Interpreting tables & figures When referring to tables and figures, you can use:

Clauses beginning with ‘as’

Step 1: Getting Started Example: As shown in Table I below, lipids were found in hamburgers, hot
dogs, potato chips, pizza and doughnuts.
Look at the title, axes, headings, legends, footnotes and source to find out the
context and expected quality of the data. Take into account information on the Passive voice Example: Mean weights for samples are shown in Table 1.
questions asked in surveys and polls, sample size, sampling procedures and
Brackets You may refer to Tables or figures by using brackets with or without
sampling error.
the verb see
Step 2: WHAT do the numbers mean?
Examples: On average female wasps were twice as numerous as male wasps
Make sure you know what all the numbers (percentages, ‘000s, etc.) represent. (Table 1).
Look for the largest and smallest values in one or more categories or years to
Each sample tested positive for the three nutrients (see Table 2).
get an impression of the data.
Plant growth did not differ across irrigation treatments (Figure 1).
Step 3: HOW do they differ?
This pattern can also be used at the end of a sentence.
Look at the differences in the values of the data in a single data set, a row or
column or part of a graph. This may involve changes over time, or comparison Example: X and Y remained constant, as shown in Table 1.
within a category, such as male and female at any time.
If it is appropriate in your discipline you may choose to use the active voice to
Step 4: WHERE are the differences? express the same notion. See the section on personal or impersonal style.

What are the relationships in the table that connect the variables? Use Example: Table 1 shows mean weights for samples.
information from Step 3 to help you make comparisons across two or more
categories or time frames.
Graph explanations
Step 5: WHY do they change?

Why are there differences? Look for reasons for the relationships in the data
Even with diagrams, words are chief consideration. Without words, graphs are
that you have found by considering social, environmental and economic
meaningless. Write your graph measurement or explanations clearly, so your
factors. Think about sudden or unexpected changes in terms of state, national
audience can understand.
and international policies.

Referring to Tables and Figures

Useful graph jargons
 High jump 2.09 m (6 ft, Stefka Bulgaria Aug. 30,
10 1/4 in) Kostadinova 1987
Verbs Nouns Long jump 7.52 m (24 ft, Galina USSR June 11,
8 1/4 in) Chistyakova 1988
to climb a climb Triple jump 15.50 m (50 Inessa Kravets Ukraine Aug. 10,
ft, 10 1/4 in) 1995
to ascend Pole vault 5.01 m (16 ft, Yelena Russia August 12,
5 1/4 in) Isinbayeva 2005
to fall a fall

to decline a decline Bar chart

to improve a improvement Bars charts are exactly that charts with bars or oblongs that represent fact.
Grouped bar charts are bars arranged side by side that contrast two data bases
to recover a recovery that are different yet related.

to rise a rise
100
80 4th Qtr

60 3rd Qtr
North
East
40 W e st
West 2nd Qtr
20 East
North
Adjectives Adverbs Descriptions 0 1st Qtr

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

slight slightly insignificant Horizontal Chart Vertical Chart

sharp sharply fast, big

abrupt abruptly unexpected Line Charts or Graph

rapid rapidly very fast

sudden suddenly without warning Line charts, sometimes called curve charts; connect a series of dots with line.
Each represents a fact. Depending up on the chart’s information, the line can
dramatic dramatically fast, very big be jagged and irregular or smooth and flat.

Exercise: Explain the following table in a text form.

Women's Records: Field Events

Event Record Record Holder Country Date

 180
160
140 100
120 North West
100 80
80
60 East
40 60 cosmotics
20
0 40 soaps
1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr
20
0
1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr
Pie chart

The above bar chart shows the data of an income of two

Pie charts are round and divided in to slices. These are effective for portraying products namely cosmetics and soap in four quarters.
percentiles or parts of a whole, but they do not lend themselves representing
Within the four quarter the income of these two products is
change as well as grouped bar or line charts do. Pie charts cannot compare
data; they only show ratio and proportion. 297,000 birr in which cosmetics income was 157,000
while soaps income is 140,000. This shows that in income
of cosmetics is greater than soap by 17,000. Within the
TEFF
three quarters the income of soaps is a bit higher than the
WEAT
NUTS cosmetics in at least 10 to 15 thousands birr with in
CORN
MAIZE which the highest of the soaps products income is 39,000
in the second quarter. The very highest pick of the
cosmetics income which is more than double over the
Sample Chart Explanation highest income of the soap is in the 3rd quarter which is
90,000 birr. Generally, the income of the soap is in almost
constant raise and fall while the cosmetics income
Chart 1: An income of two products in four quarters. The numbers in the
dramatically increased during the third quarter and fall
vertical line refer thousand birrs.
again to a constant income to its first quarter which is
20,000.
N.B. When beginning to explain a chart, table or diagram, begin with the
description of the general information and then pass to the specific details by
comparing and contrasting the items given in the chart.

Exercise explain the following diagram in words

9000
8000
7000
6000
5000 AAU
4000
AKU
3000
2000
1000
0
2001 2002 2003 2004

Figure 1: the data of graduate students of four years from Aksum

University and Addis Ababa University

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