In this lecture, you’ll learn how to describe accounting trends with precision using powerful adverbs and verbs. Whether you’re writing reports, presenting data, or discussing financial trends, this page will give you the tools to sound confident and professional.
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Why Is It Important to Describe Trends Accurately?
In business, especially in accounting and finance, being able to describe trends clearly is essential. Whether you’re explaining a company’s performance, analysing market data, or forecasting future outcomes, the right vocabulary helps you:
- Communicate effectively with colleagues and clients.
- Add precision and professionalism to your reports and presentations.
- Build confidence in your Business English skills.
Let’s dive into the key adverbs and verbs you need to describe upward, downward, and stable trends.
What Are Trends?
A trend is the general direction in which something is moving. In accounting and finance, trends often refer to changes in data, such as sales figures, stock prices, or profits.
Trends can be:
- Upward: When numbers or values increase.
- Downward: When numbers or values decrease.
- Stable: When numbers or values remain constant.
Adverbs for Describing Trends
Adverbs add detail to your descriptions by showing the intensity of a trend. For example, a trend can increase slightly (a small change) or sharply (a big change).
Adverbs for Upward Trends
Here are some common adverbs to describe upward trends, organised by intensity:
- High intensity (big changes):
- Sharply
- Rapidly
- Dramatically
- Steeply
- Suddenly
- “Sales increased sharply in the first quarter.”
- “The company’s profits rose dramatically after the product launch.”
- Medium intensity (moderate changes):
- Substantially
- Considerably
- Significantly
- “Revenue grew significantly after the marketing campaign.”
- “The number of customers increased considerably last year.”
- Low intensity (small changes):
- Gradually
- Moderately
- Steadily
- Slightly
- Slowly
- “The stock price climbed gradually over the month.”
- “Profits rose slightly in the second quarter.”
Adverbs for Downward Trends
Similarly, adverbs for downward trends describe the intensity of a decrease:
- High intensity (big changes):
- Sharply
- Rapidly
- Dramatically
- Steeply
- Suddenly
- “The share value plummeted sharply after the announcement.”
- “Profits fell dramatically due to increased costs.”
- Medium intensity (moderate changes):
- Substantially
- Considerably
- Significantly
- “The number of orders dropped significantly last quarter.”
- “Revenue declined considerably after the policy change.”
- Low intensity (small changes):
- Gradually
- Moderately
- Steadily
- Slightly
- Slowly
- “The price of oil decreased gradually over the year.”
- “Sales fell slightly in the final quarter.”
To help your understanding, download your cheat sheet to get a copy of the Trends Intensity Diagram.
Use this Diagram to assess the degree of adverb intensity. For example, the higher the arrow then, the greater the power of the adverb.
The Trends Intensity Diagram can be used for upwards and downwards trends.
Explaining and understanding trends is a common occurrence in the Accounting and Finance Office. It’s, therefore, very beneficial to have the Trends Intensity Diagram to help enhance listening and speaking skills.
Verbs for Describing Trends
Verbs are the action words that describe the movement of a trend. They can be used in the past, present, or future tense depending on the context.
Verbs for Upward Trends
- Grow (grew)
- Climb (climbed)
- Rocket (rocketed)
- Increase (increased)
- Jump (jumped)
- Go up (went up)
- Rise (rose)
Examples:
- “Sales grew by 20% last year.”
- “The stock price rocketed after the merger announcement.”
- “Revenue is expected to increase steadily over the next quarter.”
Verbs for Downward Trends
- Go down (went down)
- Plummet (plummeted)
- Decrease (decreased)
- Drop (dropped)
- Fall (fell)
- Plunge (plunged)
- Decline (declined)
Examples:
- “The company’s profits plummeted after the product recall.”
- “The number of customers declined steadily over the year.”
- “Sales are expected to fall slightly next month.”
Verbs for Stable Trends
- Remain (remained)
- Stay (stayed)
- Maintain (maintained)
Examples:
Examples:
“We have been able to maintain prices despite inflation.”
“The cost of production has remained stable for three years.”
“The figures stayed constant throughout the quarter.”
Combining Adverbs and Verbs
To describe trends effectively, combine adverbs and verbs. Here are some examples:
“The cost of petrol has remained stable for the past six months.”
“Sales increased slightly in autumn.”
“Profits rose significantly after the competitor’s bankruptcy.”
“The share value plummeted suddenly, causing panic among investors.”
“The company’s revenue declined gradually over the year.”
Final Tips
- Use adverbs and verbs to add precision to your descriptions.
- Match the intensity of the adverb to the size of the trend.
- Practise combining adverbs and verbs to create professional-sounding phrases.
Why not pick up a SPECIAL OFFER for our Business English Accounting Course at:
https://toomeybusinessenglish.com/accounting-business-english/
Watch the Video Lesson
For a deeper understanding of Adverbs and Verbs for Accounting Trends, watch our video lesson on YouTube below:
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