In today’s data-driven world, the ability to effectively communicate complex information is crucial. Whether you’re presenting a business report, analyzing market trends, or simply trying to make sense of the numbers, the right vocabulary can transform your message from confusing to clear. By the end of this article, you’ll be equipped with a richer vocabulary to articulate and interpret data with confidence and clarity. Whether you’re a student, professional, or just a curious learner, these skills are invaluable in navigating the increasingly data-centric world around us. Hence, in this blog article, we delve into the essential lexicon needed to articulate ideas around trends (1), quantities and thresholds (2), frequencies (3), probabilities (4), pacing (5), impact (6), and timing (7).
1. Trends
We’ll start by exploring how to describe trends, providing you with the terms needed to illustrate upward, downward, and stagnant patterns in data. Understanding and conveying these trends is key in many fields, from finance to marketing.
| Observation | Negative | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| Trend | decrease, drop, fall, shrink, decline, diminish, dwindle, get smaller, go down, downsize, reduce, lessen, cut, trim, downward trend | increase, grow, rise, raise, get bigger, go up, step up, expansion, extension, upward trend, development, amplification, strengthening, boost |
| Intense Trend | collapse, slump, plummet, sunk | rocket, surge, hike, soar up, shoot up |
| Change | worsening, deterioration, degradation, weakening, collapsing, cutbacks, windening gap, a change in direction, changeable, inconstant | recovery, improvement, uplift, bump, pivot, turnaround, closing gap, phasing out gap, things are looking up |
| Intensity | low, flat, limited, negligeable | high, elevated, strong, notable |
| Velocity | slow down, slacken off, drop off | quick, overnight, speed up, accelerate |
| Balance | loss, spend, deficit, waste, shortage | profit, gain, benefit, saving, surplus, acquisition, advancement |
| Comparison | lagging behind, trailing, struggling to keep up, dragging, falling behind | ahead of, before, leading, surpassing, outpacing, excelling, overtaking |
| Action | Negative | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| Direct | to decrease, to downsize, to reduce, to cut, to maintain, to shorten, to curb, to phase out | to increase, to grow, to expand, to enlarge, to extend, to winden, to broaden, to develop, to amplify, to boost |
| Continuous Target | to limit, to regulate, to restric, to constraint, to confine | to improve, to optimize, to enhance, to strengthen, to aliviate (less severe) |
| Binary Target | to stop, to put an end to, to cancel, to abandon | to continue, to carry on, to pursue, to persist, to resume, to stick with, to persevere, to push forward, to progress |
Neutral: no change, maintain same level, steady, remain constant, stable, similar, persist, continue, persevere.
Which preposition to use with percentages?
- verb by %: The sales increased by 15% last year.
- up/down by x% to $X: The sales went up by 15% last year to $26M.
- up/down by x points from x% to x%: This year the sales growth slowed down by 2 points from 15% to 13%.
- name of % in smth: A rise of 15% in sales happened last year.
- % name in smth: A 15% raise in sales can be observed last year.
2. Quantities and Thresholds
Next, we tackle the challenge of discussing quantities and thresholds. We’ll see how to express large and small numbers effectively, and how to discuss critical points or limits in our data.
| Observation | Negative | Neutral | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threshold | below, under, not enough, too little(s)/few(p), falling short of | enough, on the threshold, at least / at most | over, above, surpassing/exceeeding, a bit too much(s), one too many(p) |
| Quantity extremes | none, next to nothing, so little (s&p), not much(s)/many(p) | half, balanced, stable, evenly distributed, | all, the whole, so much(s)/many(p), a lot of (s) / lots of (p), plenty of |
| Quantity comparison | < less(s)/fewer(p) than | = precicely, as much(s)/many(p) as | > more than |
| Quantity comparison + | << by far less, much(s)/many(p) less, nothing like as X as, | ≈ around, about, round 75%, 75% or so, approximately, more or less, roughly speaking | >> by far more, much(s)/many(p) more, surpass, overcome |
3. Frequencies
When it comes to frequencies, we’ll give you the tools to talk about how often events occur, ranging from rare to common occurrences. This is particularly useful when performing a web traffic analysis.
