1、A Basic Course in Writing,Chapter One Word and Sentence,1. Teaching Objective: At the end of this two hours, the students will be able to: Know basic knowledge of Manuscript form Differentiate 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 words Teaching Focus: Formal and general, colloquial and slang, style and audience, Chinglish, avoid repetition of meaning.,Manuscript formDiction Sentences,Contents:,Manuscript form,Arrangement Margin Title Paragraph arrangement Word
3、 Division Capitalization Handwriting,Title,标题多由名词短语组成，首字母大写，位置居中； 冠词、短的介词、并列连词和不定式的“to”如位于句子中间，首字母均小写； 句尾除直接疑问句不用标点符号； 书名斜体，文章名用引号括起来。 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
4、“Fire and Ice”,Word Division,原则：1. 含2个音节以上的单词按照音节的 组成断词；2. 专有名词不断词；3. 避免引起读者歧义的断词；4. 带连字符的单词，连字符位于句尾；5. 避免出现连续几行的断词。,Punctuation,The Comma The Period The Semicolon The Colon Quotation Marks The dash The slash,汉语有但英语没有的某些标点符号, 顿号（、） 顿号在汉语中起分割句子中并列成分的作用；英语中没有顿号，分割句中的并列成分多用逗号。例如： 晶体管是由发射极、基极和集电极三部分构成的。
5、（A transistor consists of three parts: emitter, base and collector. ） 注意：类似的情况下，最后一个逗号后可加and，这个逗号也可省略。例如：欧姆首先发现了电流、电压、电阻之间的关系。 （Ohm first discovered the relationship between current, voltage(,) and resistance. ）, 书名号（） 英文没有书名号，书名、报刊名用斜体或者下划线表示。例如： 计算机入门：（An） Introduction to Computer /（An ）Introducti
6、on to Computer 图像处理的研究：(The) Research on Image Processing/ (The) Research on Image Processing 注意：论文、书籍的各级标题前的冠词可以省略。另外，英语中文章、诗歌、乐曲、电影、绘画等的名称和交通工具、航天器等的专有名词也常用斜体来表示。, 间隔号（） 汉语有间隔号，用在月份和日期、音译的名和姓等需要隔开的词语的正中间，如“一二九”、“ 艾萨克 牛顿（人名）”等。英语中没有汉语的间隔号，需要间隔时多用逗号或括号注明。 如：Consumer Rights Day (Mar. 15) 着重号 有时汉语用在文字
7、下点实心圆点表示需要强调的词语，这些实心点就是着重号。而英语中没有这一符号，需强调某些成分时可借助文字斜体、某些强调性词汇、特殊句型、标点停顿等多种方法。 例如：切忌按消除键。（Do not press the ERASER key.）,英语有但汉语没有的标点符号,英语有些标点符号如：撇号Apostrophe（），连字号Hyphen（-）， 斜线号Virgule或Slash（/）：在汉语中是不存在的。 斜线符号主要起分割作用，如It could be for staff and / or students. 也常用于标音，如bed /bed/。大家在用英语写作的时候，需要特别留意才能正确使用标
8、点符号。,The Slash,用于表示句子当中两个选择的成分； e.g. The school gives students who have financial difficulties loans/part-time jobs. 用于分子和分母之间； 用于表示“每”。 e.g. The house is sold at 5,000 yuan/square meter.,汉英两种语言中的不同符号,句号中文的句号是空心圈（。），英文的句号是实心点（.）。 省略号 英文的省略号是三个点（），位置在行底；中文的为六个点（），居于行中。在美国英语中，如果省略号恰好在句尾，就用四个点，如Id like
9、 to.that is.if you dont mind 破折号 中文中的破折号比英文中破折号要长。英文的破折号只占两个字母的位置；中文的破折号占两个汉字的位置。例如： The boysJim, John, and Jeffleft the party early. （小伙子们吉姆、约翰和杰夫早早地离开了舞会。）,美国英语与英国英语标点符号的差别,引号的用法属于引语的逗号、句号在美国英语中位于引号内，而在英国英语中多位于引号外；引语内再套用引语时，美国英语中双引号在外单引号在内，而英国英语中的单引号在外、双引号在内。 美国英语 John said， “I told him to look be
10、fore he leapsbut he didnt listen” 英国英语：John said，I told him to “look before he leaps”but he didnt listen,冒号的用法 冒号可以用来表示时间，但大家得注意英国人和美国人表示时间的差异。 美国英语在小时与分钟之间多用冒号，如14:50； 英国英语则多用句点，如14.50。 美国英语中，信件或演说词的称呼语之后用冒号，而在英国英语中多用逗号。,Back,Diction,Words are the building blocks of writing; therefore, a good comma
11、nd of them is crucial. Choice of words is a very important issue in writing, so this unit focuses on choosing the correct word to express an idea. 正确性原则 恰当性原则 生动性原则 精炼性原则,正确性原则,Ex：Correct the following sentences 1）Why do you always against me? 2） I will come to the meeting even it rains tomorrow. 3）
12、 The two brothers joined the army 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.,恰当性原则,1) Formal and General ( In this section,
13、 students are expected to clear 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:,1. After a double attempt to insert himself through the wind
14、ow, Michael conceded failure. In plain English: After two tries at climbing in through the window, Michael gave up.,Vague -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 t
15、he soldiers minor wound.,V-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.,身份恰当 方式恰当,( students have to learn to choose the appropriate style whe
16、n writing to different audiences and in different contexts).,The 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 the
17、se styles into three levels- Informal, Formal, and General. Each level is appropriate in certain situations but not in all.,Informal English has a conversational tone. Writers of informal English frequently use contractions, colloquial expressions and slang. Their sentence structure is usually loose
18、 with more ands fewer subordinate 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.,Formal English is found in technical reports, scholarly books and articles, and many types of prof
19、essional or academic 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.,As for
20、 vocabulary, everyday 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.,2) Colloquial and Slang ( The aim
