什么是 Main Body Paragrap?
Essay Main body是圍繞著文本主要論點而展開的。通過說服句子、引用經典以及推理過程,正文為作者的主要論點提供詳細的信息,而其形式會多種多樣:如使用數據和圖表、具體的案例和事實、著作引用、圖形等。
Essay寫作中Main Body Paragrap的兩種格式
第一種Essay Main Body Paragraph(正文段)寫作結構如下: Topic Sentence 主題句(一句話闡明本段的論點) 在中文文章中也叫中心思想句子,Assertion statements:主張句(幾句話闡述你的論點) Examples:舉例(列舉一些事實) Explaination:解釋(說明以上事實為什么能支撐你的論點) Significance:意義(總結說明為什么本段論點能論證全文的主題) ,第二種,也可以簡單地分為三個部分,在美國這被稱為Hamburg Paragraph,俗稱“漢堡包寫作法”。Topic Sentence(主題句) Supporting Evidence(支持論據) Conclusion Sentence(總結句) 這兩種結構能讓讓作者在寫作Essay的過程中不至于偏題。論文正文每一個段落的中心思想是在主題句提出的,并且這是一個具體的、非常確定的觀點而不是泛泛而談的話題或一個事實。
Main body Paragrap 的作用
為了支撐某個看法或對于文章topic or research question提出異議,正文要論述學生的個人論點、他人的觀點以及其他與主題相關信息。給讀者提供談論的概況,從不同角度來談談本主題的關鍵問題,探討論文topic優勢和劣勢,尤其是如果同學們需要‘discuss’ 或‘evaluate’一些議題,指出并概述不同觀點的異同點,論述已經存在的論點并提供相關案例研究或具體的例子抽出最合理的論點等。
下面我們挑一些重點來一一分析。
1、主題句的寫作要點
首先,注意主題句應該是一個觀點,而不是事實。比如: 事實:Plagiarizing is to steal and pass off the ideas or words of another as one's own. 觀點:People can avoid plagiarizing by taking certain precautions. 其次,主題句應該是一個觀點,而不能僅僅包含一個話題。比如: 只包含話題:Today I'm going to discuss the benefits of gardening. 包含觀點:Gardening gives us pleasure and is very effective to our minds. 最后,你的觀點不能是泛泛的,而應該是確切的。 模糊:The United States suffered a lot during the Civil War. 確切:Sherman's destruction in the South during the Civil War also caused incredible suffering.
2、如何引述證據
在列舉證據時,首先我們應當保證所有的論據都是與主題相關的。證據可能包括以下類型: 事實(Facts) 公開發表的觀點(Published opinions) 書刊網站等媒體上的調查研究(Research from books, journal articles, websites, etc.) 公開的案例(Published case studies) 研究數據(Research data) 引用證據有三種方法: 引用(Quoting):逐字逐句地復制原信息 復述(Paraphrasing):按自己的語言重新組織 概括(Summarising):更簡潔的語言概括原信息 .... 但無論采用哪種方法,我們都需要注意:A、讓證據自然地穿插在文中;B、注明來源。比如使用這樣的表達: Further insight into income inequality is provided by Dr. Delaney, an economist at Stanford, who is of the opinion that…推薦閱讀:論文body部分段落內的布局結構。
3、過渡的重要性
無論是句與句之間,還是段落與段落之間,都需要過渡。過渡能讓文章連貫統一,沒有過渡的文章就僅僅是一些句子隨機地組合在一起。下面我們通過一個例子來感受下。 我們先看一個沒有過渡的段落: Students who write academic essays need to provide effective transitions. Transitions allow writers to connect the main ideas that are present in an essay. Using conjunctive adverbs and other introductory elements allow a writer to connect one sentence to the next. The use of these words will make the writing more fluent and less choppy. Many students fail to use effective transitions, and the essay comes across as disconnected. Writers should always be aware of the need to connect both sentences and paragraphs together. 加上過渡之后的版本: Students who write academic essays need to provide effective transitions. It is the use of these transitions that allow writers to connect the main ideas that are present in an essay. For example, by using conjunctive adverbs and other introductory elements, a writer can easily connect one sentence to the next. Moreover, the use of these words will make the writing more fluent and less choppy. Unfortunately, students often fail to use effective transitions, and, as a result, the essay comes across as disconnected. To avoid this, writers should always be aware of the need to connect both sentences and paragraphs together, and they should strive to find creative ways to do so. 可以看出,加上了這些過渡詞之后,整段文章變得連貫了許多。我們可以在寫作完成之后,再通讀一遍,在不夠連貫的地方加上過渡。
