similarly, the sales figures for the two products increased.”
– likewise
– Example: “The company’s revenue rose, and likewise, its market share expanded.”
– in the same way
– Example: “In the same way, both groups showed improvement in their performance.”
– equally
– Example: “Both methods were equally effective in achieving the results.”
– correspondingly
– Example: “As the demand increased, the supply correspondingly grew.”
Differences:
– in contrast
– Example: “In contrast to last year, the number of accidents decreased.”
– however
– Example: “However, the cost of living remains high.”
– whereas
– Example: “Whereas the east saw a rise in temperatures, the west experienced a drop.”
– while
– Example: “While the sales of smartphones increased, tablet sales fell.”
– on the other hand
– Example: “On the other hand, the older generation prefers traditional media.”
Describing Numbers and Percentages
Exact Numbers:
– the number of
– Example: “The number of participants was exactly 300.”
– the amount of
– Example: “The amount of rainfall this year exceeded the average.”
– the proportion of
– Example: “The proportion of male to female students is 3:2.”
– the percentage of
– Example: “The percentage of people using public transport increased to 40%.”
Approximation:
– around
– Example: “Around 50% of the respondents agreed.”
– about
– Example: “About one-third of the population is under 20 years old.”
– approximately
– Example: “The company employs approximately 500 workers.”
– nearly
– Example: “Nearly half of the surveyed group was satisfied.”
– roughly
– Example: “Roughly 20% of the students failed the exam.”
Describing Time Periods
Specific Time Frames:
– in 2010
– Example: “In 2010, the company launched its first product.”
– from 2010 to 2020
– Example: “From 2010 to 2020, there was a steady increase in tourism.”
– over the period
– Example: “Over the period, the city expanded significantly.”
– during the years
– Example: “During the years 2015 to 2019, the employment rate rose.”
General Time Frames:
– in recent years
– Example: “In recent years, there has been a shift towards renewable energy.”
– over the last decade
– Example: “Over the last decade, the company has seen consistent growth.”
– in the 21st century
– Example: “In the 21st century, technological advancements have accelerated.”
Describing Highs and Lows
High Points:
– peak
– Example: “The number of visitors peaked in July.”
– reach a peak
– Example: “Sales reached a peak during the holiday season.”
– hit a high
– Example: “Profits hit a high in the second quarter.”
– maximum
– Example: “The maximum temperature recorded was 40°C.”
Low Points:
– bottom out
– Example: “The market bottomed out before beginning to recover.”
– hit a low
– Example: “Unemployment hit a low in December.”
– minimum
– Example: “The minimum wage has been adjusted for inflation.”
Making Comparisons
Comparative Forms:
– higher than
– Example: “This year’s revenue is higher than last year’s.”
– lower than
– Example: “The costs are lower than expected.”
– more than
– Example: “More than 50% of the population is urban.”
– less than
– Example: “Less than 20% of the respondents disagreed.”
– better than
– Example: “The new model is better than the old one.”
– worse than
– Example: “The weather today is worse than yesterday.”
Superlative Forms:
– the highest
– Example: “The highest number of complaints was recorded in June.”
– the lowest
– Example: “The lowest price was found in the online store.”
– the most
– Example: “The most significant change was in the education sector.”
– the least
– Example: “The least affected area was the south.”
– the best
– Example: “This is the best performance we have seen.”
– the worst
– Example: “The worst outcome was avoided.”
Describing Proportions
Fractions:
– one third
– Example: “One third of the students passed the exam.”
– a quarter
– Example: “A quarter of the population is over 60 years old.”
– half
– Example: “Half of the participants were male.”
– two-thirds
– Example: “Two-thirds of the respondents supported the proposal.”
Proportions:
– the majority of
– Example: “The majority of voters were in favor.”
– a minority of
– Example: “A minority of people opposed the change.”
– a small portion of
– Example: “A small portion of the budget was allocated to marketing.”
– a large proportion of
– Example: “A large proportion of the workforce is involved in manufacturing.”
Additional Useful Vocabulary
Adjectives:
– significant
– Example: “There was a significant increase in sales.”
– substantial
– Example: “The company made a substantial profit.”
– slight
– Example: “There was a slight decline in attendance.”
– marginal
– Example: “The changes were marginal.”
– dramatic
– Example: “There was a dramatic drop in prices.”
– moderate
– Example: “The improvements were moderate.”
Adverbs:
– significantly
– Example: “Profits rose significantly.”
– substantially
– Example: “The policy has substantially benefited the community.”
– slightly
– Example: “The figures decreased slightly.”
– marginally
– Example: “The differences were marginally noticeable.”
– dramatically
– Example: “The market has changed dramatically.”
– moderately
– Example: “Prices increased moderately.”
Sample Sentence Structures
1. “The graph shows that X increased from Y to Z between [year] and [year].”
– Example: “The graph shows that the number of tourists increased from 1 million to 2 million between 2010 and 2020.”
2. “There was a [adjective] [increase/decrease] in X, reaching [number] in [year].”
– Example: “There was a significant increase in car sales, reaching 500,000 in 2015.”
3. “X remained relatively stable at [number] over the period.”
– Example: “The unemployment rate remained relatively stable at 5% over the period.”
Conclusion
Using this vocabulary will help you write clear and precise descriptions for your IELTS Writing Task 1. Good luck with your exam!
Title for Notes: “Essential Vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task 1 with Examples”