Up verbs

Verbs

These verbs are alternatives to the basic rise and fall vocabulary. One benefit of using them is that sometimes they help you avoid repeating too many numbers. If you have a strong verb, you don’t always have to give the exact figure.

Up verbs

Notes:

• “Soar “and “rocket” are both very strong words that describe large rises. “Rocket” is more sudden. You probably do not need to qualify these verbs with adverbs.
• “Leap” shows a large and sudden rise. Again, you probably do not need to qualify it with an adverb.
• “Climb” is a relatively neutral verb that can be used with the adverbs below.

Down verbs

Notes:

• “Plummet” is the strongest word here. It means to fall very quickly and a long way.
• “Drop”  and “drop” are normally used for fairly small decreases
• “Slip back” is used for falls that come after rises
• “Drop” and “Dip” are also frequently used as nouns: eg “a slight dip” “a sudden drop”

Adjectives and adverbs

This is a selection of some of the most common adjectives and adverbs used for trend language. Please be careful. This is an area where it is possible to make low-level mistakes. Make sure that you use adjectives with nouns and adverbs with verbs:

• a significant rise – correct (adjective/noun)
• rose significantly – correct (adverb/verb)
• a significantly rise – wrong wrong wrong

Please also note the spelling of the adverbs. There is a particular problem with the word “dramatically:

• dramatically – correct
• dramaticly – wrong
• dramaticaly – wrong

Adjectives of degree

notes

• “sudden” and “sharp” can be used of relatively minor changes that happen quickly
• “spectacular” and “dramatic” are very strong words only to used to big, big, big changes

Steady adjectives

Small adjectives

notes

• “marginal” is a particularly useful word for describing very small changes

Other useful adjectives

These adjectives can be used to describes more general trends

notes

• “overall” can be used to describe changes in trend over the whole period: very useful in introductions and conclusions
• “upward” and “downward” are adjectives: the adverbs are “upwards” and “downwards”