写作复习资料.doc

考试分两PART：第二part有 Description, exposition, narration, compare & contrast, definition要求：1 essay plan 2 intro: 3-5 sentences 3 main body: minimum 3 paragraphs 4 conclusion 【formal & informal】Formal words may also be called learned words or literary words. They mainly appear in formal writing, such as political and legal documents. Most of them are of Greek or Latin origin and contain three or more than three syllables. Informal words are mainly used in informal or familiar conversation, and in literary works their main use if to record peoples thoughts and dialogs. They are usually short words of one or two syllables and most of them are of Anglo-Saxon origin. There are grammatical differences between formal and informal English, such as “dont” and “do not”, and for indefinite reference you often used in informal English while one is often used in formal English. There are also vocabulary differences, such as “profound” and “deep”. 【diction & synonym & thesaurus】Diction means the choice and use of words. Synonyms are words with the same or similar meanings, such as “big” and “large”, “small” and “little”.If synonyms are grouped together without explanations, it is a book called Thesaurus. It is a book of words and their synonyms, but a thesaurus is not a complete list of all the synonyms for a particular word. It is useful in that it may remind you of words you have forgotten or may acquaint you with new words with the meaning you are interested in. The word thesaurus comes from Latin, and it literally means “treasure house”.【idioms】An idiom is a fixed group of words with a special meaning which is different from the meanings of the words that form it. For example, “as easy as pie” is an idiom. Idioms are frequently used in speech and writing, and they help to make ones language sound natural and idiomatic. Idioms are culturally, not linguistically, based, so an idiom in American English does not have the same meaning in British English.【figures of speech: proverbs & simile & metaphor】A proverb is a simple, short saying which expresses popular wisdom and universal truths, and is handed down from generation to generation, so it is popularly known and repeated. For example, “A friend in need is a friend indeed”. Words used in their original meanings are used literally, while words used in extended meanings for the purpose of making comparisons or calling up pictures in the readers or listeners mind are used figuratively, such as “a colorful garden” and “a colorful life”. There are various ways of using words figuratively, and they are called figures of speech.Simile is a comparison between two distinctly different things and the comparison is indicated by the word as or like, such as “the old mans hair is as white as snow”. A metaphor is the use of a word which originally denotes one thing to refer to another with a similar quality. It is also a comparison, but the comparison is implied, no expressed with the word as or like, such as “he is the soul of the team”.【criteria of a good composition】A good composition must have unity. All the facts and all the ideas in an essay should contribute to the presentation of its thesis or central thought. A good composition consists of several paragraphs, each of which has one central thought and they must be arranged in some kind of order. Proportion is important to a composition, and a good composition should have something interesting and/or important, and if possible, something new to say, and that this “something” is expressed clearly.【steps in writing】Four steps in writing: first, plan a composition. Prepare sufficiently, collect relevant ideas to include in writing, and then create an outline. Second, write the first draft. Turn your ideas in outline into an essay. Third, revise the first draft. Examine it more objectively and check if the ideas are organized and expressed well. Last, make the final copy. Check if there are any mistakes.Edit (check content, structure and language to improve and make changes) and proofread (identify and correct any mistakes in grammar, spelling and punctuation) your writing after the first draft and again when you have the final copy.【three main parts】Three main parts of a composition are the beginning, the middle and the end. The beginning is the introduction. It rouses the readers interest in and secures their attention to the subject matter of the essay or provides necessary background information. You can use a quotation or a question or figures or a definition to state the main theme. The middle is the body. It gives a clear and logical presentation of the facts and ideas the writer intends to put forth with details. Paragraph order depends on topic and type of essay. For example, in order of importance of ideas expressed.The end is the conclusion. It winds up the essay often with an emphatic and forceful statement to influence the readers final impression of the essay and shows the implication or consequences of the argument. You should summarize the main points to give readers the feeling of completeness.【essay planning】When a topic is assigned, students should first try to think of as many relevant facts as they can and write them down on a piece of paper. At the same time, students should try to find a proper thesis or theme, which is the conclusion that should be drawn from the facts to be presented in the composition. After this, students should re-examine the list of facts with their thesis in mind, eliminate those unnecessary or irrelevant ones, rearrange them in a logical order, and write an outline.【note taking】Note taking is important in order to aid understanding of the information, to break down and take in the information, and to structure and organize your writing. Use lists, headings and subheadings in note taking. Use sentence fragments not full sentences in note taking. A sentence fragment is a grammatically incomplete sentence where the essential elements are missing.【types of writing: description】Description is painting a picture in words of a person, place, object, or scene. A description essay is generally developed through sensory details, or the impressions of ones senses-sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. In describing a person, we should not only give details of his/her appearance, but also try to reveal the persons character, thoughts and feelings. And it is important to grasp the characteristic features that distinguish him/her from all other people. Places may be described for their own sake, but also for the purpose of revealing the personality and character of a person, or creating a feeling or mood. To describe an object, we need to mention its size, shape, color, texture, taste and smell. It is also necessary to tell how it is used if it is useful, and what part it plays in a persons life if it is in some way related to him/her. When describing a scene, we should try to create a dominant impression. It usually consists of three basic factors: the setting, the people, and the actions.【types of writing: narration】To narrate is to give an account of an event or a series of events. Narration often goes hand in hand with description. When planning a narrative, the writer should consider five aspects: purpose, selection of details, context, organization, and point of view.【types of writing: exposition】Exposition means expounding or explaining, and it mainly deals with processes and relationships. An expository paper explains or explores something, we discuss its cause and effect, its nature, and its significance in history in an expository paper.【ways of developing paragraphs: compare VS contrast & definition】Definition is to make the meaning of the term clear, or to define the term. There are two main types of definition: logical and extended. The logical definition is the dictionary definition which is rigid in form. When ideals, concepts, or emotions are discussed, they can be explained only by extended definitions, which are not rigid in form but extended.A comparison points out the similarities between two or more persons or things of the same class, while a contrast, the differences between them. In practice, however, comparison and contrast often appear together. A comparison/contrast essay usually follows one of these two patterns: the subject-by-subject pattern or the point-by-point pattern. In the subject-by-subject pattern, the writer discusses all various aspects of one item before going on to the other. The points in each section should be in the same order, and use the final paragraphs to compare and contrast the subjects. In the point-by-point pattern, the writer discusses both items under each aspect before moving to the next point. They separate the main body into sections and examine two things at the same time. 【biography: narration & development by time】A biography is a detailed description or account of a persons life story, including events, experiences and some descriptive writing, not just facts. It is the biographers interpretation of the person and their life. An autobiography is written by the person themselves.The purpose of a biography is to write a story that introduces reader to the subject and their life and to create a deep impression of the person. Include only relevant details that give an insight into persons life and their personality. A biography is a story and it should be interesting. Some language features of a biography are that we should use past tense, use full name the first time, and write in the third person. When writing a biography, first, we should decide on a subject. Second, research the subject, and we should collect basic facts and information of the subject. Third, create an outline. Pick the most interesting and important events and facts around which to build our biographical writing. And the last, is to write the biography. The easiest way of developing a biography is to arrange it in order of time. The beginning of a biography should be impressive and motivating, profound and meaningful, direct, clear and relevant. The rest of the writing should back up the impression made in the opening statement. The end of a biography should be a reflective statement