VOCABULARY FOR TASK 1 The table gives information about the countries that have the largest

oil reserves and the largest oil production.

4 VERBS TO OPEN AN INTRODUCTION
Information in the bar chart is divided into five age groups/divided
• The chart illustrates… by gender.
The bar chart illustrates the percentage of people using different
means of transport in London, New York and Sydney.
WRITING AN OVERVIEW
The pie charts illustrate how many journeys people make by Tube,
car and train over a year. • Overall,

• The maps illustrate… Overall, the city center has undergone a major transformation and
many facilities have been improved or rebuilt.
The maps illustrate the development of Greenfield town over a sixty-
year period. Overall, the services sector experienced the fastest growth and, by
the end of the period, employed more people than the other three
The maps illustrate how Greenfield town has been transformed from sectors combined.
1960 up to the present day.
Overall, since 1980 the school has undergone a number of changes
• The diagram illustrates… with the main one being the construction of the second building.
This diagram illustrates the process of paper-making. Overall, the process consists of five stages, beginning with the raw
This diagram shows how paper is made. material and ending with the delivery of the final product.

• The chart examines the levels of… • Across

The chart examines the levels of obesity among five age groups in Across different sectors,
the USA. Across different age groups,
The chart examines how many people are overweight in the USA and Across different time periods,
breaks down the results by age.
Overall, engagement in sports has been falling across all age
• The data provides information on… groups.
The data provides information on oil reserves and production in five
countries.
PRESENTING A NEW SET OF DATA
• The table gives information about…
• In terms of
In terms of entertainment, students spend the most on eating out, at The most common form of transport in both cities is the
10%. Underground.

• With regard to 3. To differ/difference/different

With regard to spending on entertainment, students spend the most The difference in the numbers of male and female students at
on eating out. university remains insignificant.
Subject choice preferences of male and female students differ
• In the period given, substantially.
Male and female students prefer to study different subjects.
In the period given, students spend the most on eating out.
… differ from … in that
• As far as _____ is concerned, Male students differ from female students in that they are more likely
to choose STEM subjects at university.
As far as entertainment is concerned, students spend the most on
eating out. 4. Grouping similar data
6 WAYS TO MAKE COMPARISONS Both
At university, business degrees are popular among both male and
1. More – less – fewer female students.
Equally
30% fewer females choose engineering degrees.
At university, business degrees are equally popular among male and
Among students of engineering degrees, there are almost 30% fewer
female students.
females than males.
Similar
Males comprise a significantly higher percentage of all engineering
The percentages of male and female students choosing business
students (over 65%).
degrees at university are similar.
Twice as many males as females decide to study engineering at
Similar percentages of male and female students choose business
university.
degrees at university.
Use ‘fewer’ with countable nouns and ‘less’ with uncountable
Same as
nouns:
The percentage of female students choosing business degrees at
✓Fewer people, fewer women, fewer hobbies, and fewer changes.
university is almost the same as for their male peers.
✓Less water, less time, less money, and less growth.
5. Linking words (comparison within a sentence)
2. The most – the least
Although
The most popular university subject remains business management. Although fewer females study engineering at university, the
The improvements in the southeast of the country were the least percentage is growing steadily.
noticeable.
While
The most common – the least common
While fewer females study engineering at university, the percentage The 25-35 age group
is growing steadily. The 18-25s
Whereas/while
Male students are drawn to STEM subjects, whereas/while female TIME PERIODS
students are more likely to choose social sciences.
Unlike At the start of the period
Unlike males, who are drawn to STEM subjects, female students are At the end of the period
more likely to choose social sciences. In the final years
Compared to In the summer months
Compared to girls, boys spend more time playing computer games. In the first/second half of the year
In the first/second/third/fourth quarter (first quarter is January,
6. Linking words (comparison between sentences) February, March)
Similarly A ten-year period
One of the most popular subjects among male students is business A five-year period
management. Similarly, it is one of the top choices for female A three-month period
students.
Meanwhile DESCRIBING PARTS OF A WHOLE
Many male students are drawn to STEM subjects. Female students,
meanwhile, are more likely to choose social sciences. • To make up
However (informal)
Fewer females study engineering at university. However, the The USA is made up of fifty states.
percentage is growing steadily. • To consist of
In comparison The USA consists of fifty states.
Over 20 per cent of all male students choose STEM subjects. In • To comprise
comparison, less than 10 per cent of female students do so. The USA comprises fifty states. Fifty states comprise the USA.
In contrast • To constitute
Over 20 per cent of all male students choose STEM subjects. In Fifty states constitute the USA.
contrast, less than 10 per cent of female students do so. • To compose
(formal)
AGE GROUPS The USA is composed of fifty states.

