
第一节 英语短文写作方法与套路
一、考场作文写作流程
英语专升本考试作文是命题作文,写作时间为30分钟。这就要求考生必须合理地支配时间,清楚写作步骤。这里,我们简要介绍一下写作的基本流程。其具体步骤和时间安排如下:
第一步:解读题意,确定题型。
根据考试题目以及给出的提纲或段首句,确定作文属于何种命题形式,快速确立自己的观点及论据。考生将确立的论点、罗列的论据及要明确的结论一一罗列出来,并尽可能地罗列出所有能想到的论据和关键词。这一过程对于理顺写作思路、确定文章的主线非常重要。
此过程用时3 -5分钟。
第二步:确定框架和模板
在确定命题形式之后,迅速选择合适的写作框架和模板。这一过程需要1分钟左右的时间。
第三步:丰富框架和模板
将树形图中的具体内容有选择地填入模板中。虽然整个作文的框架已经由模板确定,但要拿到16分以上甚至满分,就必须注意具体的写作元素,使文章有”闪光点”。例如:多种句式的运用,使文章更为灵活;长短句的交错出现,使文章富有节奏感;若干长句后出现的一个短句可以明显地突出观点;连接词的运用,可使文章连贯、富有层次;通过举例、对比等,可使文章更为生动易懂;恰如其分地运用一些修辞手法、谚语或名言等,能起到“画龙点睛”的作用,使:文章熠熠生辉。这一步骤需要20 -25分钟左右。
第四步:修改文章
在考试作文过程中由于各种原因,难免会出现这样或那样的错误,因此最后的修改工作是必不可少的。由于考试时间的,诸如整篇作文是否符合题意这类情形已无法改变,所以我们修改文章时要秉承”只改语言、不改内容”的精神,主要考虑以下几点:
1.语法,如主语和谓语在人称和数上是否保持一致;全篇时态是否保持
致;动词的语态、语气的使用是否正确;词组的搭配是否符合习惯等等。
2.标点符号与大小写的运用是否正确。
3.有无单词拼写错误等。
这一步骤需要3-5分钟。
二、提高英语表达能力
英语短文的写作方法是学习者语言综合能力的体现,它要求写作者具备扎实的语言基础和书面表达能力。一般来说,专升本考生已经具有一定的词汇量和英语知识,如何在此基础上进一步提高自己的英语写作能力,这是大家非常关心的问题。这里介绍几种提高英语写作能力的方法,仅供参考。
1.训练遣词造句的能力
万丈高楼,始于基础。英语写作的基础在于遣词造句。参加考试时大家也许有这种感觉,阅读理解部分并不太难,只要认识足够的单词加
上掌握一定的阅读技巧,基本上能抓住文章的大意甚至细节。但写作则不然。作为成人,我们的思想已相当丰富,但书面英语表达能力却往往捉襟见肘,看到写作题目之后,头脑里大多是散乱的单词或词组,很难组合成完整的句子和段落来表达自已的思想。究其原因,这是平时缺乏遣词造句的训练所致。
在英语学习中,无时无刻不遇到地道的词组、句式、习语、短语和词语搭配,我们平时大多只注意认识它们,熟记它们,却忽略了通过使用将其内化成自己的语言这一过程,而运用这些表达法遣词造句恰恰是最好的使用。考生不妨把每天记忆的词组、句式、习语、短语和词语搭配作为造句的素材,先用单个词组造单句,然后再用几个、十几个词组和句型造复合句、并列句,甚至段落。开始时,不必急于用英语去准确表达思想,只要能按照英语的习惯表达成自圆其说的句子或段落就行了。等进行了一段时间的训练之后,再试用语言去更准确地表达自己的思想。
造句时,还要有意识地使用最近学过的词汇和表达方式,这对巩固新知识、提高语言的应用能力大有裨益。
2.从阅读中积累语言素材
要提高写作能力,掌握足够的单词、词组和句型是至关重要的。有的考生死记英语考试大纲上的词汇表,以为只要熟记书中所列的五、六千单词,就能下笔成章。这种方法切不可取。
语言离不开语境。在语境中学习语言,不仅有助于学习者记忆语言,更重要的是帮助他们了解、掌握语言的各种变化、惯用法、相互关联、各种修辞和特殊用法。在中国这样的英语学习环境里,阅读是学习者作为熟悉英语语境的办法之一。学习者可以从众多的原汁原味的阅读材料中吸取语言素材,再通过记忆、运用(会话、写作等手段)转化成自己的语言。
如,学习者可以从下面的一篇文章及语境中学到许多有用的词组和表达法:
(01) The whole process of summarizing implies an ability to make decisions.
