摘 要: 本文探究了以段首为主题句的大学英语作文的基本写作方法,主要从主题句、扩展句、结尾句三方面论述了段落的基本特征与写作技巧并进行了段落与文章的比较。 关键词: 大学英语作文 主题句 写作方法 在大学英语的各类作文考试中,一般以说明文、议论文为主。在这样的文章中,以主题句为段首的文章又最为常见。这是因为以主题句为段首的文章能开门见山、突出主题,既能使阅卷人一目了然,又能给阅卷人深刻印象。在作文考试与作文训练中,建议采用演绎法进行写作,比较简易、方便、结构鲜明。本文主要从主题句、扩展句、结尾句三方面探究段首为主题句的段落的写作方法,在熟悉段落写作的基础上,水到渠成,写出一篇较好结构的以说明文、议论文为体裁的大学英语考试作文。 一、主题句(Topic Sentence) 主题句表明是关于什么描述什么的中心,主题句分为两部分;主题(Topic)和主旨(Controlling)。主题是作者所论述的题材或问题,主旨是作者用以说明主题的致力点。主题句是作者对本段将论述的题材或问题的看法或观点,是本段的中心思想句。例如:英语句“Smoking is harmful to people’s health.”中,“Smoking”是主题(Topic)”,“harmful to people’s health”是致力点(Controlling idea)。以下是段落: “Smoking is harmful to people’s health.(主题句)Medical science has now proved that smoking can cause lung cancer and other diseases such as emphysema,Also,smokers have more chances of having a heart attack than the non-smokers.(扩展句)Smoking is definitely a health hazard.”(结尾句) 确立主题句是写好一个段落的关键。一定要注意一个段落只能有一个主题。例如以上段落中主题是Smoking,那么只能围绕Smoking来展开论述,不能在这段中围绕Drinking,Swimming等其它主题来论述。主题句的范围必须最大限度地缩小,要具体化。尽可能选择准确、能充分概括自己的观点与看法的关键词来表达。“段落主题句所限定的内容要有助于段落的铺开和抒发。换句话说,段落限定范围要符合段落写作目的”(李军,2000:2)。 一个主题句中可以有数个致力点来充分表达主题思想。但目前大学生的作文水平还相应较低,在大学英语作文考试中提倡一个主题一个致力点写作,在有限的考试时间内更容易得到充分发挥。 二、扩展句(Developer) 在段落写作中,扩展句是用来解释、说明、引申或论证主题句的中心思想的。在以主题句为段首的大学英语的文章中,扩展句紧跟在主题句之后。例如: “Plants are very important living things.(主题句)Life could not go on if there were no plants.This is because plants can make food from air,water and sunlight.Animals get their food by eating plants and other animals.Man gets his food by eating plants and other animals,too.(扩展句)Therefore,animals and man need plants in order to live.(结尾句)” 扩展句部分必须层次分明、层层深入,可用比较法、对照法、举例法、列举法、分类法、因果法等方法进行扩展。 三、结尾句(Conclusion) 结尾句总结段落的要点和对主题句作最后一次评论,并使读者对本段要点进行深思、产生联想。例如: “English is favored on the following grounds.It is the official language of a number of countries.Of other countries,it is their second language.In still others,English is spoken as their major foreign languages.That’s why English is so popular in our present world.” 我们可以从上例段落的结尾句看到,结尾句中的“English”是主题句的主题English,结尾句中的“why”与主题句中的“grounds”相呼应,结尾句中的“popular”与主题句中的主旨“favored”相呼应。作者使用用词多变性的手法在结尾句中再次强调了本段的主题思想。 四、段落与文章的比较 要写一篇较好的大学英语作文还要注重文章的一致性(unity)与连贯性(coherence)两个写作要点。 一致性是段落与文章共同的、基本的特征。一个好的段落只有一个主题,而一篇好的大学英语作文只有一个中心。段落是围绕着文章的中心来展开论述的,我们写大学英语作文的第一要求是要切题,即首先不能跑题,否则,文字再优美也达不到写作目的。 “连贯性指句子与句子之间、段落与段落之间的衔接要自然通畅,主要体现在短文的逻辑发展顺序和过渡词语的运用上”(张爱卿、王若平,2000:5)。一个好结构的段落的延伸就是一篇好的文章。大学英语作文一般分为三段,下面把文章与段落进行一个大致的比较: 文章:引言段 发展段 结尾段 段落:主题句 扩展句 结尾句 下面以一篇全国大学英语四级考试作文为例来纵观一下大学英语说明文、论述文作文的基本写作方法: Make Our Cities Greener 1.城市绿化的现状 2.绿化的好处(如:清洁空气、美化城市、改善气候) 3.