Age group = Age range People under the age of 40 constitute the majority of the labour
The youngest age groups force.
Older age groups The process consists of five stages.
The level of participation in sport by age range
White South Africans, who comprise about eight per cent of the to grow slowly
population, own more than 70 per cent of the private agricultural to rise slightly
land. to increase gradually
to climb moderately
Verbs to use when you are reporting some, but not all of the parts:
• To include fast
quickly
Asia includes China, Russia and Kazakhstan. (It also includes other
rapidly
countries.) considerably
North America includes the USA, Canada and Mexico. (There are significantly
only three countries in North America.)
• To contain dramatically
Concrete contains water, sand and gravel. (It also contains other drastically
ingredients.)
to jump No adverb
DESCRIBING A FORECAST to rocket

Is/are expected to
Is/are forecast to Student numbers in UK universities grew slightly from 280,000 in
Is/are predicted to 2016 to just over 285,000 in 2017.
Is/are planned The number of international students increased considerably by
almost 20% compared with the previous year.
DESCRIBING AN INCREASE The proportion of Chinese students rose sharply from 20% in 2016
to 30% in 2017.
Describing an increase: Student numbers increased dramatically/rocketed/jumped in 2008.
Verb + Adverb
Describing an increase: Adjective + Noun Over a ten-year period, the number of car thefts dropped rapidly and
reached a new low of under a thousand crimes per year.
After years of expansion, the industry output plummeted in 2010.

Describing a decline: Adjective + Noun

The 2017 figure was just above 210,000, a significant increase of

28% on the previous year.
As the chart shows, this rapid growth can partly be explained by a Most of the decline occurred in the 1970s.
dramatic increase in students from Germany. The town fell into decline after the factory closed.
In 2013, the figures demonstrated a modest climb of three per cent There has been a gradual decline in population, which now stands at
on the previous year. just over 150 million.
There was a substantial rise in student numbers from the EU. There has been a sharp decrease in pollution since 2010.
This year’s figures show a decrease of 20% on last year.
The chart demonstrates a reduction of nearly 40% in the number of
tourists visiting the town.

DESCRIBING A DECLINE REACHING THE HIGHEST AND THE LOWEST POINTS

Production reached a low point of £80 million in 1970, and a peak of

£150 million in 2010.
In the 1970s, the population of the town decreased considerably. There have been peaks and troughs in the long-term trend of
By 2005, profits had fallen dramatically to reach a low of £0.5 unemployment.
million. In 2018, the Turkish lira fell to an all-time low against the dollar.
In London, traffic reaches its peak between eight and nine in the The patterns differ for boys and girls.
morning. The patterns for France and Germany are similar.

FLUCTUATING AND STABILISING 3 WAYS TO PRESENT PERCENTAGE DATA

10% = 10 per cent

73% = 73 per cent
Socializing accounts for about 20 per cent of leisure time.
Respectively - in the same order as the people or things already
mentioned.
The expenditure on food was significantly higher than that on books
(30% and 10% respectively).

