Academic collocations for describing graphs
Academic collocations for describing graphs help improve clarity and precision in academic writing by providing the right phrases to explain and compare data effectively. This guide introduces useful and commonly used expressions that make your descriptions more professional, accurate, and easy to understand, helping you present graphs and data with greater confidence.
Graph Description — Vocabulary Word List
All collocations organised by CEFR level · Click 🔊 to hear pronunciation · Click any sentence to hear it read aloud
🌤 Weather Collocations 12 items
Essential collocations for comparing the weather in two different places, using information from graphs. Practice with the example graphs below — then apply these phrases to any weather data you study.
A & C = precipitation (bar chart) · B & D = temperature (line graph)
- Maximum temperature: 34 °C (July)
- Minimum temperature: 8 °C (January)
- Wettest month: January (~65 mm)
- Driest months: June – September (near 0 mm)
- Climate type: Semi-arid / Mediterranean
- Maximum temperature: –2 °C (July)
- Minimum temperature: –18 °C (January)
- Wettest month: September (~48 mm)
- Driest month: April (~22 mm)
- Climate type: Polar / Sub-arctic
Study each collocation. Click 🔊 to hear it. Click any example sentence to listen.
Meaning: Use comparatives to compare temperatures between two places. (hot → hotter, cold → colder, dry → drier, wet → wetter)
- City A is much hotter than City B in summer.
- City B is considerably colder than City A throughout the year.
- In January, a northern city is far colder than a southern city.
Meaning: Use superlatives to identify extremes in a graph. (hot → the hottest, cold → the coldest, wet → the wettest, dry → the driest)
- The hottest month in City A is July, when temperatures reach 34 °C.
- The coldest month in City B is January, with an average low of –18 °C.
- The wettest month in City A is January, with approximately 65 mm of rainfall.
Meaning: Describes how temperatures move up or down to reach a specific value. Very common in weather graph descriptions.
- Temperatures in City A rise to 34 °C in July.
- In January, temperatures in City B fall to –18 °C.
- The average high temperature rises to its peak in mid-summer before falling again.
Meaning: Compares rainfall amounts between two places or two time periods. Use with bar charts showing precipitation data.
- Precipitation is considerably higher in City A during winter than in summer.
- Rainfall is lower in City B in spring, averaging around 22 mm per month.
- Precipitation in City A is almost zero during the summer months.
Meaning: Use as + adjective + as to express similarity. Use not as … as to say one thing is less than another. Both avoid the direct comparative.
- City B is not as warm as City A at any time of year.
- December in City A is not as cold as December in City B.
- A coastal city is often not as hot as an inland city in summer.
Meaning: The standard opening phrase for a topic sentence when describing a graph. Follow this formula: The graph shows + what is measured + time period + place.
- Graph A shows the precipitation in millimetres over one year in a hot, dry city.
- Graph D shows the average temperature in degrees Celsius over twelve months in a cold city.
- The graph shows that City A has significantly higher temperatures than City B.
Meaning: Use while or whereas to contrast two different weather patterns in one sentence.
- While City A has very hot summers, City B experiences cold temperatures year-round.
- City B has moderate rainfall year-round, whereas City A has almost no rain in summer.
- While precipitation in City B is fairly consistent, in City A it varies considerably.
Meaning: Two comparatives joined by and show that something increases or decreases progressively — each step is greater than the last.
- From January to July, City A gets hotter and hotter.
- As winter approaches, temperatures get lower and lower.
- The weather in a desert city becomes drier and drier from spring to summer.
cold → colder → the coldest | hot → hotter → the hottest
dry → drier → the driest | rainy → rainier → the rainiest
extreme → more extreme → the most extreme
good → better → the best | bad → worse → the worst
Not as + adjective + as (different): City B is not as warm as City A.
- Graph A shows temperature in degrees Celsius / precipitation in millimetres.
- Graph D shows temperature in degrees Celsius / average sunshine hours.
- Graphs A and C are line graphs / bar charts.
- City A is hotter / colder than City B in summer.
- The hottest month in City A is June / July / August.
- City A has a maximum temperature than City B. (high)
- City B is than City A throughout the year. (cold)
- City B has the temperature of the two places. (low)
- City A is than City B in winter. (wet)
- City A is than City B in summer. (dry)
- City B is not City A. (warm / as … as)
- City A is than City B. (sunny)
Graph B shows the average temperature in degrees Celsius over one year in two cities. Overall, City A is considerably hotter than City B throughout the year. The hottest month in City A is July, when the average high temperature rises to 34 °C. By contrast, City B is not as warm as City A at any point — temperatures fall to as low as –18 °C in January. While City A experiences very little rain in summer, with almost zero precipitation from June to September, City B receives rainfall fairly consistently throughout the year. From January to July, City A gets hotter and hotter, reaching its peak before declining steadily in autumn. Overall, the two cities demonstrate a significant difference in both temperature and precipitation patterns.
Meaning: Describes whether weather data changes a lot (varies considerably) or stays roughly the same (is fairly consistent / remains stable).
