Getting your target band score for the IELTS Writing Task 1 requires using language in a sophisticated way. Essentially, there are two really important factors:

  1. Use language accurately
  2. Avoid repetition

How can you do that? Thankfully, you don’t need a vocabulary of thousands of words to describe trends. With a little practice, you can master the necessary vocabulary to describe dozens of trends and also learn to vary that language at the same time! How? Look at the tables below:

Verb Noun
to rise a rise
to fall a fall
to increase an increase
to decrease a decrease
to dip a dip
to fluctuate a fluctuation
to recover a recovery

 

Adjective Adverb
slight slightly
sharp sharply
gradual gradually
steady steadily
dramatic dramatically
noticeable noticeably

 How to Use?

Many of the words you need to use in the IELTS Writing Task 1 to describe trends actually have two forms. Many verbs can be converted into a noun, and many adjectives can be converted into an adverb. Then you just need to pair the adjectives with a noun or an adverb with a verb!

Look at these examples:

adjective/noun

  • There was a gradual increase in prices…

adverb/verb

  • Prices gradually increased….