Each one of us have made use of graphs and charts throughout our growing up years - from making projects in schools to analysis and presentations in college. Hence, we all are accustomed to fundamentals behind graphs and charts. Well, they are used to represent information and data in a pictographic layout. Also, there are certain phrases and vocabulary used to describe the figures and trends, the ups and downs displayed in the graphs and charts.

Types of charts and graphs:

There are a handful of different types of graphs and charts. Some of the commonly used ones include tables, pie charts, bar charts, line graphs, etc.

Below-mentioned are a few useful phrases and vocabulary that will help you describe and explain the analysis being stated. Read on...

Phrases that could be used to describe charts and graphs:

1. The pie chart will show you…
2. The bar chart on the right describes…
3. As you can see, the chart is divided into two halves…
4. This line highlights the…
5. Each slice of the pie chart compares the…
6. The number goes down by…
7. The number remains stable…
8. This brings us to the conclusion…

The role of tenses in describing graphs and charts:

The English language could get confusing, especially when it comes to the right use of tenses. Understand the difference, and draw a safe line by using the right tense for the right chart, graph or pie. In simpler words, if the chart you are dealing with contains facts in the present, be sure to use the Simple Present tense; if the facts were in the past, you should use Simple Past.

On the professional front, discussing and explaining graphs and other charts is a common occurrence. Hence, you need to ensure you polish and improve your English communication skills to achieve a flawless English speaking fluency.

The business world embraces those who have a great hold over English and hence, below are a few terms that you could use while conversing with your colleagues or boss about a certain graph, pie or chart.

Terms that could be used to describe charts and graphs:

1. Going up- Rose, increased, went up, grew
2. Going down- Decreased, fell, dropped, declined
3. No Change- Remained the same, remained constant, leveled off, stabilized
4. Up and Down- Fluctuated, fluttered, undulated
5. Small Changes- Gradually, slightly, steadily
6. Big Changes- Sharp, sudden, steep, dramatically
7. Low Points- Reached a low point, bottomed out.

The basic idea behind using certain terms and phrases is to mark the professional tint of the chart or graph. You should learn that not everything can be described and explained in layman's terms; and to learn English better, you need to broaden your horizon and get acquainted with professional terms.

You could also take the help of a native English speaker or, better still, an online English tutor, as that would give you a better understanding of the usage of certain terms and phrases.

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- By Chander Madan

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