21、 of this section is to remind students that colloquial and slang expressions should be used caustiously in writing although they are widely used in spoken English).,生动性原则,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
22、in my garden are 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.,A good man Kind, honest, just, generous, sympathetic, warm-hearted, selfless, brave, h
23、onorable. Good food Tasty, delicious, nourishing, rich, wholesome, fresh, appetizing, abundant,House Mansion, villa, chateau, cottage, bungalow, cabin, hut, shack, shanty, shed, barn. Laugh Smile, grin, beam, giggle, chuckle, titter, snigger guffaw狂笑, chortle哈哈大笑.,Ex: use more specific and concrete
24、words for those italicized.,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. ( borin
25、g) ( incompetent) (exquisite vase) (stimulating) (strange),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
26、 that only several people attended the game. (enjoyable) (touching) (friendly) (traits) (five),Denotation 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 li
27、terally means.,Connotative 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).,Complete the table with synonyms:,Strange,compliment,pigheaded,old pe
28、rson,bachelor girl,Fill 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 abou
29、t. I was flattered by your 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!,By “appropriate” we mean the proper style of English and the avoidance of Chinglish. Students must be aware from the v
30、ery beginning that there 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
31、 able to decide on the style of their writing according to these two factors.,Though 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
32、 to the connotation 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.,不正式 （informal ） 正式(for
33、mal) so therefore, consequently, accordingly but however very extremely deep profound lucky fortunate enough sufficient end terminate raise elevate same identical learned erudite,Phrasal verbs are colloquial and often used in conversational style.Go on continue look into investigate,Slang words and
34、expressions are 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.,精炼性原则,a. Youd better think it over and consider it carefully.b. Youd better think it over.（Youd better co
35、nsider it carefully.）,a. 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 th
36、e last bus, I had to return home on foot.）,Avoid repetition of meaning,Repetition 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
37、which are, in native speakers eyes, redundant.,Rewrite 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
38、teach is relevant to local problems.,Improved: 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 ins
39、truction directly relates to the local situation.,4) 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
40、 the connotative meaning of a word so as to avoid misunderstanding.) avoid literal translation grasp the connotation,Classroom Activities:,A. translate: . 1.你花了多少时间写那篇文章？ How much time does it take you to write that article? 2.我的英语水平很差，所以我得努力学习它。 My English is very poor, so I will work hard at it. 3
41、.坐公共汽车去那儿至少要花两个小时。 .It will take at least two hours to go there by bus.,4.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.读书可以获得知识
42、 through reading, one can .( reading books can acquire knowledge) 8.所有这些都得感谢我们的政府 we should thank our government for all of this. ( all of this should thank our government),B: correct the following sentences,1.His body is very healthy. 2.we are difficult to finish all this tonight. 3.his sick condit
43、ion is much better. He is no longer dangerous. 3.we must spend bitter work to master knowledge.,4.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
44、concert.,7.we 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.,10.he likes eating fruits. Such as apples and bananas. 11.many people who get
45、married before they are mature enough. 12.there a lot of students like to read aloud in the morning.,13.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. .
46、,16.while 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 easy,Rewrite:,I havent received your letter for a long time. How are
47、your condition? 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.,Improved:,How are things getting on these days? Are you busy at work? Hope to here fr
48、om you 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.,Back,Writing good sentencesThe sentence base, which is like the trunk of a tree, consists of at least one subject and one verb. The
49、 choice 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 to read.,
