Style Guide for Business Writing

X, Y

X and y axes

When constructing a graph as part of a business document, most often you use perpendicular lines referred to as the x axis and the y axis. The x axis is horizontal (left to right) and the y axis is vertical (top to bottom). The point where both axes intersect is called the origin and the two lines can be thought of as forming a grid.

When making reference to a specific point (place) on the graph, the x axis is always listed first, followed by the y axis. Each point can be described as an “ordered pair” with the origin considered (0,0). As an example, if you go out four units to the right on the x axis, from the origin and go up three units, you arrive at the point defined by the ordered pair (4,3). If you go left four units ...