Charts, graphs and diagrams Business English English

Different types of charts, graphs and diagrams

single line graph multiple line graph paired bar chart

triple bar chart pie chart stacked bar chart

single bar chart table population chart

flow chart bar graph bubble diagram

Images from google images

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Charts, graphs and diagrams Business English English

A chart is a diagram that makes information easier to understand by

showing how two or more sets of data are related.

A pie chart is a circle divided into segments. It is usually used to show

percentages.

A bar chart is a diagram that makes information easier to understand by

showing how two or more sets of data are related. A bar chart is divided
into columns.

A graph is a diagram, usually a line or a curve, which shows how two sets
of numbers or measurements are related.

A table is a set of facts and figures arranged in columns and rows. A table
is a very useful way of organizing numerical information.

What is a trend?

Trends are changes or movements in facts and figures over a period of time.

When writing about or presenting a diagram

Underline key words. Write related words - turn nouns into verbs, verbs into nouns, adjectives into
adverbs, etc. Write opposite words, similar words, synonyms, etc.

Circle and highlight the graph. Use arrows. Make notes. Circle the biggest, the smallest. stable or
unchanging parts, sudden increases, etc.

Identify trends. A trend is the overall idea of the graph

• what is happening/what happened

• the main change over time

• the most noticeable thing about the graph

• the pattern over time

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Charts, graphs and diagrams Business English English
• the pattern for different places or groups or people.

Most graphs will have two trends, or there will be two graphs with a trend in each. You could tell
about the two trends in two separate paragraphs. Make sure you have identified the trends in the graph.

Introduction

• First sentence: Describe the graph. You can use some slightly different words or word
forms from those on the question paper, but be careful to give the full information. Start "The
graph shows"

• Second sentence: This gives the trend or trends. You can put two trends in this sentence
or only one - you could keep the other one for the conclusion. Start "Overall, ..."

Paragraph 1: Trend 1

• Start with a sentence with no number. “City size increased sharply over the period.” “The
most obvious trend in the graph is that women are having fewer babies.” “Oil production has
increased slightly in all the countries in the graph”

• Follow this sentence with an example (sentence with number) and perhaps another
example (another sentence with number). Keep alternating.

Paragraph 2: Trend 2

• Start with a sentence with no number. “City size increased sharply over the period.”

• Give an example (sentence with number) and perhaps another example

Conclusion

• Finish by repeating the main trends, or identify a second trend. Use different vocabulary.

• Don't have any numbers in the conclusion (you could use words like "most", "the
majority" "a minority", "a small number").

• Don’t give an opinion.

Some don’ts when writing about graphs

• Don’t describe the X and Y axis. Give the information.

• Don’t write about everything on the graph. Pick the biggest, the smallest, the main
points, the main trends. Group similar things together

• Don’t write about the line or the bar: “The line went up,” “The bar went down.”
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Charts, graphs and diagrams Business English English
Instead, write about the idea. “The number of people going to work by train increased
gradually.” “Oil production shot up in 1965”

• Make sure you write about the idea. Don’t use shorthand: “Men went up.” “Women went
down.” Instead, write about the real data: “The number of men at university fell dramatically,”
“The percentage of female students getting a degree rose suddenly.”

• Don’t use “I feel”, “as I have written,” “as you can see,” etc. Keep it academic.

• Don’t start sentences with But, So, Also, And, For, Since, Because, Although

Word length

Make sure you have 150 words. You should have some short sentences (about 6-10 words) and
some long ones (12-18) words, but your average should be about 12 or 13 words per sentence.

A sentence without a number will usually be short. Use a mix - a sentence without a number
followed by a sentence or two with a number. http://www.admc.hct.ac.ae/hd1/english/graphs/writingaboutgraphs.htm

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Place the words in the right column, then add a few more words of your own
be constant climb collapse cut
decline decrease drop expansion
extension fall go down slide
growth improvement level off push down
reduction rise shoot up soar
lose ground crash collapse plummet
stability stagnation stand at stay at
plunge weaken surge bounce back

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Charts, graphs and diagrams Business English English
Transitive and intransitive verbs

An intransitive verb is an
A transitive verb is an action action verb, but it does not
verb. Second, it requires a have a direct object. The
direct object to complete its action ends rather than being
meaning in the sentence. In transferred to some person or
other words, the action of the object or is modified by an
verb is transferred to the adverb or adverb phrase.
object directly. To determine  
whether a verb is transitive, ask
whether the action is done to
someone or something.
 

increase decrease maintain increase decrease stay at

raise drop keep rise drop reach a peak
step up cut grow decline remain stable
expand go down expand fall
improve improve

Write sentences using the transitive and intransitive verbs

1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________________
6. ______________________________________________________________________
7. ______________________________________________________________________
8. ______________________________________________________________________
9. ______________________________________________________________________
10. ______________________________________________________________________

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Charts, graphs and diagrams Business English English

Introduction to Pie Charts

Single Pie Chart

Paragraph 1

Describe what sort of chart it is and what it is about.

