IELTS Vocabulary: Condition

Test Tip
We do not use the when writing about things in general.

Crime is rising in capital cities.   NOT The crime…

This is just one of the issues in society.   NOT … in the society
A. Look at these sentences. They all use 'if. Rewrite each sentence, replacing 'if with the words in bold.
You may need to remove some of the other words.
1) You can borrow my dictionary if you return it before you go home. (providing that)
a)
2) You can't go to university if you don't have good grades. (unless)
a)
3) Pollution will get worse if we continue to live in a throwaway society. (as long as)
a)
4) Many developed countries are willing to waive the Third World debt if the money is reinvested
ineducation and medicine. (on condition that)
a)
5) Some countries will never be able to rectify their deficits even if they work very hard. (no matter
how)
a)
6) Computers are difficult things to understand, even if you read a lot of books about them. (however
many)
a)
7) Crime is a problem, even if you go to relatively safe countries. (wherever)
a)

B. Now rewrite each sentence beginning with the words in bold.

For example: Providing that you return it before you go home, you can borrow my dictionary.

C. Complete these sentences using an appropriate word or expression from above and your own ideas.
1. British universities will accept students from abroad.
2. Working for a large company can be a fulfilling experience.
3. Most banks are happy to lend customers money.
4. The government will reduce income tax.
5. The environmental situation will continue to worsen.
6. There will always be long waiting lists at our hospitals.
7. Travelling helps you understand more about the world around you.

D. Some nouns can be used to express condition. Complete these sentences 1-3 with one of the words
from A, B or C.
1) Being able to drive is one of the of the .......... job of salesman.
A. prerequirementsB. prerequisitesC. prescriptions
2) Before you accept a job, it is important that you agree with the .......... of the contract.
A. conditionalsB. conditionsC. conditioners
3) It is a .......... of the university that you attend an interview.
A. requirementB. requisiteC. requiem

IELTS Vocabulary: Changes

Look at the pairs of sentences in 1-20 and choose a verb from the box which can be used with both
sentences. In some cases, the meaning of the verb may change slightly. Then use a dictionary to find other
objects which can be used with the verbs.

adapt adjust alter cure

demote disappear dissolve exchange

expand fade increase promote

reduce renew renovate replace

swell switch transform vary

1.a) We need to .................... these cars so disabled people can drive them.
1.b) The country found it hard to .................... to the new government.
2.a) If the trousers are too tight, take them back to the shop and ask them to .................... them.
2.b) He found it hard to .................... to living in a tropical country.
3.a) You must .................... the voltage or the system will blow up.
3.b) He decided to .................... his appearance by having plastic surgery.
4.a) Our bills will be less if we .................... from gas to electricity.
4.b) They had to .................... flights at Heathrow Airport.
5.a) You can't .................... the terms of the contract once it has been signed.
5.b) He wants to .................... his appearance.
6.a) It will help your digestion if you .................... your diet.
6.b) Prices of flats .................... from a few thousand to millions of pounds.
7.a) We need to .................... our pounds for dollars.
7.b) You can usually .................... goods which are faulty if you show the receipt.
8.a) We have had to .................... our sales force to cope with the extra demand.
8.b) Water will .................... when it is frozen.
9.a) The price of oil will .................... next year.
9.b) Most bosses refuse to .................... salaries when they are asked.
10.a) The management decided to .................... the company and sell the offices.
10.b) .................... the sugar in boiling water.
11.a) More and more people are moving to cities to .................... the population there.
11.b) The wasp sting caused his leg to .................... up.
12.a) The market for typewriters will probably .................... completely in the next few years.
12.b) The police are baffled by the increasing number of people who .................... each year.
13.a) The old contract ran out and we had to .................... it.
13.b) Many people argue that it's futile to .................... old hostilities.
14.a) They have received funds to .................... the old buildings.
14.b) We need to .................... the central heating as it is old and worn out.
15.a) The boss offered to .................... him from salesman to manager.
15.b) Our main aim is to .................... tourism in the country.
16.a) They wanted to .................... me from manager to salesperson.
16.b) If we .................... you, you will lose a large part of your salary.
17.a) If you wash it too much, the colour will .....................
17.b) We watched the islands .................... away into the distance.
18.a) The company decided to .................... the permanent staff with freelancers.
18.b) You must .................... the books on the shelf when you have finished with them.
19.a) The doctors were unable to .................... her the illness.
19.b) .................... meat in salt water for between three and five days.
20.a) Governments are trying to .................... pollution.
20.b) The best way to save money is to .................... the number of staff.
IELTS Vocabulary: How something works
A. Look at these sentences and decide which object is being described in each one. Use the words in bold
to help you. You will find the objects hidden in the word grid at the bottom of the page.
1. The most important part of this object is a strip of two different metals, one on top of the other. As they
heat up, both metals expand, but one does it faster than the other. The strip bends and connects with a
switch, which turns off the power supply. When the strip cools down, the metals contract and the switch
is disconnected. (1 word)