Proportions
Between 2010 and 2015, oil prices fluctuated significantly between 33% = one worker out of three
$60 and $100 a barrel. 20% = one student out of five
The rate of inflation has been fluctuating around four per cent for 40% = two out of five
some time. Three teenagers out of five exercise regularly. In comparison, only
Unemployment levelled off at half a million in 2005 and stayed at one adult in five does so.
this level for five years. 80% = a large proportion, a significant majority
The figure was relatively stable at around 20 per cent. 15% = a small minority
3% = an insignificant minority
DESCRIBING A TREND The largest proportion of time is spent playing computer games.
A greater percentage of young people are interested in sport.
• An upward trend
The trend is upwards ROUNDING NUMBERS
The chart shows an upward trend in the rate of unemployment. 48% = almost/just under/around/approximately 50 per cent, or
In London around fifty per cent of commuters used public transport nearly a half
in 2005 and the trend is upwards. 26% = just over/around/approximately 25 per cent, or nearly a
• A downward trend quarter
The trend is downwards 50% = exactly a half
The trend was generally downwards. Just over a quarter of students play cricket.
These figures show that, as far as car theft is concerned, the main The manufacturing output peaked at approximately five million
trend is downwards. dollars.
• A pattern
ONCE, TWICE, THREE TIMES A main road
1x = once 2x = twice A motorway – a large road connecting two towns
3x = three times 4x = four times… A small road was converted into a main road.
Consumers spend twice as much paying rent as buying food. The road runs through the centre of the town.
Consumer expenditure on food is three times higher than that on A stretch of road
books. A new stretch of road was built to link the financial district to the
Three times as much money is spent on food as on books. city centre.
The figure for renting accommodation is six times higher than that A road runs through the forest, along the railway line.
for buying books. To extend the road to connect with…
In 2010, the main road was extended to connect with the motorway.
TO HALVE, TO DOUBLE, TO TRIPLE A railway road
• To halve – to reduce by half A railway line
The company shares have halved in value. A railway line was built, crossing the city centre from north to south.
• To double - become twice as much/many Infrastructure - the basic systems and services that are necessary for
Between 1970 and 1990, the income doubled. a country or
• To triple - to become, or to make something, three times as an organisation to run smoothly, for example buildings, transport,
much or as many and water and power supplies.
The figure has more than tripled to 67%. By 2010, the city infrastructure had been significantly improved.
Facilities - buildings, services, equipment etc. that are provided for a
particular purpose
Sports facilities
Leisure facilities
WRITING COMPASS POINTS Shopping facilities
Conference facilities
• Located to the south/north/east/west of The town centre has been expanded in recent years and today offers
The park, located to the west of the town, had doubled in size by a wide range of facilities.
2010. Amenities - a feature that makes a place comfortable or easy to live
The office block was built to the north of the main station. in
• southern/northern/eastern/western The hotel has excellent amenities.
The western side of the island has remained uninhabited. Development - a piece of land with new buildings on it
A commercial development
COMMON MAP ELEMENTS A business development
A housing development
A road A residential development
A small road
Housing estate/development – a large area where a number of DESCRIBING A LOCATION
houses or flats are built at the same time
Residential area – a district where people live (compare with a A suburb - an area where people live that is outside the centre of a
business district) city
A leisure centre – a building where people can do sports or other Outskirts - the parts of a town or city that are furthest from the
leisure activities centre
A recreation ground – an area where people do sports or play games Neighbourhood
A pedestrianised area – a street or an area where vehicles are not After the construction of the business centre, the surrounding
allowed neighbourhood was transformed.
An industrial estate/zone - an area for factories or other industrial Urban - connected with a town or city
activities Urban areas
A business park - an area of land that is specially designed for Urban development
offices and small factories Rural - connected with or like the countryside
A warehouse - a building where large quantities of goods are stored Rural areas
A farmland Nearby
A woodland In the vicinity of – in the area around a particular place
A green area In proximity to
A river bank The industrial zone was built in close proximity to the airport.
