writing tips
Clarity and Concison!!!
bad:
Independent thought is highly valued in society, but it is better that knowledge, if it is arrived at, is achieved through the collection of a group of people
good
Independent thought, while highly valuable, ultimately needs to be validated by society.
Logical flow
由反转正可能更为合适。
bad
many people have contributed helpful inventions, so technology is making life easier for us.
contributed invention ->!!! NO technology can make life easier
invention NO technology
contribute NO life easier
good
The constant influx of new technologies can lead us to feel overwhelmed. Nevertheless, many of these technologies can make our lives easier.
Style and Sentence Variety
同位语，变换多样单词
be specific
Grammer and Spelling
synonym—同位语
the dog are barking 是严重的错误
time management
- brainstorm and outline (3min)
- write intro and thesis statement(3min)
- write the body and example (20 min)
- write conclusion (2 min)
- Finish intro (2min)
tro to ISSUE TASK
Direction -> agree or disgree
- agree | disagree
- support your position
- extra info
Choose a side
- choose a side but need to look at both side. 两边都要照顾到，有一个主要的方向
- concession point
- other side is also valid in some cases
对每一个大类中的topic 都要讨论一下
pros and cons
- write thesis
- write body
- write conclusion
- finish intro
ISSUE writing
Thesis
- kepp thesis short and sweet
- choose a side
- most important sentence
一定要短小精炼，把核心写出来，不要长！就一句话！！！
Body
举例子，假设时。越具体越好！！！！！！
结尾时，要回归到ISSUE上，点题。
concession point
- consider other side of argument
- qualify one of your previous points
conclusion
- restate thesis and body
- do not introduce new information
最后可以让步强化
intro
- introduce topic
- 用自己语言分析topic然后往自己想占的立场说话
- 声明自己的立场
on how to writing well
your lead must capture the reader immediately and force him to keep reading. It must cajole him with freshness, or novelty, or paradox, or humor, or surprise, or with an unusual idea, or an interesting fact, or a question. Anything will do, as long as it nudges his curiosity and tugs at his sleeve.
结尾要有惊喜，这就像一根诱人口水的大骨头，首先它要有嚼头，然后它得告诉读者，这是最后一根了。
VERBS.
不到万不得已，不要用被动动词
Use active verbs unless there is no comfortable way to get around using a passive verb.
Prune out the small words that qualify how you feel and how you think and what you saw: “a bit,” “a little,” “sort of,” “kind of,” “rather,” “quite,” “very,” “too,” “pretty much,” “in a sense” and dozens more. They dilute your style and your persuasiveness.
The Dash 破折号的用法
The dash is used in two ways. One is to amplify or justify in the second part of the sentence a thought you stated in the first part. “We decided to keep going—it was only 100 miles more and we could get there in time for dinner.”By its very shape the dash pushes the sentence ahead and explains why they decided to keep going. The other use involves two dashes, which set apart a parenthetical thought within a longer sentence. “She told me to get in the car—she had been after me all summer to have a haircut—and we drove silently into town.” An explanatory detail that might otherwise have required a separate sentence is dispatched along the way.
But 开头
能用that 不要用which
which 更为精确
If your sentence needs a comma to achieve its precise meaning, it probably needs “which.” “Which” serves a particular identifying function, different from “that.” (A) “Take the shoes that are in the closet.” This means: take the shoes that are in the closet, not the ones under the bed. (B) “Take the shoes, which are in the closet.” Only one pair of shoes is under discussion; the “which” usage tells you where they are. Note that the comma is necessary in B, but not in A.
Do – prune out every word that does not perform a necessary function. Strip each sentence to its cleanest components. A clear sentence is no accident.
Do – use the thesaurus liberally. Learn the small gradations between words that seem to be synonyms.
Do – try to improve the rhythm by reversing the order of a sentence, substituting a word that has freshness or oddity, and by varying the lengths of sentences.
Do – make your first sentence the best one – your lead must capture the reader.
Do – make each sentence lead into the next. Readers think linearly.
Do – Take special care with the last sentence in your paragraph – its the springboard to the next paragraph.
Do – make your paragraphs short. Readers think in segments.
Do – pay special attention to the last sentence. The perfect ending should take your reader slightly by surprise and yet seem exactly right.
Do – Read it aloud to see how it sounds and re-edit – then do it again. Clear writing is the result of lots of tinkering.
On the other hand:
Don’t – use passive verbs unless there is no comfortable way to use an active verb.
Don’t – use adverbs that convey the same meaning as your strong active verb – prune it out.
Don’t – use adjectives when the concept is already in your carefully chosen noun – prune it out.
Don’t – use small words that qualify how you feel: “a bit,” “a little,” “sort of,” and dozens more. Good writing is lean and confident.
Don’t – use concept nouns:
Instead of – “The common reaction is incredulous laughter.”
Write – “Most people just laugh with disbelief.”Don’t – use the exclamation point unless you must, do use the period more frequently, don’t forget the versatile dash, and cut down on the use of semi-colons and colons. If you don’t know how to punctuate, get a grammar book.
Intro to Argument
- challenge argument 找文章的逻辑漏洞
- Discuss ways to improve the argument 寻找能够提高文章说服力的途径
Directions
- Indentify stated/unstated assumption
- Strengthen and weaken argument
Logical Fallacies
- things changed 【3年前成功，今年也成功】-错
- assumed cause and effect 【一个在另一个前发生，所以前一个导致后一个】-错
- numbers and percentage assumptions 【数据和比例问题】
- vague language 【in better shape than others 】
- not all X are alike 【以局部推断总体】
- don’t trust a survey
- apple aren’t oranges 【different cities 】-错误类比
argument task
intro
- keep intro short and sweet
- use standard/boilerplate language
body
- focus on three logical fallacies
- use a paragraph for each fallacy
- strengthen argument
conclusion
- keep short and sweet
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