What must you provide when referring to a trend or anomaly?

• A. Evidence from graph or table
• B. A guess
• C. Ignore anomalies
• D. Focus only on color choices

Answer: (A)

When referring to a trend or anomaly, back it up with evidence from the graph or table. Use the actual values to show the direction of change over time or across categories, and, if possible, mention the rate. For a trend, describe whether the values rise or fall overall; for an anomaly, point to the data point that deviates from that pattern and explain how it differs using numerical values. This approach shows you’ve based your statement on observed data rather than opinion and demonstrates how to read graphs and tables. The alternatives don’t fit: guessing isn’t grounded in data; ignoring anomalies misses important information; focusing on color choices isn’t relevant to describing patterns or deviations.