研究生英语写作1TopicSentenc.ppt

研究生研究生英语写作课件英语写作课件南京工业大学外语学院南京工业大学外语学院 A writing Course A writing Course forfor Postgraduate StudentsPostgraduate Students Unit 1 How to Write a Good Topic Sentence A writing Course A writing Course forfor Postgraduate StudentsPostgraduate StudentsHow to Write a Good Topic SentenceI.A topic sentence must contain（a topic）and（controlling idea(s)），），or else it will be difficult to develop or support the topc.e.g【vague】Physical exercise is very neccesary.【summary】Physical exercise is very neccesary for our health.II.A topic sentence cant be too specific.e.g.：【specific】I do Physical exercises every day.【summary】I konw physical exercise is good for my health.III.A topic sentence should be concise and clear.e.g.：【concise】I enjoy watching the match-making program Find Your Soul-mate.【redundant】Find Your Soul-mate is a very interesting match-making program that I enjoy watching.IV.Controlling idea(s)are words that concern what aspects you want to develop the topic,which will decide the content,method and direction of a paragraph or an article.e.g.:1.Learning a foreign language well requires time and effort.2.Several factors may contribute to the progress of a society.V.The purpose of a topic sentence is to make clear What the subject of a paragraph is so that you can easily develop your supporting ideas or details to make it complete and convincing to the reader(s)and at the same time,you wont stray off the subject or off the track.A paragraph may be long or short but usually three or four sentences will be proper.Topic SentenceTopic Sentence of a Text/ParagraphTopic Sentence of a Text/ParagraphAs the term suggests,the topic sentence of a text/paragraph addresses what the main idea or thesis of the text/paragrph is going to be.It should contain the most important and relevant point you wish to make regarding your topic,thus summarizing the text/paragraph as a whole.How to Write a Good Topic Sentence 1A topic sentence must include your topic and an opinion or your controlling idea.Generally speaking,topic sentences are:Short SimpleClearGive a strong ideaOften use phrases such as:One of the main reasons for One of the major factors in is.Generally speaking,One of the strongest arguments against/in favour ofis One of the main advantages/disadvantages of is Example paragraph 1Learning a foreign language well requires time and effort.Unlike ones mother tongue which is heard and practiced almost at any time,a foreign language is only learned and taught in class.The time arrangement is usally about 2 to 4 periods a week,which is obviously not enough for fluency and proficiency.Ideally,an extra two or more hours are needed if you really want to see improvement.You need to read more,listen more,speak more to make some progress every day.Example paragraph 2The Secret of SuccessIt goes without saying that there is no short cut on ones way to success.The important thing in life is to have a goal and the determination to attain it.living without a goal is like sailing without a compass.This is especially true of some university students.When in high school,their goal was simple and clear-to pass the college entrance exam and enter an ideal university.Now,however,some of them seem to have lost themselves on campus.lack of purpose is the cause of most of our failures.Example paragraph 3One of the strongest arguments in favour of limiting the amount of time that youngsters spend in front of screens is that children need to be more active in order to have a healthy lifestyle.Research shows that there is an increasing number of overweight children in the developed world and that there is a link between the amount of time spent in front of screens and being overweight.If children were not allowed to be on screens,they would find other ways to entertain themselves,and this would include playing games and sports.Research also shows that active children grow into active adults so restricting screen time for children would have a life long impact on the people concerned.How to Write a Good Topic Sentence 2Another trick to writing a good topic sentence is to use numbers.For Example:There are several/a few reasons why.There are many steps leading to success.Several factors may contribute to.There are several ways to improve ones confidence.There is a new method to reduce the cost.Two causes may explain why.for three reasons.Example paragraph 1There are several reasons why many Chinese students find English learning difficult.First,English is a foreign language.They have little chance of contacting the language other than in an English class.Second,English cannot always match Chinese word for word,so they feel really puzzled and depressed when they try to speak or write it.Last but not least is that few students can find a chance to communicate with a native speaker though they are told that English is very important.zExample paragraph 2Several factors may contribute to the progress of a society.The first and foremost should be the development of economy.A better and affluent life would invite a longing for a stable,peaceful and harmonious life,thus rules and regulations are neccesary to teach people what should do and what should not do.Hence came morality and the making of law to encourage acceptable behavior and conducts and punish those who would dare to violate morality and break the law.How to Write a Good Topic Sentence 3Topic sentence for negative effects,results,problems,consequences,influences,impacts,implications,drawbacks,shortcomings,disadvantages.1)It goes without saying that such(topic)will bring about(entail,cause,produce,result in,generate)dreadful(serious,undesirable,severe,unhealthy,bad,harmful,malign不良的不良的)consequences.2)(Topic)will cause(produce,bring baout,generate)a negative(profound,harmful,malign,undesirable)influence/effect on.3)(Topic)may arouse(cause,produce,bring about,generate)panic(fear/terror/worry)among people;(doubt about.;a rise/decline in.;concern over/about.)4.Undoubtedly,(topic)threatens to do more harm than good to our society.5.The dsiadvantages of(topic)surely outweighs the advantages.Example Paragraph It goes without saying that divorce will bring about negative effects on children.Children are too young to understand their parents emotional life.They may think that their parents dont love them anymore and abandon themselves to despair.They may either shut themselves away from others and develop a form of autism(自闭症自闭症)or lose control of themselves to violence and fights.Some of them may go from bad to worse and even end up in prison.How to Write a Good Topic Sentence 4Topic sentence for positive results(benefits,changes,gains,influences,effects,impacts,profits.1.Anyone with a common sense can see that(topic)may lead to psoitive results.2.