We collect data every day without even realising it. For example:
Raw data - like a list of numbers in a notebook - is hard to make sense of at a glance. So we organise it into a table, a pictograph, or a bar graph to make it easy to read and compare.
Pictographs are easy to read because pictures catch the eye quickly. You can tell which row has more or fewer items just by looking at the number of icons - without reading any numbers.
Example - Fruits Sold at a Market Stall
Below is a pictograph showing the number of fruits sold in one week. The scale is: 1 circle = 5 fruits.
Count the circles in each row and multiply by 5 to find the actual number of fruits sold.
From this pictograph we can quickly say:
- Apples were sold the most - 40 fruits
- Bananas were sold the least - 20 fruits
- Mangoes and Oranges together: 30 + 25 = 55 fruits
- How many more apples than bananas: 40 - 20 = 20 more
Half icon = half the scale value
Example: Scale = 1 icon = 6 pencils. A row has 3 full icons + 1 half icon.
3 x 6 = 18, half icon = 3 → Total = 21 pencils
A bar graph is ideal when you want to compare several categories at once. You can instantly see which category is the highest or lowest just by looking at bar heights.

The four key parts of a bar graph - always look for all four when reading one.
| Part | What It Shows | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Title | What the graph is about | "Books read per month" |
| X-axis (horizontal →) | The categories being compared | January, February, March... |
| Y-axis (vertical ↑) | The numbers / values | 0, 2, 4, 6, 8... |
| Bars | Height of bar = value for that category | A bar reaching 6 means 6 books |
Example - Students' Favourite Sports
Bar graph showing favourite sports. Each bar's height tells you the number of students who chose that sport.
From this bar graph we can say:
- Most popular sport: Cricket - tallest bar (16 students)
- Least popular sports: Kabaddi and Chess - shortest bars (6 students each)
- How many more prefer Cricket over Football: 16 - 10 = 6 students
- Total students: 16 + 10 + 12 + 6 + 6 = 50 students
| Feature | Pictograph | Bar Graph |
|---|---|---|
| Representation | Uses pictures / icons | Uses rectangular bars |
| Scale | Must have a scale | Has a numbered y-axis |
| Fractional Values | Can have half icons | No icons - just bar heights |
| How to Read | Count icons and multiply by scale | Read value directly from y-axis |
| Best Use | Good for smaller, whole-number data | Good for larger or varied data |
Data does not always come in a table or graph. Sometimes you are shown a picture - such as a group of people - and asked to count and compare things you can observe, then decide whether given statements are True or False.
This requires the skill of careful observation and systematic counting.
| Word / Phrase | What It Means | How to Check |
|---|---|---|
| All | Every single one - no exceptions at all | Even one exception makes it FALSE |
| Some | At least one (could be more) | Find even one example → TRUE |
| No / None | Not even a single one | Find even one example → FALSE |
| More than half | The count is greater than half the total | Half the total and check if count > that |
| Greater than / More than | One count is larger than another | Count both groups, compare using > |
| Fewer than / Less than | One count is smaller than another | Count both groups, compare using < |
How Key Words Work with an Example
- All children are holding books.
Answer: FALSE
Explanation: 7 children are holding books but 3 are not, so not all children have books.- Some children are wearing glasses.
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: 4 children are wearing glasses, so the statement is true.- No child is wearing a cap.
Answer: FALSE
Explanation: 3 children are wearing caps, so the statement is false.- More than half of the children are holding books.
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: There are 10 children, more than half means more than 5, 7 children are holding books, so it is true.- The number of children holding books is greater than the number of children without books.
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: 7 children have books and 3 do not, so 7 is greater than 3.- The number of children wearing caps is fewer than the number of children not wearing caps.
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: 3 children are wearing caps and 7 are not, so 3 is less than 7.
| 1. What is the role of a child TV reporter? | ![]() |
| 2. How is stock-taking conducted in a shop? | ![]() |
| 3. What are the safety measures for two-wheelers on the road? | ![]() |
| 4. Why is recording a day important in data analysis? | ![]() |
| 5. What types of data can be collected through pictures? | ![]() |