Key financial verbs for data reporting

Reminder of main verbs seen last time:

Say whether the following verbs are positive or negative in a financial
context ?
Increase /drop/ fall/ decline/ go up / peak / bottom out / fluctuate
bounce back /stay the same / plummet

Let’s explain and add more verbs :

Increase / rise / go up : numbers become larger

Example : sales increased by 10 per cent

Decrease/ drop / fall / decline : numbers become smaller

Example : revenue fell last quarter

Peak : reach the highest point

Example : profits peaked in July.

Bottom out : reach the lowest point.

Example : shares bottomed out at 5 €

Fluctuate : go up and down .

Example : oil prices fluctuated all year.
Remain stable / stay the same : no change
Example : costs remained stable in Q3

Recover/ rebound : go up after a fall

Example : the market rebounded after losses

Plummet : fall very quicly

Example : shares plummeted by 20 per cent

Soar : rise very quickly

Example : demand soared in December
bounce back (in a business or data reporting context) is:
• recover
• rebound
• regain (momentum, position, value)
• pick up (informal)
• stage a recovery (formal/business writing)

Example:
• “Sales rebounded after the slow summer season.”
• “The company recovered quickly from the downturn.”
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2. Useful Phrases for Reporting Data

• The value increased by 12%.
• The value rose to $5 million.
• Revenue dropped from $8M to $6M.
• Sales grew over the last quarter.
• This is a 5% increase compared to last year.

3. Sample Dialogue

CFO: How did our revenue perform last quarter?

Data Analyst: Revenue rose by 8% in Q2, reaching $4.3 million,
compared to $4 million in Q1.
CFO: And our operating costs?
Data Analyst: They remained stable at around $1.5 million.
CFO: What about net profit?
Data Analyst: Net profit grew from $1.2 million to $1.4 million, a 16%
increase.
CFO: Any concerns?
Data Analyst: Yes. While sales in Europe soared by 20%, North
American sales dropped by 5%, mainly due to currency fluctuations.

4. Exercise – Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Financial Verb

1. Sales _______ by 12% in Q1 compared to Q4.
2. Our costs _______ at $2 million for three months in a row.
(happening consecutively without interruption)
3. After the crisis, the stock price _______ from $15 to $25 in
just one month.
4. Production _______ sharply in March due to supply chain
issues.
5. The value of the euro _______ between $1.05 and $1.10
throughout the quarter.

Keys : (many possible answers)

1- Rose/ grew
2- Remained stable/ stayed the same .
3- Recovered / rebounded/ rose / increased
4- Dropped sharply/ plummeted sharply
5- fluctuated
Match each data reporting verb to its correct meaning.
A. Rise
B. Fall
C. Remain stable
D. Fluctuate
E. Peak
F. Dip
1. To stay at the same level with little or no change.
2. To reach the highest point.
3. To go down suddenly or temporarily.
4. To move up and down irregularly.
5. To go up in number or value.
6. To decrease in number or value.

Key – Part 1

1 → C (Remain stable) – no major change over time.

2 → E (Peak) – highest point in a period.
3 → F (Dip) – small or temporary drop.
4 → D (Fluctuate) – irregular changes up and down.
5 → A (Rise) – to increase.
6 → B (Fall) – to decrease.
⸻

Part 2 – Fill in the gaps

Complete each sentence with the correct verb from the box
rose, fell, remained stable, fluctuated, peaked, dipped
1. Company profits ______ by 10% in the last quarter.
2. Oil prices ______ sharply after the announcement but
recovered later.
3. Sales ______ in May, reaching their highest level for the
year.
4. The unemployment rate ______ at around 5% for most of
the year.
5. The stock price ______ throughout the week due to
market uncertainty.
6. Revenue ______ in June, dropping slightly before
increasing again in July.

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Key – Part 2
1. rose – shows an increase.
2. fell – shows a drop.
3. peaked – highest point.
4. remained stable – no major change.
5. fluctuated – irregular up and down movements.
6. dipped – small, temporary decrease.
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5. Answer Key with Justification

1. increased / rose / grew – numbers became larger.
2. remained stable / stayed the same – no change.
3. rebounded / recovered / rose – increased after a fall.
4. plummeted / dropped / fell – fell quickly.
5. fluctuated – went up and down.

