Preparation: Describing Trends with Nouns and Adjectives
Going up – Here are some nouns you can use to describe an upward trend:
- an increase
- an improvement
- a rise
- a jump (a sudden large increase)
- a peak (the highest point)
Here are some examples:
- There was a 5 % increase in sales last month.
- There was a rise of5 % in wages last year.
- There has been a jump in unemployment.
- There was a peak in sales in the spring.
Going down – Here are some nouns you can use to describe a downward trend:
- a decrease
- a fall
- a drop
- a decline
- a plunge (a sudden, dramatic fall)
- a slump (a big fall, also over a longer period)
- a low (the bottom point)
Here are some examples:
- There as a 5% decrease in sales last month.
- There was a fall of5 % in wages last year.
- There has been a drop in unemployment.
- There was a slump in sales last year.
- Turnover hit a low in August.
Remaining constant – Here is a noun you can use to describe a trend that remains constant
- Stagnation (remaining constant at a disappointing level)
Here is an example:
- There was a stagnation in turnover in the autumn.
Fluctuations – Here are some nouns you can use to describe a fluctuating trend.
- a fluctuation
- a variation
Here are some examples:
- There has been a fluctuation in sales over the course of the year.
- There were variations in sales last year.
Here are some adjectives you can use to describe trends:
- sharp
- rapid
- quick
- steep
- considerable
- significant
- substantial
- steady
- gradual
- moderate
- slight
- slow
Here are some examples:
- There was a significant decrease in sales last month.
- There has been a moderate rise in wages over the past five years.
- There has been a sharp fall in unemployment.
- There was a substantial drop in turnover last year.