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Vocabulary: Precise verbs for data and reporting
Account for, comprise, exceed, outnumber, coincide with: precise verbs that make Task 1 reports concise and accurate. Includes the "comprise of" mistake.
Verbs that do more work
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| account for | be a proportion of | Women accounted for 60% of graduates. |
| comprise | consist of (no "of"!) | The group comprises five countries. |
| make up / constitute | form a proportion of | Students made up a third of the audience. |
| exceed / surpass | be more than | Sales exceeded 1 million. |
| outnumber | be more in number than | Cars outnumbered bicycles. |
| halve / double / triple | change by ×½, ×2, ×3 | The price halved. |
| level off / plateau | stop changing after a rise or fall | Growth levelled off in 2015. |
| coincide with | happen at the same time as | The fall coincided with the recession. |
The comprise trap
Practise freely
Questions 1–7
Complete each sentence with a verb from the box in the correct form.
account forexceedoutnumberhalvelevel offcoincide withcomprise
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In 2020, online sales 35% of all retail spending.
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By 2015, female students male students at most universities.
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The number of smokers between 1990 and 2020, from 30% to 15%.
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After rising for a decade, house prices in 2018.
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The sharp fall in tourism the outbreak of the pandemic.
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For the first time, exports $10 billion.
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The survey sample 2,000 adults aged 18–65.
Questions 8–11
Is each sentence correct or incorrect?
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The panel comprises of three experts.
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Children made up a quarter of the population.
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Coal accounted 40% of electricity generation.
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The figure surpassed its previous peak in 2019.
More vocabulary practice
PDF worksheet
Writing Task 1 language bank
PDF worksheet