纵观 2008 年 46 次雅思考试学术类图表作文，常规的图表——线形图、柱形图、饼图和表格的单独考查仍延续往年趋势占到绝大多数，“非常规”的图画题与去年相比也按原有比例有所涉及，其中不乏地理变迁图，流程图以及对比示意图。综合图表的考查虽然不多，但各种图表的组合也几乎都有出现。
· 柱形图 18 次（占 39% ）
相比去年表格占主导的趋势，今年柱形图的考查数量呈现出最大幅度的上升，且考查的密度也相对加大，其中 8 月份和 11 月份都连续三场考查了柱形图。从下面列出的真题描述中也不难看出， 18 次考试中，有时间变化即存在纵比的柱形图有 12 次，占到了三分之二的比例，这就要求考生在图中既要注意到纵向的趋势变化，又要兼顾横向的比较，而不仅仅是单纯地在同一时间比较不同事物的数量、比例等等。考生在写作时就一定要把握好写作的顺序，以纵比为主线，或连点成线（柱子的顶点）直接描述趋势，或按趋势变化分类描述（柱子较多的情况），并从中提取极值、倍数关系等横比信息。但值得注意的是，有纵比的柱形图毕竟不等同于线形图，柱与柱之间的那段趋势是不得而知的，没有线形图那么具体，所以在描述的过程中的时间的表达及用词是要多加考虑的。
08.01.12 compare the percentages of people aged 65 and over in three different countries ( Canada , Germany and UK ) in 1980, 2000 and 2030
08.03.01 show the average pay increase in five European countries in 1999 and 2000
08.04.05 show the percentages of men and women aged 60 -64 in employment in four countries in 1970 and 2000 ( Belgium , Japan , Australia and America )
08.04.19 show the figures of tourists in five tourist attractions from 1981 and 2001
08.05.10 show the information in the sales of selection "Fair Trade" in UK between 1998 and 2002
08.06.14 show the number of overseas applicants to UK universities from worldwide parts from 1999 to 2003
08.06.21 show the actual and predicted number of applicants in 3 UK universities in 1997, 2000 and 2010
08.07.24 show the total amount and average emission (per person) of carbon dioxide in USA and other eastern countries
08.08.09 show the numbers of mobile phones and personal computers per thousand people in six different countries in 2003
08.08.16 show the British library book loan quantity in millions from 1995 to 2005
08.08.21 show the average price per kilo of clothing imported to EU from seven major countries of origin in1997 and 2003
08.09.18 compare the average amount of time spent per day on two common leisure activities by different aged people of New Zealand
08.09.27 show the information of male and female students who chose different majors in 1995 and 2005
08.10.23 compare male and female volunteers doing volunteer work in different age groups in Australia
08.11.08 show the changes in the number of the new buildings constructed in the region from 1999 to 2002
08.11.20 show how the TV in bedroom and the use of computer effect children
08.11.29 show the numbers of different vehicles registered in a European country in 1996 and 2006
· show the way female and male used INTERNET in Canada in 2000
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