Unit One Introduction to English__ Writing

UnitOneAnIntroductiontoEnglishWriting1.ImportanceofWritingAmonglistening,speaking,reading,writingandtranslatingoflearningaforeignlanguage,writingisofthefirstimportance.Why?Well,yousee,listening,speaking,readingandtranslatingareallbasedonwordchoice,tense,grammar,syntaxanddiscourseortext,whichareprimaryissuesconcerningwriting.Ifoneispooratwriting,itishardtobelievethatheorshewillbeexcellentatspeakingorotherskillsoflearningaforeignlanguage.Probably,veryoftenIoverhearthatsomeoneisknownforhisorherspeaking.Butaftercommunicatingwithhimorher,Ifindthatitisnotthecase.Why?Manyaneloquentspeakerisfluentinspeaking,butisfoundpoorinwriting.Hisorherspeakingcanbebynomeansproclaimedtobegreatorterrific,forbeinggreatorterrificinspeakingnotonlymeansbeingfluent,alsobeingaccurateandright.Conclusion:AnAmericandeclaresthatallcoursesarewritingcourseanditseemsthatthereissomesenseinit.2.HowtoImproveYourWriting(1)Beattentiveineachclass(2)Keepingonacquiringwords,phrases,sentences,etc.bypenwritinginthepaper(3)Keepingonmemorizingwords,phrasesandtheirrespectiveusageaswellassentencesaspossibleasyoucan(4)Improvingyourknowledgeongrammar,syntax,reasoning,etc.(5)Makingpenpalswithothers,esp.,Englishnativespeakers(6)KeepingadiaryinEnglish(7)Writingtome,yourteacher3.ArrangementofYourWritings3.1WriteoneveryotherlineEitherlinedexercisebookorregularofficepapermaybeusedforyourwritingInordertomakeyourhandwritingeasytoreadandprovideroomforcorrection,youaresuggestedtowriteoneveryotherline,andwriteononlyonesideofthepaperifitisthin.Leaveamarginoneachsideofthepaper—abouttwocentimetersatthetopandacentimeterandahalfattheleft,therightandthebottom.Note:InmanyWesterncountries,manypeoplewriteonbothsidesofapaperforthesakeofenvironmentalprotection.Seeexamples!3.2Indentthefirstlineofeveryparagraph,leavingaspaceofaboutfouroffiveletters(TocompareittothatofChinesewriting).3.3WordDivisionRulesWedivideawordmainlyaccordingtoitssyllables.A.One-syllablewordlikethree,march,braincannotbedivided.B.Donotwriteoneletterofawordattheendoratthebeginningofaline,evenifthatonelettermakesupasyllable,suchasa.lone,trick.y.C.Donotputatwo-lettersyllableatthebeginningofaline,likehat.ed,cab.in.(Avoidseparatingpropernamesofpeopleorplaces,likeChi.na,Pet.er.)D.Dividehyphenatedwordsonlyatthehyphen:father-in-law,empty-handed.Mother-to-beE.Donotdividewordsinawaythatmaymisleadthereader:pea.cock,re.ally.F.Donotdividethelastwordonapage.Instead,writethewholewordonthenextpage.G.Dividewordswithprefixesorsuffixesbetweentheprefixorsuffixandthebasepartoftheword:re.state.ment,surprising.ly,un.employ.mentH.Dividetwo-syllablewordswithdoubleconsonantsbetweenthetwoconsonants:strug.gle,hap.pyAssignmentsWriteanessayaboutthefirstyearyouhavespentatOujiangCollegeofWenzhouUniversity.Remembertospecifyyourtitlefirst!4.RulesforCapitalizationThefollowingarerulesforcapitalizaton.Rule1.Capitalizethefirstwordofaquotedsentence.Examples:Hesaid,Treatherasyourowndaughter.“Lookout!shescreamed.Youalmostranintomychild.Rule2.Capitalizepropernouns.Examples:GoldenGateBridgeJohnKeatstheWestBangladeshtheSeptember11thIncidentRule3.Capitalizeaperson'stitlewhenitprecedesthename.Donotcapitalizewhenthetitleisactingasadescriptionfollowingthename.Examples:ChairpersonPetrov,Ms.Petrov,thechairpersonofthecompany,willaddressusatnoon.Rule4.Capitalizetheperson'stitlewhenitfollowsthenameontheaddressorsignatureline.Example:Sincerely,Ms.Haines,ChairpersonRule5.Capitalizethetitlesofhigh-rankinggovernmentofficialswhenusedbeforetheirnames.Donotcapitalizetheciviltitleifitisusedinsteadofthename.Examples:ThepresidentwilladdressCongress.Allsenatorsareexpectedtoattend.Thegovernors,lieutenantgovernors,andattorneysgeneralcalledforaspecialtaskforce.GovernorFortinbrass,LieutenantGovernorPoppins,AttorneyGeneralDalloway,andSenatorsJamesandTwainwillattend.Rule6.Capitalizeanytitlewhenusedasadirectaddress.Example:Willyoutakemytemperature,Doctor?Rule7.Capitalizepointsofthecompassonlywhentheyrefertospecificregions.Examples:WehavehadthreerelativesfromtheSouth.Gosouththreeblocksandthenturnleft.Weliveinthesoutheastsectionoftown.Southeastisjustanadjectiveheredescribingsection,soitshouldnotbecapitalized.Rule8.Alwayscapitalizethefirstandlastwordsoftitlesofpublicationsregardlessoftheirpartsofspeech.Capitalizeotherwordswithintitles,includingtheshortverbformsIs,Are,andBe.Exception:Donotcapitalizelittlewordswithintitlessuchasa,an,the,but,as,if,and,or,nor,orprepositions,regardlessoftheirlength.Examples:TheDayoftheJackalWhatColorIsYourParachute?ATaleofTwoCitiesRule9.Capitalizefederalorstatewhenusedaspartofanofficialagencynameoringovernmentdocumentswherethesetermsrepresentanofficialname.Iftheyarebeingusedasgeneralterms,youmayuselowercaseletters.Examples:Thestatehasevidencetothecontrary.Thatisafederaloffense.TheStateBoardofEqualizationcollectssalestaxes.Wewillvisitthreestatesduringoursummervacation.TheFederalBureauofInvestigationhasbeensubjecttomuchscrutinyandcriticismlately.Herbusinessmustcomplywithallcounty,state,andfederallaws.Rule10.Youmaycapitalizewordssuchasdepartment,bureau,andof