怎样才能实现绿化 In recent years our cities have become much greener.A lot of trees,grasses and flowers were planted in vacant plots and on both sides of the streets.The area of urban forestation has been greatly increased. There are a lot of advantages for urban forestation.First,trees,grasses and flowers can make the city more beautiful,for natural plants are well matched with artificial buildings.Secondly,plants can purify air in the city because they not only absorb carbon dioxide and the flying dust but release oxygen.Thirdly,plants can muffle noises produced by vehicles and machines.Finally,trees can improve climate in that they can alleviate intense heat in summer and severe cold in winter. Then how to make our cities greener? From my point of view,first we should make people aware of the importance of making cities greener.Next,great efforts should be made to plant more trees and grow more grasses and flowers.Meanwhile,we should carefully look after the planted trees,grasses and flowers and no one is allowed to destroy these plants.As long as we do so,we can certainly make our cities greener.(戚元方,1999.10) 本文三段都是段首为主题句,整篇文章围绕城市绿化一个中心展开论述,结尾句进行了点题。段落写作中运用了分类法展开论述、运用了段落内外的衔接手段,整篇文章比较连贯,总体分析,这是一篇结构比较好的大学英语作文。 参考文献: [1]李军.大学英语学习导航[M].北京:知识产权出版社,2000.2. [2]张爱卿,王若平.万能作文[M].北京:航空工业出版社,2000.5. [3]戚元方.大学英语四六级写作套路与突破[M].南京:南京大学出版社,1999.10.
摘 要: 本文探究了以段首为主题句的大学英语作文的基本写作方法,主要从主题句、扩展句、结尾句三方面论述了段落的基本特征与写作技巧并进行了段落与文章的比较。 关键词: 大学英语作文 主题句 写作方法 在大学英语的各类作文考试中,一般以说明文、议论文为主。在这样的文章中,以主题句为段首的文章又最为常见。这是因为以主题句为段首的文章能开门见山、突出主题,既能使阅卷人一目了然,又能给阅卷人深刻印象。在作文考试与作文训练中,建议采用演绎法进行写作,比较简易、方便、结构鲜明。本文主要从主题句、扩展句、结尾句三方面探究段首为主题句的段落的写作方法,在熟悉段落写作的基础上,水到渠成,写出一篇较好结构的以说明文、议论文为体裁的大学英语考试作文。 一、主题句(Topic Sentence) 主题句表明是关于什么描述什么的中心,主题句分为两部分;主题(Topic)和主旨(Controlling)。主题是作者所论述的题材或问题,主旨是作者用以说明主题的致力点。主题句是作者对本段将论述的题材或问题的看法或观点,是本段的中心思想句。例如:英语句“Smoking is harmful to people’s health.”中,“Smoking”是主题(Topic)”,“harmful to people’s health”是致力点(Controlling idea)。以下是段落: “Smoking is harmful to people’s health.(主题句)Medical science has now proved that smoking can cause lung cancer and other diseases such as emphysema,Also,smokers have more chances of having a heart attack than the non-smokers.(扩展句)Smoking is definitely a health hazard.”(结尾句) 确立主题句是写好一个段落的关键。一定要注意一个段落只能有一个主题。例如以上段落中主题是Smoking,那么只能围绕Smoking来展开论述,不能在这段中围绕Drinking,Swimming等其它主题来论述。主题句的范围必须最大限度地缩小,要具体化。尽可能选择准确、能充分概括自己的观点与看法的关键词来表达。“段落主题句所限定的内容要有助于段落的铺开和抒发。换句话说,段落限定范围要符合段落写作目的”(李军,2000:2)。 一个主题句中可以有数个致力点来充分表达主题思想。但目前大学生的作文水平还相应较低,在大学英语作文考试中提倡一个主题一个致力点写作,在有限的考试时间内更容易得到充分发挥。 二、扩展句(Developer) 在段落写作中,扩展句是用来解释、说明、引申或论证主题句的中心思想的。在以主题句为段首的大学英语的文章中,扩展句紧跟在主题句之后。例如: “Plants are very important living things.