1

English Writing

外国语学院英语专业教研室 赵 红 路

E-mail: honglu@yahoo.cnTel: 13194369777

2

Chapter IV. Developing Paragraphs

• Coherence (content)

• Unity (thought)

• Transition (form)

• Effective paragraphs

3

Unity (thought)• Topic sentence

4

Coherence (content)• Five ways to improve the coherence• 1. the use of parallel constructions• 2. the use of repetition• 3. the use of pronouns to refer to nouns in

preceding sentences• 4. being consistent in the person and number of

nouns and pronouns, the tense of verbs• 5. the use of transitional expressions

5

Transition (form)

• 表添加： and, again, besides, furthermore, moreover, in addition, what’s more, further

• 表时间： afterwards, later, earlier, subsequently, at the same time, simultaneously, immediately, meanwhile, in the meantime, formerly, presently, shortly, then, etc.

6

• 表对比： but, however, nevertheless, instead, by (in) contrast, in spite of this, on the one hand, … on the other hand, for one thing, … for another, on the contrary

• 表举例： as an illustration, for example, for instance, To make it clear,… may serve as a good illustration. We may take … as an example, A good case in point is…

• To illustrate this point, let us consider…

7

• 表归纳： to sum up, In short (brief), In a word, In conclusion, To conclude

• From what has been discussed above, we may safely come to the conclusion that…

• Taking into account all the facts concerned, we can say that…

• Judging from all the evidence available, we may draw the conclusion that…

8

• 表因果： therefore, thus, hence, as a result, accordingly, consequently

• 表让步： of course, to be sure, to tell the truth, certainly, naturally, no doubt

• 表重复： as I have said, in other words, to repeat

9

Ways of Developing a Paragraph

– Development by Time (chronological order)– Development by Process (logical order)– Development by Space (spatial order)– Development by Example (induction\

deduction) (general/specific)

10

– Development by analogy, Comparison and Contrast (alternating/block)

– Development by Cause and Effect– Development by Classification– Development by definition

11

Assignment• Write a paragraph using the following as

the topic sentence

I remember the day when…

12

Chapter V. Summarizing & Book Report

• The summary

• Book report

• Generally speaking, a book report consists of the following three main parts:

1. Information about the author and his times

2. A summary of the book

3. Comments on it

13

The summary

• Procedure1. Reading ( to get the gist ---give a title---to decide which

parts are essential---to jot down the main points )2. Writing (word limit--- your own words---follow the

logical order of the original passage---self-contained---conciseness: omit the details/ reduce the examples/simplify the descriptions/ eliminate all repetitions/ compress wordy sentences and change phrases to words)

3. Revision (length/ mistakes/ punctuations)

14

Examples

• His courage in battle might without exaggeration be called lion-like.

• He was very brave in battle.• The account the witness gave of the incident made

everyone that heard it laugh.• The witness’s story was absurd.• John fell into the river and, before help could

reach him, he sank.• John was drowned in the river.

15

• She brought home several Chinese and English novels, a few copies of Times and Newsweek, and some textbooks. She intended to read all of them during the winter vacation.

• Abridged: She brought home a lot of books and magazines to read during the vacation.

16

• Kate looked at Paul disapprovingly: “You use too much salt on your food, Paul--- it’s not at all good for you!” Paul put down his knife and frowned: “Why on earth not! If you didn’t have salt on your food it would taste awful… like eating cardboard or sand… just imagine bread without salt in it, or potatoes or pasta cooked without salt!”

17

• Kate was patient. She didn’t want to quarrel with Paul. She wanted to persuade him. She said firmly: “ But too much salt is bad for you. It causes high blood pressure and later on, heart-attacks. It also disguises the tastes of food, the real tastes, which are much more subtle than salt, and which we have lost the sensitivity to appreciate any more.”

18

• Abridged: Kate suggested to Paul that he should eat less salt. She thought that eating too much salt would do harm to Paul’s health and that it could reduce the real tastes of food. But Paul disagreed. He said that food without salt would be tasteless.

19

Chapter 6 Composing Essays

• Criteria of a Good Composition

• Unity

• Coherence

• Variety

• Appropriateness• Example P123.

