As shown in the chart

You usually place this phrase at the beginning or the middle of a sentence. It works best right before you describe a specific trend or data point. For example, you might say, "As shown in the chart, our user engagement doubled this month." It’s like setting the stage before the lead actor walks on. You can also use it to confirm something you just said. "Our revenue is up by 20%, as shown in the chart on the left." Pro tip: don't just say the phrase and keep talking at the wall. You need to actually pause for a split second. Give people time to move their eyes. If you rush, they will still be looking at the chart when you are already talking about the next topic. That is how you lose people in a Zoom meeting! Also, make sure you are actually showing a chart. Using this phrase while showing a picture of your cat might be funny, but it won't help your career much.

This is a solid formal to neutral expression. You will hear it constantly in office boardrooms, university lectures, and TED talks. It is the gold standard for business presentations. However, you probably won't use it while texting your best friend about your weekend plans. "As shown in the chart I sent you, I spent 90% of Saturday sleeping." That sounds like a joke (and a pretty good one). In a professional setting, it shows you respect the data. It also shows you have prepared your materials well. It’s much more professional than saying "Look at this thingy here" or "The graph shows stuff." It’s the "suit and tie" of presentation transitions.

You’ll see this everywhere in the professional world. Think of a YouTuber like MrBeast explaining his analytics to a crew. Or a scientist on a Netflix documentary explaining climate change. In a corporate Zoom call, a project manager might use it to explain why a deadline was missed. Even on social media, data journalists use it in their captions on Instagram or LinkedIn. They post a beautiful infographic and then write, "As shown in the chart, the housing market is shifting." It’s the language of the "data-driven" era. If you watch CNBC or Bloomberg, the anchors use it every five minutes while pointing at stock prices. It’s the heartbeat of financial reporting.

Use it whenever you have a visual aid that supports your point. It is perfect for quarterly business reviews (QBRs). It is great for academic presentations where you need to prove a hypothesis. Use it when you want to sound more objective and less opinionated. Instead of saying "I think we are doing well," say "As shown in the chart, our growth is steady." It shifts the focus from you to the facts. It is also very helpful when you are presenting remotely. On a screen share, people can get distracted easily. This phrase pulls their eyes back to the shared screen. It acts like a "wake up" call for their attention.

Avoid using this if the visual you are showing is too complex to understand quickly. If the chart looks like a bowl of spaghetti, saying "as shown in the chart" will just frustrate people. They can't see what you see! Also, don't use it if you aren't actually pointing to a chart. If you are showing a table of numbers, say as shown in the table. If it’s a photograph, say as shown in the image. Using the word chart for everything makes you look a bit careless. Finally, don't over-use it. If you say it for every single sentence, you will sound like a broken robot. "As shown in the chart, sales are up. As shown in the chart, costs are down. As shown in the chart, I need a coffee." Mix it up a little!

(In English, we usually see information *in* a chart, not *on* its surface.)

(As is the correct conjunction for this formal structure; like is too casual here.)

(Remember your irregular verbs! Shown is the past participle you need.)

(Don't mix two different structures. It’s either According to the chart or As shown in the chart.)

If you want to sound a bit more varied, try these. As you can see from the graph is a bit more personal because it uses "you." As indicated in the table is slightly more formal and precise. Looking at the data here is great for a more collaborative, "let's look together" vibe. The chart illustrates that... is a strong way to start a sentence without using as. For a very modern, tech-savvy feel, you might say Based on the dashboard view. If you are in a rush during a quick huddle, you can just say Per the chart. Just make sure your boss knows what per means first!

Does it have to be a bar chart? No, it can be any visual representation of data. Pie charts, line graphs, and scatter plots all count as charts in this context. Is it too formal for a startup? Not at all. Even in a "jeans and t-shirt" office, you want your data to be taken seriously. Is there a difference between chart and graph? Most people use them interchangeably in conversation. However, a chart is a broader term for any visual info, while a graph usually plots variables on axes. Can I say "As the chart shows"? Yes, that is a perfectly natural and common alternative. It's slightly more active and sounds great in presentations too.