(Topic),if well utilized(if properly used;if taken into proper consideration),will surely create desirable(ideal,favorable,positive,beneficial,advantageous,unimaginable,unexpected,constructive.)benefits.3.The advantages(benefits)of(topic)are obvious.4.The gains in(topic)are numerous.5.There are three approaches to this problem.6.The key to dealing with the difficult situation is to.7.As one of the most rewarding experiences,(topic)has brought a lot of benefits to my life.8.The importance of(topic)is now drawing more of our concern than ever before.Sample ParagraphAnyone with a common sense can see that praticing thriftiness will produce positive results.According to statistics,food wasted on the table in China each year reaches an amazing 200 billion RMB.Food recklessly thrown away annually equals to provisions for 200 million people.From the global point of view,the amount of food wasted arrives at a staggering 1.3 billion tons.Even if a quarter of the wasted food could be retained,it would be enough to support a starving population of 900 millon.How to Write a Good Topic Sentence 5Topic sentence that can be used for both advantages and disadvantages.1.It has been proven that(topic)can create powerful(ill,very bad)influence on.2.Numerous studies have exhibited that(topic)is very helpfulful(harmful,dangerous)for people to.3.Statistics show that(topic)can not only.,but also.4.There is no denying the fact that(topic)is.5.The effects of(topic)can be both.and.Sample ParagraphThere is no denying the fact that cheating in exams is prevalent in many universities in China.One can get a glympse of such a malign phenomenon from the small ads on the doors and walls of teaching building toilets.They read:Want to pass CET-4 or CET-6 the easy way?Just contact.Strict as the supervising system and punishment measures are,some students still cant resist the temptation to peep at neighboring seats for answers.As a result,the test scores will not reflect the truth of academic study;the enthusiasm of those honest and hardworking students is curbed and the foundations of moral values in education are eroded.How to Write a Good Topic Sentence 6Topic sentence for describing something,which might be good or bad,or a phenomenon,a fact,a wrong idea,a seemingly correct belief.1.Nowadays,(topic)is so prevalent that many people regard it a natural thing we have to live with.2.It has been widely accepted that(topic)is very imortant for our life and work.3.People in growing(increasing)numbers are beginning(coming)to realize(accept,be aware)that(topic)is good(bad)for their life(health,future,family,the society).4.There is a growing awareness(recognition)among adults(citizens,people)of the neccesity(need,importance)to do(topic).5.People are becoming increasingly aware(conscious)the importance of(topic).Sample ParagraphPeople in growing numbers are beginning to realize the true meaning of the idiom God help those who help themselves.Every person may experience hard times or even hard blows in a lifetime.Its all very natural to seek help when you are in a tight spot.But to really get yourself off the hook,the most crucial thing is to help your own self.You need to look back and sum up possible elements that led to your failure.You need to pick up your confidence,make a careful plan and move forward again.How to Write a Good Topic Sentence 7Topic sentence for causing controversy,different opinions.1.When it comes to(topic),different people have completely opposite opinions.Some believe that.Others argue(claim)that.2.Nowhere in the world(our country)has an issue(idea)been more controversial than(topic).Many people believe that.Others claim the reverse is true.3.It is widely(commonly,generally)believed(acknowledged)that(topic)is.They think(argue)that.But I wonder whether(if).4.When asked about(topic),a vast(a great,an overwhelming)majority of people say that.They believe that.But I think.How to Write a Good Topic Sentence 8Topic(closing)sentence for making a conclusion or dealing with a problem.1.As far as I am concerned,(topic)is more harmful than is good for our society.As far as I am concerned,(topic)does more harm than good to our society.)2.Its high time we took effective measures to eliminate(clear up,get rid of,wipe out,stop,resist,fight against,suppress)the negative impacts(influences,results)caused by(topic)3.In a word(In short,In conclusion,In summary,To sum up,To conclude综上所述综上所述),drastic measures must be taken to deal with the problem.4.It is imperative that such negative phenomenons must be dealt with right away.5.In my opinion,our government should make(enact)relative laws to tackle this long-existed problem(this phenomenon,to crack this hard nut).6.To thoroughly do away with(eliminate,eradicate,root out,get rid of)such a phenomenon,education will play an irreplaceble role.SampleCheating on tests is so prevalent nowadays in schools and universities in China that if its not dealt with and checked seriously,a healthy atmosphere of achieving success through honest and hard work will be spoiled.Its high time we took effective measures to eliminate the negative impacts caused by cheating.