(完整版)AnIntroductiontoWriting

1、an introduction to writingquestions 1. whats your idea of writing? is it a tangible process? 2. have you ever had any experience of success or failure in writing? 3. what is the key to effective writing?four steps in writing 1. discover a clearly stated point, or thesis. 2. provide logical, detailed

2、 support for your thesis. 3. organize and connect your supporting material. 4. revise and edit so that your sentences are effective and error-free.point and supportthe feature of talking in everyday talk, you make all kinds of points and assertions. you say, for example, “my boss is a hard person to

3、 work for”; or “that trade will be a disaster for the team”. the people you are talking to do not always challenge you to give reasons for your statement.the feature of writing the people who read what you write may not know you, agree with you, or feel in any way obliged to you. if you want to comm

4、unicate effectively with readers, you must provide solid evidence for any point you make. an important difference between writing and talking 1. the difference is this: in writing, any idea that you advance must be supported with specific reasons or details. 2. think of your readers as reasonable pe

5、ople. they will not take your views on faith, but they are willing to accept what you say as long as you support it. point and support in a paragraph in conversation, you might say to a friend who has suggested a movie, “no, thanks, going to the movies is just too much of a hassle. parking, people,

6、everything.” from shared past experiences, your friend may know what you are talking about so that you will not have to explain your statement, but in writing, your point would have to be backed up with specific reasons and details.the hazards of moviegoing although i love movies, ive found that the

7、re are drawbacks to moviegoing. one problem is just the inconvenience of it all.the hazards of moviegoing to get to the theater, i have to drive for at least fifteen minutes, or more if traffic is bad. it can take forever to find a parking spot, and then i have to walk across a huge parking lot to t

8、he theater. there i encounter long lines, sold-out shows and ever-increasing prices. and i have sitting with my feet sticking to the floor because of other people s spilled snacks. the hazards of moviegoing another problem is my lack of self control at the theater. i often stuff myself with unhealth

9、y calorie-laden snacks. my choice might include a bucket of popcorn, a box of milk duds, a giant soda, or all three.the hazards of moviegoing the worst problem is some of the other moviegoers. kids run up and down the aisle. teenagers laugh and shout at the screen. people of all ages drop soda cups

10、and popcorn tubs, cough and burp, and talk to one another. all in all, i would rather stay home and wait to see the latest movie hits on cable tv in the comfort of my own living room. evidence in a paper the evidence that supports the point in a paper often consists of a series of reasons followed b

11、y examples and details that support the reasons. supporting evidence in a paper can also consist of anecdotes, personal experience, facts, studies, statistics, and the opinions of experts.activity the paragraph on moviegoing, like almost any piece of effective writing, has two essential parts: 1. a

12、point is advanced. 2. that point is then supported. take several minutes to outline the paragraph will help you understand these basic parts clearly.point and support in an essay an excellent way to learn how to write clearly and logically is to practice the traditional college essay a paper of abou

13、t five hundred words that typically consists of an introductory paragraph, two to four supporting paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. a model essaythe hazards of moviegoing i am a movie fanatic. my friends count on me to know movie trivia (who was the pigtailed little girl in e.t.: the extraterr

14、estrial ? drew barrymore) and to remember every big oscar awarded since i was in grade school (best picture 1994? forrest gump). my friends, though, have stopped asking me if i want to go out to the movies. while i love movies as much as ever, the inconvenience of going out, the temptations of the t

15、heater, and the behavior of some patrons are reasons for me to wait and rent the video.the hazards of moviegoing to begin with, i just dont enjoy the general hassle of the evening. since small local movie theaters are a thing of the past, i have to drive for 15 minutes to get to the nearest multiple

16、x. the parking lot is shared with several restaurants and a supermarket, so its always jammed. i have to drive around at a snails pace until i spot another driver backing out. the hazards of moviegoing then its time to stand in an endless line. with the constant threat that tickets for the show i wa

17、nt will sell out. if we do get tickets, the theater will be so crowded that i wont be able to sit with my friends, or well have to sit in a front row gaping up at a giant screen. i have to shell out a ridiculous amount of money for a ticket. that entitles me to sit while my shoes seal themselves to

18、a sticky floor coated with spilled soda, bubble gum, and crushed raisinets.the hazards of moviegoing second, the theater offers tempting snacks that i really dont need. like most of us, i have to battle an extending waistline. at home, i do pretty well by simply not buying stuff that is bad for me.