(02) You have to decide what the author's plan is. How the material has been organized? What the key ideas are? And what material is used merely as example?
(03) You will not find the technique of summarizing easy at first because it requires so many decisions.
(04) But your efficiency in making summaries as well as your general reading effciently, will increase in propotion to the time and effort you spend on performing your not taking technique.
(05) Your final summary should renect clearly and accurately what the author has said.
(06) An inaccurate summary may be worse than no summary at all.
(07) An effective method of testing the quality of your summary is to set it aside for a month or two and then retreat it.
(08) If it stiller calls
the essential information for you and seems to express the material in a clear and exact manner, you have done a good job.
(09) If it does not, make another attempt.
(10) This time you will do a better job.
(11) This method, incidentally, may well be applied to other types of writing.
(12) Many young writers have been advised to put their mate- rial aside for a while.
(13) If a piece of writing seems as good a year or two later as the day they finished it. They can begin to feel that it willstand the test of time.
(14) The same thing, of course, applies to what someone else has written and you have read-
(15) If you think a book you read several years ago was the best you have known, reread it.
(16) Don't be surprised if you find yourself sadly disappointed.
(17) Good summaries serve any purpose.
(18) Everyone from professional to houseperson, needs and uses them.
(19) Doctors may have to summarize a report of their findings in a particular case for a medical board.
(20)They will have to read the summar-ries of other doctors and summaries of the latest medical research in their field.
(21) Lawyers need to prepare a summary,or brief,of their case before they present it in court.
(22) Their summary usually takes the form of a sentence outline, and many an early career is hurt by an ina-bility to present a clear and accurate brief.
(23) A junior executive may write a summary of a long report for the president of the company.
(24) Electrical enjineers will summarize their findings to fomlulate their plans.
(25) A student prepares summaries for use in a term paper.
这篇文章篇幅短小,语言规范,是吸收语言材料的理想选择。比如,第一句的“to make decision ”和第二句的“to decide"用同源词替换的方法连接句子的典型范例。第二句中由三个“what”和一个“how”引出的从句是平行结构的范例。此外,像第四句中的“in proportion to", 第七句中的“set it aside”,第十一句中的“may well be supplied to"第十三句中的“stand the test of time",第十七句“serve any purpose”,第二十二句中的“takes the form of"等都是很好的句型和词组,不仅值得记忆,更应当通过造句等方式学着使用。
3.避免汉语的思维方式和表述方式
中国学生用英语作文,往往不知不觉地受汉语的影响,写出的句子和段落总带有汉语的腔调。汉语与英语在思维方式和表达方式上存在很大的差别。汉语注重以情动人,因此在文章的构思、措辞、修饰和意境方面偏重情感效果。许多学生在进行写作时,更多地考虑到题材的情感因素,追求文字的感染力,而较少甚至忽略了文章的主题或实质性的思想内容,或者采取迂回、含蓄的方式加以表达。结果,主题思想反而被放在了次要的位置。例如:
From the picture, we can see that a beautiful American girl is in traditional Chines
e costume and is smiling, as if she was asking us, “Am I like a Chinese?" and speaking, “I wish Chinese people happy like me."It shows that with the faster pace of globalization, cultural differences are shrinking.
Over the ages, our Chinese people have been looked down upon by foreigners. But now, they are interested in our culture, wearing our clothes. What a change! It shows that we are getting stronger and more influential. It shows that Chinese people really stand up. In this respect, what reasons do we have to look down upon ourselves, our glorious culture and long tradition?
With the reform, China now is becoming a great country. She is going international. Her culture, both traditional and modern.will exercise an impact on the world. Let us work hard andmake that possible in the nearest future.
这篇作文虽然有三段,12句,但差不多都是情绪激昂的口号,没有实质性的内容,更无严密的说理和叙述。这样的短文,虽然语法上还过得去,但因为内容空洞、缺乏逻辑而难得高分。
在接下来的一段中,语句中汉语的痕迹就更加明显了:
As far as I am concerned,i think this phenomenon is good to us. Firstly, we can learn some good cultures from other countries, and also can make our good culture confront the world. The intemational trend of culture can promote our cultures proceed. Secondly, the cultures become international, which can make more people know our country. So many people will come to our country to have a journey. That can raise our travel economy income.
