雅思考试分为学术类(academic)和移民类(general)，两者都包含一篇小作文，一般用20分钟完成。雅思小作文涉及很多图表的分析和解析，也是烤鸭们的一个难过的门槛。
其中，学术类图表作文有5大类，饼图(pie chart)、线图(line chart)、柱图(bar chart)、表图(table)和流程图(flow chart)，在这五种图表中，最常考的是前四种。那么我们如何在有限的时间内写出一篇高分的小作文呢?
出国留学网小编为烤鸭们收集整理了专家总结的雅思小作文的四个基本步骤，只要掌握了这四个步骤，轻松在20分钟内完成150字的小作文将不再是难题。
霸气四步走
第一步：改写题目
在考场上，时间是最宝贵的，当考生拿到作文题目，第一件事就是改写题目，也就是说小作文的第一段就是改写题目，考生可以通过同义词转换在短短的1分钟内就写好作文的第一段。
举一个例子，The graph below shows the percentage of people unable to find work in three major countries from 1983 to 1992.
题目中划线的单词都可以进行同义转换, graph—figure, show—illustrate, percentage—proportion, major—key, from…to…—between…and…, 因此考生需要在日常学习中多多积累同义词，有助于更加快速准确地进行同意转化。
第二步：分析时态
1. 图表小作文大部分时候使用过去时态，因为出现的数据一般都是以往的统计数据，过去的情形和现在的情形很有可能完全不一样，因此用过去时态比较恰当。
例句1: In the 2002 survey, over 75% of respondents with annual incomes above$ 100,000 considered leisure time extremely or very important.
2. 如果图表里没有出现任何以往的年度，或者显示这是过去的统计数据，那么用一般现在时比较理想。
Britain produces 3% of the world’s carbon dioxides emissions----about the same as India, which has 15times as many times as many people.
3. 少数情况下，图表作文会出现预测值，这个时候用将来时态。
第三步：分析图中数字的含义以及单位
很多同学由于急于完成文章，所以忽略了对图中数据的分析，比如说，有些题目中会在角落里标明百分号和单位，很多同学没有注意到，就认为图中的数字是表示的个数或者弄错单位，这样整篇文章的分数就会受到很大的影响，因此先不要急于动笔写，先分析好了，再动笔也不迟。
第四步：通过分析图表来确定主体段落需要描述哪些信息，并标注在图表上
建议考生在写作时，第一句话总结图中比较显著的趋势或者特征，其余句子按照第四点中所规定的顺序逐句叙述图表内容。主体部分每一个句子一般有三个组成部分，分别是文字信息、数字信息和比较。很多考生习惯在作文中把数字逐一读出，这是不好的习惯。事实上，文字信息比数字信息更为重要，文字信息可以让读者清楚了解图表的主要信息，而数据只是起辅助的作用。比较下面的句子：
例如：The average US family had 4.5 people in 1915, 3.3 in 1967 and 2.6 in 2006.
改后句子：
二、图表作文范文
曲线图：
The graph below shows the percentage of people unable to find work in three major countries from 1983 to 1992.
学习知识点：“上升和下降”，“平稳波动的说法”
1). the proportion (percentage) of people who were unable to find work decreased from 13% in 1983 to 8% to 1990.
2). The number of people unable to find work showed a significant decline, accounting for 8% in1990, compared with 13% in 1983
3). after 7 years of steady decline, the percentage of people unable to work started to rise.
The line graph shows a comparison of unemployment rates in Japan, the United Kingdom and Canada between 1989 and 1992.
In Japan, the percentage of unemployment increased from 2.3%to 3%between 1983 and 1986. After that, the percentage started decreasing with minor fluctuation and returned to the original value in 1992.(第一组：具体谈日本的变化趋势，起末点，最高最低)
In 1983, the percentage of unemployed people was 12% in Canada and 13% in the UK.(起点)These values decreased dramatically and at a constant rate over the next few years.(趋势)Unemployment reached the lowest percentage in Canada with about 7.7% in 1988-1989, and in the UK with 7% in 1989-1990. (最低点)(介词短语的并列形式)The unemployment rates of the two countries reaches the same point between 1988 and 1989. And then the figures(替换)started increasing in both countries. In 1992, Canada reached its original value. Meanwhile, UK reached 10%, three points below the original percentage in 1983. (终点)
From the above analysis, the unemployment rate in Japan was more stable than those of UK and Canada.(结论)
柱状图：
The graph below shows the different modes of transport used to travel to and from work in one European city in 1950, 1970, and 1990.
The bar chart represents a contrast in terms of bus, car, bike, foot in years of 1950, 1970 and 1990.
From 1950 to 1990,the percentage of people who travel(替换)by bike and on foot decreased from 27% to 7% and 33% to 10% respectively. Similarly, the percentage of people taking bus dropped after 1970 but increased before that. However, car’s percentage use sharply boomed(增速迅速发展)year after year.(第一组：柱自身比较)
Traveling by bike or on foot was most popular in 1950, but percentage of car users was far smaller. After two decades, with the decrease of bike users and travelers on foot, bus and car gain a lot of popularity. Bus reached its peak at 27%. In 1970, over one out of three(替换)people drive to and from work.(替换第二组，柱间比较)
All in all, as the economy increases gradually, people prefer to go to work and come home by driving rather than taking bus or walking.
表格图：
The table below shows information on income, taxes and prices in five cities around the world. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.
This table graph demonstrates a comparison of wages, taxes and rents in five important cities, Athens, Geneva, Hong Kong, London and Tokyo.
Geneva and Tokyo offer the highest average hourly wage, 13 and 12 pounds respectively. Within expectation, the tax as percentage of wage is also high. However, the rent in Tokyo is much more than that in Geneva.
On the contrary, the lowest wages are offered by Hong Kong and Athens, 3 and 4 pounds respectively. It is not surprising that the taxes are correspondingly lower than the rest. The difference between the two cities is the rent, with the lowest 700 pounds in Athens and higher 2400 pounds in Hong Kong.(第二组：工资最高，相似和不同)
With the average rent and wage, London has the highest tax.(其他有特点但未提到的)
In conclusion, in terms of living cost, living in London might harder than the others.(合理推断)
饼状图：
The two pie charts below show the types of communication used in 1962 and 1982.
The two pie charts demonstrate a comparison in different patterns of communication which were used in 1962 and 1982.
As what has been shown in the two charts, the percentage of letters drastically decreased from 50% in 1962 to 10% in 1982 respectively.
The figures of phone and computer usage, on the contrary, increased correspondingly at a high rate. The percentage of computer communication in 1982 was exactly twice that in 1962. Similarly, the popularity of phone in 1982 can also be suggested by its rise-25% from the original value, 35%.
In conclusion, communication devices, as economy and technology are being enhanced, have changes greatly. High-tech ways will gradually take the place of private and traditional ones.