19、i can make do with snacks like celery and carrot sticks because there is no ice cream in the freezer.the hazards of moviegoing going to the theater, however, is like spending my evening in a seven-eleven thats been equipped with a movie screen and comfortable seats. as i try to persuade myself to ju

20、st have a diet coke, the smell of fresh popcorn dripping with butter soon overcomes me. chocolate bars seen to jump into my hands. i risk pulling out my fillings as i chew enormous mouthfuls of mild duds. by the time i leave the theater, i feel disgusted with myself.the hazards of moviegoing many of

21、 the other patrons are even more of a problem than the concession stand. little kids race up and down the aisles, usually in giggling packs. teenagers try to impress their friends by talking back to the screen, whistling, and making what they consider to be hilarious noises. the hazards of moviegoin

22、g adults act as if they were at home in their own living room. they comment loudly on the ages of the stars and reveal plot twists. and people of all ages create distractions. they crinkle candy wrappers, stick gum on the seats, and drop popcorn tubs or cups of crushed ice and soda on the floor. the

23、y also cough and burp, squirm endlessly in their seats, file out repeatedly to the rest rooms, and elbow me out of the armrest on either side of my seat.the hazards of moviegoing after arriving home from the movies one night, i decide i was not going to be a movie goer anymore. i was tired of the pr

24、oblems involved in getting to the theater, resisting unhealthy snacks, and dealing with the patrons. the next day, i arranged to have the premium movie channels installed as part of my cable service. i may now see movies a bit later than other people, but ill be more relaxed watching box office hits

25、 in the comfort of my own living room.parts of an essay “the hazards of moviegoing” is a good example of the standard short essay you will write in college english. it is a composition of over 500 words that consists of a one-paragraph introduction, a three-paragraph body, and a one-paragraph conclu

26、sion. benefits of writing the traditional essay 1. first of all, mastering the traditional essay will help make you a better writer. second, the discipline of writing an essay will strengthen your skills as a reader and listener. most important, essay writing will make you a stronger thinker. writin

27、g as a skill a realistic attitude about writing must build on the idea that writing is a skill that can be learned.writing as a process of discovery writing is seldom an easy, one-step journey in which a finished paper comes out in a first draft. the truth is that writing is a process of discovery i

28、nvolving a series of steps, and those steps are very often a zigzag journy.writing as a way to communicate with otherskeeping a journal because writing is a skill, it makes sense that the more you practice writing, the better you will write. one excellent way to get practice in writing, even before

29、you begin composing essays, is to keep a daily or almost daily journal.review activity 1 answer the following questions will help you evaluate your attitude about writing. 1. how much practice were you given writing compositions in high school? _ much _ some _ little 2. how much feedback (positive o

30、r negative comments) from teachers ere you given on your compositions? _ much _ some _ little review activity 1 3. how did your teacher seem to regard your writing? _ good _ fair _ little 4. do you feel that some people simply have a gift for writing and others do not? _ yes _ sometimes _ noreview a

31、ctivity 1 5. when do you start writing a paper? _ several days before its due. _ about a day before its due. _ at the last possible minute. 6. in your own words, explain what it means to say that writing is often a zigzag journey rather than a straight-line journey.review activity 2 my first sociolo

32、gy class was tonight. the parking lot was jammed when i got there. i thought i was going to be late for class. a guard had us park on a field next to the regular lot. when i got to the room, it has the usual painted-cinder-block construction. every school i have ever been in since first grade seem to be made of cinder block. the students all sat t