Divide the Data Logically: You should generally divide your body into two paragraphs:

• One paragraph for one part of the data (e.g., trends over time)
• Another paragraph for comparisons or other key features (e.g., contrasts between categories)

Use Appropriate Linkers: Use linking words to show relationships between data and coherence in your writing. Examples include:

• “While” (for comparison)
• “Similarly” (to show similar trends)
• “In contrast” (to show differences)
• “However” (to introduce an exception)

Use a Variety of Sentence Structures: Using a mix of simple and complex sentences improves the readability and flow of your writing. For example:

• Simple sentence: “The percentage of students increased steadily.”
• Complex sentence: “While the percentage of students increased steadily between 2010 and 2015, it remained relatively stable in the years that followed.”

Report Trends and Changes Clearly: When describing trends, use a range of vocabulary such as:

• Increase: “rose,” “grew,” “climbed,” “went up”
• Decrease: “fell,” “declined,” “dropped,” “went down”
• Fluctuation: “varied,” “oscillated,” “fluctuated”
• Stability: “remained constant,” “stayed the same,” “leveled off”