在上一个章节中,我们系统探讨了饼状图主体段的高端写作思路和句型发展方式。在本章节里,专家将继续探讨柱状图主体段的高分思路和写法。

有了前2章节的铺垫,大家会对柱状图的写法有了一定的认识,因为线图和饼图中很多句型及其发展方法都可以运用到柱状图里。我们在观察柱形图的时候首先要留意横轴的数据,若横轴为时间轴或者是年龄趋势,那么我们在主体段写作时候的基本思路就为从左到右;若横轴数据为具体专有名词诸如地点,交通工具等时,主体段的写作思路就可能是按照柱形的长度排列。笔者根据上述的分析做以下的总结:

一、按照横轴从左到右排列数据:

1. 两根柱且趋势截然相反

在这种写法中,我们要注意观察2根柱的上升/下降的幅度。以下我们就来看一个例子:

The charts below show the main reasons for study among students of different age groups and the amount of support they received from employers.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below.

You should write at least 150 words.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The first graph shows that there is a gradual decrease in study for career reasons with age. Nearly 80% of students under 26 years, study for their career. This percentage gradually declines by approximately15% every decade. Only 40% of 40-49yr olds and 18% of over 49yr olds studied for career reasons in late adulthood.

Conversely, the first graph also shows that study stemming from interest increases with age. There are only 10% of under 26yr olds studying out of interest. The percentage increases slowly till the beginning of the fourth decade, and increases dramatically in late adulthood. Nearly same number of 40-49yr
olds study for career and interest. However 70% of over 49yr olds study for interest in comparison to 18% studying for career reasons in that age group.

在第一幅柱状图中,我们可以看到,蓝色和红色的2根柱呈现出截然相反的变化趋势,因此,我们在排列数据时可以分别描述各自的上升/下降幅度,见划线第一个句子。这2根柱的变化幅度相对都是比较均匀的,我们在计算幅度时可以简单的将最大和最小值相减,然后除以区间数,就能得出大约的幅度,在描述时只要在幅度前加上表示大约的副词即可。从句型角度,我们可以选择主谓结构的简单句来实现对变化幅度的描写,见划线第一个句子。

接下来,我们在描述第2根柱形变化的时候,要特别注意选择的句型在逻辑关系上和第一根柱变化幅度间的联系,见划线第二个句子。

2. 三根以上柱形且多种趋势:

应对这样的柱形图,我们可以先描写最长的那根柱的数据,也可以将最长的2根柱的数据放在一起描写。以下我们就来看一个例子:

The graph shows Internet Usage in Taiwan by Age Group, 1998-2000.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The graph shows changes in the age profile of Internet users in Taiwan between 1998 and 2000.

The main users of the Internet in Taiwan are young adults between 16 and 30 years old. In 1998, they accounted for more than half of all users. In 1999 the number dropped slightly to 45%, but even in 2000 they were the biggest group.

The second biggest group of users is aged between 31 and 50. They made up 41% in 1998, falling slightly to 37% in 2000. When combined with the 16-30 age group, over 94% of users in 1998 were between 16 and 50.

However this number is dropping steadily as more children and older users log on. In 1999, the number of children online quadrupled from 2% to 8%, and it continued to increase in 2000. There were similar increases for older users, rising from 4% in 1998 to 10% in 2000.

In summary, while adults between 16 and 50 still represent the great majority of Internet users in Taiwan, their share is declining as more children and older users join the web.