Writing
The Whole Composition
Aim: The basic aim of a writing course is to develop the ability to write whole compositions (or essays, theses, papers).
Outline
Topic
Thesis (Controlling Idea; Central Idea)------Thesis Statement Introduction; Body (Main idea1, Main idea 2); Conclusion I Introduction
II Main Idea -------Topic Sentence (in the beginning: to tell briefly the content of a paragraph; at the end: to conclude the whole paragraph) A. Sub-idea B. Sub-idea
1. Supporting Detail 2. Supporting Detail a. Fact 1 b. Fact 2 III Main Idea
A. Sub-idea B. Sub-idea
1. Supporting Detail 2. Supporting Detail 3. Supporting Detail C. Sub-idea
IV Conclusion------- Restatement or summary of the main points
Topic Outline: All entries consist of nouns and their modifiers, or their equivalents, ie, gerund phrases or infinitive phrases. It is brief and clear.
Sentence Outline: The entries are complete sentences. It provides a more detailed plan of the paper.
Example. 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. A. He needs reference books for his elective courses. B. He may want to read novels, stories and plays.
II He reads newspapers, and magazines in the library.
A. Many new magazines are on display in the First Reading-Room. B. There are newspapers from all provinces.
C. Back numbers may be borrowed ate the counter.
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III He needs the library all the more in his junior and senior years.
A. The library provides him with books for his research.
B. He would not be able to write his graduation paper without using the library.
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Exercise
Lies are usually considered very bad and rather indecent. However, we must admit that all of us have told some lies, either consciously or unconsciously. If we think about this seriously, we may conclude that lies are sometimes necessary and nobody can go without them. Do you agree with this viewpoint? Please write an essay of no less than 150 words.
Sample:
Outline: Lie: A Necessary Part of Life
I Introduction: Everyone tells lies from time to time. II Body: Telling lies is based on three purposes
A. One is to obtain psychological balance and comfort 1. We do not tell the truth to a very ill patient.
2. One does not want to know the truth of one’s own fatal disease. B. One is to make a living.
1. Businessmen deceive men about the value and quality of their products. 2. Sales person lie to persuade us to purchase something. C. One is to ensure social order and peace 1. Government lies to stay in power.
2. Religion lies to make people feel safe in following their lies. 3. People want to maintain a certain kind of society. III Conclusion: Telling lies is an indispensable part of life.
Key: From time to time everybody tells lies----little lies, white lies, necessary lies in order to obtain psychological balance and comfort, to make a living or to ensure social order and peace.
In order to have psychological balance and comfort, you may not want to tell your seriously ill patient or relative or young kid that he or she is terminally ill and will die a painful death. Similarly you yourself do not want to know that your cancer is spreading so fast that you may not have more than 6 months to live in agonizing pain. Or you may lie to a friend , a colleague or your boss in order to save face, to gain some advantage over or to get a closer relationship with him or her.
Telling lies is a kind of profession for certain people. In other words, some people make a living through telling lies. For instance, businessmen lie every day in order to deceive customers about the value and quality of their products. Again, sales people lie so as to persuade us to purchase something we may not need.
Governments lie quite often to stay in power by persuading people that their needs and desires are being attended to and that they are safe. Meanwhile, many people know what lies to transmit so as to maintain the kind of society that both the people in power and many of its citizens want and need. Besides, religion lies in order to make people feel safe in following their lies.
In conclusion, we lie in a word of lies. We can not live without lying and being lied to, for lying disguise our motality, our inadequacies, our fears and anxieties, our loneliness in the midst of the crowd. So telling lies is an indispensable part of people’s life.
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How to writer a paragraph
A paragraph is a unit of thought; it is at once a unit in itself and part of a larger whole, that is, an essay.
A paragraph is like a mini-essay; it should be unified, coherent and well developed. A paragraph is unified when all the sentences in the paragraph are focused on one central thought or on a single topic; when the writer wishes to introduce a new thought or topic, he should begin a new paragraph. A paragraph is coherent when it develops naturally and smoothly, and one sentence leads logically to another. There are many ways to develop a paragraph, for example, by process, by cause and effect, by comparison and contrast, etc.
