Summarize the most important trends: Avoid the temptation to describe every detail in the graph, chart, or diagram. Instead, focus on identifying and summarizing the key trends, major changes, and notable comparisons. The goal is to provide an overall understanding of the data rather than describing every number. Pay attention to significant rises, falls, and patterns, but ignore minor fluctuations unless they are crucial to the overall trend.
Examples:
- Correct Approach: “The graph shows a steady increase in car ownership between 2000 and 2010, with the most dramatic rise occurring after 2005.”
- Incorrect Approach: “In 2000, 30% of people owned cars. In 2001, 32% of people owned cars. In 2002, 34% of people owned cars…”
Group data logically: Look for ways to group data to simplify your explanation. For instance, you can group years or categories that exhibit similar trends rather than discussing each one individually. If two or more categories follow the same trend (e.g., increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable), group them together in your analysis.
Example:
- “Both the sales of smartphones and tablets showed a steady increase from 2010 to 2015.”
Avoid unnecessary details: Don’t attempt to cover every single figure or minor fluctuation. Your goal is to summarize the main trends and patterns that provide an overall understanding of the data.
Example:
- Rather than stating, “There was a small rise of 0.5% in 2015,” say, “The trend remained relatively stable during this period.”