Describing Trends

What is a trend?
(noun) a trend is a general development or change in a
situation or in the way people are behaving.

Example:
Surveys show a trend away from home-ownership and
towards rented accommodation.
There's been a downward/upward trend in sales in the
last few years.

Some graphs showing various trends

Verbs to express ‘up’ and ‘down’

Nouns to express ‘up’

Nouns to express ‘down’

Adverbs and adjectives to express ‘small’ or ‘slow’ changes

Adverbs and adjectives to express ‘large’ or ‘fast’ changes

Adjectives and adverbs for other changes

There was a + adjective + noun …
Examples

 There was a dramatic increase in the number of tourists to Leeds

Castle.

... verb + adverb …

Examples

 The number of tourists to Leeds Castle increased dramatically

in 1999.

 The population fell slightly from 1975 to 1980.

 Sales figures fluctuated minimally over the whole period.

 Over the 1980s eagle numbers declined marginally.

 Compared to bread products, consumption of breakfast cereals

jumped suddenly.

 By the middle of the second term, student numbers levelled off

gradually.

… adverb + verb …
Examples
Other trends
 Population figures remained constant over much of the period.

 The number of students enrolled at the college stayed roughly

the same from the first year recorded to the next.

 Sales of British cars exceeded that of European cars in the UK in

2001.

 Consumption of beef rose above that of chicken for the first time
in 1977.

 In 2001, traffic accidents fell below previous numbers.

 After reaching a peak of 300m in 2000, sales declined rapidly

and hit a trough in 2005.

 Illiteracy rates stopped rising and have remained constant until

this year.
  Stock markets experienced the biggest nosedive since 1929.

 Sales of CDs took a dive after the introduction of legal downloads

 The number of tourists to Leeds Castle generally increased

over the whole period.

 The population finally levelled off in 1985.

 Sales figures occasionally fluctuated.

 Initially, enrolment numbers increased rapidly, then slowed

after the first three months.

 There was a slight fall in the population from 1975 to 1980.

 There was a minimal fluctuation in sales figures over the whole

period.

 There was a marginal decline in eagle numbers over the 1980s.

 There was a sudden jump in consumption of breakfast cereals

compared to bread products.

 There was a gradual levelling-off in student numbers by the middle

of the second term.

… saw / experienced / enjoyed / suffered a + adjective +

noun …
Examples

 The number of tourists to Leeds Castle saw a dramatic increase in

1999.

 The population experienced a slight fall from 1975 to 1980.

 Sales figures saw a minimal fluctuation over the whole period.

 Eagle numbers suffered a dramatic decline during the 1980s.

 Consumption of breakfast cereals enjoyed a sudden jump compared

to bread products.
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1 – Error correction

Each of the following sentences contains mistakes. Rewrite the sentences

correcting the mistakes.
Practice Exercises
1.
Error Sales of chicken
correction burgers dramatic increase over the period.
- Answers

2.1. Sales was

There of chicken burgers increase
a significantly dramaticinincrease over the period.
the population.
Sales of chicken burgers increased dramatically over the period.
3.2. Consumption
There was a of significantly increase inrose
diesel considerably theuntil
population.
the end of the period.
There was a significant increase in the population.
4.3. Figures
Consumption of diesel
plummeted considerably
slightly in 1999. rose until the end of the
period.
Consumption
5. The number of diesel rose considerably
of licensed taxis rocketed until the end offrom
dramatically the period.
the
4. beginning.
Figures plummeted slightly in 1999.
Figures plummeted in 1999.
6.5. There
The number of licensed
was significant taxis rocketed
increase dramatically
in the population from the
of Grantbishopston.
beginning.
The Sales
7.
number of licensed
of I-pods rose taxis rocketed
significant from the beginning.
immediately after their release.
6. There was significant increase in the population of
8.
Grantbishopston.
X-boxes experienced a rapid grow from the beginning of November.
There was a significant increase in the population of Grantbishopston.
7. Figures
9.
Sales ofsaw
I-pods rose significant
a remain constant over immediately
the wholeafter their release.
period.
Sales of I-pods rose significantly immediately after their release.
8. X-boxes experienced a rapid grow from the beginning of
10. Enrolment figures for West London College hit a peak in 2005.
November.
X-boxes experienced a rapid growth from the beginning of November.
11. There was a slow fluctuation in the number of burglaries in the south-
9. east.
Figures saw a remain constant over the whole period.
Figures remained constant over the whole period.
10. Enrolment figures for West London College hit a peak in 2005.
12. There was a slightly fluctuation in the number of burglaries.
Enrolment figures for West London College reached a peak in 2005.
11. There was a slow fluctuation in the number of burglaries in the
13. Rainfall sees wildly fluctuation each year in Bundaland.
south-east.
There was a slight fluctuation in the number of burglaries in the south-
14. Employment figures dived immediately after the war.
east.
12. There was a slightly fluctuation in the number of burglaries.
15. Teddy bear sales remained significantly constant over the whole
There was a slight fluctuation in the number of burglaries.
period.
13. Rainfall sees wildly fluctuation each year in Bundaland.
Rainfall fluctuates wildly each year in Bundaland.
14. Employment figures dived immediately after the war.
Employment figures took a nosedive immediately after the war.
15. Teddy bear sales remained significantly constant over the whole
period.
Teddy bear sales remained constant over the whole period.