该段几乎完全是按照汉语的思维方式写成的,需要修改的地方很多,比如:”As far as I am concerned"和”I think"重复,可任选用其一:
“learn some good cultures can promote our culture proceed" 可改写为”The trend of cultural exchange will be conductive to the promotion of our national culture";"the cultures become international, people in the world will learn more about China".
“So many people will come to our country to have a journey. That can raise our travel economy income."可改写为”Therefore, more and more people will come to visit our country, which will boost our tourist industry."
考生如果平时不有意识地培养自己用英语思维的习惯,类似的汉语式英语就在所难免。英语是逻辑性明确的语言,注重文章的实质内容,讲究层层推导、表述透彻,主题或主题句往往处于文章的显要位置,如每一段落的开头或结尾。在主题句之后,总有具体和细致的.举例、说明和阐释来进一步深化主题,丰富内容。
(1) The American economic system is organized around a basically private-enterprise, market-oriented economy in which consumers largely determine what shall be produced by spending their money in the marketplace for those goods and services that they want most.
(2) Private businessmen, striving to make profits, prod
uce these goods and services in competition with other businessmen; and the profit motive, operating under competitive pressures, largely determines how these goods and services are produced.
(3) Thus, in the American econormc system it is the demand of individuals consumers, coupled with the desire of businessmen to maximize profits and the desire of individuals to maximize their incomes, that together determine what shall be produced and how resources are used to produce it.
(4) An important factor in a market-oriented economy is the mechanism by which consumer demands can be expressed and responded to by producers.
(5) In the American economy, this mechanism is provided by a price system,a process in which prices rise and fall in response to relative demands of consumers and supplies offered by seller-producers.
(6) If the product is in short supply relative to the demand, the price will be bid up and some consumers will be eliminated from the market.
(7) 1f, on the other hand, producing more of a commodity results in reducing its cost, this will tend to increase the supply offered by seller-producers, which in tum will lower the price and permit more consumers to buy the product.
(8) Thus, price is the regulating mechanism in the American economic system.
(9) The important factor in a private-enterprise economy is that individuals are allowed to own productive resources( private property), and they are permitted to hire labor, gain control over natural resources, and produce goods and services for sale at a profit.
(10) In the Americaneconomy, the concept of private property embraces not only the ownership of productive resources but also certain right, including the right to determine the price of a product or to make afree contract with another private individual.
这篇文章的第一句就开门见山,明确了主题,提出美国经济制度的特点是通过私有企业和市场导向起调节作用。围绕这一主题,文章的三个段落层层展开,环环相扣,每一段落各有侧重。第一段讲私有企业受赢利动机驱使进行生产和服务,这一动杌决定企业的生产和服务方式,但更重要的是,这一动机取决于消费者的需求和愿望,即市场导向。这一段的最末一句是该段的段落主题句,实际上也是全文中心思想的另一种表述方式。第二段开头一句是该段的段落主题句,实际上也是全文中心思想的另一种表述方式,说明市场导向型经济的重要特点之一是它有一个价格机制,价格的上涨和下跌反映并调节消费需求。围绕这个主题句,第(2)、(3)、(4)句进一步阐述产品供需与价格浮动和消费需求的关系。第三段的主题句也是该段的第一句,说明私有制企业的重要特色。该段的第二句是对主题句的进一步阐述。
由此可见,英文的行文注重结构严谨、逻辑分明,表述方式也直接了当,重复
较少。学习者在平时的阅读和写作训练时,应当‘留意这些特点,并学着模仿这种思维和表达方式。
三、掌握短文写作的要领
练习写作,考生需要注意的地方很多,归纳起来,可以从以下6个方面人手:
1.使用规范的英语句子
“千里之行,始于足下。”句子是构成文章的基本要素。要写好英语作文,考生应首先提高自己组词成句的能力,训练规范英语句子的写作。那么,什么是规范的英语句子呢?规范的英语句子应达到以下几个基本要求:
1)句子要完整
不仅意思要求完整,结构上也应完整。意思的完整是指一个句子应该表达一个相对完整的思想。在英语学习者的作文中,常常看到意思不完整的病句’如:
Bikes are so popular in China.(病句)
此句应修改为:
Bikes are so popular in China that almost every family has at least one.
