英语写作基础教程3

英语写作基础教程A Basic Course in Writing主讲: Priscillapan教学大纲一. 教学对象本课程的教学对象是高等专科英语专业的学生或具有同等水平的自学者._二. 教学目的与要求通过本课程的教学, 使学生初步掌握英语写作技能, 学会用英文写叙述,说明性的短文和一般性应用文.(1) 用英文写叙述,说明性的短文: 要求学生能根据命题列出作文提纲,在1小时内写出不少于200词的短文, 内容切题,完整,条理清楚,语句连贯通顺, 语法基本正确.(2) 用英文写一般性的应用文: 要求学生能根据提示写出知,贺卡,便条,申请书,邀请函,简历, 格式正确, 语言得体._三. 教学安排本课程3个学分, 在一个学期内开设, 每周3学时,共计54学时._四. 教学内容本课程主要教学内容如下:(1) 文稿格式;(2) 句子结构;(3) 构段方式;(4) 谋篇布局;(5) 摘要;(6) 应用文._五. 教学原则(1) 在教学过程中, 要充分考虑成人学习的特点和本课程的特点, 注重对学生遣词造句这两种能力的培养;(2) 在教学过程中, 教师应以指导学生自学为主, 以电视教学和课堂教学为辅, 采用多种教学手段对学生进行写作训练._六. 测试_实行全国统一的闭卷考试.考试采用百分制,60分及格.实施方案一,课时安排____"英语写作基础"课内总学时为54小时,课外练习时数为54小时.二,具体学习安排___ (一)基本技能的学习:6课时,要求掌握标点符号的用法.__ (二)句子的写作:9课时,要求掌握句子统一性,连贯性,重点突出的写作技巧. __ (三)段落的写作:6课时,要求掌握段落统一性的写作,学会主题句和扩展句的运用.__ (四)一般性文章和应用文的写作:30课时,要求掌握基本应用文的写作,这是本课程的重点部分(具体内容附后).__ (五)期末复习:3课时,全面复习本学习的教学内容,模拟考试.三,教学意见____ 1) 作文课应该以教师讲解,学生练习为主.___ 2) 授课重点应该放在写作技能技巧的训练上,理论知识可以适当少讲.___ 3) 有条件的分校可以充分利用网上资源和现代技术设备,利用互联网上的英语写作网站扩大学生的阅读两;利用视频展示台把学生所写的优秀文章向全班批改,也可以讲普遍性的问题;等等.考试题型一,考试题型与要求___ 本课程的考试依据教学大纲的要求,重点考查应用文写作和一般文体的写作.考试为闭卷考试,总分为100分._____ 1.应用文写作___ 根据提示写一个不少于50词的通知和一个不少于100词的便条,要求语言通顺,用词得体,格式正确.满分为30分;_____ 2.命题作文___ 根据所给题目及写作提纲或规定场景等,写一篇不少于200词的作文,要求符合文章类型特点,内容切题,语言通顺.满分为70分.二,考试模拟试题一,Write a notice into the box according to the following facts:(10分) ____乒乓球赛___ 地点: 1号球室:___ 北京商业学校对北京语言文化大学___ 时间:5月8日用六下午五时二,Write a note based on the given facts:(20分) :____ 时间:6月9月____ 对象:Prof. Stone_____ 内容:对不起,不能赴3点的约会.我的论文由,于被朋友锁上了,不能带来.我不知他何时返回.如果方便,我能在明日下午五时在系办公室见您吗若不行,请明早特便条放在我的信箱里,信箱号606.谢谢._____ 留言者:吴敏三,Write an essay of no fewer than 200words:(70分) :________ Title:_ Qualification of a Good University Student________ Aids:________ First Paragraph:_Your point of view of being a good university student________ Second Paragraph: What makes a good university student (with some examples)________ Third Paragraph:_Conclusion平时作业英语写作基础平时作业(大作业)共四次,主要检查同学们对英语应用文写作的掌握情况.__1)完成P125页Exercise 1 (Notice Writing)2)完成P126页Exercise 3 (Note Writing)3)完成P126页Exercise 4 (Letters Writing)4)完成P126页Exercise 5 (resumes Writing)___另外,任课教师可以根据教学内容,适当补充写作练习.General Remarks on Writing_Writing _makes an exact man._Great use and popularity_Needing Much Knowledge_Useful for Reading and Spoken_Great Difficulties as wellTargets of this CourseAt the end of this course, you should be able:_to use the punctuation marks correctly;_to write correct sentences;_to write more effective sentences ;_to compose a full essay;_to write a practical essay like a note, a letter, or a notice etc. Arrangement_ I Writing the titleII Leaving the marginsIII ParagraphingIV CapitalizationV Dividing wordsWriting the titleBe placed in the middle of the first lineEvery word of the title should be capitalizedNo full stop should be used at the end of a titleMarginsA. leave margins at the top and bottom and on the side of each page. Never write on a full page.B. left side margin should be wider if the work is to be bound.C. For students, it is advisable to write on every other line. ParagraphingA. Indentation (Space)… … … … … … ..… … … … … … ..… … … … … … ..… … … … … … ..… … … … … … ..B. Block… … … … … … ..… … … … … … ..… … … … … … ..… … … … … … ..… … … … … … ..HandwritingRegrettably, an English writer is not so concerned with the aesthetics in handwriting as a Chinese writer is. Be neat and legible.A. Make your "t"s different from your "e"s;B. Make your "r"s different from your "v"s;C. If cross out a word, no brackets but a thick line across it;D. If add a word, write it above, not below;E. Two common ways of writing the letters: form loops and print SyllabificationWhen you happen not to have enough room to write a whole word in at the end of a line:A. If the word is monosyllabic, please write it in a next line;B. If the word is polysyllabic, you maybe syllabify it if you feel necessaryHow to syllabify a wordJust splitting a word then a hyphen then the other part of the word. occupation: oc-cu-pa-tion( Don't split it like this: occ-upa-tion)Nowadays, a computer deals with this problems automatically Abbreviations and NumeralsAbbreviations shorten some words, titles and long names. They are used in advertising and informal occasions.1) Be sure to use them before