By Rachel Mitchell Text Copyright 2018 by Rachel Mitchell

Tended to increase [Expression] (increased over a period of time).
Overall, oil production capacity tended to increase during this 20-year period.
Although the rate of inflation fell in July and August, inflation tended to increase in the USA during 2015.
Reach a peak [Expression] (the point at which something is at its highest quantity).
Although the consumption of chicken reached a peak of about 300 grams in 1990, this fell steadily to just over 200 grams in 2005.
Having reached a peak of 47% in 1995, attendance among 16-23-year-olds was 75% in 2002.
To peak [Verb] (reached its highest point).
Although the oil amount fell in 2002 in the UAE, the figure peaked in 2005 in Iran with over 5 million barrels.
Expenditure = spending [Noun] (the amount of money spent).
The expenditure on beef, lamb, and fish decreased, while there was a fluctuating increase in the figure for chicken.
There was a steady increase in the spending on magazines in Sydney, and this finally reached a figure of $80 million in 2010.
Come a close second [Expression] (be just behind another thing or person).
Sorry, you came a close second.
A $60,000 scholarship must come a close second.
Double [Adjective] (to twice the number or amount of something).
The percentage figures for spending on transport and healthcare in Japan were double those for Malaysia.
It is also clear that the proportion of people who used a public library to obtain information in 2000 was double the figure for 1991.
Whereas = in contrast [Conjunction] (used to contrast two facts).
The expenditure figures for France and Australia were similar in 1990, at $65 million and $70 million, respectively, whereas the figure for Italy was much lower at just $40 million.
Overall, a higher percentage of students under 42 study to further their careers, whereas most over 60s study for interest.
In terms of [Expression] (used to show which aspect of a subject you are discussing or writing about).
Although the two countries’ birth rate were similar in terms of a general fluctuation, the figure for China in most years was lower than that of the USA.
The line graph compares four areas in terms of the amount of oil consumed per day in a 22-year period starting in 2009.
Account for [Expression] (to form a particular part or amount of something).
The Japanese market accounted for 20% of our exports last year. Grammar accounts for 25% of the marks in your writing test.
Fuel [Noun] (a material that produces energy, power or heat when you burn it).
Gasoline is used for fuel. We're almost out of fuel.
The charts compare the units of electricity produced in New Zealand and Germany in 1980 and 2010 from 5 fuel sources.