Describing trends

Many factual descriptions require you to compare information over a period of time.

• Describe increases The number of people smoking more than ten cigarettes a day rose significantly in the five year period.
• Describe decreases There was a significant drop in the number of deaths caused by heart disease. | The number of people using public transport fell significantly between 1950 and 2005.
• Describe future predictions The statistics predict an increase in the levels of pollution in these major cities in the next five years.

Note that if you choose to use a noun, (a fall) your sentence should begin: There was + a fall in + the category: There was a fall in the number of people living in the countryside. If you choose to use a verb (to fall), your sentence should begin: The category + to fall: The number of people living in the countryside fell sharply.