LANGUAGE

= vocabulary sets =

//the size of// the population (**NOT** //the number of// the population) FatCity **has** a population **of** 13 million the population increased the number of people (who were) living in Fatcity increased (**NOT** the people increased - the people were not getting bigger!)
 * population **= //the number of// people living in an area/country / the group people living there

**residents** = people living in an area/city //the number of// residents //many/more/fewer// residents + inhabitants, citizens (BUT not all residents or inhabitants may be citizens)

**community** = a group of people who live in the same area or who share the same interests //the size of// the Korean community in ... a //small/large// community

male / female (adj) males / females (pl.n) by gender
 * men and women **

users (n) //the number of// users people (who were) using the internet (noun phrase) people who use the internet (noun phrase) internet use/usage (n)
 * internet **

**sales** = //the number of items which are sold// sales increased (**NOT** the number of sales increased) //the number of// .... (which were) sold increased //the level// of sales increased

**spending** expenditure / spending on ... increased //the amount of// money (which was) spent spending is **NOT** the same as cost !!!

= useful verbs =

//At this point, sales began/started to fall/falling.// //Prices continued to rise/rising for another decade, reaching $15 by 2003.// //+++ Both to + 1st form and -ing are possible after these verbs +++//
 * start/begin ** (I)
 * continue ** (I)

//Smoking rates may vary with gender and ethnicity.// //Prices varied considerably throughout the period shown.// //Prices tended to increase over the next twenty years.// //Women tended to smoke less than men over the period.// //+++ Helps to make the statement less absolute - a tendency NOT a rule +++//
 * vary ** (I) to change in amount or level, especially in different situations
 * tend ** (I) to be likely to behave in a particular way or have a particular characteristic

//Male smokers outnumbered females.// //This figure represented a 50% increase.// //Chinese students accounted for 70% of foreign students over the period.//
 * outnumber ** (T) to be greater in number than sb or sth
 * represent ** (T) to be the equivalent of, to correspond to
 * account for ** (Ph.V) [be] to form the total of sth

//Taxes increased. (I)// //The government increased taxes. (T)// //Taxes were increased by the new government. (T - passive)//
 * Note:** Some verbs in English can be both transitive (requiring an object) and intransitive (no object). These include: increase, decrease, change, vary, start, begin, continue... In graph descriptions, you should use the intransitive verb.

= key definitions* = If you want definitions and explanations of key words/concepts (trend, proportion, rate, ratio, numbers vs percentages and fractional/% increases), have a look at these two pages


 * number (of) **- can only be used with **COUNTABLE** nouns such as //people, cars and iPods// (see //population/sales// below)
 * amount (of) **- can be used with **UNCOUNTABLE** such as //money, pollution//, //unemployment//
 * level (of) **- the number **or** amount of sth - //the level of sales, immigration, unemployment, inflation//
 * volume (of) ** - the number **or** amount of sth in general - //the volume of sales/trade/traffic/pollution// - does **not** collocate with everything

> don't write //'the number of population'// but '//the population//' or '//the size of the population'//
 * population** = ** the number of people living in a particular place **

> don't write //'the number of sales'// but '//sales//' or '' //the volume of sales"// > //* with help from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary// (2005), //Cambridge University Press//
 * sales** = ** the number/volume of items sold **

= = =**Describing increases and decreases**=

[NOUN PHRASE] [VERB] [ADVERB]
__ The price of oil __ ** fell slightly ** __ Internet use __ ** increased significantly **

[THERE (be)] [NOUN PHRASE (adj/noun)] ** [IN] ** [NOUN PHRASE]

 * There was a slight fall in ** __the price of oil__.
 * There was a significant increase ** ** in ** __internet use__.

= = =Using fractions and percentages=

__Sales__ ** doubled **over the period shown. __Fertility rates__ ** halved **over the next twenty years. __Oil consumption__ ** increased by a third. **

Sales rose** by 100% ** Fertility rates fell ** by 50% ** There was a** 30% ** increase in oil consumption