Paragraph 2

Describe the sections of the graph starting with the biggest and working your way down.

Paragraph 3

A short conclusion giving an overall view of what the chart is about.

Two Pie Charts

If you have 2 pie charts they will be giving similar information so you can compare the two.

Paragraph 1

Explain that they are pie charts and say what they are describing. This is the same as line graphs except
there are 2.

Paragraph 2

Compare the data between the two charts. Start with the biggest sectors and work your way down.

Paragraph 3

Conclusion. Mention the important similarities and differences.

Fill in the correct word

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Charts, graphs and diagrams Business English English

a low point declined doubled drop

from increased slightly recovered remained

rising sharply sudden to were

In January, gold sales _____________ about 200 million dirhams per month. In February they

_____________ to Dhs 220 million, _____________ to a peak of 350 million dirhams in March. Over

the next four months, sales _____________ steadily, reaching _____________ of 120 million dirhams

in July.

In August, there was a _____________ increase. Sales almost _____________, rising _____________

Dhs 120 million in July to Dhs 210 million in August. This was followed by a [?] in September to Dhs

120 million.

From September to October, sales _____________ from Dhs 120 million to Dhs 180 million. In

October and November, sales _____________steady, and there was a small increase in December

_____________ 190 million dirhams.

http://www.admc.hct.ac.ae/hd1/english/graphs/goldsales.htm

Place the correct letter in the box

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slump rise recover plunge pick up plummet

drop soar climb fall rally bounce back

take off crash escalate slide stabilize flatten out

decline rocket dip fluctuate hold steady

A B C D E F G
Expressing approximation
We use words to express approximation when the point we are trying to describe is
between milestones on the graph.

just under
just over
well under
well over
roughly
nearly
approximately
around
about

Expressing the Movement of a Line

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Charts, graphs and diagrams Business English English
Verbs Nouns Adjectives Adverbs

rise (to) a rise dramatic dramatically

increase (to) an increase sharp sharply
go up to huge hugely
grow (to) growth steep steeply
climb (to) a climb substantial substantially
boom a boom considerable considerably
peak (at) (reach) a peak (at) significant significantly
fall (to) a fall (of) marked markedly
decline (to) a decline (of) moderate moderately
decrease (to) a decrease (of) slight slightly
dip (to) a dip (of) small
drop (to) a drop (of) minimal minimally
go down (to)
reduce (to) a reduction (of)
a slump
level out a leveling out
no change no change
remain stable (at)
remain steady (at)
stay (at)
stay constant (at)
maintain the same level

Describing the Speed of a Change

Adjectives Adverbs
rapid rapidly
quick quickly
swift swiftly
sudden suddenly
steady steadily
gradual gradually
slow slowly

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1. The market is showing some signs of growth. _____

2. The market is extremely volatile. _____

3. The pound slipped back against the dollar. _____

4. The Swiss franc is staging a recovery. _____

5. The yen lost ground slightly. _____

6. There's been a dramatic downturn in the market. _____

7. There's been an upsurge of interest in gold. _____

8. The share price bottomed out at 11 cents. _____

9. Gold peaked at €300 an ounce. _____

10. Profits will level off at around €10,000. _____

11. Sales hit an all-time low. _____

12. There hasn't been much movement in the price of tin _____

http://www.admc.hct.ac.ae/hd1/english/graphs/movement.htm

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Charts, graphs and diagrams Business English English
Comparing and contrasting

One syllable
Adjectives with one syllable form their comparatives and superlatives like this:

cheap cheaper cheapest

large larger largest
bright brighter brightest

Exceptions:
good better best
bad worse worst

Two syllables
Some adjectives with two syllables form their comparatives and superlatives like this:

pretty prettier prettiest

happy happier happiest

But many form their comparatives and superlatives like this:

striking more striking most striking
Although some can form their comparatives and superlatives like this:

common more common most common

clever more clever / cleverer most clever /cleverest

Three or more syllables

All adjectives with three or more syllables form their comparatives and superlatives like this:

attractive more attractive most attractive

profitable more profitable most profitable
expensive more expensive most expensive

