August 23, 2009

Improving your writing in English

by Charles Estus  (中文注釋 Josie Lai)

(source: http://ili/sce/pccu.edu.tw)

 

The composition styles in Chinese and English are completely different.

Most writing problems for second language speakers occur when the

organization and style of Chinese writing is used in English compositions.

One of the most important things to remember in English writing is to

make your point very quickly and clearly at the beginning of your writing.

Another is to remember to have good support. Finally, make sure you have

a conclusion. (此段已點出中文作文與英語作文的差異,也隱約透露出中國人

與英語為母語的人寫英語作文思考的邏輯的不同)

 

In English, when writing a formal essay or composing a speech or lecture

we use the same rhetorical style. To help students remember this style

we have an expression that explains our organizational style pretty clearly:

1)   Tell them what you are going to tell them. (Introduction and main point)

-- 即所謂的引言,點出整篇文章的主旨.

2) Tell them. (points or body) – 主體,由數個支持主題論述的段落組成.

3) Tell them what you told them. (conclusion) – 歸納或總結整篇文章提出的

論點.

 

If you have studied English composition before you have heard of topic

sentences, support and conclusions in paragraph writing. When you expand

these three things into an essay, the topic sentence becomes the introduction

(Tell them what you are going to tell them) which always contains your main

point. In Chinese writing, the main point is ‘hidden’ until the end. Conversely,

in English writing we state the main point at the beginning and at the end.

表達全段中心思想的句子,通常會出現在段落的第一句,但有時也會出現在段落

的中間或最後一句. 而中式作文往往將主旨隱藏在文章內直到最後才點明.

 

Support in your paragraph writing, when expanded to an essay, becomes the

body of your essay. In the body, each point becomes a paragraph with each

paragrapah having a different focused idea that supports your main point

(Tell them). If you make a point in English, you must use support to make

your point stronger. Think about these two sets of sentences:

A. I think exercise is good for you. You feel good after you exercise.

B. Exercise is good for you. Exercise is recommended by 9 out of 10

doctors to help reduce the chance of heart disease.


Which is a stronger set of sentences? B is, because facts make stronger

support for ideas than opinions. 段落的主題,用來說明主題句,所以(A)(B) 兩句

很明顯 B 句較能提出更強烈的佐證.

 

The conclusion is the last part of the paragraph and is also the same in

an essay. The conclusion restates the main idea of your essay (Tell them

what you told them) and offers advice, a suggestion, or a conclusion.

 

*那閱讀與寫作有何關係?

閱讀理解(reading comprehension)所指的不但是在瞭解文章字面上的意義,

而且還要能找出作者傳達的主題、中心思想(main idea) 、細節(supporting

details) 、組織架構(writing structure) 、以及判斷得出隱藏在文章字面下

的涵意與暗示。因此,認識英文寫作的基本模式,將有助於我們理解文意

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