1、A Basic Course in WritingChapter One Word and Sentence 11. Teaching Objective:At the end of this two hours, the students will be able to: Know basic knowledge of Manuscript formDifferentiate various styles in English, namely, formal, general, colloquial, and slang; Avoid some pitfalls of Chinglish;

2、and Can write good sentences.Teaching content: the appropriate wordsTeaching Focus: Formal and general, colloquial and slang, style and audience, Chinglish, avoid repetition of meaning. 2Manuscript formDiction Sentences Contents:3Manuscript formArrangementMarginTitleParagraph arrangementWord Divisio

3、nCapitalizationHandwriting4Title標題多由名詞短語組成，首字母大寫，位置居中；冠詞、短的介詞、并列連詞和不定式的“to”如位于句子中間，首字母均小寫；句尾除直接疑問句不用標點符號；書名斜體，文章名用引號括起來。e.g. Where Do All the New Words Come From?What Traditions Mean to the ChineseA Clean, Well-Lighted PlaceDifferent Views On Jane EyreInterpretations of Robert Frosts “Fire and Ice”5

4、Word Division原則：1. 含2個音節以上的單詞按照音節的組成斷詞； 2. 專有名詞不斷詞； 3. 避免引起讀者歧義的斷詞； 4. 帶連字符的單詞，連字符位于句尾； 5. 避免出現連續幾行的斷詞。6PunctuationThe CommaThe PeriodThe SemicolonThe ColonQuotation MarksThe dashThe slash7漢語有但英語沒有的某些標點符號 頓號（、）頓號在漢語中起分割句子中并列成分的作用；英語中沒有頓號，分割句中的并列成分多用逗號。例如： 晶體管是由發射極、基極和集電極三部分構成的。（A transistor consists

5、 of three parts: emitter, base and collector. ）注意：類似的情況下，最后一個逗號后可加and，這個逗號也可省略。例如： 歐姆首先發現了電流、電壓、電阻之間的關系。 （Ohm first discovered the relationship between current, voltage(,) and resistance. ） 8 書名號（）英文沒有書名號，書名、報刊名用斜體或者下劃線表示。例如：計算機入門：（An） Introduction to Computer /（An ）Introduction to Computer 圖像處理的研究：

6、(The) Research on Image Processing/ (The) Research on Image Processing 注意：論文、書籍的各級標題前的冠詞可以省略。另外，英語中文章、詩歌、樂曲、電影、繪畫等的名稱和交通工具、航天器等的專有名詞也常用斜體來表示。 9 間隔號（）漢語有間隔號，用在月份和日期、音譯的名和姓等需要隔開的詞語的正中間，如“一二九”、“ 艾薩克 牛頓（人名）”等。英語中沒有漢語的間隔號，需要間隔時多用逗號或括號注明。 如：Consumer Rights Day (Mar. 15) 著重號 有時漢語用在文字下點實心圓點表示需要強調的詞語，這些實心點就是

7、著重號。而英語中沒有這一符號，需強調某些成分時可借助文字斜體、某些強調性詞匯、特殊句型、標點停頓等多種方法。 例如： 切忌按消除鍵。（Do not press the ERASER key.）10英語有但漢語沒有的標點符號英語有些標點符號如：撇號Apostrophe（），連字號Hyphen（-）， 斜線號Virgule或Slash（/）：在漢語中是不存在的。斜線符號主要起分割作用，如It could be for staff and / or students. 也常用于標音，如bed /bed/。大家在用英語寫作的時候，需要特別留意才能正確使用標點符號。11The Slash用于表示句子當中

8、兩個選擇的成分；e.g. The school gives students who have financial difficulties loans/part-time jobs.用于分子和分母之間；用于表示“每”。e.g. The house is sold at 5,000 yuan/square meter.12漢英兩種語言中的不同符號句號 中文的句號是空心圈（。），英文的句號是實心點（.）。 省略號 英文的省略號是三個點（），位置在行底；中文的為六個點（），居于行中。在美國英語中，如果省略號恰好在句尾，就用四個點，如Id like to.that is.if you dont mi

9、nd. 破折號中文中的破折號比英文中破折號要長。英文的破折號只占兩個字母的位置；中文的破折號占兩個漢字的位置。例如：The boysJim, John, and Jeffleft the party early. （小伙子們吉姆、約翰和杰夫早早地離開了舞會。）13美國英語與英國英語標點符號的差別 引號的用法 屬于引語的逗號、句號在美國英語中位于引號內，而在英國英語中多位于引號外；引語內再套用引語時，美國英語中雙引號在外單引號在內，而英國英語中的單引號在外、雙引號在內。美國英語 John said， “I told him to look before he leapsbut he didnt