2. This object has several component parts, most of which are made of plastic. A disc inserted into the
object spins quickly. At the same time a thin beam of light strikes the disc and converts digital symbols
into sounds. These sounds can be increased or decreased in volume by means of a button or dial.(3
words)

3. Liquid and gas are compressed in a hard metal tube. This can be released by pushing or squeezing a
button which opens a valve. When the liquid-gas combination leaves the tube and is mixed with oxygen,
it rapidly expands. (1 word)

4. This object is mainly made of aluminium. As it moves forward, air flows over two horizontal sections.
As it accelerates, a vacuum is formed over the horizontal sections and the object is pulled into the air by
the force of this vacuum. (1 word)

5. This object consists of two main parts; one is made mainly of plastic and metal, the other is made
mainly of glass. Light enters the glass section and a small door in the device opens up when a button is
pressed. At the same time, a smaller window called an aperture adjusts itself to control the amount of
light. The light is then absorbed by a sheet of plastic coated in a special chemical. An image is formed
and this can then be processed and developed into a two-dimensional paper-based object. (1 word)

6. A sharp blade inside a plastic container rotates very quickly. It chops or grinds anything it touches,
which we can then use to produce soup, sauces and dressing. (2 words)

7. This is a very simple object which originated in China. A small piece of paper is lit with a match. It
burns away until the flame ignites the chemical compound inside a cardboard tube. The result is a
display of light and colour. (1 word)
B. There are nine more objects hidden in the grid. Choose four of them and write a brief description of
how they work, using the bold words and expressions above.
Q C A R E N G I N E W E R T T Y U
A S D F G H J K L Z X C V B O N M
B A L L P O I N T P E N A Q A C W
Q W E R F O O D P R O C E S S O R
B T Y U I O P A S D F G R K T M J
I A M N B K E T T L E V O C E P T
C E C X Z L K J H G F D S S R U H
Y R S A P O I U Y T R E O E W T E
C O M P A C T D I S C P L A Y E R
L P L K J H G F D S A Q W E R R M
E L I G H T B U L B M N B V C X O
C A M E R A I F I R E W O R K U S
L N K J H G F D S A Q W E R T Y T
T E L E V I S I O N T Y U I O P A
M I C R O W A V E O V E N N G E T

IELTS Vocabulary: Writing a letter

Below, you will see eleven common situations that people encounter when they are writing a formal
letter. Choose the sentence or phrase (A, B or C) that would be most appropriate in each situation.
1) You are writing a letter to the headteacher of a school or college, but you don't know their name. How
do you begin your letter?
  A    Dear headteacher,
B    Dear Sir/Madam,
  C    Dear Sir,
2) You have received a letter from the manager of a company which buys computer components from
your company, and you are now replying. What do you say?
A    Thank you for your letter.
B    Thanks a lot for your letter.
  C    It was great to hear from you.
3) You recently stayed in a hotel and were very unhappy with the service you received. You are now
writing to the manager. What do you say?
  A    I had a horrible time at your hotel recently.
B    I would like to say that I am unhappy about your hotel.
C    I would like to complain about the service I received at your hotel recently.
4) You have sent a letter of application to a college, together with your curriculum vitae which the college
requested. What do you say in the letter to explain that your curriculum vitae is attached?
  A    You asked for my curriculum vitae, so here it is.
B    As you can see, I've enclosed my curriculum vitae.
C    As you requested, I enclose my curriculum vitae.
5) You have applied for a job, but you would like the company to send you more information. What do
you say?
A    I would be grateful if you would send me more information.
B    I want you to send me more information.
  C    Send me some more information, if you don't mind.
6) In a letter you have written to a company, you tell them that you expect them to reply. What do you
say?
  A    Write back to me soon, please.
B    Please drop me a line soon.
C    l look forward to hearing from you soon.
7) In a letter you have written, you want the recipient to do something and are thanking them in advance
of their action. What do you say?
A    Thank you for your attention in this matter.
B    Thanks for doing something about it.
  C    I am gratified that you will take appropriate action.
8) The company you work for has received an order from another company and you are writing to them to
acknowledge the order and let them know when you can deliver. What do you say?
  A    About the order you sent on 12 January for...
B    I would like to remind you of the order you sent on 12 January for...
C    Refer to your order of 12 January.
9) In a letter, you explain that the recipient can contact you if they want more information. What do you
say?
  A    Give me a call if you want some more information.
B    If you would like any more information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
  C    If you would like any more information, why not get in touch?
10) You began a letter with the recipient's name (e.g., Dear Mr. Perrin). How do you end the letter?
  A    Yours faithfully.
B    Yours sincerely.
  C    Best wishes.
11) You did not begin the letter with the recipient's name (see number 1 above). How do you end the
letter?
 A    Yours faithfully.
B    Yours sincerely.
  C    Best wishes.