结构的完整性是指句子在语法结构方面没有缺损。中国学生在作文中常写残缺句,例如:
It is incredible to many people. Cigarette smokers spend money for illness.(病句)
很显然,第一句中的it指代意思不明确。此两短句可并成一句:
It is incredible to many people that cigarette smokers spend money for illness.
修改后的句子以it作形式主语,替代that从句前置,这样句子结构就完整了。
在作文中,还要避免错误的省略。这也是考生在写句子时常犯的毛病。例如:I said I have more respect for him than his wife.(病句)
此句因为错误地省略了介词for,造成了句意不清楚。正确的表达应为:
I said I had more respect for him than for his wife.
在很多情况下,句子结构的不完整是由考生随意使用标点符号造成的。这主要是受汉语的影响,断句不严格,标点用起来也有些随意。在英语中一定要严格断句。请看一例典型的滥用标点的句子:
We couldn”t decide upon a new car, there were many attractive models.(病句)
英语语法规则要求,只要句子成分完整就应用句号断句,或用连接词将其与后句连接。在此两句间用了一个逗号,这个错误看似微不足道,但实际上却很严重。
此句可修改为:We couldn,t decide upon a new car, for there were many attractive models.
2)句子要连贯
如果句子中的词或其他成分没有按照一定的语法规则排列,一个成分与其他成分及全句的关系含糊不清,句子就不连贯。例如:
He was knocked down by a bicycle, but it was not senous.(病句)
句中的it所指不明确,句子缺乏连贯,应修改为:
He was knocked down by a bicycle, but was not seriously hurt.
还有一种常见的不连贯现象,那就是不定式短语,分词,动词的逻辑主语与句子主语不一
致。如:
To succeed in a scientific research project, persistence is needed. (病句)
此句中不定式逻辑主语与句子主语不相符,应修改为:
To succeed in a scientific research project, one needs to be persistent.
连贯性应体现在英语的“平行结构”当中。学习者在造句时要注意使用相同的语法结构来表达两个或两个以上意思并列 的成分。否则,语句就显得不连贯了。比如:Formerly,science was taught by the textbook method, while now the laboratory method is employed.(病句)。此句的毛病在于做主语的名词不平行,应改为:
Formerly, science was taught by the textbook method;now it is taught by the laboratory method.在使用关键词语时,两个连词之后要用
1)句子要完整
不仅意思要求完整,结构上也应完整。意思的完整是指一个句子应该表达一个相对完整的思想。在英语学习者的作文中,常常看到意思不完整的病句’如:
Bikes are so popular in China.(病句)
此句应修改为:
Bikes are so popular in China that almost every family has at least one.
结构的完整性是指句子在语法结构方面没有缺损。中国学生在作文中常写残缺句,例如: It is incredible to many people. Cigarette smokers spend money for illness.(病句)
很显然,第一句中的it指代意思不明确。此两短句可并成一句:
It is incredible to many people that cigarette smokers spend money for illness.
修改后的句子以it作形式主语,替代that从句前置,这样句子结构就完整了。
在作文中,还要避免错误的省略。这也是考生在写句子时常犯的毛病。例如:I said I have more respect for him than his wife.(病句)
此句因为错误地省略了介词for,造成了句意不清楚。正确的表达应为:
I said I had more respect for him than for his wife.
在很多情况下,句子结构的不完整是由考生随意使用标点符号造成的。这主要是受汉语的影响,断句不严格,标点用起来也有些随意。在英语中一定要严格断句。请看一例典型的滥用标点的句子:
We couldn”t decide upon a new car, there were many attractive models.(病句)
英语语法规则要求,只要句子成分完整就应用句号断句,或用连接词将其与后句连接。在此两句间用了一个逗号,这个错误看似微不足道,但实际上却很严重。
此句可修改为:
We couldn,t decide upon a new car, for there were many attractive models.
2) 句子要连贯
如果句子中的词或其他成分没有按照一定的语法规则排列,一个成分与其他成分及全句的关系含糊不清,句子就不连贯。例如:
He was knocked down by a bicycle, but it was not senous.(病句)
