英语写作—如何写短文How to write short essays (argumentation

英语写作—如何写短文

How to write short essays (exposition/argumentation)

I. Two types of argument

II. How to write exposition: one-sided argumentative essays

An exposition or argumentative essay is an essay in which the writer agrees or disagrees with an issue, using reasons to support his or her opinion. The goal is to convince the readers that his or her opinion is right. Exposition/Argumentation forces writers to take a stand on an issue, support their stand with solid reasons, and support their reasons with solid evidence.

III. Structure of an exposition (or: an argumentative essay) Introduction Opening remarks to catch reader’s interest Thesis statement

Plan of development/Preview of main ideas (optional) Topic sentence 1 (supported by supporting points) Specific evidence

Body Topic sentence 2 (supported by supporting points) Specific evidence

Topic sentence 3(supported by supporting points) Specific evidence Conclusion Summary (optional)

General closing remarks (e.g. Recommendation/prediction, etc.)

IV. How to Write an Introduction

1) Four objectives of an introduction:

? Capture the attention of readers and make them read on.

? Provide background or necessary information to help readers understand the essay’s

thesis.

? Reveal the essay’s central idea as expressed in the thesis statement. ? Guide the reader to important ideas in the body of the essay.

2) How to write good opening remarks: ? Asking questions or present a problem ? Stating the importance of the topic ? Giving historical background ? Using startling facts, remarks or statistics ? Starting with an opposite opinion

? Starting with an idea or situation that is the opposite of the one you will develop ? Telling a story, an anecdote, or an incident; or describe a scene ? Citing quotations

? Defining an important term or concept ? Using comparison, contrast or an analogy

? Starting with general, moving to specific like a funnel

Exercise 1: Reorder the following group of sentence to make the introduction start with being general to being specific.

a. If done properly, a handshake gives the impression of strength and honesty, and if

done improperly, it conveys weakness and dishonesty.

b. In some cultures, people bow, and in others, they shake hands. c. In English-speaking countries, shaking hands is the custom.

d. A proper handshake has four ingredients: pressure, pumps, eye contact, and verbal

message.

e. The way people greet each other when they meet for the first time varies from

culture to culture.

f. How one shakes hands sends an important message about one’s character.

Exercise 2: What kind of opening remarks is used in the following introductions? A. When students complete a first draft, they consider the job of writing done – and their teachers too often agree. When professional writers complete a first draft, they usually feel that they are at the start of the writing process. When a draft is completed, the job of writing can begin.

B. ―The most alarming of all man’s assaults upon the environment is the contamination of air, earth, rivers, and sea with dangerous and even lethal materials,‖ Rachel Carson wrote a quarter of a century ago in her celebrated book Silent Spring.Today there is little disagreement with her warnings in regard to such broad-spectrum pesticides as DDT, then widely used, now banned. But there is still hot debate over how to apply modem pesticides—which are designed to kill specific types of weeds or insects—in ways that do not harm people and their environment.

C. Divorce and out-of-wedlock childbirth are transforming the lives of American children. In the postwar generation more than 80% of children grew up in a family with two biological parents who are married to each other. By 1980 only 50% could expect to spend their entire childhood in an intact family. If current trends continue, less than half of all children born today will live continuously with their own mother and father throughout childhood. Most American children will spend several years in a single-mother family.

D. Alcoholism is a disease whose horrible consequences go beyond the patient. Families of alcoholics often become dysfunctional; spouses and children are abandoned or endure physical and emotional abuse. Co-workers suffer too.

Alcoholics have high rates of absenteeism (旷工，旷课), and their work is often unreliable, thereby decreasing office or factory productivity. Indeed, alcoholics endanger the whole community. One in every two automobile fatalities is alcohol-related, and alcoholism is a major cause of violent crime.

E. The Pilgrims (1620年移居美洲的英国清教徒) who arrived in Massachusetts in 1620 came to find religious freedom. In the 17th and 18th centuries, large numbers of African men and women were brought as slaves to work on large plantations in the South. Immigrants from northern and southern Europe came in the early 19th century to escape poor economic conditions at home. Later in the 19th century, the first immigrants from China came as contract laborers to build the railroads connecting East and West. In the 20th century, political and economic refugees arrived from Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. Indeed, the United States has seen immigrants come from many different parts of the world, and they have come for many different reasons. Their ability to adjust to life in their adopted land has depended on several factors.

3) How to write the thesis statement (文章的论点句/中心句)

The thesis statement is the most important sentence in the introduction. A. The thesis statement states the specific topic of the essay.

? Young people in this country have less freedom than young people in my country.

? The large movement of people from rural to urban areas has major effects on cities.

? My older sister helped me overcome shyness.

B. Sometimes a thesis statement lists subtopics that will be discussed in the Body. In this case, it includes the preview of main points.

? Young people in this country have less freedom than young people in my

country in their choice of where they live, whom they marry, and what kind of job they choose.

