🧠 “Your words should paint the picture the chart or graph is showing.”
In IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, the vocabulary you use to describe data trends plays a big role in how the examiner scores you—especially for Lexical Resource, which is 25% of your total band score.
🧩 Why Vocabulary Matters in Task 1
Using precise and varied vocabulary shows that you understand the data and can explain it clearly. Repeating basic words like “go up,” “go down,” or “change” too often can limit your score to a Band 6 or 6.5.
🧾 Essential Vocabulary for Trends
Here’s your go-to toolkit for describing movements and patterns:
🔼 Upward Trends
| Simple | Stronger | Adjective Phrase |
|---|---|---|
| rose | soared | a significant increase |
| increased | surged | a sharp rise |
| grew | shot up | a steady climb |
🔽 Downward Trends
| Simple | Stronger | Adjective Phrase |
|---|---|---|
| fell | plummeted | a dramatic drop |
| declined | sank | a moderate decrease |
| decreased | dipped | a slight fall |
🔁 No or Minor Change
| Verbs | Adjectives |
|---|---|
| remained stable | stable |
| stayed the same | unchanged |
| fluctuated | erratic / slight |
📉 Describing Speed or Amount of Change
| Degree | Examples |
|---|---|
| Slight | a slight increase, a marginal dip |
| Moderate | a moderate decline, a gradual rise |
| Sharp | a sharp fall, a steep climb |
| Dramatic | a dramatic surge, a drastic reduction |
📝 Example Sentences
📊 “The number of tourists rose steadily from 2005 to 2010, reaching over 1 million by the end of the period.”
📉 “There was a sharp decline in sales between January and March.”
⚖ “The figures remained constant throughout the year, with minor fluctuations during summer.”
❌ Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Better |
|---|---|
| “Sales went up a lot” | “Sales increased significantly“ |
| “The number fell down” | “The number fell (no need for ‘down’)” |
| “Prices got lower” | “Prices declined or dropped“ |
💡 IELTS is an academic test—avoid informal or vague phrases.
🧠 Practice Tip
When reviewing graphs or charts:
- Try writing three variations for each trend.
- Practice mixing verbs, adverbs, and adjectives (e.g., “climbed rapidly”, “slightly decreased”).
📋 Band Booster Vocabulary Challenge
Try using at least 5 different descriptive verbs and 3 types of intensifiers (e.g., slightly, significantly, dramatically) in your Task 1 practice response.
✔️ This shows range, accuracy, and precision—all key for Band 8+.
🧾 Quick Recap Checklist
✅ Use accurate verbs for trend directions.
✅ Add intensity or speed using adverbs/adjectives.
✅ Avoid repetition—use synonyms.
✅ Match tense to the graph (usually past tense).
🎯 Final Thought
✨ Your vocabulary is your toolkit. The richer and more precise it is, the more convincing your writing becomes.
Don’t just “go up and down.” Soar, surge, dip, plummet. 🎢
Let your writing move like the data it describes.