Look at these sentences and decide if they are true or false.

1) Formal letters are always longer than informal letters.
a)
2) In a formal letter it is acceptable to use colloquial English, slang and idioms.
a)
3) In a formal letter it is acceptable to use contractions (e.g., I've instead of I have).
a)
4) In a formal letter you should include your name and address at the top of the page.
a)
5) In a formal letter, you should always write the date in full (e.g., 1 April 2000 and not 1/4/00).
a)
6) In a formal letter, you should always put your full name (e.g., James Harcourt and not J. Harcourt)
after your signature at the bottom of the letter.
a)
7) Formal letters do not need to be broken into paragraphs. It is acceptable to write them as one
continuous paragraph.
a)

IELTS Vocabulary: Describing & analysing tables

Look at the four tables below. These show demographic trends in four different countries between 1996
and 2000. The numbers on the left and right of each table show the number of people in millions.

Using the information in these tables, match sentences 1-13 with the appropriate country.

Number of people
Number of people Number Number of Number of
under 18 years of
over 65 years of age of deaths married people single people
age
Country 1: Lycia
 Country 2: Cilica

Country 3: Moesia

Country 4: Cappadocia

1) In which two countries was there a considerable discrepancy between married and single people
between 1996 and 1998?
a)
2) In which country was there a constant and considerable discrepancy between married and single people
over the five-year period?
a)
3) In which country was there a sudden and noticeable difference between those under 18 and those over
65 in 1998?
a)
4) In which country did the number of under-18s rise dramatically between 1996 and 2000?
a)
5) In which country did the number of under-18s increase slightly between 1996 and 2000?
a)
6) In which country did the number of over-65s go up sharply between 1996 and 1998?
a)
7) In which country did the number of married people decline over the five-year period?
a)
8) In which country did the number of deaths decrease significantly between 1996 and 1999?
a)
9) In which country was there a slight decline in the number of married people between 1998 and 1999?
a)
10) In which country was there a sharp drop in the number of under-18s between 1997 and 1998?
a)
11) In which country was there a slight reduction in the number of deaths over the five-year period?
a)
12) In which country was there a significant increase in the number of deaths between 1998 and 2000?
a)
13) In which country did the number of deaths remain constant over the five-year period?
a)

Vocabulary Tip
The verbs rise and increase have the same meaning here. We can also say climb. These verbs can also be
nouns.
The verbs fail, drop and decline have the same meaning here. These verbs can also be nouns.

The adverbs steadily and noticeably can have the same meaning here. They can also be adjectives (steady,
noticeable).
The adverbs sharply, rapidly and dramatically can have the same meaning here. They can also be
adjectives (sharp, rapid, dramatic).
Now look at the table below, which shows the changes in economic activity in a town over a period of
five years. The figures on the left and right show the number of people involved in these activities, in
thousands.

Write your own sentences to describe the situation in the town regarding the number of:

Number of semi-
skilled / skilled
Number of people Number of people people in public Number of people Number of
in industry in retail services (including in tourism unemployed
police, doctors, bus
drivers, etc.)
 