4、最后,我們通過一個例子看下body paragraph的具體寫法。
# 第1句:主題句——闡述與本文主題相關的論點: Students who learn how to write well will earn better grades in most classes. # 第2句:主張句——對主題句進行進一步闡述: This is true because most instructors assign a variety of written assignments, and depending on the class, these written assignments often encompass a large percentage of a student’s final grade. # 第3句:舉例一 For instance, all college students seeking a degree will be required to take a composition class. In this class alone, students will write five different essays. # 第4句:舉例二 Furthermore, other classes, such as history, psychology, nursing, etc., also require students to write multiple essays. # 第5句:給出更具體的信息(此處可以引述權威人士): According to John Doe, a Professor of English at Aims Community College, the average undergraduate student will write twenty-five different essays while seeking a bachelor’s degree. This number increases dramatically for students who go on to seek a graduate degree(s). # 第6句:總結 Because all students, regardless of major, will be required to compose a large number of essays, it is important that they learn how to write well.
下面給同學們舉個例子,請查看一篇文章每隔段落第一句話:主題:Why Italy in 1860 was seen as an unlikely nation?
One of the obstacles to the unification of the Italian nation was the failure of the majority of the population to take up the cause of unification........... | Main point in the paragraph presented as the topic sentence 段落中的要點表示為主題句 |
The divisiveness between the states was another major obstacle to national unity..................... | Main point in the paragraph presented as the topic sentence |
The mistrust that existed between the states also created an obstacle for unification..................... | Main point in the paragraph presented as the topic sentence |
A further obstacle obstructing the formation of a united Italy was the lack of common goals and the poor planning associated with the unification uprisings that were occurring throughout Italy..................... | Main point in the paragraph presented as the topic sentence |
The final major obstacle to the unification of the Italian nation was the dislike and disagreement between the main agitators in the independence movement know as "Il Risorgimento".............. | Main point in the paragraph presented as the topic sentence |
(引用于R. Woodward-Kron, E. Thomson & J. Meek (2000) Academic Writing: a language based guide (CD-ROM), University of Wollongong)對于段落之間的承上啟下的關系,需要注意連接詞的使用。在上述的例子里頭, “one of the obstacles”, “another major obstacle”, “also created an obstacle”, “a further obstacle”, “the final major obstacle”都是確保正文過渡性的連接詞,都讓段與段之間銜接更順暢。這個跟在歐美Essay中常用的Firstly,Secondly,Thirdly等連詞 一個道理。Supporting Evidence 可以來自其他學術資料的觀點,但絕對不要直接抄襲其他人的作品!而且必須要注明引用,不用一條一條把支持我們觀點的論據列出來,而是凝練出其含義和價值,通過推理和自己的判斷把主題與引用的論據聯系起來。如此,老師會注意到學生看過與主題相關的研究,并且學生在閱讀文獻的基礎上構建了自己的想法。例如:
上述的例子表明,我們在Essay寫作中可以采用反方觀點來發展自己的想法。雖然您引用了反觀的觀點,并指出了潛在的問題,但第二個正方觀點的證據立刻提供補充說明,在此同時主題句不但沒有被反觀動搖,反而顯得更為有例證。
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