Command of Evidence Pattern - Find the Trend

Identifying a trend or comparison in data that supports a conclusion

Some SAT questions give you a passage that states a conclusion or claim, and then ask you to find data in a table or graph that supports that conclusion. Unlike "Find the Fact" questions — where you look up a single value — these questions require you to identify a pattern, trend, or comparison across multiple data points.

Here's an example. Read the passage, look at the table, then consider the answer choices:

Soil composition is a critical factor in horticulture, directly influencing plant development. Even within the same species, plants can exhibit markedly different growth patterns depending on the nutrient availability, water retention, and aeration of the soil they are grown in. For example, a controlled study on marigold growth revealed that ______

Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement?

A) plants grown in loam reached an average height of 35 cm, whereas those in clay soil reached only 20 cm. B) the average height for plants in both clay and sandy soils was 20 cm. C) the average root depth in sandy soil was 15 cm, while in silt it was 25 cm. D) plants in both loam and silt soils developed an average root depth of 15 cm.

The passage claims that plants show "markedly different growth patterns" depending on soil. The answer must present a comparison that highlights a difference. Choice A compares loam (35 cm) to clay (20 cm) — a significant height difference that directly supports the claim. Choice B highlights a similarity (both 20 cm), which is the opposite of what's needed. Choice C misstates the data — sandy soil's root depth is 25 cm, not 15 cm. Choice D also points to a similarity (both 15 cm root depth). Only choice A shows data that supports the conclusion about different growth patterns.

 

How to recognize it

The question will typically say "Which choice best describes data from the table/graph that support the claim/conclusion?" or "Which choice most effectively uses data from the graph to support the underlined claim?" The passage will make a conclusion, and your job is to find data that backs it up — not just any data, but data that specifically demonstrates the pattern or trend the passage describes.

 

How to approach it

Follow these steps:

1. Identify the claim. Read the passage and pinpoint exactly what is being concluded — is it a difference, a trend over time, a cause-and-effect relationship, or a comparison between groups?
2. Determine what kind of data would support it. If the claim is about a difference, you need data showing two things that differ. If it's about a trend, you need data showing change over time.
3. Check each answer choice against the graphic. First verify the numbers are accurate, then ask whether the comparison actually supports the specific claim.

Here's a more complex example using a graph. The passage makes a two-part claim, and you need data that supports both parts:

In 2018, a new international trade agreement, the Trans-Pacific Trade Accord (TPTA), was signed, altering tariffs and regulations for US industries. Economists at the Brydge Institute analyzed US employment data before and after the TPTA's implementation to assess its impact. They concluded that the accord significantly boosted employment in the service sector, which capitalized on new markets, but it negatively affected the manufacturing sector, which faced increased competition from imports.

Which choice best describes data from the graph that support the economists' conclusion?

A) In 2017, there were approximately 130,000 service sector jobs and only 30,000 agricultural jobs. B) Employment in the manufacturing sector was consistently higher than in the agricultural sector in all three years shown. C) From 2017 to 2021, employment in the service sector increased, while employment in the manufacturing sector decreased. D) In 2017, manufacturing employment was higher than service sector employment, but this trend reversed by 2019.

The economists' conclusion has two parts: the TPTA boosted the service sector and harmed manufacturing. You need an answer that shows both trends. The graph shows service sector jobs rising from 130,000 (2017) to 160,000 (2021), while manufacturing fell from 90,000 to 65,000. Choice C captures both trends — that's the answer. Choice A describes a snapshot from one year with no trend. Choice B compares manufacturing to agriculture, which is irrelevant to the claim. Choice D misstates the data — service sector employment (130,000) was already higher than manufacturing (90,000) in 2017.

 

Traps to watch for

• True but irrelevant data. The most common trap is an answer choice that accurately describes data from the graphic but doesn't actually support the specific conclusion. A fact can be true without being relevant evidence.
• Data showing the opposite. Some choices present data that contradicts the claim — a similarity when the claim is about a difference, or a decline when the claim is about growth.
• Incomplete support. When the conclusion has multiple parts (like "X increased and Y decreased"), an answer that only addresses one part is insufficient. Look for the choice that covers the full claim.
• Inaccurate numbers. Some choices misstate what the table or graph actually shows. Always verify the specific values against the graphic before evaluating whether the comparison supports the claim.

 

How the difficulty changes

Easier questions:

At the easiest level, the claim is simple and the data clearly shows one trend. You just need to find the answer that presents a straightforward contrast.

An agricultural scientist is studying crop yields in a region that experienced significant variations in rainfall between 2018 and 2021, with a notable drought in 2019. The scientist is investigating how different crops respond to these conditions. Based on the data collected, the scientist claims that certain staple crops are more vulnerable to drought, noting that wheat yield was lowest in 2019.

Which choice most effectively uses data from the graph to support the underlined claim?

A) The yield for wheat dropped to its lowest point of approximately 2.5 tons per hectare in 2019 before recovering in subsequent years. B) In 2018, corn and soybean yields were identical at approximately 6 tons per hectare. C) The lowest wheat yield occurred in 2021, when it fell to just under 3 tons per hectare. D) The highest yield for canola across the four-year period was approximately 5 tons per hectare.

The claim is that wheat yield was lowest in 2019. The graph shows wheat at 6 tons/hectare in 2018, dropping to 2.5 in 2019, then recovering to 7 in 2020 and 6.5 in 2021. Choice A accurately describes this dip and recovery, directly supporting the claim. Choice B discusses corn and soybeans, not wheat. Choice C contradicts the claim — wheat in 2021 was 6.5, not "just under 3." Choice D discusses canola, which is irrelevant.