20

Steps in writing a composition

• Planning a composition

• Writing the first draft

• Revising the first draft

• Making the final copy

21

Step 1: planning

sufficient preparation:

to collect materials ;

to find a proper thesis;

to re-examine the list

and have a plan (outline)

22

e.g. Topic: The School Library

• A large number of useful books

• All kinds of dictionaries and reference books

• The reading rooms spacious and quite

• Newspaper and magazines

• The librarians patient and helpful

• Closed on Sundays and holidays

23

• A little crowded in the evening

• Students leave books on chairs to reserve seats

• Very few newspapers from abroad

• Seniors would not be able to write their graduation papers without using the library

• Teachers go to the library frequently

24

The possible theses

• The library is a nice place to work in.

• The library plays a very important part in a student’s life.

• The work of the library needs improvement.

25

Select one thesis and relevant materials

• Topic: The School Library• Thesis: the library plays a very important

part in a student’s life.• Outline: I. A student has to borrow books from the

library. 1.1 He needs reference books for his

elective courses.

26

1.2 He may want to read novels, stories and plays.

II. He reads newspapers and magazines in the library.

2.1 Many new magazines are on display in the reading room.

2.2 There are newspapers from all provinces.

27

2.3 Back numbers may be borrowed at the counter.

III. He needs the library all the more in his junior and senior years.

3.1 The library provides him with books for his research.

3.2 He would not be able to write his graduation paper without using the library.

28

Types of Outline

• Sentence outline

• Topic outline

• Mixture

29

Step 2: writing the first draft

• It would be over-optimistic to presume that he will have no more trouble and will be able to finish the whole thing at once.

• Even an experienced writer may find it hard to organize and express his ideas well.

• If departing from the outline at one place or another, how to do?

30

Step 3: Revising the first draft

• When he is writing the first draft, his attention is focused on turning his ideas into words. It will be only natural that some of his sentences are not very well formed and some of his words not very well chosen.

• Nearly all good writing is the result of much revision.

31

The checklist of revision(p131)

• 1. content

• 2. organization

• 3.sentences

• 4.diction

• 5.mechanical mistakes (Students are generally mindful of such mistakes.)

32

Step 4: Making the Final Copy

• Manuscript form-based

• Finally, before handing it in, you should check the final copy to correct the careless mistakes.

33

Assignment

• Developing a paragraph by example or generalization (a person)

34

Modal:• My little niece, a ten-month-old bab

y, is the loveliest child I have ever seen. Her face is like a red apple and her eyes are like bright stars. When you carry her in your arms, she likes to put her arms around your neck. All the grownups

35

• in the family love her very much and often try to make her smile. But quite often it is she who makes us laugh. Once I winked at her and she smiled. When I did it again, she watched me attentively. Then she tried to imitate. While closed one eye to wink, she had

36

• to close both eyes at the same time, and then quickly opened them again. And that was her way to wink. We all burst into laughter. When we looked at her again, she was staring us, puzzled, as if she was asking: “What are you laughing at?”

37

Three Main Parts of a Composition

• 1. Points to be noted for constructing the opening paragraphs

• 1) a quotation: using the saying or proverb to lead to the theme of the composition 引言法

• e.g. “Some books are to be tasted; others to be swallowed; and some few to be chewed and digested.” Perhaps this is the best advice on how to read, given by Francis Bacon.

38

• As an English saying goes, “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” To make a good use of today is most reasonable.

• As the proverb goes: “No one knows the value of health until he loses it.” In other words, nothing is more valuable than health.

39

• 2) a statement (theme): 主题句法• One of life’s pleasures is friendship, and

one of life’s sorrows is the loss of such a relationship. There are three common causes for lost of friendship: betrayal, boredom, and distance.

40

3) A question: 提问法 • “Should men and women be equal?” T

his is a question much talked by many people. Some hold the opinion that…

41

4) a definition: 定义法• A strict vegetarian is a person who

never in his life eats anything derived from animals.

42

• 5) relevant background material: 相关背景 法

• My parental grandmother who lived with us from the time my parents married until she died in 1980.

43

• 6)a shock: 惊语法• If a person has a terrible secret, we may say

he has “a skeleton in the cupboard”. But the only one I know who has a real skeleton in the cupboard is George.

