Describe trends
時間経過に伴う変化の説明に取り組みます。
Look at the graph below. Tell your teacher about the trends that you see.
COVID-19 is a familiar topic, so it should take little or no time to get into the activity.
COVID is a useful topic to use because it shows we can present information no matter how we feel about the topic itself. You don't have to be interested in it; you don't have to have a discussion about it.
NOTE
It is recommended to stick to the graph information unless your student offers to have a discussion about COVID. Encourage the student to use information from the graph in the discussion.
This lesson is about describing change over time. What language do you tend to use to do that?
Your student should recall the language they used in the Introduction.
- If they didn't use any compelling language—why not?
- If they did—great. Note it so they can use it later and, if possible, add to it.
A. Verbs to describe trends
These verbs describe trends.
- Up: increase, go up, grow, improve, rise.
- Down: decrease, go down, decline, fall, dip (go down a little).
- Up a lot: double/triple/etc., jump, rocket, shoot up, soar, surge.
- Down a lot: drop, halve, plummet, plunge.
- Consistent over time: plateau, stabilize, remain.
Can you think of others?
Pick one verb from each section. Use it to describe January in the graph, above.
B. Adverbs to describe size or speed of changes
Adverbs modify verbs. Use them to describe the size or speed of changes.
Let's start with the size of the change.
- Big: dramatically, significantly.
- Medium: moderately, somewhat.
- Small: marginally, negligibly.
Now, let's look at the speed of the change.
- Fast: sharply, quickly, rapidly.
- Slow: slowly, slightly.
- Consistent over time: gradually, steadily.
Recall the examples you gave in section A. Can you use adverbs in those sentences?
C. Adjectives and nouns to describe change
Adjectives and nouns can also be used to describe change. Verbs can usually be changed to their noun forms (e.g., "to rise" → "a rise"), and adverbs can become adjectives (e.g., "dramatically" → "dramatic"). Adjectives are used to modify nouns.
Adjectives:
- Bigger/Faster: dramatic, significant, sharp, quick, rapid.
- Medium/More slowly: moderate, gradual.
- Smaller: negligible, slight, slow.
- Consistent over time: gradual, steady.
Nouns:
- Up: an increase, a rise, an improvement, a surge, a jump.
- Down: a decline, a fall, a dip, a plunge.
- Consistent over time: a plateau, a stabilization.
Note that when you use a noun or adjective, the sentence structure changes. To learn the difference, finish the incomplete sentences with a verb vs. a noun or adjective. (The first example has been completed for you.)
Verb/ADVERB
Adjective/Noun
to rise
In France, the number of cases rose from February to March.
a rise
There was a rise in the number of cases in France.
dramatically
In Spain, cases...
dramatic
In Spain, there was a...
to fluctuate
In France...
fluctuation
There was a lot of...
slightly
From January to April, in Germany, cases...
slight
There was a...
to increase [+ adverb]
In France, in March...
a/an [adjective] increase
In France, in March...
to plateau
Cases plateaued...
a plateau
...
A. Verbs to describe trends
These verbs describe trends.
- Up: increase, go up, grow, improve, rise.
- Down: decrease, go down, decline, fall, dip (go down a little).
- Up a lot: double/triple/etc., jump, rocket, shoot up, soar, surge.
- Down a lot: drop, halve, plummet, plunge.
- Consistent over time: plateau, stabilize, remain.
Students can use their own language if they like. However, if they don't know any language, they should use the verbs above.
Pick one verb from each section. Use it to describe January in the graph, above.
Examples:
- In January, cases rose in France,
- while cases decreased in Italy and Germany.
- In January, cases shot up in Spain,
- while cases plunged in the UK.
B. Adverbs
Adverbs modify verbs. Use them to describe the size or speed of changes.
Let's start with the size of the change.
- Big: dramatically, significantly.
- Medium: moderately, somewhat.
- Small: marginally, negligibly.
Now, let's look at the speed of the change.
- Fast: sharply, quickly, rapidly.
- Slow: slowly, slightly.
- Consistent over time: gradually, steadily.
Examples:
- From January to March, cases rose gradually in France,
- while cases decreased marginally in Italy and Germany.
- In January, cases shot up dramatically in Spain.
- In January, in the U.K., cases dropped sharply;
- then from February to March, cases decreased steadily.
C. Adjectives and nouns to describe change
Adjectives and nouns can also be used to describe change. Verbs can usually be changed to their noun forms (e.g., "to rise" → "a rise"), and adverbs can become adjectives (e.g., "dramatically" → "dramatic"). Adjectives are used to modify nouns.
- to rise—In France, the number of cases rose from February to March.
- a rise—There was a rise in the number of cases in France from February to March.
- dramatically—In Spain, cases increased dramatically in January.
- dramatic—In Spain, there was a dramatic increase in the number of cases in January.
- to fluctuate—In France, cases fluctuated in April.
- a fluctuation—There was a lot of fluctuation in France in the number of cases in April.
- slightly—From January to April, in Germany, cases dipped slightly.
- a slight—There was a slight dip in cases in Germany from January to April.
- to increase—In France, in March, the number of cases increased sharply.
- a sharp increase—In France in March, there was a sharp increase in the number of cases.
- to plateau—Cases plateaued in the U.K. in April.
-
a plateau—The number of cases in the U.K. reached a plateau in April.
-
Look at the graph above again.
You have 2 minutes to describe as many trends as you can. Use the words and phrases from the Language section. Your teacher will time you.
NOTE: The GCAS has time-limited answers. So once you decide what you want to say, it's important to make sure your ideas fit into the time limit.