Warm-up
Describing Graphs & Business Trends
Describing Graphs & Business Trends
After this lesson you'll be able to...
- Use key vocabulary for graphs and trends
- Describe a rise, a fall and a stable period
- Use adjectives and adverbs to show how fast something changes
- Use by, to and from correctly with numbers
Get to know each other (3 minutes)
- Do you often work with charts or numbers?
- Which numbers are important in your job?
- Is it easier to understand a chart or a table? Why?
- What was the last trend you noticed at work?
Say it out loud
Describe a change. → Sales rose sharply from 200 to 350 units in the second quarter.
Fact worth knowing
Vocabulary
Key vocabulary
Useful phrases
| Sales rose sharply from 200 to 350 units. | Продажі різко зросли з 200 до 350 одиниць. |
| Profits fell by 10% in the third quarter. | Прибутки впали на 10% у третьому кварталі. |
| The figures remained stable. | Показники залишалися стабільними. |
| There was a gradual increase in costs. | Спостерігалося поступове зростання витрат. |
| Sales peaked in December at 500 units. | Продажі досягли піку в грудні — 500 одиниць. |
| This chart shows the trend over a year. | На цій діаграмі показана тенденція за рік. |
| The forecast is a growth of 5% next year. | Прогноз — зростання на 5% наступного року. |
| Prices fluctuated during the year. | Ціни коливалися протягом року. |
Try out the new words
Say one sentence with a new word. → …
Say one phrase from the list about your work. → …
Which word is it?
Fill in the missing word
Choose the correct word
Translate the phrase
Write each phrase in English.
Grammar
The language of change
| Verbs of change | up: rise, increase, grow, go up. down: fall, drop, decrease, decline, go down. no change: remain stable, stay the same, level off. |
| Adjective + noun | There was a sharp rise. There was a gradual decline. Use an adjective before a noun. |
| Verb + adverb | Sales rose sharply. Costs fell gradually. Use an adverb after a verb: sharply, slightly, steadily, dramatically. |
| by = the size of the change | Profits fell by 10%. Use by to say how much it changed. |
| from … to … / at | Sales rose from 200 to 350. Sales stayed at 350. From … to … shows the start and the end; at shows a level. |
Which sentence is correct?
Complete with the correct word
Rewrite it
Describe each change in one sentence. Several answers are possible.
Correcting mistakes
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.
Put the words in order
Put the words in the right order and write the full sentence.
Say it about your own work
Describe one number at your work. → … rose / fell by …
Reading
Read: a report about sales trends
Sales report — year 2025
This chart shows the sales of Novo Café over the last year. In the first quarter, sales were stable at about 200 cups a day.
In the second quarter, sales rose sharply from 200 to 350 cups a day, because the weather was warm. They peaked in July at 420 cups.
After that, there was a gradual decline. In the third quarter, sales fell by 15%, and in the fourth quarter they dropped to 250 cups.
Costs fluctuated during the year, but they increased slightly in the last quarter.
Our forecast for next year is growth of 5%.
True or false?
In the first quarter sales were stable.
Sales peaked in July at 350 cups.
In the second quarter sales rose sharply.
In the third quarter sales rose by 15%.
The forecast is growth of 5%.
Answer the questions
How many cups a day did the café sell in the first quarter?
Why did sales rise in the second quarter?
When did sales peak?
What is the forecast for next year?
Find the key language
Write the word (or phrase) from the text.
Fill in from the text
Why is this a good text?
Your own opinion
- Why do you think sales fell in autumn?
- What would you do to increase sales in winter?
- Do you believe the forecast? Why or why not?
Practice
Picture the situation
Rise → Peak → Fall → Stable. A good description of a graph says what changed, how fast and by how much.
Match the phrase to its function
Put the words in order
Put the words in the right order and write the full sentence.
Fill in the missing phrase
Say it in your own words
Write one sentence. Several answers are possible.
Translate into English
Write each sentence in English. Several answers are possible.
A useful tip
Speaking
How to use this section
Your tutor plays a manager who asks about the numbers. Describe charts and trends. Use rise / fall / remain stable with sharply, gradually, slightly and by, from … to ….
Introducing a chart
Task: start a short presentation about a chart.
Starter: "This chart shows the sales of our café over the last year, quarter by quarter."
Describing a rise
Task: describe a quick increase.
Starter: "In the second quarter, sales rose sharply from 200 to 350 cups a day."
Describing a fall
Task: describe a decrease with a number.
Starter: "In the third quarter, sales fell by 15% because of the cold weather."
Describing a stable period
Task: say that something did not change.
Starter: "The figures remained stable in the first quarter, at about 200 cups a day."
Pointing out the peak
Task: say the highest point and when it happened.
Starter: "Sales peaked in July at 420 cups, which was our best month."
Explaining a reason
Task: give a reason for the trend.
Starter: "The reason for the rise was the warm weather and our new summer menu."
Giving a forecast
Task: predict what will happen next year.
Starter: "Our forecast for next year is a growth of 5%, if the weather is good."
Full conversation — no stops
With your tutor, present a short chart (real or imaginary): introduce it, describe a rise, a fall, a peak and a stable period, and give a forecast — entirely in English.
Let's talk — reflection
- Do you like working with numbers?
- Which trend in your life is rising or falling?
- How do charts help people make decisions?
Cool down
Now I can...
- Use key vocabulary for graphs and trends
- Describe a rise, a fall and a stable period
- Use adjectives and adverbs to show how fast something changes
- Use by, to and from correctly with numbers
Quick self-check
What do we use after a verb: an adjective or an adverb?
What does by show?
What does a forecast mean?
One more thing before you go
Tell your tutor one change at your work. → … rose / fell by … from … to …
Homework
Words to remember
| a trend | тенденція |
| a figure | показник, цифра |
| a peak | пік, максимум |
| a rise | зростання |
| a fall | падіння |
| a quarter | квартал |
| a decline | спад, зниження |
| a growth | зростання, ріст |
Fill in the missing word
Choose the correct form
Open the brackets
Correct the mistake
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.
Translate the phrase
Write each phrase in English. Several answers are possible.
Write it yourself
Write a short report (6–8 sentences) about a trend in sales, prices, weather or any numbers you know. Use at least five verbs of change and two adverbs.
Practise out loud
Say your report aloud as if you were showing a chart to your team.
Read aloud
Read the text “a report about sales trends” aloud twice before the next lesson.
- 8.7 I did the writing task
- 8.8 I practised out loud
- 8.9 I read the text aloud twice