1) People employed in industry between 1996 and 2000.

a)
2) People employed in retail between 1996 and 2000.
a)
3) People employed in public services between 1999 and 2000.
a)
4) People employed in tourism between 1996 and 2000.
a)
5) Unemployed between 1998 and 2000.
a)
6) People employed in industry compared with those in tourism in 1996.
a)
7) People employed in industry between 1998 and 1999.
a)
Vocabulary Tip
Other words and expressions which you might find useful include:
For things going up: rocket/jump/edge up/soar/creep up/peak (especially for numbers, prices, etc.)
For things going down: slump / plunge / slip back / slip down / plummet / drop / bottom out (especially
when talking about prices)
IELTS Vocabulary: Presenting an argument
Read the text below, in which somebody is trying to decide whether to go straight to university from
school, or spend a year travelling around the world. Put their argument into the correct order. The first
one and last one have been done for you.
A) I'm ready in two minds about what to do when I leave school. Should I go straight to university or
should I spend a year travelling around the world? (1)
B) It is often said that knowledge is the key to power, and I cannot disagree with this.
C) On the one hand, I would experience lots of different cultures.
D) Unfortunately, another point is that if I spent a year travelling I would need a lot of money.
E) And I'm not alone in this opinion. Many consider a sound career and a good salary to be an important
goal.
F) However, it could be argued that I would also meet lots of interesting people while I was travelling.
G) Secondly, if I go straight to university, I'll learn so many things that will help me in my future life.
H) First of all, there are so many benefits of going straight to university.
I) But I believe that it would be easy to make a bit while I was travelling, giving English lessons or
working in hotels and shops.
J) Moreover, I'll be able to take part in the social activities that the university offers, and meet lots of new
friends who share the same interests.
K) The most important point is that the sooner I get my qualifications, the quicker I'll get a job and start
earning.
L) Nevertheless, these inconveniences would be an inevitable part of travelling and would be greatly
outweighed by the other advantages.
M) In my opinion, starting work and making money is one of the most important things in life.
N) On the other hand, I could end up suffering from culture shock, homesickness and some strange
tropical diseases.
O) Furthermore, if I spent a year travelling, I would learn more about the world.
P) All right, I've made my mind up. Now, where's my nearest travel agency? (16)
Vocabulary Tip
When you are asked to present an argument, you should always look at it from two sides, giving reasons
why you agree and disagree before reaching a conclusion.

Other words and expressions which you might find useful include:
I believe that / despite this / in spite of this / also / thirdly / I think / finally / in conclusion / nonetheless /
admittedly / on the contrary / at any rate / notwithstanding / for all that / even if.
Using the key words and expressions from the last exercise, present an argument for one of the following
issues:
1) A government's main priority is to provide education for its people.
2) The only way to save the environment is for governments to impose strict quotas on the energy we use
(for example, by restricting car ownership, limiting the water we use).
3) Satisfaction in your job is more important than the money you earn.
4) Living in a town or city is better than living in the countryside.
5) It is our responsibility to help or look after those less fortunate than ourselves (for example, the
homeless, the mentally ill).

IELTS Vocabulary: Contrast & comparison

Vocabulary Tip
When you learn new vocabulary, try to learn all the forms. For example: nation (noun), national
(adjective), nationally (adverb), nationalist (person), nationalise (verb)
Complete these sentences with the most appropriate word or expression from A, B or C.
1) The two machines .......... considerably. One has an electric motor, the other runs on oil.
A. differB. differentiateC. differential
2) The .......... in weather between the north and the south of the country is very noticeable.
A. comparisonB. contrastC. compare
3) Many people cannot .......... between lemon juice and lime juice.
A. differB. differentiateC. contrast
4) Children must be taught to .......... between right and wrong.
A. differB. contrastC. distinguish
5) There is a .......... between being interested in politics and joining a political party.
A. distinguishB. distinctiveC. distinction
6) Can you tell the .......... between a good boss and a bad one?
A. differenceB. differentiateC. contrast
7) The management must not .......... between male and female applicants.
A. differB. contrastC. discriminate
8) Asia covers a huge area. .......... Europe is very small.
A. By way of contrastB. By ways of comparingC. By similar means
9) The new model of car is very .......... to the old one.
A. sameB. similarC. common
10) Her political opinions are .......... to mine.
A. sameB. exactlyC. identical
11) Some political parties have such similar manifestos that they are difficult to ...........
A. tell apartB. say apartC. speak apart
12) My friends and I enjoy doing many of the same things. In that respect, we have a lot ...........
A. in similarB. in particularC. in common
13) There seems to be a large .......... between the number of people employed in service industries, and
those employed in the primary sector.
A. discriminateB. discretionC. discrepancy
14) British and Australian people share the same language, but in other respects they are as different as
...........
A. cats and dogsB. chalk and cheeseC. salt and pepper
15) Britain's economy is largely based on its industry, .......... a few hundred years ago it was an agrarian
country.
A. whereforeB. whereasC. whereby
IELTS Vocabulary: Idioms
Use a dictionary to check the meaning of the phrases in the box. Then complete sentences 1-8 with the
correct phrase.

