How to write a narration

How to write a narrative (2)

In Unit One we touched upon two points which you should consider when planning a narrative: Context and Selection of Details. Now we would like to call your attention to two more points:

Organization

Narratives usually have a beginning, a middle and an end. The setting is often given in the beginning; the middle describes the sequence of events that make up your narrative; the significance of your story is brought out in the end.

Purpose

In most cases narration is used for a purpose. You do not write a narrative for its own sake. Rather, you tell a story to prove a point. Thus, you should make sure that the final impression your narrative leaves on the reader answers your purpose. To achieve this, you should select and arrange the details of your story with great care.

How to write a narrative (记叙文) (1)

The essay you are going to write is, in a sense, an account of what once happened to you in your life. Writings of this kind usually take the form of narration. When planning a narrative, you should consider the following points:

Context

When, where, and to whom the action of a narrative happened is often made clear at the beginning of the narrative. This will provide the reader with a context so that he may have no difficulty in understanding the whole story.

Selection of Details

A narrative comprises details. It is important to remember only those details that help bring out the main idea of the narrative are useful and effective. When selecting details, therefore, you should keep in mind your purpose in writing the narrative.

How to write an expository essay(说明文) (1)

Exposition means explaining. An expository essay explains something, such as why a certain phenomenon happens, how a problem is solved, or what a word or term means.

A primary concern of exposition is clarity (清晰). To achieve this, you should bear in mind the following points:

Narrowing the Scope of Discussion

You have to limit your discussion to a manageable topic, for it is impossible to explain many things clearly in a short essay. For instance, you may find the topic "Attitudes Toward

Science" too general to write about in a short essay. You can, then, narrow it to "Public Attitudes Toward Science", as Stephen Hawking does.

Making Clear Your Attitude Toward the Subject

In a sense, exposition is the process of making a statement and then supporting it with evidence. When presenting a statement, you must make sure it expresses very clearly your attitude toward the subject. Supposing you write about "The Impact of Scientific Discoveries", you could start your essay with such a statement as "Scientific discoveries benefit us in many ways". If you sound uncertain of your own opinion about the subject, the reader will be left with only a vague idea of what you want to say.

How to write a personal description (1)

A personal description is painting a picture of a person in words. When describing a person, you should pay attention to the following points:

Focus on characteristic features

In writing a personal description, you'll find that the person you write about often reveals many sides of his personality. In a short essay you must choose only a few of these sides to work with, that is, to focus on the person's characteristic features which make him different from all other people.

Supporting facts

Suppose your central purpose in describing a person is to emphasize his main characteristic feature -- determination. Not only do you say that he is determined, but you also give facts. What a person does and says and how he behaves to others often reveal his character.

How to write a personal letter (1)

There are two types of letters: business letters and personal letters. A business letter usually consists of six parts: the heading, the inside address, the salutation(客气称呼), the body, the complimentary(表敬意的) close,and the signature (签名). Personal letters need not cover all these parts. The heading and inside address are usually omitted. As to the other parts, you should consider the following points:

the salutation: The writer usually uses the first or whatever name he or she usually calls the recipient face to face, such as John, Mary, Old Friend.

the complimentary close: A personal letter is often ended with: "Affectionately," "Fondly," "Yours with love," "With best wishes," "Love," "Yours," etc.

the signature: Sign the name the recipient uses to address the writer.

In addition, if after finishing the letter, the writer wants to add something, he/ she should write a postscript after the signature and put P.S. or PS in front of it. This part is called the postscript.