English Focus: Using Past Simple and Present Perfect to describe chart trends.
Student Level: Pre-Intermediate / Intermediate
ESL Worksheet Download: Describing-Charts-Present-Perfect.doc
Web Version of ESL Worksheet
Verb | Example |
↑ increase ↑ grow(/grew/grown) ↑ rise(/rose/risen) | Sales (have) increased.(use have (pres. perfect) when the trend continues to the present.) Sales have increased from 1995 to 2005. (use past simple for trends that don't continue to the present). Sales (have) increased by [25% / $5,000]. |
→ stay the same | |
↓ decrease ↓ decline ↓ fall(/fell/fallen) |
Sales have increased by 25% since 1995.
(use present perfect and since [+ time] for trends continuing from the past to the present.)
Sales increased from $150,000 in 1995 to $250,000 in 2010. (past simple)
Sales have increased from $150,000 in 1995 to $300,000 this year.
Make sentences based on the following chart:
- Sales in Europe from 2005 to 2010.
- Sales in Asia by from 1995 to 2005.
- Sales in Africa since 1995.
- Sales in Europe from in 2000 to this year.
Possible Answers
- ... increased/grew/rose
- ... decreased/declined/fell by $5,000....
- ... have stayed the same...
- ... have increased/grown/risen from $15,000 to $25,000 this year.
Make your own Sentences
(You can also write your answers in the comment section below.)
- My country’s population .
- The number of in my city .
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- ESL worksheet created by Matthew Barton of Englishcurrent.com
it is good!
Great exercise
VERY NICE
Surely it’s ‘have risen’ in the last answer? Not have rose? To rise/rose/risen
Good catch. Thanks