OVERVIEW REVISION

 Exercise 1: Put the given verbs/nouns/adjs/advs in the right columns.

Surge Plummet Fluctuate Increase Decrease Drop Plunge

Stabilize Loss Gain Plateau Decline Growth A levelling off

 Exercise 2: Write the introduction and overview for the chart below.

Population Growth
80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
1950 1960 1990 2000 2010

0-14 25-37 38-45 over 65

→ The line graph shows .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Overall, while .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Compiled by: Nguyen Duc Anh Tuan 1

 Adjectives and adverbs for degree of change

Degree Adjectives Adverbs

dramatic dramatically
enormous enormously
Very extensive change
tremendous tremendously
huge hugely
substantial substantially
considerable considerably
significant significantly
Extensive change
remarkable remarkably
noticeable noticeably
marked markedly
Average change moderate moderately
negligible negligibly
slight slightly
Small change marginal marginally
small
minimal minimally

Adjectives and adverbs for speed of change

Speed Adjectives Adverbs

rapid rapidly
quick quickly
Quick change sharp sharply
swift swiftly
steep steeply
steady steadily
Slow change gradual gradually
slow slowly
sudden suddenly
Unexpected change unexpected unexpectedly
abrupt abruptly

Compiled by: Nguyen Duc Anh Tuan 2

  Exercise 3: Matching the parts of the graph with the verbs a-j.
1. A–B a. hit a low
6
F 2. B – C b. fell and then levelled off
5 A B
3. B – D c. remained flat/stable
4 E 4. D – F d. plummeted

3
H 5. F e. rose gradually
D G
C 6. F – H f. fell gradually
2 L
M 7. G g. soared
J K
1
I 8. I – J h. dipped

0 9. J – K i. fluctuated
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
10. L - M j. hit a peak
Series 1 Series 2

 Exercise 4: Replace the underlined text by the verbs in exercise.

1. The price of laptops dropped followed by a period of stability.

2. Numbers reached a high in the year 2009.

3. The amount of money spent fell slightly and then quickly recovered.

4. Visitor numbers to the website plunged in the first quarter of the year.

5. Book purchases increased slowly but surely over the year.

6. The number of students applying to the university stabilized over the decade.
7. Attendance at the conference decreased steadily last year.

8. The growth rate was erratic during the previous year.

9. Member numbers reached their lowest point in March.

10. Car sales rocketed over the period.

 Exercise 5: Read the paragraph and choose the appropriate prepositions.

As regards Robbie’s Bakery, income started to / at £55,000 in 2000 and remained stable at / to this figure
during / until 2005. At this point, there was a sharp rise to / at £70,000. Between 2007 and 2008, the figure
went up to / by around £30,000, to / from £70,000 at / to nearly £100,000. Finally, income grew gradually, and
peaked at / to £105,000 in 2010. If we look at Lovely Loaves, earnings fluctuated between / at £80,000 and

£90,000 in the first five years, then there was a sharp fall to / at £40,000 in 2008. Finally, the figure levelled

off to / at £40,000, and finished to / at the same figure.

Compiled by: Nguyen Duc Anh Tuan 3

 Group 1: Structures for charts/graphs with timeline

1. S + V + Adv.
→ The number of students in London University increased significantly from 2000 to 2005.

2. There + be + a/an + Adj + N + in + sth.

→ There was a dramatic growth in the number of students in London University from 2000 to 2005.

3. S (figure/time/place) + saw/experienced/witnessed/underwent+ a/an + Noun + (in) + sth.

→ The number of students in London University experienced a considerable rise from 2000 to 2005.
→ London University underwent a considerable rise in the number of students from 2000 to 2005.
→ The 5-year period starting from 2000 witnessed a considerable rise in the number of students in
London University.

* Lưu ý: Với các động từ/danh từ biểu thị sự tăng/giảm mạnh thì không cần dùng thêm trạng từ/tính từ chỉ
mức độ nữa. → E.g: significant decrease, huge loss, tremendous growth, huge boom, moderate dive,
dramatic plunge.

Compiled by: Nguyen Duc Anh Tuan 4

 Group 2: Combining structures

1. with + noun + v-ing

→ Spending on holidays rose over the period with the expenditure increasing from £1,053 million to
£1,230 million.

2. , v-ing.
→ Spending on holidays rose over the period, increasing from £1,053 million to £1,230 million.

3. with + noun.
→ Spending on holidays rose over the period with an increase from £1,053 million to £1,230 million.

 Exercise 1: Make any changes if possible, using the nouns in the box.

a drop a plunge a bottom out an increase a rise

a rise a decline a surge a plunge a dip

a fall a levelling off a climb a peak some fluctuations

1. The price of laptops dropped followed by a period of stability.

→ There was a drop in the price of laptops followed by a period of stability.

2. The amount of money spent fell slightly and then quickly recovered.

→ ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
3. Visitor numbers to the website plunged in the first quarter of the year.

→ ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
4. Book purchases increased slowly but surely over the year.

→ ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
5. The number of students applying to the university stabilized over the decade.

→ ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
6. Attendance at the conference decreased steadily last year.

→ ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
7. The growth rate was erratic during the previous year.

→ ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
8. Car sales rocketed over the period.

→ ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Compiled by: Nguyen Duc Anh Tuan 5

 Exercise 2: Combine the two sentences using the structures in brackets.