you know.2) Be sure of the dots ( . ).Abbreviations1)___ Before names (family names), titles are abbreviated:Mr. Green Ms. Adella Dr. Bethune2)___ Titles of academics, government officials, and priest can be abbreviated, followed by the full name:Prof. Li Gov. Henry Ford Sen. Robert3)_____ Academic degrees and family designations preceded by full names can be abbreviated:Robert Smith, Ph. D. John Jones Jr./Sr.4) Names of well-known organizations, firms, places, and long technical terms can be abbreviated by using the initial letters of the words:UNESCO FBI WHO TOEFL GATT5)_____ Time designations when used with specific numbers are abbreviated:135 B.C. 6:00 a.m.6) Words referring to portions of address can be abbreviated when they appear in address on envelopes, letter headings, or inside addresses:Rd. Dept. Pro. P.R.C.Capitalization1)The use of capitalization is unique and important in writing.(1) The china made in China is first class.(2) he bought that article of japan in Japan.(3) Their child was shanghaied in Shanghai.(4) John wanted to go to the john.(5) The turkey here is not as good as in Turkey. _2)The capitalization is used in the following 10 aspects:(1) the beginning of a sentenceWonderful!Where there is a will, there is a way.Can you hear me at the backCapitalization(2) For the first letter in each line of a poem.The Arrow and the SongI shot an arrow into the sky,(3) The first letter of a directed quotation / speech:"Who is on duty today " the teacher asked." Don't worry," he said, trying to comfort me. " We will help you make up for the lessons."(cf. "To be frank with you," he said, "you should not have told him that."Capitalization(4) The first letters of the essential words in proper nouns ( names of people, countries, organizations historical events, planes, etc.) Darwin ShakespeareChina Jesus Christthe Great Wall the Red CrossBoeing 747(5) The first letters of designation of relatives before family names: Uncle Geoge Aunt MaggieNiece Mary Grandma LeeCapitalization(6) Almost all abbreviations except a.m., p.m., etc., e.g., c/o, i.e., tec(7) the first letter of essential word in trade marks, service signs, posts, greetings, etc.Information Desk Hands OffOpen Strictly No Smoking(祝你生日快乐!)Happy birthday to you!Happy Birthday to you!(8) the title of all significant words in the title of a theme, article, essay. newspaper, periodical. But a form word of less than five letters is not capitalized unless it begins the title.Jane Eyre Gone with the WindMy College LifeCapitalization(9) the first letter of the salutation and complimentary close in a letter: Dear Sir, Dear Mr. Evans,Sincerely yours, Yours,(10) the first letter of the words of the days of a week, the month, and the major words of holidays:PunctuationMain Punctuation marks1. the period(.)2. the question mark ( )3. the exclamation point (!)4. the comma (,)5. the semicolon (;)6. the colon (:)7. brackets ([ ])8. the quotation marks (" " ' ')9. parentheses ( ( ) )10. The dash (―)11. ellipsis points ( … )The Period ( . )1. The period (full stop) is used at the end of a declarative sentence,a mildly imperative sentence, and an indirect question.Honesty is the best policy.Hand in your homework, please. .The period marks the end of a sentence. The word after it begins a new sentence and has to be capitalized.She graduated from Oxford University. She achieved great success in her studies there.2.The period is used with most abbreviations.But some people prefer not to use the period with abbreviations. They just write Mr, Ms, etc. Names of well-known organizations, broadcasting corporations are often written without periods, like UN, UNESCO, NATO, VOA, BBC.3. Three spaced period make the ellipsis mark, which indicates the omission of one or more words within a quoted passage, or pauses in speech;Um… I think, um… she is um… pretty um… hardworking.The Comma ( , )1. A comma is used to join coordinate. It is put before the conjunction (and, but, or, for, so, nor, or, yet,):We wanted to go on, but other people disappeared.He tried hard, yet he failed to convince her.We should remember that coordinate clauses have to be joined with a