Task One Academic: Time Expressions

You should do this exercise after you have done Task One Academic: Language of Graphs.

It is likely that if you have to describe a graph in IELTS, you will have to talk about periods of time.  As with all aspects of IELTS, it is important to have a variety of expressions that you can use so that you don't repeat vocabulary.

Look at the examples below:

• From 8am to 10am, visits rose dramatically.
• Between January and March, there was a significant drop in sales.
• Throughout the whole period, sales rose steadily.
• In 1995, sales stood at 20,000.
• The 1992 to 1996 period saw a sharp drop in sales.
• Over a five hour period, visits remained stable.
• From that point, sales started to increase.
• Over the following/next six months, sales levelled off.

It is also very important to be careful with the tenses you use.  Look carefully at the times on the graph - are they all in the past?  Does it start in the past and move to the future?  Does it include now?

Remember:

- If the whole graph is in the past, you will only use the past simple. (see the examples above)

- If the graph continues to the present day, you will need to use the present perfect for that period. For example, 'Since 2010, sales have increased moderately.'

- If the graph continues into the future, you can use the following expressions:

• It is predicted that... (sales will continue to rise)
• It is thought that...  (sales will continue to rise)
• Sales are predicted to  (rise)

You may be required to use a mixture of all of the above.

TASK

Look at the line graph below.  Describe parts of the graph using all the expressions from above.

Image from Georgia State University library