Here's a useful question that someone asked me:
Is it a good idea to use statistical terms such as linear / exponential growth instead of more general phrases like gradual / significant increase?
My answer is no. I don't advise you to write about linear or exponential growth in writing task 1. You are not expected to have any technical knowledge of statistics in this task, and so this kind of "statistics language" seems a little forced and inappropriate to me.
Just use the 'normal' phrases that I use in my example answers here on the blog. Don't try to write like a professional statistician, and don't use the exaggerated language that I mentioned in this lesson.
Dear Simon, most IELTS teachers in my country use the words you mentioned above in their WT1. I completely agree with your opinion that such essays seem forced, exaggerated.
Posted by: Murad | March 01, 2019 at 03:29
Some good lexical resource:
Show-depict, illustrate,represent,indicate, reveal, display.
Fall- Drastic fall, dramatic downward trend, plummet,sudden decline, plunge,
-Gradual ,constant,steady decrease,
-Minimal , modest,slight
Rise- increase, growth, upward, surge,rocket, soar, climb, ascend, boost.
Fluctuate, zig-zag, vary, variance, inconsistent, alternating highs and lows
Cross, intersect, exceed, surpass, overlap,overtake,bisect,supersede,
Steadiness:Level(ed) off / remain(ed) constant / remain(ed) unchanged / remain(ed) stable.
Posted by: Pachu | March 01, 2019 at 04:52
Pachu
Some of the words in your list are not appropriate. Words like 'plummet' 'plunge' 'soar' 'ascend' are either the wrong 'style' or old fashioned. See Simon's link as well in his post.
Posted by: Sjm | March 01, 2019 at 08:41
Graph showing most common adjectives with growth and increase:
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=*_ADJ+growth%2Clinear+growth%2Cexponential+growth%2C+*_ADJ+increase&year_start=1960&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t2%3B%2C%2A_ADJ%20growth%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Beconomic_ADJ%20growth%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Brapid_ADJ%20growth%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bannual_ADJ%20growth%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bindustrial_ADJ%20growth%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Burban_ADJ%20growth%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bpersonal_ADJ%20growth%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bnew_ADJ%20growth%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bslow_ADJ%20growth%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bfuture_ADJ%20growth%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bhigh_ADJ%20growth%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Clinear%20growth%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cexponential%20growth%3B%2Cc0%3B.t2%3B%2C%2A_ADJ%20increase%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bsignificant_ADJ%20increase%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Brapid_ADJ%20increase%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bmarked_ADJ%20increase%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bsubstantial_ADJ%20increase%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Blarge_ADJ%20increase%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bfurther_ADJ%20increase%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bcent_ADJ%20increase%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bslight_ADJ%20increase%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bgreat_ADJ%20increase%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bnatural_ADJ%20increase%3B%2Cc0
Posted by: Oleg | March 01, 2019 at 08:53
Statistics for adjectives with 'fall', downward trend, :
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=sharp+fall%2C+sudden+fall%2C+rapid+fall%2C+drastic+fall&year_start=1960&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Csharp%20fall%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Csudden%20fall%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Crapid%20fall%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cdrastic%20fall%3B%2Cc0
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=*_ADJ+downward+trend&year_start=1960&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t2%3B%2C%2A_ADJ%20downward%20trend%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bgeneral_ADJ%20downward%20trend%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bslight_ADJ%20downward%20trend%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bsteady_ADJ%20downward%20trend%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bterm_ADJ%20downward%20trend%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bclear_ADJ%20downward%20trend%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bsignificant_ADJ%20downward%20trend%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Boverall_ADJ%20downward%20trend%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bmarked_ADJ%20downward%20trend%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bconsistent_ADJ%20downward%20trend%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bsharp_ADJ%20downward%20trend%3B%2Cc0
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=*_ADJ+decline&year_start=1960&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t2%3B%2C%2A_ADJ%20decline%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bsharp_ADJ%20decline%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Beconomic_ADJ%20decline%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Brapid_ADJ%20decline%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bsteady_ADJ%20decline%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Brelative_ADJ%20decline%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bgradual_ADJ%20decline%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bgeneral_ADJ%20decline%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bmarked_ADJ%20decline%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bsignificant_ADJ%20decline%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bfurther_ADJ%20decline%3B%2Cc0
These collocations should sound 'natural' to an examiner.
Posted by: Oleg | March 01, 2019 at 08:58
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=plummeted%2Cplunged%2Csoared%2Cascended%2Csurged%2Crocketed%2Cincreased%2Crose%2Cgrew%2Cdeclined%2Cdecreased%2Cfell&year_start=1960&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cplummeted%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cplunged%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Csoared%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cascended%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Csurged%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Crocketed%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cincreased%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Crose%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cgrew%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cdeclined%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cdecreased%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cfell%3B%2Cc0
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=leveled+off%2C+levelled+off%2C+remained+steady%2Cremained+constant%2Cremained+unchanged&year_start=1985&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cleveled%20off%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Clevelled%20off%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cremained%20steady%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cremained%20constant%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cremained%20unchanged%3B%2Cc0
Posted by: Oleg | March 01, 2019 at 10:24
Thank you sir.
Posted by: Pachu | March 01, 2019 at 10:35
Hi Simon.
I have been following your blog for a year, and now I’m starting to practice the writing skills. And the problem is my teacher told me that I have to practice from grammar after he looked my essays. “Too many basic grammar mistakes”, he said.
I aim to take the test on May, so what should I do?
Anyways, At the reading and listening skills, I normally got 5.5-6 when I was practicing the Test in Cambridge books
Thanks so much
Posted by: Lily | March 02, 2019 at 08:55