comma and a conjunction. One comma alone cannot do the jobthough it is possible in Chinese.Sam is four years old, he is quite bright.Sam is four years old, and he is quite bright.Using a comma to link two clauses is a common mistake, which has a name: the comma fault or the comma splice. But we can use a semicolon, a dash, or a colon between two coordinate clauses.Sam is four years old; he is quite bright.Sam is very happy: he's got the first prize.The Comma ( , )2. A comma is used after an adverbial clause or phrase.When the rain stopped, we continued to work in the fields.On hearing the news, she went faint.Some listeners, bored by the lengthy talk, closed their eyes and dozed.3. Commas are used to separate a series of words or phrases with the same function in the sentence.The comma before the conjunction and last item is optional. It can be omitted there is no danger of misreading.The children sang, danced, jumped, and chased each other.4. Nonrestrictive clauses and phrases are set off by commas. Restrictive clauses and phrases are not set off by commas.The speaker, after glancing at his notes, began to talk about the next point.The Comma ( , )5. In dates, a comma is used to separate the day and the year if the order is month-day-year; no comma need be used if the order is day-month-year.Hong Kong was returned to China on July 1, 1997.She was born on 15 September 1980.6. With numbers over 1,000 or more, commas or little blank spaces may be used to separate digits by thousands. From right to left, a comma is placed after every three numerals.12,221,548 53,507,214The question Marks ( )1. The question mark is used after a direct question.Do you know Mr. Smith"Could you please explain to me the meaning of this sentence " she asked.2. The question mark is used after a statement turned into a question ( said in a rising tune ).You like it You want to buy itThe first time to the United States3. A question mark put between parentheses indicates the writer's uncertainty about the correctness of the preceding word, figure or date.Cao Xueqing was born in 1715 ( ), and died in poverty in 1764 ( ). The Exclamation Mark ( ! )1. The exclamation mark is used after an exclamatory sentence, or an emphatic interjection, or a phrase expressing strong emotion.Wow! What beautiful flowers!Help!It is on fire!The exclamation mark indicates strong emphasis and therefore it should be used sparingly. It is preferable to close a mild interjection with a comma or a period.(Do not use it frequently!)2.Sometimes the exclamation mark is used after a slogan.Long live the Peoples Republic of China!NATO Out!The Semicolon ( ; )1. The semicolon is used between two coordinate clauses which are not linked by a conjunction.We wanted to go on, but other people disappeared.She was interested in history years ago; today her main interest is art. Each of the above two sentences can be turned into two separate sentences without any change in meaning except some lack of closeness in them.2. Conjunctive adverbs like therefore, however, nonetheless, hence, otherwise, besides, moreover, etc., should not be used as conjunctions to link two coordinate clauses. Before them there should be a semicolon, not a comma.He promised to come the meeting; however, she would been caught in the storm.3. The semicolon is used with conjunctions when the clauses contain internal punctuation.4. A comma is used to separate a series of items with internal commas. The Colon ( : )1. The colon is used to introduce a quotation or a statement .It will do everyone good to remember this old saying: " One will know that he does not know enough after he begins to learn."2. ThSentence WritingRequirements for a correct sentence:It should be structurally complete.It should begin with a capital letter.It should end with a full stop, or a question mark, or an exclamation mark.It should express a single complete idea.Correct SentencesCompleteness in StructureA grammatically complete sentence is one that contains at least a subject and a predicate verb(谓语动词)and it begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop.If the verb is transitive(及物动词), there must be an object; if the verb is a link verb(系动词), there must be a predicative(表语) or complement(补语).Examples(√) We have a lesson on Monday night.