【托福培训-写作】托福写作的10个核心准则

       托福写作一直都是中国考生的弱项，The Elements of Style一书中，作者提到了关于托福写作的10个核心准则一起来学习一下。

　　Elementary principles of composition

　　1. Make the paragraph the unit of composition: one paragraph to each topic

　　不同的段落构成文章，每个段落仅传递一个观点

　　2. As a rule, begin each paragraph with a topic sentence; end it in conformity with the beginning

　　规则：每个段落均以主题句开头，并且首尾呼应。

　　A. the topic sentence comes at or near the beginning;

　　主题句前置

　　B. the succeeding sentences explain or establish or develop the statement made in the topic sentence;

　　段落围绕主题句展开，后面的句子对主题句进行展开解释

　　C. the final sentence either emphasizes the thought of the topic sentence or states some important consequence.

　　末尾句或者对主题句进行强调，或者阐述主题句带来的结果。

　　3. Use the active voice

　　主动句永远比被动句直接有力

　　Eg: There were a great number of dead leaves lying on the ground

　　= Dead leaves covered the ground. (清晰生动)

　　Eg: The reason that he left college was that his health became impaired.

　　= Failing health compelled him to leave college. (简洁有力)

　　Eg: It was not long before he was very sorry that he had said what he had.

　　= He soon repented his words. (简洁有力)

　　4. Put statements in positive form

　　以肯定的形式表达否定的意思, 避免使用平淡、毫无色彩，犹豫不决和含糊其辞的语言。

　　Eg：He was not very often on time.

　　= He usually came late.

　　Eg: He did not think that studying Latin was much use.

　　= He thought the study of Latin useless.

　　Eg: The taming of the Shrew is rather weak in spots. Shakespeare does not portray Katharine as a very admirable character, nor does Bianca remain long in memory as an important character in Shakespeare’s works.

　　= The women in The Taming of the Shrew are unattractive. Katharine is disagreeable, Bianca insignificant.

　　5. Omit needless words

　　删除冗词

　　Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.

　　有力的写作一定简洁。

　　Owing to the fact that

　　=Since (because)

　　In spite of the fact that

　　=Though (although)

　　Call your attention to the fact that

　　=Remind you (notify you)

　　The fact that he had not succeeded

　　=His failure

　　6. Avoid a succession of loose sentences

　　别写流水账，找找语言的逻辑关系，通过who, which, when, where, and while 这些词把句子串起来。

　　7. Express co-ordinate ideas in similar form

　　Parallel structure 平行结构讲究对称美：内容对等，结构一致。

　　Eg: Formerly, science was taught by the textbook method, while now the laboratory method is employed.

　　Parallel structure: Formerly, science was taught by the textbook method; now it is taught by the laboratory method.

　　8. Keep related words together

　　词的位置决定词的关系，所以遵循‘物以类聚’，意思关联紧密的词放在一块。

　　A: 主谓之间不分割，补充信息需前置

　　Eg: Wordsworth, in the fifth book of The Excursion, gives a minute description of this church.

　　Eg: In the fifth book of the Excursion, Wordsworth gives a minute description of this church. (状语前置，主谓毗邻)

　　B：关系代词紧随先行词出现

　　Eg: There was a look in his eye that boded mischief.

　　Eg: In his eye was a look that boded mischief. (名词look先行，关系词that紧随)

　　9. In summaries, keep to one tense

　　总结通常使用现在时态，如果使用过去时，请保持时态一致。

　　10. Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end

　　欲擒故纵的圆周句(periodic sentence)中，强调信息后置。

　　Eg: Four centuries ago, Christopher Columbus, one of the Italian mariners whom the decline of their own republics had put at the service of the world and of adventure, seeking for Spain a westward passage to the Indies as setoff against the achievements of Portuguese discoverers, lighted on America.

　　Eg: With these hopes and in this belief I would urge you, laying aside all hindrance, thrusting away all private aims, to devote yourselves unswervingly and unflinchingly to the vigorous and successful prosecution of this war.

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