1、The Whole Composition Steps in Writing a Composition Organization of a composition Types of Writing 1.Steps in Writing a CompositionlPlan a composition:work out a thesis or a theme;provide facts or detailslWrite an outline:either a topic outline or a sentence outline lWrite the first draftlRevise th
2、e first draft:check if there are any grammar or spelling mistakes,and if the paragraphs are properly organizedExample 1:What steps should we do when we write a composition on“autobiography”?Work out a thesis/purpose-Which dimension/aspect do you wish to tell others?Character?Family?career?love?frien
3、ds?Character.Im open-minded and diligent.What materials do me need to support this center?Brainstorm:My name,my birth date,my hometown,my family members,my mothers job,my fathers job and character,my elementary school,high school,college time,hard work in university,my leisure-time relaxation,my wor
4、king experience,etc.Outline:I:My name,my age,my family poor but harmonious.Surrounded by parents love and care,I have been kind and open-minded to others.While having witnessed parents sweat and tears,I have become diligent and independent.II:In primary school(share food with another poorer pupil bu
5、t never let parents know that,and finally get stomach trouble)III:In high school(win the 1st prize in each test)IV:In university(do part-time jobs to support living and study expense)V:There is still a long way to go in my life,but with kindness,self-reliance and diligence,I am confident that I can
6、realize all my dreams and goals.I am so grateful to my dearest parents,for they have taught me the most important qualities for a person.Example 2:What steps should we do when we write a composition on“Snow skiing”?First we narrow down the topic to this one:Snow skiers must take extreme precautions
7、on the slopes.Now lets collect materials by brainstorming:1.How would you describe it?2.Where do people play it?3.How many people are needed?4.What kind of equipment is necessary?5.How can this activity excite people mentally and affect people physically?6.Why would you recommend it to someone?7.Is
8、it a dangerous sport?If so,how to avoid the potential dangers?Snow SkiinglOutdoor recreation;energetic activity;individual fun activity;see beauty of mountains(the Alps,Switzerland);wonderful scenery and wildlife;beneficial to our health;good for physical fitness;excellent yet challenging exercise;a
9、dventurous;not good for all ages;lSkiing equipment:ski suit,ski boot,ski pole;an expensive sportlCan be dangerous;consider the weather conditions,the slope conditions(especially downhill skiing),avalanche;obey the warning signs;consider ones own abilityNow lets select and organize the materials,and
10、form an outline:Snow Skiing Snow skiers must take extreme precautions on the slopes.They must consider the weather conditions.A.Temperature B.Wind C.Stormy or clear weather They must consider the slope conditions.A.Icy surfaces B.Rocks and tree stumps C.Visibility D.Crowds They must consider their o
11、wn ability.A.Beginner B.Intermediate C.Expert They must obey the warning signs.A.Out-of-bounds markers B.“Slow”signs C.Hazards Snow skiing is a safe and enjoyable winter sport if skiers take a few precautions.2.OrganizationTHE ESSAY Introductory Paragraph-General Statements(Refer to Page 36)THESIS S
12、TATEMENTBody Paragraphs-TOPIC SENTENCE(Refer to Page 42)Supporting Sentences (Concluding Sentence)TOPIC SENTENCE Supporting Sentences (Concluding Sentence)TOPIC SENTENCE Supporting Sentences (Concluding Sentence)Concluding Paragraph-CONCLUDING SENTENCE(S)(Refer to Page 38)Final Thoughts2.Organizatio
13、nlSome principles:unity,coherence,continuity,completeness,proper weight to supporting details lThe opening paragraph:different ways to start a composition lThe body paragraphs:(Refer to the 7 ways to organize a paragraph and refer to the example on Page 43).lThe concluding paragraph:different ways t
14、o end a composition(Refer to Page 38 or refer to the ways to end a paragraph).Four purposes of the opening paragraphlIt states the topic of the essay.lIt gives background information on the topic.lIt should arouse the readers curiosity about or interest in the topic.lIt often indicates the focus,pur
15、pose,or direction of the essay.How to write a good opening paragraph?1.Give a striking fact(such as figures,statistics,studies,or researches)or odd problem that can arouse curiosity or interest and that is related to the essay topic.2.Ask a question that the essay will answer.3.Use a vivid quotation