(√)To think about the gift makes me happy.(√) After this meal, they were ready to set out.(×)Hoping she would accept his apology.(×)A school that was a bad experience.(×)With no difference except the color.The Right Subject1) Not knowing his name, it was difficult to introduce him.2) To look at a map, the importance of the road is seen.3)Stuck in the mud, they had to push the car.In the above sentences the subjects are not properly related to the gerunds, participles or infinitive in the first parts of the sentences.Agreement Between S. (subject) & P. (predicate verb)The predicate verb of a sentence has to agree with the subject in person and number.Collective nouns like family and audience may be either singular or plural, depending on the meaning in which they are used. If you think of family, government, etc. as one whole, a singular verb is needed. If you think of them as made up of a number of people, a plural verb is needed.The whole family are going out for BBQ.This family is the happiest one in our town.There is a great audience in the playground.The audience are shocked by the news.When two subjects refer to different persons or are different in number, the verb should agree with the subject close to it.Neither he nor you are arriving at the right time.There is a pen and four books on the desk.Words after together with, in addition to, besides, etc., are objects of prepositions; they do not affect the number of the subject.The plays, as well as the captain, want very much to win.A subjectclause generally takes a singular verb, but a what-clause which clearly refers to many things can take a plural verb.How he manages to do it remains a mystery.What he wanted to know were the pay, the living and working conditions.Agreement Between Pronoun & AntecedentJust as the predicate verb of a sentence has to agree with the subject in person and number, so a pronoun has to agree with its antecedent. After a compound antecedent with or, nor, either…or, neither…nor, not only…but also, a pronoun agrees with t he nearer part of the antecedent.A singular pronoun follows a collective noun antecedent when the members of the group are considered as a unit; a plural pronoun, when they are thought of individually.The jury was asked to return to their seats.For such singular antecedents as each, either, neither, one, no one, everyone, someone, anyone, nobody, everybody, somebody, and anybody, which may refer to both male and female, she or he, his or her, him or her, or the preferred plural pronouns they, their or them are used.Clear Pronoun Reference1) She told my sister that her idea was practical.2) Leave out the word in that sentence because it is too difficult.We use personal pronouns very often. They seem to be easy, but they should be used with care. We beginners often make mistakes in using "it". Ending sentenceswith full stopsTo join two or more complete sentences with commas may be possible in Chinese, but it is wrong in English. When a sentence is structurally complete, whether long or short, it should end with a full stop.For example:He went out on Sunday. He met his friend in the street. They talk for a while. Then they said "goodbye".When he went out on Sunday, he met his friend in the street. Theytalk for a while and then they said "goodbye".Joining clauses with conjunctionWhen two or more sentences are closely connected in meaning, it may be better to put them into one sentence than separate them. Then those sentences will become clauses which should be joined together with proper conjunctions or other words, like relative pronouns.We should distinguish between conjunctions and adverbs, such as but and however, so and therefore. We can join coordinate clauses with a comma and a conjunction, or with a semicolon, or with a semicolon and an adverb.Mom washed the dishes; and I dried and put them away.Some of the food crops failed, but the cotton did quite well.Some of the food crops failed; however, the cotton did quite well.A main clause in a complex sentenceIn