Improving Your English Writing:Improving Your English Writing: An OverviewAn OverviewTutor: Isabel Tutor: Isabel YajiaoYajiao Deng DengOct. 11, 2012 Oct. 11, 2012Reading Reading makethmaketh a full man; conference a a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.ready man; and writing an exact man.- Sir Francis Bacon: Of Studies阅读使人充实，交谈使人机智，写作使人严谨。Why do I need to improve my English writing?Why do I need to improve my English writing? Writing to express: to share and exchange information or opinions through writing on a daily basis. Writing as a thinking tool: the writing process helps clarify our thinking.AgendaAgenda The Writing Process (The Writing Process (写作过程写作过程) ) English Writing Conventions (English Writing Conventions (英语写作规范英语写作规范) ) Pitfalls to Avoid in English Writing (Pitfalls to Avoid in English Writing (写作误区写作误区) ) Useful Resources (Useful Resources (有用资源有用资源) )Common Problems Writers Block: A blank mind in front of a blank piece of paper; Brief essays with general statements only but little substance; Language problems: grammar, vocabulary, styleStep 1: Consider Your Audience Their Interest Their Knowledge Their PurposeAudience-awareness Who is going to read what I write? Why will my readers care about this issue? What will my readers want or need to know about this issue? What do my readers already know about this issue? What do I want my readers to learn about the issue? If I am trying to persuade my readers of something, how easily will they be persuaded? What will my readers use my writing for? Step 2: Select Your PurposePossible Purposes: to express or share to entertain or give aesthetic pleasure to inform to persuade Step 3: Invention 1 To invent: to develop a topic (to narrow the general topic down and to identify a manageable topic to work on) Brainstorming: Getting your ideas on paper so you can give yourself the widest range of topics possible Brainstorming Techniques: Listing Clustering Free-writingBrainstormingClustering: Mapping out ideasStep 3: Invention 2 Asking journalists questions about the assigned general topic:Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?Step 3: Invention 3Rhetoric devices: Compare and contrast Cause and effect Problem and solution Analysis ClassificationStep 4: Collection Gathering ideas: books, magazines, the Internet, and discussions Locating and evaluating research Conducting interviewsStep 5: Organizing: putting information in an outlineoutlineOUTLINEI. Introduction A. Grab attention B. State thesisII. Body A. Build points B. Develop ideas C. Support main claimIII. Conclusion A. Reemphasize mainideaStep 6: Drafting Give yourself ample time to work on your project. Find a comfortable place to do your writing. Avoid distractions. Take breaks.Step 7: Revising: reviewing ideas Review higher-order concerns: Clear communication of ideas Organization of paper Paragraph structure Strong introduction and conclusionStep 8: Proofreading Review later- order concerns: Spelling Punctuation Sentence structure Recite 朗读背诵: the feel for the languageDictation 听写: language awareness 普特 听写文本比较： http:/home.putclub.com/tools/find/ Modeling 摹写: awareness for the language and organizationTake-home MessagesTake-home Messages Writing is a process.Writing is a process. Writing involves thinking.Writing involves thinking. Writing is rewriting.Writing is rewriting.Thank you for your participation.Thank you for your participation.Good luck in your academic Good luck in your academic endeavors! endeavors!