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 Practicing financial data
Dialogue – Reporting Data

CFO: Good morning, Sara. Can you walk me through the latest sales
figures?
Data Analyst: Sure. Overall, revenue rose by 8% compared to last
quarter.
CFO: That’s encouraging. What about our European market?
Data Analyst: European sales peaked in May at $4.2 million, but they
fell slightly in June due to seasonal factors.
CFO: I see. And the U.S. market?
Data Analyst: The U.S. figures remained stable at around $3.5 million
throughout the quarter.
CFO: How about the Asian market?
Data Analyst: That’s where we saw the most change. Sales fluctuated
quite a bit because of currency exchange rates, and in July we saw a
small dip before bouncing back in August.
CFO: Excellent. Thanks for the update.

⸻
 What are Linkers?

Definition:

Linkers are words or phrases that connect ideas, sentences, or paragraphs to

show relationships between them.

Purpose:

• To make writing and speaking more coherent.

• To show how one idea relates to another (cause, effect, contrast,
time, etc.).
• To guide the reader or listener smoothly through your ideas.

Main Categories of Linkers

We’ll divide linkers by function, with examples.

A. Addition Linkers
Function: Add similar ideas or information.
Examples : And, also, moreover, furthermore, in addition, as well, besides,
what’s more, etc.
Example sentence :

She is intelligent and hardworking.

We must act quickly; moreover, we must act wisely.
⸻

B. Contrast Linkers
Function: Show difference or opposition between ideas.
Examples : (but, however, although, though, whereas, while, on the other hand,
in contrast, yet, nevertheless, etc.
Example sentence:
The plan is simple, but effective.
Although it was raining, they continued the game.

C. Cause & Effect Linkers

Function: Show reasons, results, or consequences.
(because, since, as, due to, owing to, therefore, thus, hence, consequently, as a
result)
Example sentence:
The flight was delayed because of the storm.
It rained heavily; therefore, the match was canceled.

D. Purpose Linkers
Function: Indicate intention or aim.
Examples : ( in order to, so that, for the purpose of, for the sake of, with the aim
of )
Example sentence:
She studies hard in order to pass her exams.
We left early so that we could avoid traffic.
⸻

E. Time & Sequence Linkers

Function: Show order or timing of events.
Examples : ( first, firstly, then, afterwards, next, later, finally, meanwhile, at the
same time, subsequently, before, after, when, while )
Example sentence:
First, we visited the museum; then, we had lunch.
I was cooking while she was setting the table.

F. Condition Linkers
Function: Introduce conditions or hypothetical situations.
Examples : ( if, unless, provided that, as long as, on condition that, in case…)
Example sentence:
If it rains, we will stay inside.
You can borrow the book as long as you return it tomorrow.

G. Example & Illustration Linkers

Function: Introduce examples or clarify ideas.
Examples : ( for example, for instance, such as, namely, in other words, to
illustrate …)
Example sentence:
Many animals, such as lions and tigers, are carnivorous.
She’s a polyglot; in other words, she speaks several languages.

H. Emphasis Linkers
Function: Highlight importance or certainty.
Examples : ( indeed, in fact, above all, especially, particularly, undoubtedly,
clearly …)
Example sentence:
This is indeed a remarkable discovery.
Above all, remember to stay calm.

I. Summary & Conclusion Linkers

Function: Summarize or conclude ideas.
Examples : ( in conclusion, to sum up, to wrap up, in summary, overall, in
short, on the whole…)
Example sentence:
In conclusion, education is the key to progress.
To sum up, the project was a success.

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 Common Mistakes with Linkers

• Overuse: Don’t use too many linkers in one sentence.

• Wrong category: Don’t mix cause-and-effect linkers with contrast

ones incorrectly.

• Comma misuse: Many linkers (like “however” or “therefore”)

require a comma when starting a sentence.

❌ However we must leave now.

✅ However, we must leave now.

Practice Exercises

A. Fill in the blank with a suitable linker from the box:

Despite / Therefore / as long as / as a result / however / so / moreover/

although/ inspite of / indeed / such as / in other words / in fact / above
all

1. We arrived late, __________ the train had already left. (cause &
effect)

2. She is kind; __________, she’s very patient. (addition)

3. __________ the bad weather, the event continued. (contrast)

 B. Rewrite using linkers:

• I didn’t go to the party. I was tired. (cause & effect)

• I enjoy swimming. I like cycling too. (addition)

C. Identify the linker and its function:

• It’s raining; therefore, the picnic is canceled.

• Although it was late, they kept working.

Advanced Tip: Varying Linkers for Style

Instead of repeating the same linker (e.g., always using “and” or “but”), use
alternatives to make your writing richer. This is especially important in
academic writing and professional communication.
Mastering Numbers in English
Rule :
Zero : used when counting, in math, in science, or when you mean the
actual number 0
O (oh) : used in things like phone numbers, years, times, and codes
Examples :
Countdown : « three, two, one, zero ! »
Phone number : « five oh seven »
Exercise: Zero or O?