there is something to be said for You can say that again!

having said that have a say

When all is said and done Needless to say

That is to say to say the least

1) John: That was a delicious meal!
    George: ...............................
2) Swimming was not permitted in the lake. However, ...................., many people did use the lake for
swimming.
3) Of course you want to look good when out on the pull, but .................... not wearing too much makeup.
4) While you are studying abroad, you are certainly going to want somewhere to stay and looking for
housing can be stressful, .....................
5) ...................., I believe I had a very enjoyable time on my vacation.
6) My father passed away when I was 16. ...................., this had a devastating effect on my life.
7) An essay should be an argument. Ask yourself what are the important questions in any particular issue.
...................., you should discuss a problem and not simply narrate events or the stages of an argument.
8) We live in a democratic country, which means we all .................... in how the country is run.

IELTS Vocabulary: Expressions with time

Use a dictionary to check the meaning of the phrases in the box. Then complete sentences 1-11 with the
correct phrase.

by the time time-consuming took so long

spend time at times the right time

in time take your time save time

lose track of time on time from time to time

1) I am not in regular contact with him; I just send him an email .....................
2) Excuse me, do you have ....................? I have a job interview at 9 o’clock and I really want to get there
.....................
3) I prefer to shop online to avoid the crowds and .....................
4) He can get a bit bad-tempered .....................
5) .................... we get home this pizza will be cold!
6) I arrived just .................... to watch a spectacular sunset.
7) I ordered a book for my sister’s birthday, but it .................... to get delivered that it missed her birthday.
8) Every time I go to the library, I ..................... Once, I stayed there for 6 hours!
9) Going to university is now very expensive, and looking for the right course can be very .....................
10) If you get up very early, you can .................... getting ready and may even have enough time to cook a
proper breakfast.
11) After school, I would .................... with my family, rather than hanging out with friends.

The difference between UK and Great Britain

Do you know the difference between the United Kingdom, England, Great Britain and the British Isles?
Which ones include Scotland and Wales? If you don't know, you may misunderstand exactly what an
author is writing about. You could also cause offence to people in certain areas by using the wrong word!
Great Britain
Great Britain refers to the countries of England, Wales and Scotland together. It does not include
Northern Ireland and therefore should never be used interchangeably with ‘UK’ – something you see all
too often.

Technically, if you lose the ‘Great’, Britain only refers to England and Wales.
The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is usually referred to as ‘the UK’, and it
consists of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The adjective to refer to
‘United Kingdom’ is ‘British’, so we talk about ‘British citizens’, or ‘Britons’.

Ireland is an island that consists of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. From 1801 to 1922 the
UK also included all of Ireland.

The Channel Islands and Isle of Man are not part of the UK, but are Crown Dependencies.

Note: Isle /aɪl/ means an island or peninsula, especially a small one.

Click here to listen
The British Isles

This is purely a geographical term – The British Isles consist of Great Britain, Ireland and other (smaller)
islands, including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Remember this only refers to geography, not
nationality, and while the Republic of Ireland is part of the British Isles, its people are not British – a very
important distinction.

