How do I describe a trend in English?
Name the direction with a verb, then give the size with the preposition that matches it: rose by four per cent, rose to four per cent. Add one adverb only where the chart shows it, and say the period out loud, because a trend without a period is not a trend.
Name the direction with a verb, then give the size with the preposition that matches it: rose by four per cent, rose to four per cent. Add one adverb only where the chart shows it, and say the period out loud, because a trend without a period is not a trend. If the line is flat, say flat: It has been level since March is a finding, not a failure to find one.
One more move earns its place: name the reversal. If the line turned in the last quarter, say so before the yearly average says something else for you. A sentence such as the yearly figure is still positive, but every quarter since March has been lower shows you looked past the headline number, and it is usually the question the room was about to ask.