- Precipitation in City A varies considerably between winter and summer.
- Rainfall in City B is fairly consistent throughout the year.
- Temperatures in City B remain below zero for most of the year.
Meaning: Describes unusual or severe weather — very hot, very cold, very dry, or very stormy. Common in academic writing and geography reports.
- City B experiences extreme cold in winter, with temperatures well below zero.
- City A can experience extreme heat in summer, with temperatures over 30 °C.
- Both cities experience extreme weather conditions, but for opposite reasons.
Meaning: Adding an adverb of degree before a comparative (significantly, considerably, far, much, slightly) makes your description more precise and academic.
- Winter months in City A are significantly wetter than summer months.
- City B is considerably colder than City A throughout the year.
- The summer months in City A are far drier than the winter months.
Meaning: Describes a persistent condition — the temperature or rainfall stays on one side of a value for an extended period. Common in climate reports.
- The average temperature in City B remains below zero for most of the year.
- In City A, temperatures remain above 20 °C from April to October.
- Rainfall in City B remains low throughout spring and early summer.
A2 → B1 Collocations 8 items
Simple, high-frequency verbs and adverbs for describing basic upward, downward, and flat trends on a graph.
Meaning: Simple words for increase or decrease — the most basic trend language.
- The number of cars went up every year.
- Prices went down in January.
- Sales went up from 100 to 300 units.
Meaning: Core academic verbs meaning to go up or go down. Can be used as verbs or nouns.
- The population increased from 2 million to 4 million.
- There was a decrease in the number of students.
- Food prices increased by 20% over five years.
Meaning: Increased quickly and steeply in a short period of time.
- Electric vehicles rose sharply between 2018 and 2022.
- Oil prices rose sharply after the supply disruption.
- Unemployment rose sharply during the economic crisis.
Meaning: Went down. “Fell” is more formal; “dropped” suggests a sudden fall.
- The temperature fell to its lowest point in December.
- Attendance dropped after the new policy was introduced.
- The graph shows that profits fell in the last quarter.
Meaning: Did not change. “Remained stable” is more academic; “stayed the same” is simpler.
- The number of teachers remained stable throughout the period.
- Average wages stayed the same between 2010 and 2015.
- The rate remained stable at around 30% for three years.
Meaning: Increased slowly and steadily over a period of time.
- The population grew gradually over the twenty-year period.
- Renewable energy capacity grew gradually from 2010 to 2020.
- Online shopping grew gradually before accelerating after 2015.
Meaning: Arrived at the highest point before falling.
- Production reached a peak of 5 million units in 2019.
- Tourist arrivals reached a peak in August before declining.
- Spending reached a peak during the holiday season.
Meaning: Basic contrast words used to compare two trends in the same sentence.
- While food costs rose, clothing costs fell.
- Cars increased in number but buses decreased.
- Sales went up while costs went down in the same year.
B1 → B2 Collocations 9 items
Intermediate language for describing trends more precisely — combining verbs with adverbs, expressing peaks, comparisons, and proportions.
Meaning: Decreased gradually and consistently over time.
- Coal consumption declined steadily over the past decade.
- The birth rate declined steadily from 2000 onwards.
- Sales declined steadily throughout the third quarter.
Meaning: Stopped rising or falling and became stable — often after a period of change.
- After rapid growth, the figures levelled off in the second half.
- Internet usage levelled off at around 90% of the population.
- Temperatures levelled off after the initial heatwave.
Meaning: Fell suddenly and by a very large amount.
- Car sales dropped dramatically during the pandemic.
- The temperature dropped dramatically overnight.
- Export figures dropped dramatically after the new tariffs.
Meaning: Changed frequently and by a significant amount — up and down repeatedly.
- The exchange rate fluctuated considerably throughout the year.
- Rainfall amounts fluctuated considerably between seasons.
- Stock prices fluctuated considerably during the financial crisis.
Meaning: More formal contrast words for comparing two different trends in the same or adjacent sentences.
- Car ownership rose steadily. By contrast, bus usage fell sharply.
- Exports increased whereas imports remained stable.
- A grew rapidly whereas B showed little change over the same period.
Meaning: Represented or made up a particular proportion of a total.
- Coal accounted for 40% of total energy production in 2005.
- Women accounted for the majority of graduates in that year.
- Food and drink accounted for a third of household spending.
Meaning: The difference between two values or groups became larger over time.
- The gap widened between rich and poor households after 2010.
- The gap widened considerably between the two countries by 2020.
- As Line A rose and Line B fell, the gap widened steadily.
Meaning: Noun phrase collocations — adjective + noun — used instead of verb + adverb for variety.
- The graph shows a sharp rise in oil prices in 2008.
- There was a gradual decline in smoking rates over twenty years.
- The data shows a significant drop in employment in 2020.
Meaning: Language for expressing multiples and ratios when comparing two data sets.
- Country A had a GDP twice as high as Country B.
- Renewable energy grew at half the rate of fossil fuels.
- The figure was three times higher than the previous year.