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What are the comparative and superlative forms of these adjectives

Adjective Comparative Superlative

accurate

certain

convenient

sharp

dangerous

happy

likely

disastrous

new

possible

probable

rapid

http://international.holmesglen.vic.edu.au/ielts_writing.pdf

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Charts, graphs and diagrams Business English English
Introducing visuals
• I'd like you to look at this graph...
• Let me show you this pie chart...
• Let's have a look at this model...
• Let's turn to this map...
• To illustrate my point let’s look at some diagrams...
• As you can see from these figures...
• If you look at these photographs you'll see...
• If you look at this bar chart you'll notice...
• If you look at this histogram you'll appreciate...
• If you look at this flow chart you'll understand ...
• If you look at this matrix...

Naming the parts of diagrams

The vertical axis represents total annual sales. The horizontal axis shows our market share. The curve,
The solid line, The dotted line, The broken line, The shaded area, The unshaded section, The dotted
column, The coloured segment, The red bar…

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Explaining diagrams
• Sales rose slightly in the final quarter.
• Profits fell a little last year.
• Demand increased gently
• Turnover decreased steadily
• Turnover dropped suddenly
• Turnover decreased quickly.
• Demand increased rapidly.
• Profits fell dramatically.
• At the beginning of this year sales stagnated.
• In the middle of August profits slumped.
• At the end of last year demand peaked.
• In the first quarter of 2008 sales plummeted.
• In the second quarter of 2007 sales flattened out.
• In the third quarter of 2007 sales leveled off.
• In the last quarter of 2007 sales remained steady.

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Charts, graphs and diagrams Business English English
Useful phrases for presentations

Signalling a start:

- Right, ladies and gentlemen. Shall we begin?

- OK, I'd like to begin by ...
- Right then, everybody ...

Greetings:

- Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

- I'd like to welcome you all on behalf of NKS.
- I'd like to say how happy I am to be here today.

Introducing yourself:

- My name is Richard Delmas.

- I'm the Marketing Manager here.
- I'd like to introduce myself. My name is ...
- Let me introduce myself. My name is ...

Introducing people:

- I'd like to introduce Mr Peters from Datacom.

- May I introduce ...
- Let me introduce ...

The objective of your presentation:

- My objective this afternoon is to inform you...

- I'm here today to give you...
- My purpose today is to introduce you to...
- My aim this morning is to...

The length of time your presentation will take:

- My presentation will last twenty-five minutes.

- I will talk for fifteen minutes.

Structuring:

- My presentation is split into three key areas.

- Firstly ... Secondly ... Thirdly ...
- To begin with ... After this ... Finally ...

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Saying when your audience may ask questions:

- There will be time for questions at the end...

- Please feel free to interrupt me as I go along.

Introducing topics:

- I want to look at ...

- I'd like to review ...
- I want to discuss ...
- I'm going to analyse ...
- I want to cover ...
- I'd like to talk about ...

Moving on:

- Let's now move on to ...

- I'd like to go on to ...
- This brings me to ...
- I now want to ...

Looking back:

- Let's look back for a moment ...

- To go back to ...
- As I said before ...

Adding:

- In addition ...
- I might add that ...
- Furthermore ...
- Moreover ...

Dealing with interruptions:

- Perhaps I could return to that point later on?

- If I might just finish?
- If you'd allow me to continue?

Summarising and concluding

- To sum up then, ...

- To summarise my main points ...
- I'd like to conclude by reminding you that ...
- Let me end by ...
- I'd like to finish ...
- In conclusion, may I remind you ...
- Finally, ...

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Asking for questions:

- You no doubt have many questions ...

- If there are any questions ...
- I'm sure you have many questions ...

Playing for time:

- That's an interesting question.

- I'm glad you asked that question.
- You've raised an important point
there.
- That's a difficult question.

Closing question time:

- Perhaps on that note we could end?

- I'm afraid that's all we have time for.

Thanking:

- I'd like to thank you all on behalf of Company X.

- I'd like to thank you all for your participation.

Now choose a topic, draw a graph or a diagram and make your own
presentation.

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