Medium questions:

At the medium level, the claim involves specific definitions or criteria, and you must verify that the data matches the stated thresholds.

In computational stylistics, literary prose can be classified by its complexity using quantitative measures. "Standard" prose is often characterized by shorter sentences and simpler vocabulary, defined here as having an average of 20 or fewer words per sentence (wps) and 1.5 or fewer syllables per word (spw). Conversely, "complex" prose uses longer, more intricate sentences and vocabulary, defined as having an average of over 20 wps and over 1.5 spw. A linguist analyzed five passages from a historical novel, asserting that two passages exemplify standard prose and three exemplify complex prose.

Which choice best describes data from the table that support the linguist's assertion?

A) Passage P-104 has the highest average words per sentence, and passage P-102 has the lowest average syllables per word. B) All five passages have a passive voice percentage of 12% or less, and three of the passages average more than 20 words per sentence. C) All passages have an average of fewer than 25 words per sentence, and P-105 has the highest average syllables per word at 1.8. D) Two passages have an average of 20 or fewer words per sentence and 1.5 or fewer syllables per word, while three passages exceed both of these thresholds.

The linguist's claim is a specific split: 2 standard, 3 complex. You must check each passage against both criteria. P-102 (15.1 wps, 1.3 spw) and P-103 (18.9 wps, 1.4 spw) meet both standard thresholds. P-101 (22.5 wps, 1.7 spw), P-104 (25.8 wps, 1.6 spw), and P-105 (21.2 wps, 1.8 spw) exceed both thresholds. That's a 2-and-3 split, which matches the assertion — choice D. Choice A cherry-picks individual extremes without demonstrating the grouping. Choice B focuses on passive voice, which isn't part of the standard/complex definition. Choice C states true facts but doesn't establish the claimed classification.

Harder questions:

At the hardest level, the claim is nuanced and the correct answer requires comparing data across multiple conditions or recognizing a subtle pattern. The wrong answers may be partially true.

The Nok culture, flourishing in present-day Nigeria from around 1500 BCE, is recognized as one of the earliest producers of iron in West Africa. A defining feature of Nok metallurgy is the slag-tapping furnace, a specific technological design that allowed for efficient smelting. Archaeologists have hypothesized that ironworking technology diffused from the Nok cultural hearth to other parts of the region. This model assumes that the technology spreads along with its associated techniques and toolsets. However, evidence of iron use eventually appeared across a vast area of West Africa, yet ______

Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement?

A) the practice of ironworking appears to have been adopted in places like Jenne-jeno and Daima using furnace technologies other than the specific Nok slag-tapping design. B) the timeline of ironworking in the region is extensive, with sites like Taruga dating to 600 BCE and Daima dating to a much later period of 500 CE. C) Nok culture itself was geographically widespread, as evidenced by the presence of slag-tapping furnaces at both the Taruga and Samun Dukiya sites. D) archaeological evidence for early ironworking has been found in diverse locations, including sites in modern-day Nigeria and Mali.

The passage introduces a hypothesis (technology diffused with the slag-tapping furnace) and then says "yet" — signaling a contrast. The blank must present data that complicates the hypothesis. The table shows that Jenne-jeno (250 BCE) and Daima (500 CE) adopted ironworking without the Nok slag-tapping furnace (marked "No"). That's choice A — these sites learned ironworking through some other means, which challenges the diffusion model. Choice B notes the timeline but doesn't address whether the furnace technology spread. Choice C supports the hypothesis rather than complicating it. Choice D is geographically true but says nothing about the furnace technology.

Here's another hard example involving a graph with positive and negative values:

Urban planners study the effects of different 'revitalization' strategies on local communities. One debate centers on whether to prioritize luxury apartment construction or mixed-use developments that combine housing with retail and public spaces. Sociologists have argued that focusing solely on high-end housing can paradoxically harm the local economy it's meant to help. They tested this by comparing neighborhoods with no new development (control) to those with each type of project, measuring changes in residential property values and foot traffic to small businesses. They concluded that luxury-only developments drive up property values but simultaneously depress local commerce by displacing residents and failing to generate new foot traffic.

Which choice best describes data from the graph that support the sociologists' conclusion?

A) In neighborhoods with luxury apartments, the change in property value was approximately +12%, while in neighborhoods with mixed-use development, it was approximately +8%. B) Compared to control neighborhoods, those with luxury-only developments experienced a decrease in small business foot traffic but an increase in residential property value. C) In neighborhoods with luxury-only developments, the change in property values was positive, whereas the change in foot traffic was negative. D) Mixed-use developments led to an increase in both foot traffic and property values, while luxury apartments led to a decrease in both.

The conclusion says luxury developments drive up property values but depress commerce. The graph shows: for luxury apartments, foot traffic is -10% while property value is +12% — the paradox the claim describes. But the question says "compared to control neighborhoods," and choice B correctly frames the comparison against the baseline (control had +1% foot traffic and +2% property value). Choice C describes the luxury data in isolation without comparing to control. Choice A compares luxury to mixed-use, not to the control group. Choice D misstates the data — luxury apartments increased property values, not decreased them.

 

Your approach on test day

1. Read the passage and identify the specific claim or conclusion being made.
2. Determine what kind of data would support that claim — a difference, a trend, a threshold, or a comparison to a baseline.
3. Check each answer choice: first verify the numbers are accurate against the graphic, then ask whether the comparison actually demonstrates what the claim says.
4. Watch for answers that are factually correct but don't address the claim — the right answer must be both accurate and relevant.