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How to say in a compact way: an increase of something is due to decrease in something else

English Language & Usage Asked on February 20, 2021

I am examining temporal trends in the sale numbers of apples, pears and bananas. And I found a significant 5 percentage point increase for apples and a significant 5 percentage point decrease for bananas. The sales of pears remained constant during the observed time period.

What is a better and more compact way for saying the following:

There was an increase in the sales of apples, simultaneously decreasing the number of bananas.

What is a good word for saying that apples increase can be attributed to the decrease of bananas?

3 Answers

EDIT:

This answer doesn't do justice to the demand of the question and I suggest that OP wait for the definitive answer. In fact, as has been brought to my notice by some enlightened members here, this answer is technically wrong.

I think inversely proportional is the term you're looking for.

[Pear sales being constant], apples sales were inversely proportional to banana sales— [the former registering a 5% increase, and the latter a 5% decrease.]

You could do away with the bracketed elements depending on what you wish to keep and what you wish to omit.

Thanks to @Jim for suggesting that I reconsider fine-tuning my answer to meet precisely the demand of the question.

Correct answer by user405662 on February 20, 2021

The briefest statement may be :

Apple and banana sales were negatively correlated.

Correlate = to establish a mutual or reciprocal relation between

Merriam Webster

In positive correlation, both increase or decrease together; in negative correlation, one increases as the other decreases.

negative correlation means that there is an inverse relationship between two variables - when one variable decreases, the other increases.

Your dictionary

Answered by Anton on February 20, 2021

Simpler is always better in this kind of writing. You don’t want to waste your reader’s mental energy in decoding your language when it should be applied to grasping your argument (whatever it happens to be).

Sales that period: Apples up. Bananas down. Five percent each way. Pears went sideways.

Answered by Global Charm on February 20, 2021

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