(主题句)Life could not go on if there were no plants.This is because plants can make food from air,water and sunlight.Animals get their food by eating plants and other animals.Man gets his food by eating plants and other animals,too.(扩展句)Therefore,animals and man need plants in order to live.(结尾句)” 扩展句部分必须层次分明、层层深入,可用比较法、对照法、举例法、列举法、分类法、因果法等方法进行扩展。 三、结尾句(Conclusion) 结尾句总结段落的要点和对主题句作最后一次评论,并使读者对本段要点进行深思、产生联想。例如: “English is favored on the following grounds.It is the official language of a number of countries.Of other countries,it is their second language.In still others,English is spoken as their major foreign languages.That’s why English is so popular in our present world.” 我们可以从上例段落的结尾句看到,结尾句中的“English”是主题句的主题English,结尾句中的“why”与主题句中的“grounds”相呼应,结尾句中的“popular”与主题句中的主旨“favored”相呼应。作者使用用词多变性的手法在结尾句中再次强调了本段的主题思想。 四、段落与文章的比较 要写一篇较好的大学英语作文还要注重文章的一致性(unity)与连贯性(coherence)两个写作要点。 一致性是段落与文章共同的、基本的特征。一个好的段落只有一个主题,而一篇好的大学英语作文只有一个中心。段落是围绕着文章的中心来展开论述的,我们写大学英语作文的第一要求是要切题,即首先不能跑题,否则,文字再优美也达不到写作目的。 “连贯性指句子与句子之间、段落与段落之间的衔接要自然通畅,主要体现在短文的逻辑发展顺序和过渡词语的运用上”(张爱卿、王若平,2000:5)。一个好结构的段落的延伸就是一篇好的文章。大学英语作文一般分为三段,下面把文章与段落进行一个大致的比较: 文章:引言段 发展段 结尾段 段落:主题句 扩展句 结尾句 下面以一篇全国大学英语四级考试作文为例来纵观一下大学英语说明文、论述文作文的基本写作方法: Make Our Cities Greener 1.城市绿化的现状 2.绿化的好处(如:清洁空气、美化城市、改善气候) 3.怎样才能实现绿化 In recent years our cities have become much greener.A lot of trees,grasses and flowers were planted in vacant plots and on both sides of the streets.The area of urban forestation has been greatly increased. There are a lot of advantages for urban forestation.First,trees,grasses and flowers can make the city more beautiful,for natural plants are well matched with artificial buildings.Secondly,plants can purify air in the city because they not only absorb carbon dioxide and the flying dust but release oxygen.Thirdly,plants can muffle noises produced by vehicles and machines.Finally,trees can improve climate in that they can alleviate intense heat in summer and severe cold in winter. Then how to make our cities greener? From my point of view,first we should make people aware of the importance of making cities greener.Next,great efforts should be made to plant more trees and grow more grasses and flowers.Meanwhile,we should carefully look after the planted trees,grasses and flowers and no one is allowed to destroy these plants.As long as we do so,we can certainly make our cities greener.(戚元方,1999.10) 本文三段都是段首为主题句,整篇文章围绕城市绿化一个中心展开论述,结尾句进行了点题。段落写作中运用了分类法展开论述、运用了段落内外的衔接手段,整篇文章比较连贯,总体分析,这是一篇结构比较好的大学英语作文。 参考文献: [1]李军.大学英语学习导航[M].北京:知识产权出版社,2000.2. [2]张爱卿,王若平.万能作文[M].北京:航空工业出版社,2000.5. [3]戚元方.大学英语四六级写作套路与突破[M].南京:南京大学出版社,1999.10.