托福独立写作中如何进行现象举例
在托福独立写作中,举例通常有两种方法共五类举例词汇,其中描述现象有三类词汇:such as/like,include/range from…to…以及for example/for instance;叙述故事有两类词汇:illustrate/exemplify以及…deserves a special mention。需要特别注意的是,无论是哪种方法,都要有细节描写,我们可以用“刨根问底找画面感”的方法实现这一点。
首先我们来讨论在描述现象中会用到的举例词汇。描述现象就是罗列客观存在的事实,写出人们所熟知的,经常出现在日常生活中的普遍现象,适合它的举例词汇一般有三种:such as与like,include与range from…to…以及for example与for instance。
为了能更加直观地展现举例的这种方法,现以TPO26的独立写作题目为例,“孩子们选择与父母相同的工作比选择与父母不同的工作要好”,并且选择agree(其实也可选择disagree,但举例方法大同小异,所以在此只讨论agree的情况),假设孩子与父母一样,都选择教师这个职业,并且提出可以从父母的工作经验中获得“备课经验与恰当的上课方法论”,这就是一个客观存在的事实,也即描述现象:
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
It is better for children to choose jobs that are similar to their parents’ jobs than to choose jobs that are very different from their parents’ jobs.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
现象一般可由以下三类词汇引入,现在我们来逐一讨论。
一、such as与like。用such as与like来举例,是广大考生比较熟悉的,但是在使用的时候需要注意以下几点:
1. 在such as与like之前是笼统的概念,后面跟具体的含细节的例子,如上面的expert guidance(专业指导)就是笼统的概念,而help with course preparations and methodology for appropriate lesson giving就是具体的含细节的例子。
2. 用such as比用like正式,在正式场合,应尽量使用such as。
3. such as中的as与like都是介词,后跟名词或动词的ing形式,如Activities such as rock climbing, bungee jumping and parachuting are extreme sports(攀岩,蹦极与跳伞都是极限运动)。在托福写作考试的过程中,单词的词性一定要慎重考虑,选择单词的正确词性(动词、名词、形容词、副词等)非常重要。
【参考例句】
1. Expert guidance such as help with course preparations and methodology for appropriate lesson giving may benefit children who are planning to be teachers.
2. Children are able to acquire from their parents expert guidance, like course preparations and methodology for appropriate lesson giving.
二、include与range from…to…。根据笔者的教学经验,这两种引入现象的方法并没有被很多考生所掌握,特别是range from…to…。可以这样说,能够正确使用range from…to…的考生英语写作基础往往都是不错的。使用include与range from…to…,我们需要注意以下几点:
1. include与range from…to…可用作一般现在时形式,如例句1与3;也可用作ing形式,如例句2与4。
2. range from…to…通常表示范围比较广,如上面的ranging from course preparations to methodology for appropriate lesson giving,也就是说,从备课经验到恰当的上课方法论(当然还包括像如何对付调皮的学生,如何与学生家长配合让学生的学习效率最大化等方面),该有的都会有,“应有尽有”。
3. 我们一定要有意识地学习并使用如range from…to…等更加高级的表达方式,而不是停留在自己已经熟知的套路上。
【参考例句】
1. Parents’ expert guidance children will obtain includes course preparations and methodology for appropriate lesson giving.
2. Children will acquire from their parents expert guidance, including course preparations and methodology for appropriate lesson giving.
3. Expert guidance children will obtain from their parents ranges from course preparations to methodology for appropriate lesson giving.
4. Children will acquire from their parents expert guidance, ranging from course preparations to methodology for appropriate lesson giving.
三、for example与for instance。提到举例,相信大部分考生都会第一时间想到for example或for instance,甚至有些考生一篇独立写作中有四五个for example,因为在托福独立写作中会有多个地方用到举例。从常理来说,这样不但会让评分人产生“审美疲劳”,而且也给人以英语知识积累不多,犯“词穷”之感。《托福考试官方指南》是要求考生在独立写作中体现syntactic variety(句法多样性)的。鉴于此,笔者建议尽量不要使用for example与for instance。但是,如果对这两种表达情有独钟,非要使用不可,也是可以的,但需要注意以下几点(for example与for instance同义,可互换):
1. 尽量将for example/for instance写成插入语,这样可以增加句法多样性。
2. Take, for example/for instance, …就相当于我们所熟悉的Take … for example/for instance。
3. for example/for instance一般可插入到一个句子的主语与谓语之间。在例句2中,for instance就将主语parents who are teachers与谓语can give隔开了。
【参考例句】
1. Take, for example, expert guidance from their parents.Through discussions with their parents about problems and confusion concerning teaching, children are able to obtain help with course preparations and methodology for appropriate lesson giving.
2. Parents who are teachers, for instance, can give their children expert guidance on how to prepare courses and how to give lessons according to appropriate teaching methodology.
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