What a line graph really asks you to do
A line graph shows one thing: how values change over time. That is its whole point. So your job is not to read out every number on the line. Your job is to describe the trend, the shape of the movement. For each line, you name which way it went, how fast, and where the big moments are. Get that right and the numbers become easy support, not a boring list.
For every line, describe these
✓The overall direction: did it rise, fall, fluctuate (go up and down), or stay stable?
✓The peak (highest point) and the lowest point.
✓Any crossover: a moment where one line passes another.
✓The speed of the change: sharply and fast, or gradually and slow.
✓A comparison between the lines: "one rose while another fell."
9 trend words that make a line graph sound natural
1rise / rose
To go up. The most common word for an upward line.
Example: The number of visitors rose from 2010 to 2015.
2climb
To go up slowly and steadily, step by step.
Example: Sales climbed throughout the period, with no sudden jumps.
3fall / drop
To go down. Use either one for a downward line.
Example: Prices fell in the first year, then dropped again at the end.
4level off
To stop rising or falling and become flat.
Example: The line rose quickly, then leveled off after 2015.
5remain stable
To stay about the same, with almost no change.
Example: Costs remained stable across the whole period.
6sharply
By a big amount and very fast. Shows a steep line.
Example: The figure rose sharply between 2000 and 2002.
7gradually
By a small amount and slowly. Shows a gentle line.
Example: The population grew gradually over the ten years.
8over the period
During the whole time shown on the graph. Good for the overview.
Example: Over the period, car use rose while bus use fell.
9just over / just under
A little more than / a little less than a number. Safe rounding.
Example: The figure reached just over 40 percent by the final year.
Flat description vs a real trend
'It changed' says nothing
✕The line for sales changed a lot during these years.
✓Sales rose sharply in the first half, then leveled off.
"Changed" does not tell the examiner which way or how fast. Name the direction (rose) and add a degree word (sharply). That is the difference between a weak line and a strong one.
Listing every year vs the overall movement
✕In 2000 it was 20. In 2005 it was 35. In 2010 it was 50. In 2015 it was 60.
✓The figure climbed steadily over the period, from 20 to 60.
Reading out each year is boring and eats your words. Describe the overall movement in one sentence, then use just two or three key numbers as support.
A data-only overview vs a trend overview
✕Overall, the values were 20, 35, and 60 across the three years.
✓Overall, both lines rose, but sales grew far faster than costs.
The overview should name the pattern, not repeat numbers. Say what went up, what went down, and which line moved most. Compare the lines, that is where the marks are.
Read next
Keep going with the series: how to write a strong overview and the report shape for any chart.
See your own trends checked instantly
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