A sea coast Adjacent to - next to or near something
A lake shore There is a row of houses immediately adjacent to the railway station.
A harbour The newly built park lies adjacent to a large forest.
A marina – a harbour for small boats and yachts Alongside
A pier - a long structure built in the sea and joined to the land at one The further development of the city continued alongside the
end motorway.
A new pier will be built in the middle of the beach.
Multi-storey car park - a car park with several floors DESCRIBING CHANGES
Swimming pool
Town hall – a building where the city administration is located Transformation
Fire station In recent years, the city centre has undergone a complete
A public/university library transformation.
A university campus Development
A hall of residence Over the last fifty years, the city has experienced rapid development.
Student accommodation To build
Science block To construct
There are plans to construct a new school playground that will To pass through
replace the car park. To run through
To erect The road running through the city centre has been pedestrianised.
The recently erected business centre was further extended.
To develop DESCRIBING A DIAGRAM
To set up • Writing an introduction
To open The diagram illustrates the way in which paper can be made at home
To turn into from old
A farmland was turned into a park. newspapers.
To convert into The diagram illustrates the process that is used to produce paper at
An old farmhouse was converted into flats. home.
To renovate The diagram shows the process of paper production that can be used
To modernise at home.
To redevelop The diagram illustrates the cycle of carbon on the planet.
The business district has been completely redeveloped over the last The diagram describes the process in which carbon travels from the
20 years. atmosphere into organisms on Earth and then back into the
To relocate atmosphere.
The industrial estate adjacent to the railway station was demolished • Writing an overview
and relocated to the suburbs. The process/cycle consists of ___ stages, beginning with ____ and
To replace ending with__ .
A new business park has completely replaced the park. Overall, the process consists of five stages, beginning with the raw
To destroy material and ending with the delivery of the final product.
To demolish Overall, the carbon cycle consists of six stages, beginning and
The old farmhouse has been demolished. ending in the form of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
To enlarge Overall, there are five stages in the process of cheese production,
To extend - make something longer/larger/wider starting with cows grazing on grass and ending with the sale of dairy
There are plans to extend the no-smoking area. products in supermarkets.
The school building has been extended. To go/pass through ___ stages before
To expand - to make something greater in size, number or Overall, an egg goes through four stages before becoming a
importance butterfly.
The local airport will have been expanded by 2030. ___ is used in the process of making ___
To clear trees/a forest ____ assists in the process of ____
To chop trees down
To plant new trees USEFUL VOCABULARY
To cross
A tool Aggregates comprise as much as 60 to 80 per cent of a typical
The process of making ink requires a number of tools. concrete mix.
Only one tool is required for making paper at home.
To combine LINKING WORDS
To be placed into
To mix To begin,
To break up into smaller pieces In the first stage of making…
An ice cutter is used to break up ice into small pieces. In the first stage of making handmade paper, old newspapers are
To size shredded into small squares and put into a bowl with hot water.
The material is sized into 20mm cubes. While
To go through While the paper is soaking, the mould is made from screens.
The bricks go through a heating and cooling process. Then/Next,
To transfer to The next stage is/involves/includes
To put into Next, the soaked paper is placed in a mixing bowl half-filled with
To undergo water and stirred until it becomes a smooth pulp.
At the next stage, the mixture is put into a heating machine, where it Following this,
undergoes Following this, the pulp is poured into the tub.
heat treatment. After
To pack After the pulp has been distributed evenly to make a sheet of paper,
To deliver the frame is taken out of the tub to dry.
The bricks are packed and delivered to their destinations. Once/When
Basic components When the pulp is dry, the paper is turned upside down to clean the
Raw materials frame.
Ingredients Finally/In the final stage,
Mixture In the final stage, the paper is flattened by ironing firmly.
A final product
To account for
Sand accounts for 25 per cent of the materials used to produce
concrete.

To consist of
The concrete consists of three basic components: water, aggregate
and cement.
To comprise