10、listen”英國英語：John said，I told him to “look before he leaps”but he didnt listen 14 冒號的用法冒號可以用來表示時間，但大家得注意英國人和美國人表示時間的差異。美國英語在小時與分鐘之間多用冒號，如14:50；英國英語則多用句點，如14.50。 美國英語中，信件或演說詞的稱呼語之后用冒號，而在英國英語中多用逗號。Back15Diction Words are the building blocks of writing; therefore, a good command of them is crucial. Choi

11、ce of words is a very important issue in writing, so this unit focuses on choosing the correct word to express an idea.正確性原則恰當性原則 生動性原則 精煉性原則 16正確性原則Ex：Correct the following sentences1）Why do you always against me?2） I will come to the meeting even it rains tomorrow. 3） The two brothers joined the a

12、rmy at the same time, however they were sent to different training centers.4） Dont interfere others affairs.5） Last year he married with a lovely girl in the same village.6） Nowadays, computer has become our good friend.17恰當性原則181) Formal and General ( In this section, students are expected to clear

13、 up one misunderstanding, i.e. the more formal words they use, the better the whole piece of writing is. Students should be aware that in most cases it is general words that play the major role)More example: 191. After a double attempt to insert himself through the window, Michael conceded failure.

14、In plain English: After two tries at climbing in through the window, Michael gave up. 20Vague -when I was young, we moved from one area to another.Revised - when I was eight years old, we move from Detroit to Ohio.V-the patients wound was treated. R- the nurse bandaged the soldiers minor wound. 21V-

15、your relative is nice to me.R-your aunt Betty always stops and talks to me when she meets me in the street. V-John is a good student.R-In college, John has been rewarded a scholarship over five years. 22身份恰當 方式恰當 ( students have to learn to choose the appropriate style when writing to different audi

16、ences and in different contexts). 23The English language has many styles. The main dialect used by educated writers and speakers of English is called Standard English, which appears in many different styles. ( personal ,impersonal, simple , elaborate) People often divide these styles into three leve

17、ls- Informal, Formal, and General. Each level is appropriate in certain situations but not in all. 24Informal English has a conversational tone. Writers of informal English frequently use contractions, colloquial expressions and slang. Their sentence structure is usually loose with more ands fewer s

18、ubordinate clauses than in other levels of writing. Informal English is becoming more and more popular in journalism but is generally considered inappropriate for college papers. 25Formal English is found in technical reports, scholarly books and articles, and many types of professional or academic

19、writing. General English follows a middle course between Formal and Informal levels. Most of its sentences are less complex than those of Formal English but tighter than those of informal English. General English is usually the best choice for college or business writing. 26As for vocabulary, everyd

20、ay words are mainly of Anglo Saxon origin, while words of Greek, French and Latin origins are mostly formal or learned words. It would be helpful, when you learn a formal word, to remember an informal word with the same or nearly the same meaning. 272) Colloquial and Slang ( The aim of this section

21、is to remind students that colloquial and slang expressions should be used caustiously in writing although they are widely used in spoken English). 28生動性原則 a. To watch Jack eating his ice cream stimulated me.b. To watch Jack savoring his ice cream made my mouth water.a. The flowers in my garden are

22、in full bloom.b. The roses, lilies and violets in my garden are all in full bloom.a. She put the waste paper into the dustbin quickly.b. She threw/thrust/swept the waste paper into the dustbin.29A good manKind, honest, just, generous, sympathetic, warm-hearted, selfless, brave, honorable.Good foodTa

23、sty, delicious, nourishing, rich, wholesome, fresh, appetizing,abundant30HouseMansion, villa, chateau, cottage, bungalow, cabin, hut, shack, shanty, shed, barn.LaughSmile, grin, beam, giggle, chuckle, titter, sniggerguffaw狂笑, chortle哈哈大笑.31Ex: use more specific and concrete words for those italicize

24、d. i. I had an awful time at the dancing party. ii. I think Professor Smith is a bad teacher. iii. Palph gave his wife a present for her birthday. iv. Our college provided the students with some fine programs. v.It is funny how he gets to know ever one in the party. ( boring) ( incompetent) (exquisi

