实用英语写作(practical-english-writing)3

ThefundamentalskillsofEnglishwritingThecontrollingideaofthetopicsentence(主题句的制约点)Howtomakethecontrollingideasinthesentence主题句由两部分组成，即主题(topic)和制约点/中心思想（controllingidea）。中心思想的作用是导向(control)和制约(limit)。我们前面谈到的关键词就反映了中心思想。所谓导向就是规定段落的发展脉络，所谓制约就是限制主题的覆盖范围，两者不可分割。没有导向，内容就会离题或偏题；没有制约，内容就可能超出一个段落所能容纳的范围。因此，紧紧把握主题句中controllingidea的导向和制约作用，是短文写作成功关键之一。Howtomakethecontrollingideainthesentence…?You’dbetterfindapointnotalinetofocuson.Forexample:Mymotherhaspassedalongtomerulesforgettingalongwithothers.Revisedsentences:1.Mymotherhaspassedalongtomecertainrulesforgettingalongwithothers.2.Mymotherhaspassedalongtomeseveralrulesforgettingalongwithothers.Mymotherhaspassedalongtomecertainrulesforgettingalongwithothers.Don'targuewithparents;theywillthinkyoudon'tlovethem.Don'targuewithchildren;theywillthinkthemselvesvictimized.Don'targuewithspouses;theywillthinkyouareatiresomemate.Don'targuewithstrangers;theywillthinkyouarenotfriendly.Mymother'srules,infact,canbesummedupintwowords:Don'targue.主题句中提出的“certainrules”指的是什么？展开句中通过四个“Don‘targue--”逐一加以交代。从结构来看，这是一个比较典型的段落，它包括了主题句，推展句和结论句（即本段中的末句）。3.Exerciseisbeneficialtoyou.Exerciseisbeneficialtoyourheart.Exerciseisbeneficialtobothyourmindandyourbody.4.InmylifeIhavereadmanygoodbooks.InmylifeIhavereadmanygoodbooksthatreallyhavepositivelyinfluencedme.Exerciseisbeneficial.Exerciseisbeneficialtoyourheart.Exerciseisbeneficial这是毫无疑义的。但主题句中如不加上toyourheart来加以control和limit，那就流于空泛。Exerciseisbeneficialtoyourheart.A22-yearstudywasconductedbydoctorsinCalifornia.Theyfoundthatpeoplewhoworkatphysicaljobsexperiencefewerheartattacksthanotherpeople.Theseactivepeopleworkallthetimeatmoderatespeeds,theirdailyroutinegivesthemanadequateamountofexerciseandhelpsthemstayinshape.段落的主题句对主题的限定主要是通过句中的关键词来表现的。关键词要尽量写得具体些。对“具体”的要求包括两个方面：一是要具体到能控制和限制段落的发展；二是要具体到能说明段落发展的方法。准确地把握关键词是清楚地表达段落主题、写好段落主题句的重要前提之一。我们再看下列例句：Hecanfixabicyclehimself.斜体部分应为主题句中的关键词。但它只是限制了段落发展的部分内容，并没有告诉读者该用哪种方法展开，是用因果关系法还是用分类法？修正：Hecanfixabicyclehimselfinseveralsimplesteps.修正：Thereareseveralreasonswhyhecanfixabicyclehimself.Shetriestoimproveherlooks.斜体部分应为主题句中的关键词。她试着改变她面容的理由是什么？或者她采取什么方法来改善呢？我们无法从关键词中清楚得知。修正：Shetriesmanywaystoimproveherlooks.修正：Therearesomereasonswhyshetriestoimproveherlooks.Somepeopleholdthatautomobileswillgiverisetoproblems.Revisedsentences:Somepeopleholdthatautomobileswillgiverisetoaseriesofproblems.Somepeopleholdthatautomobileswillgiverisetoaseriesofproblemssuchasmoreseriousenvironmentalpollution,moretrafficaccidentsandmoreenergyconsumption.Besides,thereare1.3billionpeopleinChina.Ifeveryfamilyownedacar,toomanycarswouldrunonthisland,whichwillcertainlyleadtotrafficcongestionandposegreatthreattotheexistenceofthepeople.Therefore,theyareagainstdevelopingprivatecarsinChina.Nowadaysmoreandmoremoviesofviolenceareproduced.Revisedsentences:Nowadaysmoreandmoremoviesofviolenceareproducedassomepeopleenjoythem.Nowadaysmoreandmoremoviesofviolenceareproducedassomepeopleenjoythem.Accordingtotheiropinion,moviesofviolenceareexcitingandthereforepeopleeasilykilltheirtimebywatchingthem.Someothersevengofurthertoarguethatmoviesofviolencealsoencourageustotakethelawintoourhandsandtoarmourselvesincaseweareattacked.Practice:Revisedthesetopicsentencestonarrowthefocusbystressacontrollingidea.1.CartoonstobetelevisedonTVshouldbecensored.2.Peoplecouldenjoytheirleisuretimebetter.3.TheUnitedNationsshouldtakeastrongerroleinworldaffairs.4.Practicalactivitiesduringschoolyearsareuseful.5.Humorisgoodtopeople.Revisedsentences:1.CartoonstobetelevisedonTVshouldbecensoredincasethatchildrencouldbeinfluencedbyunhealthyones.2.PeoplecouldenjoytheirleisuretimebetteriftheywatchTVless.3.TheUnitedNationsshouldtakeastrongerroleinworldaffairs,especiallyintakingprecautionsagainstterrorincidents,suchas“HorrorAttack911”.4.Practicalactivitiesduringschoolyearsareusefulforone’spersonality.5.Humorisgoodtopeople’sbodyandmind.Assignment:Invitation谨订于2月15日(星期四)下午6时在亨顿北区第五大街10号举行晚宴。敬请光临，此致亨利·金先生和夫人敬请回复电话：22—6655802l服装：礼服乔治·史密斯先生和夫人2月9日Mr.andMrs.GeorgeSmithRequestthepleasureofMr.andMrs.HenryKing'sCompanyatdinnerintheirhomeAtsixo'clockp.m.onThursday,February15At10theFifthStreetHendonNorthR.S.V.P.(Tel:[phone])Dress:FormalFebruary9February9DearMr.andMrs.King,Willyougiveusthepleasureofyourcompanyatdinnerat10the5thStreetHendonNorthonThursday,February15,atsixo’clock?Anearlyreplywilloblige.Yourscordially,GeorgeSmithPractice:1.查尔斯.怀特博士及夫人邀请约翰.史密斯先生光临9月8日星期6晚7:30在中国大酒店举行的鸡尾酒会,敬请光临.请着正装出席.回复地址:中山路80号2.英语协会谨于4月10日星期天晚上8点在南湖会堂举行英语晚会,敬请陈晓君校长光临.Dr.AndMrs.CharlesWhiteRequestthepleasureofMr.JohnSmith’sCompanyatacocktailAt7:30p.m.onSaturday,theeighthofSeptemberAtChinaHotelR.S.V.P.Dress:Formal80ZhongshanRoadSeptember1TheEnglishAssociationcordiallyinvitesVicePresidentChenXiaojunToattendEnglishPartyOnSundayevening,Aprilthetenth,ateighto’clockNanhuHallSection2LettersofCongratulationLettersofcongratulationsarecommonletterswrittenforsocialcontacts.Youneedtoconveycongratulationstofriends,relatives,colleagues,customers,c