大学英语写作课程UnitFourSentenceBase

1、2011-Simon-GDUBSUnit 4 Sentence base Unit Objectives know how to choose an appropriate subject and where to put it; use voices effectivelySentence Base The sentence base, which is like the trunk of a tree, consists of at least one subject and one verb.Subject The catching of fish provides enjoyment

2、for polar bears. Polar bears like to catch fish.What is a good subject then? 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 to read .Subject We should be aware of nominaliza

3、tion and use of abstract nouns as subjects and try to use them cautiously. Learn to use human and specific nouns as subjects.1. 1). Freedom. 2). A reluctance to work steadily - Because she was reluctant to work steadily, she was unprepared for the presentation on Monday. 3). The horror of the movie

4、- I was so frightened by the movie that I did not sleep for three nights. 4). A great deal of learning - I learned a great deal in my chemistry class. 5). The intelligence necessary to understand this concept - Few people are intelligent enough to understand this concept. 6). The embarrassment - I w

5、as too embarrassed to speak. The beginning and the end of a sentence are its strong points where the writer may put significant words to impress the readerPosition of the subject By reputation a dreary experience, but this time proving to be educational and even mildly enjoyable, language training c

6、ame to an end. Language training, by reputation a dreary experience, finally came to an end; in all, it proved to be educational and even mildly enjoyable. In the center of the painting stands a lady in white. A lady in white stands in the center of the painting.1. 1). Rod missed the fun of college

7、by making chemistry his sole activity and participating in no other extracurricular activities. 2). Cayenne is used freely by Mexican cooks because it adds spice to their sauces and provides color as well. 3). The neighborhood was terrorized by the dog which barked up the wrong tree and de-fended an

8、 enormous territory not his own. 4). Patty began apartment hunting by paging through the classified ads and making large circles here and there.Classroom activities P. 462. Like a bird that seeketh its mothers nest; And a mother she was, and is, to me . -Brian Waller Procter, The Sea“ To emphasize a

9、 mother Down in a green and shady bed A modest violet grew; Its stalk was bent, it hung its head, As if to hide from view. - James Taylor, The Violet“ To emphasize down in a green and shady bed” and achieve the rhyme A treacherous fellow is the Shark. He never makes the least remark. - Alfred Dougla

10、s, The Shark“ To emphasize a treacherous fellow and to achieve the rhymeOnce a 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? VoiceVoiceGenerally speaking, the active voice is more vigorous and lays more e

11、mphasis 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 Voice to use the active voice more often and give up the misconception that the passive voice is

12、 more sophisticated than the active one. Of course there are certain occasions on which the passive voice is preferred, but we should know what these situations are so as to use it more effectively. Choosing the active voice Through her studies of child rearing, personality, and culture, world fame

13、was achieved by Margaret Mead. Through her studies of child rearing, personality, and culture, Margaret Mead achieved world fame. 1). The luxury liner rammed into the huge iceberg. 2). Ferrari ran a good race. 3). The amateur archaeologist discovered some objects of art. (The original sentence em-ph

14、asizes the agent, the. amateur archaeologist, while this sentence stresses the fact that this amateur archaeologist discovered some objects of art. ) 4). Before I set my world record, I was a great fan of The Guinness Book of World Records and read each new edition from cover to cover. 5). For a whi

15、le I had been secretly desiring to be in that book myself - to astonish others just as I had been astonished. 6). Readers will always appreciate classics like Middlemarch. 7). An English critic in the nineteenth century asked the question Who ever reads an American book?Choosing the passive voice Th

16、e book about motorcycles was misplaced among books about cosmetics. In 1850, no trace of the glacier was found. When the agent is either unknown or unimportant, we use the passive voice. A mission to help thousands of starving local people was organized by Father Robert I. Charlesbois, a 48-year-old

17、 Catholic priest from Gary, Indiana, with 12 years of experience working in disaster-stricken areas. When the agent is followed by a long modifier, we use the passive voice to avoid suspension of the verb. On August 13, 1927, while driving on the Promenade des Anglais at Nice, Isadora Duncan met her

18、 death. She was strangled by her colored shawl, which became tangled in the wheel of the automobile. The passive voice is also used to keep the focus of two sentences. 1). The salesman had traveled on the road many times, but he had never before noticed the old house. 2). The tourists had a safe tri

19、p because all the dangers were carefully explained by the guide. 3). The mother bird, which brought a worm to feed its young, flew directly into the nest. 4). (This sentence is effective. ) 5). If you can learn how to use a thesaurus, you will find it quite useful.Writing A longer notice has to be clear, concise and complete. The informatio