The art of presentation. Description of charts in English

In various educational institutions we are taught English grammar, the correct construction of sentences. However, they often do not pay attention to the expansion of vocabulary and the use of oral speech. Such gaps in knowledge appear at the most inopportune moment, for example, when you are asked to write in writing a graph or chart in English, or you must provide such a description in an oral presentation.

To describe the graph, you need to study it - to understand whether there are peak values, whether there is a trend and forecast. Also, you can analyze the downturns, rises, the alignment of the indicator, by how much the values ​​changed in percent or natural values, etc.

All this can be done with relative ease in Russian. But what happens if the situation involves a description in English? In most cases, if a person has sufficient vocabulary, but has never before had the practice of commenting on charts in English, he will use a limited vocabulary. Most often this comes down to a simple description of the fluctuation of a particular indicator using the verbs to decrease (decrease) and to increase (increase).

In fact, in English there are tons of words and phrases for describing graphs. They can be divided into verbs and nouns showing the growth or decline of the indicator, as well as adjectives and adverbs describing the degree and speed of its change. Moreover, the verbs used can be transitive (requiring a noun after themselves, answering the question "who? What?") And intransitive. Some verbs are used in both cases, having different meanings.

Example:

1. "I saw a fox yesterday" / "I saw (whom? What?) Fox yesterday" - a transitive verb to see, the action goes to the subject.
2. "I went to the theater yesterday" / "I went to the theater yesterday" - the intransitive verb to go, the action does not go to the subject.

To describe the growth of indicators, the following words and phrases are used:

To describe the decline in indicators using the following expressions:

You can describe the alignment of the indicator:

There are also phrases to describe peak values:

1. Reach a peak - reach the peak value
2. Peak - Peak, Peaks
3. Top out - reach the highest level, the highest point, reach the peak
4. Reach a low point - reach the lowest point, minimum
5. Reach a trough - reach the lowest point
6. Bottom out - be at the lowest level, reach the lower limit

The degree of change (a slight growth / to increase slightly):

1. dramatic (ally) - sharp, essential / sharp, essential
2. significant (ly) - significant / significant
3. sharp (ly) - sharp / sharp
4. significant (ly) - significant / significant
5. substantial (ly) - significant, significant, significant / significant, significant, significant
6. moderate (ly) - moderate / moderate
7. slight (ly) - small, insignificant / slightly, small, slightly, slightly, slightly

Rate of change:

1. abrupt (ly) - sudden, unexpected / sudden, unexpected
2. sudden (ly) - sudden / sudden
3. rapid (ly) - fast, fast / fast, fast
4. quick (ly) - fast / fast
5. steady (ly) - steady / steady
6. gradual (ly) - gradual / gradual
7. slow (ly) - slow / slow

Prepositions to use:

1. a rise from $ 1m to $ 2m - growth from one to two million dollars
2. to fall by 30% - drop by 30%
3. to increase to 50% - increase to 50%
4. an increase of 7.5 per cent over last year - an increase of 7.5% over the past year

The words and phrases presented will help to avoid speech errors during the description of the graphs. Of course, they can be used not only for oral presentations, but also for written reports.

Please note that the ability to describe the schedule in English can not only help you protect the relevant project at the university / school and correctly present information, for example, to the employer, but also allow you to successfully complete some of the tasks in the international Business English Certificate (BEC))