Describing Change and Trends in IELTS

The ability to describe changes and trends is an important language skill in the IELTS test but it can be challenging. 

You will often get a graph or bar chart that appears complex. 

There may be many visible changes or the exact information may be difficult to interpret. 

It may be difficult to see exactly what overview could be reported. 

 

Challenges with this language 

The biggest issue I see in these types of tasks is students selecting and reporting minor details. 🙁

When this happens, it can lead to inaccurate and unnecessary language.

Inaccurate language often happens when trying to explain something that the examiner really isn’t interested in.

Unnecessary language happens when trying to over-explain something that could be written much simply.

Follow a Plan and Stick to it

Remember you need only describe the significant features, so don’t overcomplicate the task!

A good plan to follow is to include an introduction, an overview and select the key features of the chart and avoid reporting the minor details. 

Language to show changes and trends

It is important to display enough language to the examiner.

Once you have identified the key features, then you can narrow your language and use it appropriately as and when you need it.

So find a graph, and select the important or significant points.

Then select and use the language examples below to describe and produce a clear and simple text that displays enough, high-level examples of language to satisfy the IELTS examiner. 🙂

Verb Phrases to show an Increase 

To show a general upward trend, use the verb phrases in bold.

To show that there was a general change, use;

• Mobile phone sales rose to 49.000 at the end of the period.

To show that there was a change in the amount, use;

• Mobile phone sales rose by 5% in 1998. (for example: If the percentage was 55% in 1998 and in 1997 it was 50%)

Other collocations you can use for variation are increased to/by and rocketed to/by.

• The number of children attending the college increased to 865 in 2020.
• The number of subjects chosen by female students increased by three in 2022.

Note: I personally don’t like the term ‘rocketed to/by’– meaning to increase very quickly.

I have never read this in an academic text, and so it apears to be informal to me, but this is my personal viewpoint.

Noun phrases to show an Increase

Instead of a verb you can focus on the noun in a sentence.

This is a good paraphrasing skill.

Look at the structure of the noun phrase in these examples and note the preposition used.

• There was + a rise/rise of/an increase of/to.
• See + a rise/rise of/an increase of/to.

Examples

• There was a rise of 5% in mobile phone sales in 1998.
• There was a rise in the mobile sales by 5%.
• There was an increase in the number of mobile phones sold by 5%.
• Mobile phones saw an increase in sales over the ten-year period.

To show a general downward trend, use these verb phrases.

Verb phrases to show a decline 

• Laptop computer sales fell to 5.000 in 1998.
• Laptop computer sales fell by 20% in 1998.
• Laptop computer sales decreased by 20%.
• Laptop computer sales decreased to 10.000.
• Laptop computer sales slowed to 10.000.
• Laptop computer sales declined by 20%.

Noun phrases to show a decline 

Again, instead of a verb you can pararphrase and focus on the noun in a sentence.  

Here is the structure of a noun phrase.

There +

• was + a fall
• was + a decline
• was + a decrease
• was + a decrease of
• was + a decrease in 
• see + a fall
• see + a fall in
• see + a decrease of
• see + a decrease in
• see + decline in
• see + decline of

Examples

• There was a fall in soft drink sales in 1998.
• There was a fall of 20% in the soft drink sales in 1998.
• Soft drink sales saw a fall of 20% in sales.
• Soft drink sales saw a decrease of 20% in sales.

Tip: A good way to remember and practice these is to write your own examples in your journal and refer to this article when you do an IELTS Practice task.

Static Information over a period or No changes

Sometimes there are no changes or the situtaion remains stable for a long period.

Remember you need only describe the significant features in an IELTS report and you lose marks when you try to describe minor detail.

However, a significant feature or an overview in IELTS TASK 1 might be no change.

You can use these phrases to talk about stability.

Verb phrases to show stability

• Desktop computer sales did not change over 3 years.
• The number of desktop computers sold did not change over a period of 3 years.
• Desktop computer sales remained stable from 2000 to 2003.
• Desktop computer sales remained stable at around 66.000 per month over 3 years.

Noun phrases to show stability  

• There was no change in desktop computer sales over 3 years.
• There was a period of stability in desktop computer sales of around 66.000 per month.

Sometimes the simpler expressions are the best so use this article when you do a practice task and note your examples.

The more you practice the easier the task will be. 🙂 

Showing the position in a year

When you are showing the position of the “something” in any year or period, you could use one of the following phrases.

Verb phrases to show a point or a position 

Something +

• was +at
• stood +at

Example

• Desktop computer sales stood at 16.000 in 1992.
• Desktop computer sales were at 16.0000 in 1992.

Noun phrases to show a point or position 

Something  +

• reach a high
• reach a low

Example

• Desktop computer sales reached a high of 160.000 in 1998.
• Desktop computer sales reached a low of 10.000 in 1995.

Finally, here are some phrases to use to show that there was significant constant change or instability.

Verb phrases to show a constant change

• Desktop computer sales fluctuated around 60.000 over two years.

Noun phrases to show a constant change

• There was a fluctuation in desktop computer sales of around 60.000.

There are more expressions you could choose from, however, some of these may be less commonly used and so may stand out in your writing. 🙁

It is probably better to select a few of the common and practice these in your IELTS writing preparation. 

Practice makes perfect and leads to better writing. 🙂

Practice Test Changes and Trends

Now you have studied ways of describing change and trends, have a go at this test of applying a suitable phrase to a chart and combining them with adverbs.

TIP, pay attention to the grammar to help you choose between noun and verb phrases.

Complete the Task 1 example below using these words.

period, increase, sharp fall, slight increase, decrease gradually, fluctuation, change, reach a peak

The graph shows the _______ in numbers of students at Ox College over a ______ of one year.

Between January and March, there was a _______________ in student numbers. This was followed by a _______ in numbers over the next three months. In June, enrollments ____________ in numbers. After that, there was a _______ in numbers. Finally numbers   _________________ from August to December.

Overall,  there were ____________ in the numbers of students, but in can be seen the college’s busiest month was June.

Answer Key

The graph shows the changes in numbers of students at Ox College over a period of one year.

Between January and March, there was a slight increase in student numbers. This was followed by a dramatic increase in numbers over the next three months. In June, enrollments reached a peak in numbers. After that, there was a sharp fall in numbers. Finally numbers decreased gradually from August to December.

Overall,  there were fluctuations in the numbers of students, but it can be seen the college’s busiest month was June.