图表作文要求考生根据图表所提示的数字或文字等信息，将图表转化为文字，解释说明图表。通过对图表的分析，考生要从中找出某种规律或得出结论。这类作文所涉及的图表大致有表格、柱状图、扇形图和曲线图。
图表作文难度较大，在考研英语写作试题中较为常见。考生除了具有扎实的语言功底，还需要具有一定的数据分析和材料归纳的能力。图表作文的写作有以下三点需要注意：
1.仔细审题
图表的题目也就是作文的题目，因此应先分析图表的标题，然后联系题目与表中文字的关系。图表作文的要求通常不是全面地描述图表，而是对图表的某些内容进行描述和分析。因此考生要特别注意审题。试题中的图表可能包含很多信息，考生往往要进行由表及里的分析，才能正确领会要表达的信息。
2.描述图表时要抓住重点
在引用图表数据时，考生应仔细观察表中数据的变化，并加以比较和归纳，抓住具有代表性的数据。一般来说，即使题目中没有“尽可能少引用数字”的指令，考生也无需逐一描述图表中的各项数据。
3.分析要有一定的说服力
考生对图表的分析不一定要符合非常严格的科学考证，但必须要能够自圆其说，让人读后感到言之有理。一般情况下，图表作文写作可按三段式结构进行：第一段写该图表的主旨；第二段写图表的主要信息；第三段得出结论。或者第一段揭示表面现象；第二段揭示深层次的原因；第三段表述前景或趋势。
【经典范文】
Directions: the table below showsthe number of road accidents which occurred in Britain in different places andthe ages of the injured persons. Write a report describing the informationshown below。
Road accidents in Britain
| When/ Where accidents occurred | Age 2~4 | Age5~7 | Age8~11 | Age11~13 | Age14~16 | TOTAL |
| Going to school | 2 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 27 |
| Going home from school | 2 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 31 |
| Playing in the street | 89 | 81 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 202 |
| Cycling into the street | 1 | 10 | 25 | 9 | 2 | 47 |
| Shopping for their parents | 4 | 32 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 52 |
| TOTAL | 98 | 152 | 81 | 21 | 7 | 359 |
The chart above organizes data about roadaccidents involving children in Britain by and by when and where the accidentsoccurred. It can be seen that the incidence of accidents decreases as thechildren’s age increase and that age correlates with the circumstancessurrounding the accident。
For all ages, the most common situationleading to accident is playing in the street but young children were particularlyaffected. Children between the ages of 5-7 seemed to get into accidents whileengaged in activities appropriate to their age, such as shopping for theirparents or going home from school. In fact, this age group accounted for themost road accidents of all. Children between 8 and age 11 had the mostaccidents cycling in the street. After age 11, the number of accidents droppedconsiderably in all situations。
From the chart, we get to know that playingin the street is the most common and universal site of accidents of all ages,but the risks that other sites and situations present vary with the children’sages。
短文写作中，考生应注意文章是否切题，论据是否充分；在展开过程中应注意各段内容是否围绕主题句展开，有无与主题无关的句子内容；句子之间、段落之间的连接要自然，逻辑关系要清晰；句子结构要保持完整，人称、时态、动词变化等要保持一致，单词拼写、大小写、标点要无误。这样才能写出一篇令人满意的文章。（来源：文都教育）
