基础英语写作

Part One

Writing on the Sentence Level

I. Sentence Sturucture

A sentence consists of a subject a predicate and an object. The simplest sentence has a subject and a predicate only. There are several kinds of modifiers in a sentence such as attibute, adverbial, appositive, etc. Look at the following sentences:

Subject Predicate Object Attribute Adverbial

The door opened.

Who opened the door?

I opened the door quietly.

I opened the back door to air the room.

I am a teacher.

II. Clauses

There are two kinds of clauses: independent clause (独立分句) and dependent clause（从句）

An independent clause contains a subject, a verb, and expresses a complete thought.

A dependent clause contains a subject and a verb, but no complete thought.

A dependent clause modifies the independent clause.

III. Kinds of Sentences

From semantic perspective, a sentence can be classified into four categories:

1. Declarative - A declarative sentence makes a statement. A declarative sentence ends with a period.

The house will be built on a hill.

2. Interrogative- An interrogative sentence asks a question. An interrogative sentence ends with a question mark.

How did you find the card?

3. Exclamatory- An exclamatory sentence shows strong feeling. An exclamatory sentence ends with an exclamation mark.

The monster is attacking!

4. Imperative - An imperative sentence gives a command.

Cheryl, try the other door.

In most cases, the subject of an imperative sentence (you) is omitted.

Look in the closet. (You, look in the closet.)

Exerciese

Directions: Identify the kind of sentence.

1.Why do you believe that?

2.I want to know why you believe that.

3.Please accept my apology.

4.Your face is frightening the baby!

5.My shoe is on fire!

6.When did you first notice that your shoe was on fire?

7.My doctor told me to take these vitamins.

8.Ask Doris for the recipe.

9.Did you solve the puzzle yet?

10. Ann, hand me your coat.

11. It’s hard to believe that this paper is made from wood.

12. There are more apples in the refrigerator.

13. We’re on the wrong planet!

14. Will Patricia pause to place poached pickles on Paula’s pretty plate?

15. I would send her a gift if I were you.

16. Send her a nice gift.

From the perspective of syntactical structure, sentences can also be divided into anotther four types: simple sentence, compound sentence, complex sentence and compound-complex sentence.

1. A simple sentence has one independent clause.

Punctuation note: No commas separate compound elements (subject, verb, direct object, indirect object, subjective complement, etc.) in a simple sentence.

2. A compound sentence has two independent clauses joined by

A. a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so),

B. a conjunctive adverb (e.g. however, therefore), or

C. a semicolon alone.

Punctuation patterns (to match A, B, and C above):

A. Independent clause, coordinating conjunction independent

clause.

B. Independent clause; conjunctive adverb, independent clause.

C. Independent clause; independent clause.

3. A complex sentence has one dependent clause (headed by a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun ) joined to an independent clause.

Now that you know you have four different sentence types at your disposal, which ones should you use? Effective communication requires not only that you write complete sentences, but also that you write

sentences that say exactly what you mean. When you write sentences, keep in mind the following principles:

(1) Most effective sentences are concise, conveying their meaning

in as few words as possible.

(2) Effective sentences stress the main point or the most important

detail. In most cases, the main point is located in the main clause to make it easier to find.

(3) Your choice of sentences depends on your audience. For

example, you would use simple sentences and short words if your readers were children, while an audience of engineers would call for more technical language and longer sentences.

(4) Always consider your purpose for writing before you select a

sentence type.

(5) The rhythm and pacing of your writing is determined by your

sentences.

Exercises

Label each of the following sentences as simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex.

____ 1. If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.

____ 2. The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread.

____ 3. You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive.

____ 4. It takes about half a gallon of water to cook spaghetti, and about

a gallon of water to clean the pot.

____ 5. Monday is an awful way to spend one-seventh of your life.

____ 6. Genetics explains why you look like your father and if you don't, why you should.

____ 7. To succeed in politics, it is often necessary to rise above your principles.

____ 8. Two wrongs are only the beginning.

____ 9. When oxygen is combined with anything, heat is given off, a process known as “constipation.”

____ 10. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.

IV. Conjunctions

Conjunctions are words used as connectors. Different kinds of conjunctions connect different kinds of grammatical structures.

The following are four kinds of conjunctions:

1. Coordinating conjunctions

for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so

Coordinating conjunctions join equals to one another:

words to words, phrases to phrases, clauses to clauses.

Coordinating conjunctions usually form looser connections than other conjunctions do.

Coordinating conjunctions go in between items joined, not at the beginning or end.

Punctuation with coordinating conjunctions:

When a coordinating conjunction joins two words, phrases, or subordinate clauses, no comma should be placed before the conjunction.

A coordinating conjunction joining three or more words, phrases, or subordinate clauses creates a series and requires commas between the elements.

A coordinating conjunction joining two independent clauses creates a compound sentence and requires a comma before the coordinating conjunction

2. Correlative conjunctions

either. . .or both. . . and

neither. . . nor not only. . . but also

These pairs of conjunctions require equal (parallel) structures after each one.

3. Conjunctive adverbs and conjuntive prepositional phrases

These conjunctions join independent clauses together to form a compuond sentence. The following are frequently used conjunctive adverbs:

after all in addition next

also incidentally nonetheless

as a result indeed on the contrary besides in fact on the other hand consequently in other words otherwise

finally instead still

for example likewise then

furthermore meanwhile therefore

hence moreover thus

however nevertheless

Punctuation note:Place a semicolon before the conjunctive adverb and a comma after the conjunctive adverb.

