Compare Data and Report Key Trends

The key idea

Choose precise trend words, comparisons and approximations to show what the data says.

What is it for?

Learn to describe figures clearly, compare changes over time and report the main trends without guessing their causes.

What you need to know

An introduction that names the data and gives its overall trend.
Trend verbs that show increases, decreases, changes and stability.
Adverbs that show the speed or size of a change.
Comparisons that explain differences between figures or groups.
Approximations that describe figures without claiming false precision.
Only information supported by the data, without invented reasons.

1. Introduce the data and its main trend

Start by saying what the figures show and which years they cover.

Then describe the main change. Do not list every number immediately.

For example, sales figures may show an overall increase, even when one month falls.

Name the subject, the period and the units.
Identify the main increase, decrease or stable pattern.
Use the introduction to guide the reader through the figures.
Do not explain why a change happened unless the data gives that information.

The chart shows changes in weekly bus use between 2020 and 2024.

Name the subject and the time period.

Overall, passenger numbers increased, despite a small fall in 2022.

State the main trend and mention an important exception.

2. Choose precise words for changes

Use trend verbs to describe movement in the figures.

Rise and climb describe increases. Fall and drop describe decreases.

Fluctuate means to rise and fall more than once. Remain stable means to stay almost the same.

Use rise, climb, increase, fall or drop for changes.
Use fluctuate when figures move up and down.
Use remain stable when there is little or no change.
Use a noun after an adjective, as in a sharp rise.
Use a verb after an adverb, as in rise sharply.

Online orders climbed from 200 to 350 in June.

Climbed shows an increase.

The price dropped sharply during the final week.

Dropped sharply describes a large decrease.

Bus use remained stable throughout the winter.

Remained stable shows little change.

3. Show the size and speed of a change

Adverbs explain how a figure changes. They often come after the verb.

Adjectives describe changes when you use nouns. Choose words that match the figures.

A small change is not a dramatic change. Check the numbers before choosing your words.

Slightly means by a small amount.
Gradually means slowly over a period.
Steadily means regularly, without many sudden changes.
Dramatically means by a large or striking amount.
A sharp rise is a large, quick increase.

The number of customers increased slightly in March.

Slightly describes a small increase.

Weekly sales grew steadily from January to April.

Steadily describes regular growth.

There was a dramatic fall in heating costs.

Dramatic describes the noun fall.

4. Compare figures and use approximations

Comparisons show the difference between two figures or groups.

Use whereas to connect two contrasting facts. Use twice as high as for a ratio.

Approximation words help when an exact figure is unnecessary. Make sure each word matches the number.

Use considerably more than for a large difference.
Use twice as high as when one figure is double another.
Use whereas to compare different patterns.
Use roughly for an approximate figure.
Use just over for a figure slightly above a number.
Use nearly for a figure that is close to a number but below it.
Use a third for one of three equal parts.

Online sales were twice as high as sales in stores.

This comparison shows a ratio of two to one.

Bus use rose, whereas train use remained stable.

Whereas connects two different trends.

Just over half of customers paid by card.

Just over means slightly more than half.

Nearly a third of the orders arrived late.

Nearly means close to one third, but below it.

How to do it, step by step

Introduce the subject, the time period and the overall trend.
Describe the most important increase, decrease or stable pattern.
Compare the main figures using clear comparison phrases.
Add useful details, including approximations or smaller changes.
Check that every statement matches the data and includes no invented causes.

Formulas and key language

Use it for	Example	Another example
The chart shows + subject + time period.	The chart shows monthly spending between 2021 and 2024.	The table shows changes in daily bus use over five years.
Overall, + subject + rose/fell + adverb.	Overall, weekly sales rose steadily.	Overall, passenger numbers fell slightly.
Subject + climbed/dropped + from X to Y.	Orders climbed from 120 to 180 in July.	Costs dropped from £90 to £60 per week.
There was a + adjective + rise/fall in + subject.	There was a sharp rise in online orders.	There was a gradual fall in weekly spending.
Subject + remained stable at + figure.	Bus use remained stable at 400 trips per week.	The price remained stable at £25 throughout June.
A was twice as high as B.	Online sales were twice as high as store sales.	The April figure was twice as high as the February figure.
A + verb, whereas B + contrasting verb.	Online orders increased, whereas store orders declined.	Costs rose, whereas income remained stable.
Roughly/just over/nearly + number or fraction.	Roughly 200 customers visited the shop each day.	Just over a third of the group travelled by bus.
Subject + fluctuated between X and Y.	Daily sales fluctuated between 40 and 65 orders.	The temperature fluctuated between 12 and 18 degrees.