1. It is clear that the growth in expenditure increased steadily. The biggest rise occurred between 2005
and 2006. (with + noun + v-ing)

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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2. The general trend for miscellaneous expenditure was clearly upward. It rose from £318 million to
£557 million, a near 60% increase. (v-ing)

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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3. Spending on business trips also went up. It climbed from £859 million to £1,108 million. (with + noun)

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

4. Expenditure on visiting friends or relatives rose only slightly from £539 to £585 million. Most of the
growth took place between 2005 and 2006. (with + noun + v-ing)

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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5. The overall money spent went up from £2,780 million in 2002 to £3,390 million in 2006, a 20%
increase. It is clear miscellaneous expenditure accounted for most of the rise. (with + noun + v-ing)

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Group 3: Other supporting structures/words

1. that / those: dùng để thay thế cho từ số ít / số nhiều đã đề cập trước đó, tránh lặp từ / cấu trúc

→ The amount of water consumed in the America was higher than that in Egypt. (that in = the amount of
water consumed in)

2. respectively: lần lượt là… (thường đặt ở cuối câu)

→ The number of A, B, C was 900, 800 and 700 respectively.
→ The number of A was 900, which was higher than that of B and C, at 800 and 700 respectively.

Compiled by: Nguyen Duc Anh Tuan 6

 3. The opposite/reverse was true for A: A có khuynh hướng ngược lại.
→ The number of local residents travelling to urban museums decreased while the reverse was true for
that of overseas vistors.

4. after which: sau đó thì…

→ The number of A increased significantly to 700, after which this figure underwent a downward trend
to approximately 550.

5. followed by: theo sau bởi…

→ Ha Long Bay was the most favoured destination in 2010 with 6 million visitors, closely followed by
Dalat, attracting 4.5 million.

6. surpass (v) = overtake (v) → surpassed = overtook: vượt mặt

→ Internet TV surpassed broadcast viewing, becoming to the most favored way of enjoying televised
programmes.

HOW TO WRITE BODY PARAGRAPHS – WRITING TASK 1

A. Dạng có timeline

1. Số liệu + so sánh số liệu năm đầu

2. Những năm ở giữa: Đầu-Đỉnh-Đáy-Đuôi.

3. Sự thay đổi (xu hướng + mức độ) và số liệu năm cuối.
B. Dạng không timeline

Cách 1: Cách 2:

1. Phân chia bài theo MAX và MIN 1. Phân chia bài theo độ chênh lệch

2. Điều chỉnh thông tin cho phù hợp (nhóm những 2. So sánh các đối tượng có độ chênh lệch thấp

đối tượng có sự tương đồng với nhau) 3. So sánh các đối tượng có độ chênh lệch cao

3. Viết câu so sánh các yếu tố đó

Compiled by: Nguyen Duc Anh Tuan 7

 Practice 1:

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. You should write at least 150 words.

The graph below compares SAT math results according to gender from 1992 to 2000 in a particular
school. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

Average SAT Math scores, 1992 to 2000

560

540

520

500

480

460

440

420
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Male Female

• male (a) → males (n) = boys; female (a) → females (n) = girls.
→ male / female students.
• SAT math results → students’ performances in the SAT
The graph shows/illustrates/… math tests
• according to gender → categorized by gender.
Overall, there was an upward trend recorded in the SAT math results recorded in both genders
over the period.
Body:
• In 1992, boys …, and then  … in 1993. Although the next year , scores had recovered by
1995 and were on a steady rise again, reaching … in 1998. After that, scores −−−−−−, with
only a one-point rise in the last two years of the period.
• Girls, on the other hand, started with a much lower average of … in 1992. Following this,
their average scores steadily , reaching … in 1995 and from then on, they rose at an
even sharper pace to reach … in 1996. Although after this rise in scores was less marked,
clearly by 2000, girls scores had climbed … .

Compiled by: Nguyen Duc Anh Tuan 8

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Compiled by: Nguyen Duc Anh Tuan 9
 Practice 2:

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. You should write at least 150 words.

The graph below shows annual earnings in the US according to gender from 1970 to 2010. Summarize the
information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Annual Earnings in the US

50,000

42,500 Men
Dollars

Women
35,000

Women with

27,500 degrees

20,000
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

• annual = yearly = every year → annually = on an annual basis; earnings = income = the
amount of money earned by….
• men → males (male (a)); women → females (female (a)).
• Male/female earnings → men’s/women’s income; income/earnings of women with
degrees.
• the amount of money earned by…
The graph shows/illustrates/… • how much … earned/made/generated
• the yearly income of people in the US…
Overall, there was an upward trend recorded in … while the reverse was true for …

Body:
• In 1970, men’s average annual earnings …, the highest among three groups, although from
then on they  over the next two decades to reach a low of …. After this, income did
recover to some extent so that in 2000, earnings were back to …, where they … until the
end of the period.
• The amount of money earned by women, on the other hand, was much lower in 1970 at …,
but  (noun) over the period had brought it to … by the end of the period. Women who had
university degrees, however, fared much better. Although average income started at only
… in 1970, it then  throughout the period to finish highest at….

Compiled by: Nguyen Duc Anh Tuan 10

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Compiled by: Nguyen Duc Anh Tuan 11