a complex sentence there must be a main clause, whether it is at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of the sentence.Proper use of comparisonsAdjectives or adverbs of the comparative degree should be used only when there is a comparison.We should not use adjectives or adverbs of the comparative degree when there is no comparison, explicit or implied.In addition, we should remember that only things of the same kind can be compared.For example:This course seems more difficult.China's population is larger than India's.After many years Bill remembered me better than Carl did. Correct Use of TenseWhenever we make a sentence, we should ask ourselves when the thing mentioned happens, and the right tense to report it.1) He told/tells me that he is much better now.2) She returned the book I lend/lent to her yesterday.3) Last time we saw a film, and it is/was a good one.Types of SentenceAccording to their use, we have ―1) declarative sentences. (陈述句)2) interrogative sentences.(疑问句)3) imperative sentences.(祈使句)4) exclamation sentences. (感叹句)According to their structure, we have ―simple sentences. (简单句)2) compound sentences. (并列句)3) complex sentences. (复合句)4) compound-complex sentences.(并列复合句)Types of SentenceFrom a rhetorical(修辞) point of v iew, we have ―1) loose sentences. (松散句)2) periodic sentences. (工整句)3) balanced sentences. (对杖句)4) Short and long sentences (长短句)Coordination(并列) and Subordination(从属)When we mention two or more things or ideas of equal importance, we often use coordinate clauses joined with a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, yet, so, or for). (coordination) When we express an important idea in a main clause and one or more less important ideas in subordinate clauses, we are using the method of subordination.The choice of coordination or subordinations mainly decided by the relationship between the ideas to be expressed.Effective SentencesUnity (统一性)Coherence (连贯性)Conciseness(简洁性)Emphasis (有重点性)Variety (多样性)Unity (统一性)Unity is the first quality of an effective sentence. It refers to two qualities: there is only one main idea in a sentence, and that idea is complete.Ideas that are closely connected can be expressed in one sentence, while ideas that are not closely connected should not be put into one sentence.1)_ Born in a small town in South China in the early 50s, he grew up to be a famous musician. (×)2)_ He is from Hebei, and I am 22 years old now.(×)Coherence (连贯性)Coherence means clear and reasonable connection between parts. A sentence is coherence when its words or parts are properly connected and their relationship clear.Do not separate words that are closely related;Do not use a pronoun with ambiguous reference;Do not use a dangling modifier;Do not make confusing shift in person and number;Do not make unnecessary changes in tense, voice, or mood.Do not use different forms to express parallel ideas.For example:1) A man is judged not only by what he says but also by his deeds (by what he does ).2) We thought she was charming, intelligent, and a very capable young woman (a charming, intelligent and capable young woman).3) After listening to the speaker's inspiring speech, many questions were raised. (we raised many questions.)4)_She told my sister that she( who is she) was wrong.5)_He was knocked down by a bike, but it( ) was not serious.6)_ read an interesting story in a magazine about sportsmen. (not a sentence at all)Conciseness(简洁性)A sentence should contain no unnecessary words. If the idea if fully expressed, the fewer words are used, the better.Use a pronoun instead of repeating a noun.Use a word instead of a phrase with the same meaning, and use a phrase instead of a clause with the same meaning.Do not repeat words or phrases, if possible, in a sentence or in one that follow.Do not use different words or phrases with similar meanings in the same sentence.Do not repeat the same idea in different sentences except for emphasis.Wordy sentences and redundant words can only make the meaning hazy and the main points inconspicuous. It is always necessary for us to reread what we have written and try to improve it by simplifying it and