| Frenquency | Adverbs |
|---|---|
| ⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫∞ | each and every time |
| ⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫ | always |
| ⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪ | nearly (almost) always |
| ⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪ | most of the time, repeatedly, over and over again |
| ⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪ | very often, frequently, usually, normally |
| ⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪ | often |
| ⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪ | sometimes |
| ⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪ | occasionally, from time to time, every now and then |
| ⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪ | once in a while |
| ⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪ | rarely, seldom |
| ⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪ | once, hardly ever |
| ⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪ | never |
| ⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪∞ | never ever |
4. Probabilities
Probabilities can be tricky to communicate, but they are essential in risk assessment and forecasting. This section will provide clear ways to discuss likelihood and chance.
| Probability | Adverbs |
|---|---|
| 95% – 100% | without fail, for sure, by all means, almost sure (99%), unquestionably, incontestably, indisputably, indubitably, inevitably |
| 90% – 100% | surely, without doubt, no doubt, undoubtedly, definitely, almost certainly |
| 80% – 90% | quite sure, in all likelihood, highly likely, |
| 60% – 80% | most probably, most likely, probably, apparently, fairly likely, quite possible |
| 50% – 60% | arguably, seems possible, seemingly, marginally likely, slightly likely |
| 40% – 60% | equivocally, perhaps, maybe, possibly, potentially |
| 20% – 40% | unlikely, doubtfully, somewhat unlikely, rather unlikely |
| 10% – 20% | far from that, improbable, scarcely probable |
| 0% – 10% | certainly not, not in the least, not at all, by no means, highly improbable |
| 0% – 5% | not a chance, virtually impossible, practically impossible |
5. Pacing
The pacing of events or processes is another crucial aspect we cover. You’ll learn how to describe the speed or rate of change, which is particularly relevant in fast-paced industries.
| Pace | Adverbs + [increased or decreased] |
|---|---|
| +++++ | dramatically, dangerously, fiercely, seriously |
| ++++ | quickly, sharply, suddenly, swiftly |
| +++ | steadily, fixedly, unwaveringly |
| ++ | little by little, gradually, increasingly |
| + | slowly, gently, carefully, casually |
6. Impact
Discussing impact requires a specific set of terms, especially when evaluating the significance or consequences of findings. We’ll guide you through this.
| Impact | Level | Adverbs |
|---|---|---|
| 100% | absolute, full | completely, totally, entirely |
| 75% 99% | strong, notable | significantly, substancially, markedly, considerably |
| 50% – 75% | important, relevant | especially, particularly, chiefly, mainly, essentially |
| 25% – 50% | moderate | very, really, rather, pretty, quite, fairly |
| 10% – 25% | small, minor | slightly, somewhat |
| 0% – 10% | negligeable | hardly, barely, scarcely |
7. Timing
Finally, we touch upon timing. In a world where timing can be everything, knowing how to articulate moments and durations is vital.
| Point in time | |
|---|---|
| Past Precise point in time | back in [1974] |
| Past | formerly, in the past, in earlier times |
| Recent Past | recently, not long ago, lately, just now, freshly |
| From Past to Present | up to now, over these last months |
| Before Action | prior to, previous to, earlier than, ahead of |
| Before Present | beforehand, in advance, before (+ing) |
| Present | now, at the moment, at present, presently, currently, nowadays |
| Present Precise point in time | on time, now, right now, this minute |
| After Present | afterwards, after (+ing) |
| After Action | then, thereafter, after a while |
| From Present to Future | therefrom, from now on, henceforward |
| Future Tense | soon, in a moment, shortly, in an instant, |
| Future | in the future, in the coming times |
| Future Precise point in time | by 2050 |
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To learn more about corporate communication, check out this post: Navigating the Final Frontier of Workplace Communication