Fill in each blank with zero or O (oh).

1. The countdown went “three, two, one, _______!”
2. My phone number is five _______ two – three four five –
eight one six.
3. The temperature dropped to _______ degrees Celsius
4. The train leaves at _______ seven hundred hours.
5. My classroom is room three _______ five.
6. Manchester United won the match two–_.
7. The code to enter the building is eight – four – _______ –
nine.
8. In tennis, the score was forty–_.

⸻
Answer Key with Justification
1. zero – In a countdown, we always use zero for the final
number before launch.
2. oh – Phone numbers in English often use oh for 0 in casual
speech.
3. zero – Temperature readings use zero (or nought in UK
English).
4. zero – Military time uses zero for 0 hours (formal).

In military, aviation and some formal transport schedules, times are

given using a 24 -hour clock. Zero seven hundred hours literally
means :
zero seven (07) hours
Hundred hours : exactly on the hour/ no minutes.
5– Room numbers are read like phone numbers, using oh.
6. nil – In UK football scores, we say nil for 0 (in US English,
“zero” is fine).
7. zero or oh – Both are possible in codes, but zero is clearer
in formal contexts.
8. love – In tennis, 0 points is called love.
Types of numbers :
Cardinal & Ordinal Numbers

A. Cardinal Numbers
Used for counting: one, two, three, etc.
• 0 – zero
• 1 – one
• 2 – two
 • 3 – three
• 4 – four
• 5 – five
• 6 – six
• 7 – seven
• 8 – eight
• 9 – nine
• 10 – ten
• 11 – eleven
• 12 – twelve
• 13 – thirteen… 20 – twenty
• 21 – twenty-one … 99 – ninety-nine
• 100 – one hundred / a hundred
• 1,000 – one thousand / a thousand
• 1,000,000 – one million

B. Ordinal Numbers

They are used for order, position or rank: first, second, third…
They answer which one ? not how many ?

1 to 12 have special forms :

1st – first
2nd – second
3rd – third
 4th – fourth
5th- fifth
6th- sixth
7th – seventh
8th – eighth
9th- ninth (not nineth)
10- tenth
11th – eleventh
12th- twelveth
13 and beyond : for most numbers add -th to the cardinal number
13—thirteenth
20—twentieth
40—fortieth (not fourtieth)

C Numbers ending in 1,2,3

Use st, nd, rd instead of th- except for 11,12, 13 (special case)
1st / 2nd/ 3rd / 4th/ ..
21st / 22nd / 23rd / 24 th ….
But 11th/ 12th/ 13th/ (no st/nd/rd)
D Compound Numbers :
Only the last part takes the ordinal ending
24nd : forty-second
115th : one hundred fifteenth
How to use ordinals ?
Dates : my birthday is on the 21st of June.
Competitions : she came third in the race.
Order : this is the first time i’ve tried sushi.
Fractions : one-third, two-fifths.

Common mistakes :
Twenty-oneth : false
Twenty-first : correct
Fourty : false
Forty : correct / fortieth for the ordinal
Do not forget exceptions which are 11th 12th / 13th

Exercise: Fill in the blank with the correct ordinal number.

1. This is my _______ visit to London. (1)
2. She finished in _______ place in the race. (3)
3. His office is on the _______ floor. (12)
4. We live on the _______ street from the station. (21)
5. Tomorrow is the _______ of March. (5)
6. The _______ chapter of the book is the most exciting. (42)
7. He was born on the _______ of August. (11)
8. This is the _______ time I’ve told you. (100)

Answer Key with Justification

1. first – 1 → irregular form (“first,” not “oneth”).
2. third – 3 → irregular form (“third,” not “threeth”).
3. twelfth – 12 → irregular form (“twelfth,” not “twelveth”).
 4. twenty-first – Only the last word takes the ordinal ending;
1 → “first.”
5. fifth – 5 → irregular form (“fifth,” not “fiveth”).
6. forty-second – 42 → last part takes ordinal ending; 2 →
“second.”
7. eleventh – 11 → special case; no “st” even though it ends
in 1.
8. hundredth – 100 → add “-th” to “hundred.”

Exercise: Fill in the blank with the correct ordinal number.

1. This is my _______ visit to London. (1)
2. She finished in _______ place in the race. (3)
3. His office is on the _______ floor. (12)
4. We live on the _______ street from the station. (21)
5. Tomorrow is the _______ of March. (5)
6. The _______ chapter of the book is the most exciting. (42)
7. He was born on the _______ of August. (11)
8. This is the _______ time I’ve told you. (100)