(一)基本要素:词、句、段
1.选词
选词的标准是,所选词语意义清晰、准确达意、形象生动、语法准确,并符合语言习惯。
下面是一些用词不当的例句:
1)The meeting was shut off when the chairman fell ill. shut off停止(供应煤、水、汽油等),应改为cut short (中断)。
2)When he was at school, he won first reward for good behavior.此句中用reward(酬劳)词不达意,应改为prize(奖励,奖金)。
3)He is as strong as a cow.按照英语的习惯表达法,此处cow应改为horse或lion。
2.造句
“千里之行,始于足下”。无论是世界名著还是小学生作文,都是由句子组成。要做好短文写作,也必须从句子开始,狠下功夫,不断练习。要写好单句,必须使所写的句子具备下列特点。
(1)完整(Unity)
句子的完整性包括两个方面,即意思的完整性和结构的完整性。
意思的完整性是指一个句子应该表达一个相对完整的思想。
结构的完整性指的是句子在语法结构方面没有缺损。如:
It is incredible to many people. Cigarette smokers spend money for illness.
原句中it的意思不明确。可用it作形式主语,使句子结构完整。即:
It is incredible to many people that cigarette smokers spend money for illness.
为了使句子保持结构完整,还要注意避免融合句(Runtogether Sentence),所谓融合句,就是两个或两个以上的句子之间没有适当的标点符号或连词而融合在一起。如:
I do not care for any more fruit, I have had enough.
可改成:I do not care for any more fruit, for I have had enough.
(2)连贯(Coherence)
句子的连贯性包括两点,即句子各部分之间意义上的连贯和结构上的连贯。如:
1)She told my sister that shewas wrong.
句中代词she所指意思模棱两可,可用:“You are wrong,”she said to mysister.
2)On squeezing on to the bus, my wallet was lost.动名词的逻辑主语与句子主语不一致,可改成:On squeezing on to the bus, I lost my wallet.
(3)清晰(Clarity)
句子的清晰度包含以下四点:句子的主要意思突出;修饰语运用正确;修饰语位置适当;标点符号正确。如:
1)They were just turning the corner, when they heard the noise of a shot.
该句主要意思不突出,句子要表达的主要信息应放在复合句的主句中,所以这一句可改成:They heard the noise of a shot, just as they were turning the corner.
2)I have interesting something to tell you.
该句修饰语位置不对,可改成:I have something interesting to tell you.
3.组段
(1)段落和段落的组成
段落(Paragraph)是扩展中心思想的一组意义密切相关的句子。它本身是一个单元(Unit),同时又是文章的基本部分。
段落一般由三部分组成:主题句(Topic Sentence),扩展句(Development Sentence)和结论句(Concluding Sentence)。
主题句点出段落主旨,各段落的主题句构成一篇文章的骨架,阐述全文的中心思想(Central Idea),扩展句说明主题句或为主题句提供论证,结论句总结、归纳或概括主题句所点出的主旨。
硕士研究生英语入学考试大纲规定,考生应在40分钟内写出一篇200词的短文。如果短文由3-4段组成,那每段也只有50词左右。所以一般说来,每段只要有4-5句就够了。考生如按主题句、扩展句、结论句的数量比例适当安排行文,要写成段落也就不难了。
(2)过渡词
过渡词(Transitional Words)是一种关系指引词,是连接句子与句子、段落与段落的纽带。过渡词一般由副词或起副词作用的短语承担。此外,代词、连词、上下文的近义词等也可作过渡词。过渡词能使文章启、承、转、合,融会贯通,连成一体。
过渡词的分类根据过渡词在文章中的作用,大致可分四类:
1)用于“启”的过渡词语
first, first of all, at first, in the first place, firstly, to being with, to start with, recently, now, at present, in recent years, and so on.
2)用于“承”的过渡词语
second, similarly, in addition, besides, then, furthermore, moreover, what is more, what is worse, for example, for instance, certainly, surely, obviously, in other words, especially, particularly, in particular, indeed, still, third, truly, in fact, in plain terms, for the most part(基本上),at the same time, no doubt,and so on.
3)用于“转”的过渡词语
however, on the other hand, on the contrary, in contrast, in any case, at any rate(无论如何),conversely(相反地),nevertheless(虽然如此),otherwise, or, or else, while...,whereas..., but, despite..., in spite of ..., yet, instead,and so on.
4)用于“合”的过渡词语:
consequently, as a consequence, therefore, as a result, above all, thus,after all(毕竟),generally speaking, in general, finally, at last, eventually, hence, inshort(总之),in conclusion, in a word(总之,简言之),in sum(总之),on the whole(就整体而言),to sum up,and so on.