bec考试高级写作的第一部分及雅思考试a类写作第一部分，还有国内的公共英语等级考试三级的写作试题中都有针对图标进行描述的写作任务。可见对图表的认知和理解能力对于语言学习达到中等以上的人来说是一项必备的技能。掌握该项技能就可以证明你已经具备通过英语高阶的能力。
在前面两节中我们学习了柱状图、线形图和饼图的描述方法，并配合了大量辅助性的练习。但是如果只掌握第一节和第二节的内容，考生还不能无全面地表达一副图表，因为我们所学习的内容只是针对图表本身，而没有介绍图表的来龙去脉并在文章最后做收尾工作。在这节中，我们将把这种描述再进一步地完善。
主题句的写法
在考试题目要求的第一项内容中往往是针对该图表的内容做总结性介绍。比如,我们在本章第一单元的练习中碰到这样一道题，它的题目要求是这样表达的：
the graph below shows development in the ownership of mobile telephones as percentage of all telephones owned.using the information from the graph, write a short report on changes in telephone ownership.
第一项内容中说到“下面的这幅图表中显示手机在所有电话中所占比例的情况”， 因此考生在开始描述图表中的趋势变化之前应该单独书写一段起始段，告诉读者你要描述的是一副有关哪方面的图表。书面这样的其实段有以下一些规律可以遵循。
起始句可以遵循以下这些模式性套话：
type of chart appropriate verb description the illustration
尽量用自己的语言将题目要求和图表主题归纳出来。如果你将题目的要求或图表的主题逐字照搬，会影响到你的分数。
为了避免原文照搬，下面几种方法：
方法一，简单改变措辞题目要求：
the two pie charts show the proportion of males and females in employment in 6 broad categories.
主题可以改写为：
the two pie charts show the proportion of men and women employed in 6 broad categories.
proportion n. 比例；比率（+of/to）
方法二，改变结构
题目要求：
the two pie charts show the proportion of males and females in employment in 6 broad categories.
主题可以改写为：
the two pie charts show, in 6 broad categories, the proportion of males and females in employment.
方法三，改变时间状语的表达方法
题目要求：
the graph shows the total grain harvest area in millions of hectares between 1950 and 1996.
主题句可以改写为：
the graph shows the total grain harvest area in millions of hectares over 46-year period.
结束语的写法
在写结束语时，中国考生还容易犯一个错误，就是对图表传达的信息做臆测，也就是说在结尾时发表没有太多依据的主观看法。这样的结尾句写的就是有问题，希望引起考生的注意。
下面我们把在前面几个单元中出现过的部分练习题补充完整，将主题句和结尾句加进来。
为了让读者知道你的写作结束了，你应该使用一些明显提示性的语句。下面就是一些可供大家参考的语句。
例一，
the graphs below show the changing share prices of two private companies that went public and issued shares on the stock exchange. both companies were eventually bought back by their previous owners.
using the information from the graphs, write a short report describing the general movement of the share prices and comparing the performance of the two companies between the issue date and the buy-back(回购)date.
起始段
the graphs show the changing share prices of scorpio group and west and group, from the date when they went public to the date when they were eventually bought back.
中间两段（略）
结束语
the shares of west end group performed much letter than scorpion group.
例二，
the two pie charts below show a) the three main types of shop which sell your company's products, and b) the proportion of your sales that each type of shop handle in 1994 and 1995. using the information from the charts, write a short report which describes the situation in 1994 and compares it with the situation in 1995.
起始段
the two pie charts present the proportion of sales made in three types of shop between 1994 and 1995.
中间两段（略）
结束语
the figures show that the large supermarkets/hypermarkets took more of our goods than our other retailers and their sales represented well over 50% of our total sales.
practice 练习
1.练习起始段和结束语的写法。
the graph below shows the sales of your product in your three major international markets in period between june 1994 and january 1997. a new marketing strategy was introduced in june 1995.
using the information from the graph, write a short report on changes that occurred during the period june 1994 to january 1997.
2. you work for a sports center. you have been asked to write a short report that will appear in a newsletter for the sports center's members.
look at the graphs below, on which you have already made some handwritten notes.
then, using all these handwritten notes, write your report.
write 120-140 words.
3. 根据题目要求完成对下面图表的完整描述。
the bar chart below shows the cost of buying three different photocopiers, the cost of a warranty on each machine,and their expected running costs for the first two years.
using the information from the chart, write a short report comparing the costs for the three machines. write about 120-140 words.
4.根据题目要求完成对图表的完整描述。
the bar chart below shows the quantity of sales made by all retailers in britain on each day of the week for the years 1996 and 2000.
using the information from the bar chart, write a short report describing all the changes that took place between 1996 and 2000.
write 120-140 words.