44

• 7 ）从反面话题或例外开头 ( 反差比较 ) • Some of my friends can’t believe my car s

till runs. Others laugh when they see it parked outside the house and asked if it’s an antique. But they aren’t being fair for my fourteen-year-old Ford. In fact, my “antique” has opened my eyes to the rewards of owning an old car.

• 背景 + 事实 + 主题 （ rewards and open my eyes ）

45

• 仿写练习（长度相仿）：• Some of my friends regard my interest in B

eijing Opera as old-fashioned.

46

• We hear a lot about the negative effects of television on the viewer. Obviously, television can be harmful if it is watched constantly to the exclusion of other activities. However, when television is watched in moderation, it is extremely valuable, as it provides relaxation, entertainment and education.

• 仿写练习： We hear a lot about the negative effects of advertisements on the customers.

47

• 这种构思手段在评论事务的好坏论述事务的正反、评价差异方面是十分有效的。借助于“转折词” but however nevertheless but more on the contrary on the other hand 等。

48

The writing of concluding paragraphs

• 1) summary 2) restate the theme 3) wish suggestion or anticipation

49

• 1) 总结式 对全文直接概括，或重申已提出的重要内容。

• The total effect of most TV is dangerous. It’s time to…

• 2) 引语法 All of us wish for a bright future and hope to master a useful career. Those who persist in remaining in idleness will never fulfill their ambitions. “No pains, no gains” is a motto with much meaning.

• In particular, I enjoy what Francis Bacon said: “Studies serve for delight, for ornament and for ability.”

50

• 3) 反问法 Isn’t it strange if we still stick to such odd ideas?

• 4) 提出希望或展望未来• In a very near future, no doubt, the compu

ter will play a more important role in people’s daily life.

51

3 、 The middle part

• A natural and logical follow-up of the beginning.

• The body of a paper consists 2-3pagraphs in logical order.

52

练习： Is It Wise to Have English Writing Class in a Computer Lab?

53

• I was exited when my English composition teacher announced that computers would be a major part of our writing course. I was thrilled while touring the computer lab to see the magical-looking machines with their glowing green screens. But one month later, I have had some second thoughts. I now believe that computers are a bad idea in the writing classroom.

54

• The computer doesn’t help me plan a paper.

• The computer requires too much time and trouble to use.

• The computer has changed my teacher from an instructor to a technician.

55

• In conclusion, it may be wise to take another look at the use of the computer in college writing courses. At first glance the computer offers excitement and a world of promise, but I think there’s a serious question about whether it actually improves students’ writing.

56

57

58

III. How to Accomplish the Advanced Level Study as to

English-Majors ?• Knowledge （ to be fond of reading ）• Ability （ to be good at thinking ）• communication （ to be skilled in i

nteracting ）• perseverance （ to be able to persever

e ）• 会读书 善思考 长沟通 能坚持

59

谁能猜出船长的年纪

• （《读者》 2002 年第 21 期）• 这是一件真实而又引人深思的事。

一位法国教育心理学专家在上海给孩子们出了一道题目：一艘船上有 86 头牛， 34 只羊，问这艘船的船长年纪有多大？

• 结果 90% 的学生给出的答案是 86 － 34=52岁。

• 只有 10% 的学生认为此题荒谬

60

苏霍姆林斯基

教育是什么？教育就是过了若干年后，那些教的知识都忘掉了，留下的东西就是教育，就是素质。

61

Learn to question

• 交友要于有疑处无疑，读书要于无疑处有疑。

•胡适语

62

Learn to be cooperative

•《学记》中写道：“独学而无友，则孤陋寡闻”

• “三人行必有我师”

• “听君一席话胜读十年书”

• 《劝学篇》中也写到：“学莫便乎近其人”

63

Learn to read

• He was betrayed by a kiss.

• It’s catch-22, isn’t it?

64

Learn to communicate with your supervisor/teachers

• Politeness & distance

65

Politeness• There are three things that affect the way in

which communication takes place:

Power

Social Distance

Ranking of Imposition

66

Distance• The language we use reflects our awareness of the social

distance between us and the hearer.

• The greater the distance between the hearer and the speaker, the greater the need for politeness.

POLITENESS

SOCIAL DISTANCE

67

• Learn to question

• Learn to be cooperative

• Learn to read

• Learn to communicate

68