4. Subordinating conjunctions

These words are commonly used as subordinating conjunctions

to form a complex sentence when they join two clases together.

after in order (that) unless

although insofar as until

as in that when

as far as lest whenever

as soon as no matter how where

as if now that wherever

as though once whether

because provided (that) while

before since why

even if so that even though supposing (that) how than

if that inasmuchas (因为) though in case (that) till

A subordinating conjunction may appear at a sentence beginning or between two clauses in a sentence. A subordinate conjunction usually provides a tighter connection between clauses than a coordinating conjunctions does.

Loose:It is raining, so we have an umbrella.

Tight: Because it is raining, we have an umbrella.

Punctuation Note:

When the dependent clause is placed first in a sentence, use a comma between the two clauses. When the independent clause is placed first and the dependent clause second, do not separate the two clauses with a comma.

V. Choose the right word

Choi ce of right words reflects one’s verbal ability to express one’s ideas precisely; however, this does not mean that the writer should use big-sounding words. Instead, the writer should rely on commonly used words or the basic vocabulary. The use of words should be precise and comform to usage of the words.

Read the following sentences and see what’s wrong with these

sentences.

The boy is higher than Mark by a head.

My voice shook with excitement.

His parents forbade him from going out.

He suggested me to buy a used car.

They can wide their view and learn many advantage things.

From the English websites, we can receive pure and vivid language. VI. Write grammatically correct sentences

Another important skill is to write every sentence that are correct grammatically. A quality paper should be free from grammatical mistakes and mechanic errors. The following examples are taken from students’ essays.

Evert man, woman, and child were asked to go to this evening party.

Can you operate the quipments?

Many problems comes one after another.

Should I break up her for the of our studies?

Only through this way wil I have a promising future.

I am a college student, recently I have fallen in love with one of my

classmates, at the beginning, I felt very happy. But now a lot of

trouble apears.

This is the biggest problem that it has no result between us and it still can affect our studies.

I am a girl that I feel shy if I show him my love first, though I also feel he has a good impression of me.

They can judge that whether is right or not.

The major reason that limiting these websites is avoiding students to view them.

English websites is one of useful ways for us to learn it.

I think the schools should give our students full accesss to the English websites.

Only accessing the Chinese websites, it is rather impossible for the students to hold a quite abjective viewpoint.

First, the information on english websites will broaden our horizon. As an English major if we can read some excellent articles on them I left the classroom after the lecture was fihished.

He looked out and saw a young lady coming through the window. It is high time we do something to reduce traffic accidents.

I was walking in the street yesterday afternoon, I saw my girl friend.

There have been more and more road accidents happened in recent

years.

VII. Some typical problems with Chinese students in sentence construction.

1.Fragments

2.Run-on sentences

3.Chinglish

4.Ambiguity

5. Mixture of several sentences with unrelated meanings

1. Frangments happen when a sentence is not a real sentence becasue it does not have a subject-verb relationship in the sentence or there is only a dependent clause.

He did not go to school yesterday. Because he was ill.

2. Run-on sentences happen typically under the following circumstances:

a.When an independent clause gives an order or directive based

on what was said in the prior independent clause:

This next chapter has a lot of difficult information in it, you

should start studying right away.

(We could put a period where that comma is and start a new sentence. A semicolon might also work there.)

b.When two independent clauses are connected by a transitional

expression (conjunctive adverb) such as however, moreover, nevertheless.

Mr. Nguyen has sent his four children to ivy-league colleges, however, he has sacrificed his health working day and night in that dusty bakery.

(Again, where that first comma appears, we could have used either a period — and started a new sentence — or a

semicolon.)

c.When the second of two independent clauses contains a

pronoun that connects it to the first independent clause.

This computer doesn't make sense to me, it came without a manual.

(Although these two clauses are quite brief, and the ideas are closely related, this is a run-on sentence. We need a period

where that comma now stands.)

More examples:

(1) Many people in our country prefer riding bike to go to work.

Because it is cheaper and convenient.

(2)This is going to be the most difficult exam of your college career,

you had better start studying for it immediately.

(3)Anabel realizes what she is doing, I think, but she doing it

anyway.

(4)Professor Pepin spends a lot of time translating medieval texts

on ancient medicine, however, he also stays informed about the latest developments in modern asthma treatments.

(5) The sun is high, put on some sunblocking cream.

(6)This next chapter has a lot of difficult information in it, you

should start studying right away.

(7) Bicycles are so popular in China.

(8) He loves the dog better than his brother.

(9) However, too many examination probably make us very tired

and nervous, and waste our much time and useless at all.

(10) I am a college student, recently I have fallen in love with one

of my classmates, at the beginning, I felt very happy. But now a lot of trouble apears.

(11) His English level is better than mine.

X. Sentence vairtey

Adding sentence variety to your writing will do three things: enhance the flow of ideas, intensify points, and sustain the interest of your reader. Varying the length, rhythm and structure of sentences are three ways to create variety and interest in your writing.

1.Vary the length of sentences within the body of a paragraph.

1.1 Short Sentences

Short sentences present one idea clearly, but too many of them in succession can make writing seem awkward and simplistic. However, a few well-placed short sentences can add emphasis.

Example

Our senator maintains two elaborate houses, one in our state and one in Washington. Although I understand thereasons for having two homes, owning two $300,000 residences seems needlessly extravagant. In short, I disapprove.

Remember, if you have a series of short, repetitive sentences, you can connect sentences together with conjunctions or semicolons. Example: He came; he saw; he conquered.

3. Medium Sentences

Medium-length sentences allow space to connect ideas and add details, while remaining clear and easy to read. Medium-length sentences