16、 from a good source.4.Tell a story that illustrates the main point of the essay.5.Write a direct opening,setting the mood or scene.Quotation Everything in this universe is perpetually in a stage of change,a fact commented on by philosophers and poets through the ages.If we flick through any book of
17、quotations we find numerous statements about the fluctuating world we live in:“Everything rolled on,nothing stays still,”claims the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus in the sixth century B.C.In the sixteenth century,Edmund Spenser speaks of“the ever-whirling wheel of change,the which all mortal t
18、hings doth away,”while“time and the world are ever in flight”is a statement by the twentieth century Irish poet William Butler Yeats to take just a few random samples.Language,like everything else,joins in this general flux (Language Change:Progress or Decay?Jean Aitchison)Quotation If the saying“Yo
19、u are what your eat”holds true,we could all end up being very different people from our ancestors.Modern science and agriculture had freed our country and many other nations from traditional diets based largely on natural farm products.Many kinds of new food do save us time and trouble,but they are
20、often costly,in terms of both dollars and,ultimately,health.Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are,即告诉我你平时吃什么,即告诉我你平时吃什么,我就可说出你是怎么样的一个人。后来才变成现在这句话我就可说出你是怎么样的一个人。后来才变成现在这句话you are what you eat即:你要健康就要注意你的饮食健康。即:你要健康就要注意你的饮食健康。Fact,figures,statistics,studies,or researches Every two-and-
21、a-half minutes someone in the U.S.is robbed at gunpoint,and every forty minutes someone else is murdered with a gun.The weapons find their way into the hands of the criminals in a manner that almost nobody understands.Each year police seize about 250,000 handguns and long guns from the people they a
22、rrest.Given the number of guns that the manufacturers produce each year(2.5 million long guns and 4 million handguns)the supply-and-demand equation works against the hope of an orderly society.Questions What will the life be like on a university campus?Do the students of a university have a workload
23、 as heavy as the pupils of a high school?Is it easy to get along with the instructors and professors?These questions lingered on my mind ever since I received the letter of admission from Shandong University of Technology.And I was so anxious to go and see the campus with my own eyes that I even cou
24、ld hardly fall asleep the night before my enrolment because I would begin a life completely new to me.Direct opening A hacker originally refers to a person who chops or cuts roughly and irregularly with a hatchet.But with the widespread application of computers to various aspects of our life and wor
25、k,it has assumed a new meaning.A hacker now is a computer user who is able to use or change the information in other peoples computer systems without their knowledge or permission.Many hackers are very talented people who have acquired computer knowledge all by themselves.Practice:Exercise 2&3 on Pa
26、ge 40.3.Types of WritinglDescription:It is painting a picture in words of a person,place,object,or scene.(Refer to“A handbook of writing(by DingWangdao)”,Pages158-172).“the earliest coins in China”“dragon lantern shows”lNarration:It is to give an account of an event or a series of events.In its broa
27、dest sense,narrative writing includes stories,real or imaginary,biographies,histories,news items,and narrative poems.(Refer to Pages 172-181).“the most important day in my life”the stamp incident”lExposition:It is perhaps the type of writing that is most frequently used by a student,a scientist,or a
28、 professional.An expository paper explains or explores something,such as the process of making a machine,the causes of a natural or social phenomenon,the planning of a project,or the solution of a problem.(Refer to Pages 181-233).”Language and culture”What we want from sports”lArgumentation:It is to
29、 convince,rather than inform.While an expository paper makes known something and explains it to make the reader understand,an argumentative essay tries to make the reader agree with its point of view and support it,to persuade him to change his mind or behavior,and to approve a policy or a course of action that it proposes.Speeches on policies,editorials of newspapers,articles on political or theoretical questions,and various proposals are often(Refer to Pages233-247).“The control of death”The three gorges project is beneficial”Life can be happy and meaningful