Talking About Graphs and Charts

What phrase would you use to describe a graph that is easy to understand?

• This chart is fairly self-explanatory.

• This chart doesn’t tell the whole story.

• This chart is incomplete.

• This chart is hard to read.

What does the x-axis typically represent in a graph?

• The dependent variable

• The independent variable

• A summary of data

• The total sales figures

Which sentence would best describe an overview of annual sales?

• Looking at the table, you can see an increase in production.

• This chart gives a high-level overview of our annual sales.

• This graph is fairly self-explanatory.

• White cars are more popular than black cars.

Which question would you ask to understand the x-axis of a graph?

• Can you explain this pie chart?

• What does the x-axis show?

• What does the y-axis show?

• Can you summarize the graph?

If a graph doesn’t provide detailed information, you might say:

• This graph is self-explanatory.

• This chart doesn’t tell the whole story.

• This chart is comprehensive.

• This chart provides all the details.

Which question helps you understand a pie chart?

• What does this graph show?

• Can you explain this pie chart?

• Can you talk me through this chart?

• What does the x-axis show?

What would you say when oil production increases over a period?

• This chart shows a decline in production.

• This graph is hard to interpret.

• Looking at the table, you can see that oil production has increased in the past quarter.

• This graph is fairly self-explanatory.

What might you say when describing a specific chart of monthly sales?

• This chart shows our monthly sales figures.

• This graph gives an overview of annual sales.

• This chart doesn’t tell the whole story.

• This graph is fairly self-explanatory.

Which statement is accurate for comparing car colors?

• Based on the chart, white cars are more popular than black cars.

• According to the chart, black cars are less popular than white cars.

• Both a and b

• Neither a nor b

What question could you ask when needing a walkthrough of a graph?

• Can you talk me through this chart?

• What does the y-axis show?

• Can you summarize this graph?

• Is this chart self-explanatory?