IELTS Vocabulary: Letter of complaint

Vocabulary for Writing
An IELTS 7 = The candidate uses a variety of words, and shows some precision. There are some less
common items, including idiomatic ones. He or she collocates correctly nearly all of the time, and has a
certain style. There are some errors in word choice or collocation. There are occasional spelling mistakes,
but they do not affect communication.
An IELTS 6 = The candidate has a mostly adequate and appropriate resource, and meaning is generally
clear. There is a restricted range of words, and wrong word choice does mean some lack of precision.
Some writers who take risks with vocabulary at this level use a wider range, but there is a higher degree
of inaccuracy. There are some spelling mistakes, but they do not affect communication.
An IELTS 5 = The candidate can use simple vocabulary connected to the task, but there is quite a lot of
repetition. Other more complex language is frequently wrong. Errors in word choice and spelling are
noticeable: a reader may have to work out what the writer means.
An IELTS 4 = The candidate has a very limited range of words, some unrelated to the task. He or she
uses basic vocabulary repetitively. There may be memorised phrases or an over-dependence on language
from the questions themselves. Inappropriate word choices and spelling mistakes may annoy the reader.
Sara has just returned from an unsatisfactory meal in a restaurant. Look at the words or phrases in
capitals. Choose the most appropriate word or phrase.
Dear Mrs Harper,
I have just returned from A/AN VERY DISAPPOINTING / UNPLEASANT meal at your restaurant. As
you know, I am a regular customer and have always been DELIGHTED / QUITE HAPPY with the
quality of the service and the food.
However, the meal I ate tonight FELL FAR SHORT OF MY EXPECTATIONS / WAS BORDERING
ON INEDIBLE. Our steaks were VIRTUALLY RAW / SERIOUSLY UNDERCOOKED and the
accompanying potatoes were cold. While your waiter was clearly UNABLE TO COPE WITH THE
VOLUME OF CUSTOMERS / EXPERIENCING A BUSY NIGHT I felt that he was RUDE AND
ABRUPT / SOMEWHAT DISTRACTED when I voiced my disappointment.
To make matters worse, the meal was a treat for my father's 70th birthday. What should have beer an
enjoyable experience turned into a CULINARY NIGHTMARE / LESS THAN RELAXING EVENING. I
would like to express my disappointment at this evening's events. I would also APPRECIATE YOUR
REASSURANCE / DEMAND A GUARANTEE that this will not happen again.
Yours sincerely,
Sara Page

IELTS Vocabulary: Essay

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
In many parts of the world there is continuous coverage of sports on television.
Some people believe this discourages the young from taking part in any sport themselves.

Discuss this view and give your own opinion.

Write at least 250 words.
Read the following essay. Complete the answer by filling the gaps with an expression from the box
below.

By contrast, it is also true that because

In conclusion, in spite of the fact that Moreover,

it does not necessarily follow that As well as this,

In my experience, Therefore it would appear that

Nowadays, in most countries, there are numerous television channels to choose from and these include
non-stop broadcasting of sport.
.................... many people must be interested in watching sport throughout the day and night.
However, .................... watching sport makes people less keen on participating in it. Teachers and parents
may be concerned when they see teenagers spending time watching sport on television and fear that they
are not active enough. While there may be some justification for this, .................... young people are often
under pressure, for example to do well in exams. They need to relax and give their minds and bodies a
break.
.................... the young do not tend to watch sport rather than participating in it. The teenagers in my
neighbourhood regularly play football after school and at weekends they play in matches or go to the
tennis courts or the swimming pool. .................... they all support various famous clubs and admire sports
stars. These stars are their role models and watching them on television encourages participation in
sporting activities .................... the young try to emulate the people they admire.
.................... I have observed that some older people spend their evenings and weekends in front of the
television, following sports such as international golf or motor racing. .................... many of these are
middle-aged men (it tends to be men) who spend their days sitting at a desk in an office and who get very
little exercise .................... they need it more than most.
.................... although I accept that there are some people who may be discouraged from participating in
sport because they can watch it on television instead, in my view this does not generally apply to the
young.

IELTS Vocabulary: Writing Task 1

Complete the description of the chart below. In each case, choose one of the three alternatives.
This chart shows the annual breakdown of book loans from Vancouver public library into the categories
adult fiction, adult non-fiction and children's books. The period covered is from 2003 to 2012.
Adult fiction accounted for over half of loans every year, starting from nearly 60% in 2003. However, this
figure tended to improve / be consistent / slide over the period as a whole. It picked up / fell slightly /
remained constant in 2008, then plummeted / levelled off / picked up before declining / growing / rising
again. Adult fiction ended the period at fractionally over 50% of loans.
Around 20% of loans were in the adult non-fiction category. This percentage picked up / was fairly steady
/ declined between 2003 and 2010. In the following year, the proportion rose / slid / declined fairly
sharply to about 24%. The category fell / was consistent / picked up in 2012.
At the beginning of the period, children's books accounted for a marginally higher share of loans than
adult non-fiction. Their share was unchanged / made steady progress / deteriorated in the following few
years, mostly at the expense of adult fiction. The trend continued until 2007, when about 28% of loans
were of children's books. This category saw little change until 2011, when the percentage declined / rose /
expanded to 25%, but it again recovered, reaching about 27% in 2012.