? The large movement of people from rural to urban areas has major effects on a

city’s ability to provide housing, employment, and adequate sanitation service.

? My older sister helped me overcome shyness by encouraging me to meet people,

speak in front of people and take part in social activities.

C. Sometimes a thesis statement also indicates the pattern of organization of the essay, such as chronological order, spatial order, order of importance (or emphatic order), comparison/contrast, topical order, etc.

? When shopping online, use these four strategies to buy satisfactory goods. ? When buying a used car, use these four steps to get the best price.

? French and English share some similarities in vocabulary and pronunciation. D. The thesis statement is normally the last sentence in the introductory paragraph.

V. How to Write the Body 1. Structure of the Body 1. Topic Sentence(i.e. Main Idea 1) 2. Supporting sentences (i.e. specific details) 3. Concluding sentence (optional) 1. Topic Sentence (i.e. Main Idea 2) 2. Supporting sentences (i.e. specific details) 3. Concluding sentence (optional) Note: Continue in this way until all main points are treated. Two to five points are good, but for a short essay THREE body paragraphs are the best.

2. How to Write a Good Body Paragraph

A paragraph is a series of sentences that are organized in a coherent way, and are related to a single topic. A good paragraph should have a topic sentence and several supporting sentences. Sometimes a paragraph also has a concluding sentence, which summarizes the paragraph or leaves the reader with something to think about.

A topic sentence presents the topic or the main idea of the paragraph, and it often

appears at the beginning of the paragraph. The topic sentence should have a topic and a controlling idea.

A body paragraph has several supporting sentences; they are organized by certain patterns. Common patterns of organization include listing/enumeration(列举), exemplification (举例), narration, description, cause/effect, comparison/contrast, classification and division, process analysis, and definition.

Exercise 3: Read the paragraph and answer the questions:

Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for jewelry, coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian (马其顿的)coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was made 25 centuries ago. Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it has been used in hundreds of

industrial applications, such as photography and dentistry. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits. Astronauts wear gold-plated (镀) heat shields for protection when they go outside spaceships in space. In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility.

Questions:

1. Underline the topic sentence. What’s the main point/idea? What are the sub-points? 2. Does the paragraph have enough support? What is used as support? 3. Do it have a concluding sentence?

Exercise 4: Which is the topic sentence? Which sentence does not belong in this paragraph?

1. (A) The campus in summer seems a more relaxed place than in the fall. (B) Fewer people are about, and the gardener works slowly in the heat. (C) Over by the

classrooms, several workmen hammer and saw without much energy. (D) Next to the library, even the fountains seem smaller and quieter. (E) Two hundred marathon runners came jogging rapidly past at that moment. (F) It feels as if vacation time is here already.

2. (A) People usually travel for their pleasure. (B)However, visitors to Japan inevitably meet with many problems during their stay. (C)Tourists find that social customs are different. (D)For example, on meeting someone, the Japanese usually bow slightly, even if they shake hands too. (E)Traffic rules may also be confusing, for cars drive on the left, while in many countries right-side drive is the custom. (F)England, as well, has this kind of problem. (G)The biggest problem, of course, is the difference in language: You can't translate word for word. (H)So, if you want to enjoy Japan, you should be prepared in advance to meet these difficulties.

3. (A) There's nothing like a commercial to ruin an evening's TV entertainment.

(B)Before a show even starts, two or three commercials begin the viewing. (C)Then as the action builds and tension mounts, another two or three minutes of ads break the mood. (D)And some TV shows are still very good at setting the mood. (E)At the end of the show, the announcer says, \you to stay tuned for still more advertisements. (F)The program is really already over.

4. (A) A paragraph without a topic sentence is like a ship without a captain. (B) Ships need direction, and so do paragraphs. (C) The captain of a ship chooses the direction, and then uses the crew, wind, and rudder as support. (D) In bad weather, the ship rolls back and forth. (E) Similarly, the topic sentence establishes the direction for the paragraph. (F) Then the other sentences of the paragraph provide the support to stick to that course.

Exercise 5: Which is a better paragraph? Why?

A. I wouldn’t want to be a teenager again, first of all, because I wouldn’t want to worry about talking to girls. I still remember how scary it was to call up a girl and ask her out. My heart would race, my pulse would pound, and perspiration would trickle down my face. I never knew whether my voice would come out deep and masculine, like a television anchorman’s, or squeaky, like a little boy’s. Then there were the questions: Would she be at home? If she was, would she want to talk to me? And if she did, what would I say? The one time I did get up the nerve to take a girl to a movie, I was so tongue-tied that I stared silently at the box of popcorn in my lap until the movie started. Needless to say, I wasn’t very interesting company.

B. I wouldn’t want to be a teenager again, first of all, because I wouldn’t want to worry about talking to girls. Calling up a girl to ask her out was something I completely

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