25、te vase) (stimulating) (strange) 32 vi.We had a good time on last weekends. vii. The movie had an interesting story. viii. I like my English teacher because she has a nice character. ix.There are certain things I look for in judging a persons personality. x.I was astonished that only several people

26、attended the game. (enjoyable) (touching) (friendly) (traits) (five) 33Denotation Meaning a well chosen word is worth a thousand pictures. If you want to select the word that expresses exactly what you intend to say, you must first of all understand its denotation; what it literally means. 34Connota

27、tive Meaning:We choose words for their literal as well as for their implied meanings. Whereas denotations are generally neutral, connotations may reflect feelings, attitudes and emotional overtones.(暗示，有色彩). 35Complete the table with synonyms:Strangecompliment pigheadedold personbachelor girl 36Fill

28、 in the blanks with words in the above table: He has the most unique distinction of having written speeches which were effective when delivered. Many of the managing posts are filled up by pigheaded people only because they happen to have the habit of ordering poor people about. I was flattered by y

29、our invitation to come to this party. He thought his landlady was a mean fossil. Hurray! End of my single life! Not an old and bad-tempered spinster any more!37By “appropriate” we mean the proper style of English and the avoidance of Chinglish. Students must be aware from the very beginning that the

30、re exist various styles in words: some are formal or general, while others are colloquial or slang. Knowing these styles is the first step in the practice of using them in writing. The choice of style is decided by genre (kind, style) as well as the audience. Students should be able to decide on the

31、 style of their writing according to these two factors. 38Though Chinglish usages may not be totally eliminated at this stage, students must be alerted against them in their writing. Two approaches may be helpful: one is to avoid literal translation; the other is to pay attention to the connotation

32、of an English word. In this unit, students are also reminded of one distinctive feature of Chinglish in the unit, so the best advice is for students to familiarize themselves with English and to form the habit of comparing and contrasting the two languages. 39 不正式 （informal ） 正式(formal)so therefore,

33、 consequently, accordingly but howeververy extremely deep profound lucky fortunate enough sufficient end terminate raise elevate same identical learned erudite 40Phrasal verbs are colloquial and often used in conversational style. Go on continuelook into investigate 41Slang words and expressions are

34、 often too casual and informal to be used in formal writing. Slang common Mighty very, extremely Neat, cool fine, pleasant In hot water in trouble Make a hit succeed in doing sth.42精煉性原則a. Youd better think it over and consider it carefully.b. Youd better think it over.（Youd better consider it caref

35、ully.）43a. In my opinion, I am afraid she is happier than you are.b. In my opinion, she is happier than you are.（I am afraid she is happier than you are.）a. As I missed the last bus, I had to walk back home on foot.b. As I missed the last bus, I had to walk back home. （As I missed the last bus, I ha

36、d to return home on foot.）44Avoid repetition of meaningRepetition of meaning is a common feature in the Chinese language but is improper in English except when designed for special purposes, such as in poetry. Without knowing this, students tend to create lengthy and wordy sentences which are, in na

37、tive speakers eyes, redundant. 45Rewrite the following paragraph in more formal English. Many of our best students are going abroad nowadays to study. Why do they go? We have very good universities and colleges in our own country. Our teachers know our local situation, and so what they teach is rele

38、vant to local problems.46Improved: Nowadays a significant number of this countrys best students travel abroad to study, although perfectly adequate local institutions of higher education exist here. Furthermore, local faculty are familiar with conditions in this country so that their instruction dir

39、ectly relates to the local situation.474) Chinglish( Literal translation is common among foreign language learners, especially beginners. Students must beware of it harm and learn to follow the thinking pattern of native speakers. They should not only know the denotative meaning but also the connota

40、tive meaning of a word so as to avoid misunderstanding.) avoid literal translation grasp the connotation 48Classroom Activities: A. translate: .1.你花了多少時間寫那篇文章？How much time does it take you to write that article?2.我的英語水平很差，所以我得努力學習它。My English is very poor, so I will work hard at it.3.坐公共汽車去那兒至少要花兩個

41、小時。.It will take at least two hours to go there by bus.494.I cannot justify keeping this job any more.5. Thats a decision youll have to make for yourself. 6. I know youve been with the company for five years. But raises here are based on merit, not on length of employment. 7.讀書可以獲得知識 through reading

42、, one can .( reading books can acquire knowledge)8.所有這些都得感謝我們的政府 we should thank our government for all of this. ( all of this should thank our government) 50B: correct the following sentences1.His body is very healthy.2.we are difficult to finish all this tonight. 3.his sick condition is much bette

