To describe a change, say which energy stores go down, which go up, and how the energy is transferred. If an object is projected upwards, or rolls up a slope, its kinetic store decreases and its gravitational potential store increases. At the top of the path the kinetic store is at its lowest. A small amount of energy also goes to the thermal store of the air or slope because of air resistance and friction.
A moving object that hits an obstacle stops, so its kinetic store decreases. The energy goes to the thermal store of the object and the obstacle, and some is carried away as sound. A vehicle that slows down behaves in the same way: the kinetic store of the vehicle decreases and the thermal store of the brakes and surroundings increases.
When a constant force acts on an object and it accelerates, the force does work on it. This transfers energy to the kinetic store, so the kinetic store increases as the object speeds up. In an electric kettle, a current does work on the heating element. Energy is transferred to the thermal store of the water, so its temperature rises until the water boils.