making it more concise.For example:1) My father has returned back from Beijing.2) It is blue in colour.3) In my opinion, I think you are right.4) Mary is a quiet and careful woman.5) Mr. Smith likes to drink all kinds of wine that are produced in France. (French wine)6) The language lab is open to students not only from English Department but also from other department of the university.7)My father is 65 years old, and he is a professor in Hunan University. He has a healthy body of his age.My father, a professor of 65 years old in Hunan University, enjoys the best of_ health._ (用同位语改写)Emphasis (有重点性)Placing:The end and the beginning , especially the end, of a sentence usuallyattract readers' attention, so important elements of a sentence should be put at these two places, especially the end.For example:1) The teacher nodded with satisfaction when he was listening to her. The teacher, while listening to her, kept nodding with satisfaction.2) The plane circled around the airport for ten minutes and then disappeared in the clouds.After circling around the airport for ten minutes, the plane disappeared in the clouds.Climactic sequenceIn enumerating things or ideas, we should start from the least important and end with the most important, or in the climactic sequence.For example:He said he had lost interest in life, fame, position and money after that tragedy.He said after tragedy he had lost interest in money, position, fame, and even life.The use of verbs in the active voiceVerbs are generally more emphatic than nouns or any other part of speech.For example:The work was finished by them last night.They finished the work last night.But when the receiver of an action is more important than the doer, the passive voice is preferable.When she got off the bus, lots of people welcomed her warmly. When she got (getting) off the bus, she was warmly welcomed by lots of people.Subordination(使用从属结构)Subordinating a part of a sentence is a way of giving emphasis to the main part / idea of the sentence.For example:A plane is wheeling over the city.A plane is wheeling over the city, producing a big noise that surprised the inhabitants.Repeating important wordsRepetition as a rule should be avoided, but occasionally important words can be repeated for the sake of emphasis:For example:1) He speaks German well. His written German is also good.He speaks German well; he also writes German well.2) The Government praises itself in every possible way, but the Opposition says ugly things about it whenever possible.The Government praises itself in every possible way (whenever possible), but the Opposition says ugly things about it in every possible way (whenever possible).Negative-positive statementsWhen a negative statement is followed by a positive one, the meaning is emphasized by the contrast.For example:1)She does not care too much about prices; she thinks the quality of things is more important.She does not care too much about prices; she cares much about the quality.2) These children are busy playing with toys. They have little time for studies.Busy playing with toys, these children have little time for studies. Rhetorical questionsRhetorical questions are questions in form but emphatic statements in meaning. They are not asked to be answered.For example:Didn't I tell you not to be lateWhat are you talking about Nonsense.Is that what you are going to give meVariety (多样性)It is often good to vary sentence structures and mix short long, simple and compound or complex, loose and periodic sentences, so long as the meaning is properly expressed. A series of sentences of the same structure and length with the same noun or pronoun as the subjects produce monotony.For example:1)She hurried down to the bank, withdrew all her savings, and gave them to her old mother.Hurrying down to the bank, she withdrew all her savings and gave them to her old mother.2)When they saw the curtain go up, the audience gasped in surprise and started applauding loudly.Seeing the curtain go up, the audience gasped in surprise and started applauding loudly.Or: The audience saw the curtain go up, gasped in surprise, and started applauding loudly.。