STATISTICAL
REPORT
WRITING
PART 1
Prepared by Educator Salmaa Khan
2016
WHAT IS A STATISTICAL REPORT?
A Statistical Report is the
expression and explanation of
numerical information in the
form of sentences and
paragraphs.
The use of words to express
numbers.
Expression of information given
in tabular form.
TYPES OF STATISTICAL REPORT
1.SummaryReport(sales, inventory)
2.Questionnaire Survey Report
THE SUMMARY REPORT
THE CONTENT OF THE REPORT
General observations (Trends or
patterns).
- Specific observations(maximum
number in the table).
-Forecasts or projections based on
trends.
-Comparison and contrasts of the
figures and interpretation of the
results add significance to
information.
THE LANGUAGE OF THE STATISTICAL
REPORT-TRENDS
Increase
Decrease
Fluctuation
Consistency
LANGUAGE EXTENSION
The following verbs are used to describe upward,
downward or horizontal changes in figures.
For each verb say which movement is described:
decline drop rocket fall
rise fluctuate stabilize Increase
improve jump plummet decrease
Level off recover gain lose
Adverbs can be combined with those verbs to effectively
describe the change in data/datum.
Significantly Dropped Quickly Fell sharply
declined sharply rocketed
Rose rapidly Fluctuated Rapidly Decreased
dramatically stabilized slightly
Improved Jumped Plummeted Increased
slightly enormously drastically considerably
Gradually Considerably Substantially Lost
leveled off recovered gained significantly
TRENDS
Batsman Scores for six consecutive innings
1 2 3 4 5 6 Total
Darren 40 46 44 50 42 48 270
Sammy
Dwayne 82 0 132 11 5 40 270
Bravo
You are a selector for the West Indies Cricket Team and you have
before the scores of two batsmen, Sammy and Bravo, which were
made in six consecutive innings.
1.What do you notice about Sammy’s scores of the six innings?
2. What do you notice about Bravo’s scores of the six innings?
3. What do you notice about the total of each batsman for the six
innings?
4. If you could only pick one of these two batsmen for the next test
match, which one would you pick? Why?
SIGNIFICANT FIGURES
Separate pieces of information which stands
out/different from the rest.
Let’s look at the cricketers’ scores again.
Which of those scores stand out?
What can we say about that score when
compared to the rest?
Put into a statement .
SAMPLE QUESTION
Write a report in no more than 200 words on the
given statistics. In your report you should
include:
general trends over the four year period.
reference to significant figures in any category
and/or year.
(Do not include reasons and explanations in your
report.)
SALES OF FOUR TYPES OF HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE BY
GIFTLAND MALL
YEAR Washing Vacuum Electric Refrigerator TOTAL
machine cleaner stoves
2012 25 25 56 10 116
2013 40 24 33 20 117
2014 55 26 30 9 120
2015 80 25 31 11 147
TOTAL 200 100 150 50 500
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS MOST ACCURATE
ABOUT SALES OF WASHING MACHINES?
In2012 there were twenty five washing
machines sold while in 2013 the number was
forty; this number reached fifty five in 2014
and eighty in 2015.
The trends is that the sales of washing
machines increased from twenty five in 2012
to forty in 2013 and again increased to fifty
five in 2014 and further increased to eighty
in 2015.
The sales of washing machines showed a
steady increase, with the increase for 2015
being a little higher than those in previous
years.
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS MOST
ACCURATE ABOUT SALES OF REFRIGERATORS?
Sales of refrigerators remained stable over the
four year period except in 2012 when the sales
were approximately the same as those in 2013.
There was a sharp increase in the sales of
refrigerators in 2013 over 2012 followed by a
significant decrease in 2014. Sales in 2015 then
remained approximately the same those in 2014.
STUDY THE COLUMNS FOR EACH APPLIANCE!
APPLIANCE TRENDS SIGNIFICANT
FIGURES
Washing machines Steady increase Largest increase for
2015 over 2014
Vacuum cleaners Sales stable over entire None
period
Electric stoves Sales stable After a sharp decrease
from the first year
(2012)
Refrigerators Sales stable Except for a sharp rise,
double any other year,
in the second year
Column total Relatively stable over A slightly higher
the first three years increase in the last
year which was the
best year.
STUDY THE ROWS FOR EACH YEAR!
YEAR TREND(S) SIGNIFICANT
FIGURES
2012 The patter of demand Except in 2012 when
for the various electric stoves led
appliances over the sales over washing
four year period is machines
the same
2013
2014
2015
ROW TOTAL Total demand for Sales of washing
appliances over the machines 4 times
four years follows the that of refrigerators,
pattern for the years twice that of vacuum
2012-2015 cleaners, 1 ½ times
that of electric stoves
ORGANISING THE REPORT
SAMPLE REPORT
Washing machines sold by Giftland Mall recorded a steady increase
over the four year period, the greatest increase over previous ones
being in 2015.This household appliance also led sales in each
year, except in 2012 when it was in second place; overall its sales
was four times that of refrigerators; twice that of vacuum cleaners
and one and a half times that of electric stoves.
Sales of electric stoves remained relatively stable over the last three
years after the droppings by almost half in 2013 from 2012 when
it led appliance sales.
Next in order of total sales were vacuum cleaners, the figures for the
appliance remaining stable over the entire four year period. Last
were refrigerators, sales which were also relatively stable except
for a sharp rise, double that of any other year in 2013.
Sales of total appliances were best in 2015 when a small increase
was registered over sales for the previous years which was
relatively stable.