UK / US: British English often uses 'shop'; American English often uses 'store'. Both are correct. Keep your word choice consistent.

Level up: Replace basic words (good, very, nice) with stronger ones. See our A2 to B2 upgrades page.

Model text

Changes in Shopping Habits

Introduction

The figures show shopping habits in a small town in 2019 and 2023. They compare online purchases with purchases in local shops. Overall, online shopping increased considerably, whereas shopping in stores declined.

Name the subject, the years and the overall pattern.

Online shopping

In 2019, online purchases accounted for 20% of all purchases. By 2023, this figure had climbed to 45%, an increase of 25 percentage points. The rise was substantial, and online shopping became much more common. By the end of the period, almost half of all purchases were made online.

Use exact figures and explain the size of the change.

Shopping in stores

The opposite pattern appeared in local shops. Their share fell from 80% in 2019 to 55% in 2023. This was a decrease of 25 percentage points. Despite this fall, shopping in stores still represented more than half of all purchases. The figures therefore show a clear change in shopping habits, with online purchases gaining ground while store purchases lost their leading position.

Compare the second trend and report what the figures support.

Summary

Overall, the two trends moved in opposite directions. Online shopping rose steadily across the period shown by the two figures, while shopping in stores became less common. The data does not explain the reasons for these changes.

Summarise the main comparison without guessing the causes.

Common mistakes

✗ Online sales increased of 20%.

✓ Online sales increased by 20 percentage points.

Use by to show the size of a change, and name the correct unit.

✗ The figure rose from 20% by 45%.

✓ The figure rose from 20% to 45%.

Use from for the starting figure and to for the ending figure.

✗ There was a sharply rise in orders.

✓ There was a sharp rise in orders.

Use the adjective sharp before the noun rise.

✗ The price fell dramatic in June.

✓ The price fell dramatically in June.

Use the adverb dramatically to describe the verb fell.

✗ Store sales were considerably more online sales.

✓ Store sales were considerably higher than online sales.

Use higher than to compare two figures.

✗ The figure remained stable to 50.

✓ The figure remained stable at 50.

Use at before the value of a stable figure.

Plan it, then check it

Plan

Write down what the figures show and the period they cover.
Circle the biggest increase, decrease or stable pattern.
Choose two or three figures that clearly support the main trend.
Select comparison words and approximations that match the numbers.
Write the main trend first, then add comparisons and useful details.

Check

Have I named the subject and the time period?
Do my trend verbs match the direction of change?
Do my adverbs and adjectives match the size of each change?
Have I compared the most important figures clearly?
Have I avoided guessing reasons that the data does not show?

Practice

EXERCISE:

Choose the best trend word

Choose the word or phrase that best completes each sentence.

1.Online orders rose from 100 to 105. They increased ___.

The increase is small, so slightly is the best choice.

2.The price moved up and down several times. It ___.

Fluctuated describes repeated upward and downward changes.

3.Weekly sales rose by similar amounts each week. They increased ___.

Steadily describes regular changes over time.

4.The number fell from 500 to 150 in one week. It dropped ___.

The large decrease supports the word dramatically.

5.The figure changed from 40 to 42 over several months. It rose ___.

The difference is small, so slightly is accurate.

6.The figure stayed at 60 throughout the year. It ___.

Remained stable describes a figure that does not change.

Now write

Your task

Write a report of 100-130 words comparing these figures. Online shopping represented 20% of purchases in 2019 and 45% in 2023. Shopping in stores represented 80% in 2019 and 55% in 2023. Introduce the figures, describe both trends and compare their changes. Use at least three trend words and two comparison or approximation phrases. Do not invent reasons for the changes. You may use the sentence starters below. Write a clear report with an introduction, details and a short summary.

Target: 100-130 words

Word bank

overallincreaseddeclinedclimbedfellsteadilyconsiderablywhereasroughlynearlypercentage pointsaccounted forby comparisonin contrastremained stable

Sentence starters

The figures compare ...
Overall, the main trend was ...
In 2019, online shopping ...
By 2023, this figure ...
In contrast, shopping in stores ...
Taken together, the figures show ...

Use made-up details if you add any personal examples. Do not include private information.

Instant feedback on your own text is part of Premium.

Check your writing

Have I explained what the figures show and which years they cover?
Have I described the main trends with precise verbs?
Have I chosen adverbs and adjectives that match the size of each change?
Have I compared the figures with clear phrases and correct units?
Have I reported only what the figures show, without guessing the reasons?

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