43、r. He is no longer dangerous. 3.we must spend bitter work to master knowledge. 514.he only said a few sentences. He made us very disappointed. 5.recently she doesnt study sell. All day she talks love. 6.lets go and eat out meals. /theyre reading books. /hes going to sing songs at the concert. 527.we

44、 danced some dances last night. /have you paid the money?8.I stayed at home from work yesterday. Because I was sick. 9.he spoke forcefully. To convince the audience that he was a capable and powerful person. 5310.he likes eating fruits. Such as apples and bananas. 11.many people who get married befo

45、re they are mature enough. 12.there a lot of students like to read aloud in the morning. 5413.his success was duet to he had been working hard. 14.become a biologist isnt an easy thing for me. 15.looking down from the TV tower, the people on the ground seemed like tiny, slow-moving ants. . 5516.whil

46、e studying economics, my mind often wanders. 17.reaching the top of the hill, the beautiful view appeared before us. 18.while watching the football game, marks bike was stolen. 19.Having made full preparation, the test was easy56Rewrite:I havent received your letter for a long time. How are your con

47、dition? Is your work busy? Please reply me early. Here life is very nervous because we have to do many things. The teachers give us too many exercises, so we cant read when class is over. We have no method. 57Improved:How are things getting on these days? Are you busy at work? Hope to here from you

48、soon, here we are really hard-pressed. Our teachers are always assigning us so much homework that we hardly have anytime for outside reading. We have no way out.Back58Writing good sentencesThe sentence base, which is like the trunk of a tree, consists of at least one subject and one verb. The choice

49、 of the subject is crucial in sentence writing. What is a good subject then? It depends on a number of factors, but at least a good subject is usually a concrete or personal noun instead of an abstract word, because a concrete or personal noun can raise the readers interest in what he/she is going t

50、o read. 59Once the subject is chosen, the next step is to decide the voice. When should we use the passive or active voice? What are their distinctive features? Students have to answer these questions before using voices appropriately and effectively. Generally speaking, the active voice is more vig

51、orous and lays more emphasis on the predicate while the passive voice is, as its name suggests, “passive” and emphasizes the agent (though sometimes omitting it). The selection of voices should also be decided by the context.60Eg: (1) The goats grazed peacefully in the farm and were unaware of the a

52、pproaching hunter. (并列分句(1)+2) (2) Grazing peacefully, the goats in the farm were unaware of the approaching hunter. (現在分語短語+簡單句) (3) In the farm, the goats grazed peacefully and were unaware of the approaching hunter. (副詞短語+并列分句(1)-(2) ) (4) There were goats grazing peacefully in the farm, unaware

53、of the approaching hunter. (簡單句+形容語短語) (5) As the goats grazed peacefully in the farm, they were unaware of the approaching hunter. (原因副詞從句+主句) 61Exercises: Combine the following two sentences. (6) The young pilot was on his first overseas training. (7) He felt very uneasy. 62(a) The young pilot on

54、his first overseas training felt very uneasy. (b) The young pilot felt very uneasy during his first overseas training. (c) The young pilots first overseas training made him feel very uneasy. (d) Extreme uneasiness seized the young pilot on his first overseas training. (e) The young pilot was on his

55、first overseas training, feeling very uneasy. (f) It being his first overseas training, the young pilot felt very uneasy. 63(g) Being on his first overseas training, the young pilot felt very uneasy. (h) The young pilot was on his first overseas training and felt very uneasy. (i) The young pilot, wh

56、o was on his first overseas training, felt very uneasy. (j) When the young pilot was on his/first overseas training, he felt very uneasy. (k) As the young pilot was on his first overseas training, he felt very uneasy. (l) The young pilot was on his first overseas training, so that he felt very uneas

57、y. 64在上述12個句子中，(a)-(g)是簡單句；(h)是并列句；(i)-(l)是復雜句。簡單句除(b)和(g)之外， 其他五樣，用的人并不多。人們最喜歡采用復雜句，尤其是(j)和(k)這兩款；接著便是并列句(h)。65增強英語語句表現力的有效方法 一、避免使用語意弱的“be”動詞。 1、把句中的表語轉換為不同的修飾語。例如： Weak: The trees are bare. The grass is brown. The landscape seems drab. Revision: The brown grass and bare trees form a drab landscape. (轉換為前置定語) Or: The landscape, ba