Unity of a paragraph is concerned with its content. If all the sentences in the paragraph lead to one central theme, the paragraph is unified. The central theme is usually summarized in what is called the topic sentence. It often appears at the beginning of the paragraph.
Coherence of a paragraph is concerned with its form, or its organization. The sentences in a paragraph should be arranged in a clear, logical order, and the transitions should be smooth and natural. As a result, the reader finds it easy to follow the writer’s train of thought and understand what he is talking about.
Coherence my not be perfect even if the writer arranges his sentences in a clear, logical order. He has to use good transitions so that one sentence runs smoothly to another.
Learn to use transitional expressions
1. Connectives and transitional phrases for spatial development:
above before me here on the left across from below in the distance on the right adjacent to beyond nearby opposite to also further next to on top of up down close to beneath under around near to over
2. Connectives and transitional phrases for chronological development:
first, second, etc. soon eventually in the meantime then thereupon at the same time next thereafter after an interval now after presently later afterward somewhat later finally at last
3. Connectives and transitional phrases for analytical development:
first, second, etc. now for this purpose but as a result furthermore but at last moreover also consequently likewise another for example next yet for instance on the contrary once in addition in summary such in this case on the other hand then otherwise in conclusion thus in closing therefore
4. Connectives and transitional phrases for comparisons:
another furthermore moreover equally important too, also at the same time besides then accordingly in fact in addition to like, likewise similarly just as…so in the same way
5. Connectives and transitional phrases for contrasts:
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on the contrary different from/ in contrast on the other hand to despite in spite of yet, but whereas unlike nevertheless not only…but also here…there years ago…today this…that the former…the latter then…now the first…whereas the second some…others on the one hand…on the other once…now
Learn to use Transitional Words:
启：first, first of all, firstly, at present, lately, presently, to begin with, currently, generally speaking, in the beginning, in the first place, now, recently, it goes without saying, etc. 承：after a while, also, at any rate, at the same time, besides, by this time, certainly, consequently, for example, for instance, for this purpose, from now on, furthermore, in addition, in addition to, truly, likewise, second, third, after a few days, in fact, in other words, in particular, in the same manner, incidentally, indeed, meanwhile, moreover, no doubt, obviously, of course, particularly, similarly, so, then, still, secondly, thirdly, what is more, etc.
转：anyway, after all, all the same, especially, but, nevertheless, on the contrary, otherwise, in the same way, at the same time, on the other hand, luckily, yet, conversely, in other words, however, fortunately, in particular, etc. 合：consequently, accordingly, eventually, finally, at last, as a consequence, as a result, above all, at last, at length, by and large, briefly, hence, thus, in sum, in conclusion, in short, on the whole, to speak frankly, in summary, to sum up, in a word, to summarize, etc.
Coherence of the paragraph
启文： to begin with, to start with, first(ly), in the first place, in the beginning, generally speaking, etc.
时间与过程：presently, recently, now, afterwards, meanwhile, simultaneously, in the meantime, by this time, next, earlier, the next step, from now on, finally, etc.
增加：moreover, furthermore, in addition, too, and, second, third, equally important, what’s more, etc.
类似：likewise, similarly, moreover, etc.
方向：here, over there, beyond, opposite in the distance, to the left, etc. 举例：for example, for instance, namely, take… for example, etc.
转折：yet, whereas, anyway, however, despite, in spite of, on the other hand, otherwise, still, conversely, etc.
结果：therefore, as a result, consequently, accordingly, inevitably, naturally, then, etc.
强调：at any rate, certainly, obviously, in fact, in particular, indeed, no doubt, especially, of course, fortunately, etc. 收尾：in conclusion, to summarize, in summary, to sum up, in sum, finally, at length, eventually, on the whole, as has been told, in short, briefly, in other words, therefore, above all, etc.
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VIP专享Writing technique大学英语写作资料
