在大学英语作文考试中，拿到作文题后,应先审题,即根据所给的标题和其他有关材料,如段首句、图表或提纲等,确定文章的主题，在审题的基础上,就要构思,包括确定写作内容,选择写作素材,构筑文章框架,拟定段落主题句和过渡词等。首先，一个段落必须有一个中心，该中心由主题句来表达，整个段落必须紧扣这个中心，这就是段落的统一性。其次，一个段落必须有若干扩展句，使主题思想得到充分展开，从而给读者一个完整的感觉，这就是完整性。再者，一个段落不是杂乱无章的，而是有机的组合，句子的排列顺序必须合乎逻辑，从一个句子到另一个句子的过渡必须流畅，这就是连贯性。

　　一、 统一性

　　一个段落内的各个句子必须从属于一个中心，任何游离于中心思想之外的句子都是不可取的。请看下例：

　　Television

　　Television presents a vivid world in front of us. From halfway around the world, television brings the crack of the gunfire from a war, the thick black smoke from a burning forest fire, and the cheers of thousands of football fans right into our homes.

　　Television can also play an educational role in our daily life. For example, TV college provides education for about two million Chinese people. The Outlook English Program helps people to learn English. Everyone can learn more news on TV every night.

　　However, television can also be harmful. If you don't sit far enough away from the TV set when you are watching it, you can damage your eyes. In addition, watching TV when you should be working, studying or exercising can make you fat, lazy and unproductive.

　　1. 这篇文章的中心思想由三个相关的主题句构成，其中心词分别为“a vivid world”, “an educational role”和“harmful”。

　　2. 从第一段的提示看出，重点应在“a vivid world”上，电视在现代生活中提供的“vivid world”是说不尽的。考生不要试图也不可能面面俱到。如果涉及的方面太多，文章反而松散，我们只选择几个画面，可用举例的方法合理安排语言材料。

　　3. 文章第二段写电视的educational role， 所以应重点放在education上，而不要牵涉到其他方面，如：entertainment, 否则文章就会跑题。

　　4. 第三段重点放在harmful上。

　　二、 完整性

　　文章的完整性是指要确立文章的合理结构，重要的一环是确保条理清楚。论说文一般都可把文章分为三部分：引言、主体、结尾。引言部分一般由一个自然段组成；主体部分可由一到三个自然段组成，写 100多词的小作文，一般用一个自然段就可以了；结尾部分也用一个自然段。每个段落的主题思想则要靠扩展句来实现，如果只有主题句而没有扩展句来进一步交待和充实，就不能构成一个完整的段落。同样，如果只有扩展句，但主题思想没有得到圆满的交待，给读者一种意犹未尽的感觉，这样的段落也不能完成其表达功能。例如：

　　Physical work can be a useful form of therapy for a mind in turmoil. Work concentrates your thoughts on a concrete task. Besides, it is more useful to work—you produce something rather than more anxiety or depression.

　　本段的主题句是段首句。本段的两个扩展句均不能回答主题句提出的问题。什么是“a mind in turmoil”，physical work又如何能改变这种情况，为什么它能起therapy的作用，这些问题读者均得不到明确的答案。

　　由于四级考试的作文部分只要求写一篇100—120个词的三段式短文，每段大约只有40个词，因此，要达到完整就必须尽可能地简明。例如：

　　It is not always true that a picture is worth a thousand words. Often writing is much clearer than a picture. It is sometimes difficult to figure out what a picture means, but a careful writer can almost always explain it.

　　本段的段首句所表达的主题思想是一种看法，必须有具体事例加以验证。上述两个扩展句只是在文字上对主题作些解释，整个段落内容空洞，简而不明。如果举一两个具体的例子的话，就可以把主题解释清楚了。比如下段：

　　It is not always true that a picture is worth a thousand words. Sometimes, pictures are pretty useless things. If you can't swim and fall in the river and start gulping water, will you be better off to hold up a picture of yourself drowning, or start screaming “help”?

　　三、 连贯性

　　连贯性包括意连和形连两个方面，前者指的是内在的逻辑性，后者指的是使用转换词语。当然这两者常常是不可分割的。只有形连而没有意连，句子之间就没有内在的有机的联系；反之，只有意连而没有形连，有时行文就不够流畅。

　　1. 意连

　　段落中句子的排列应有一定的次序,不能想到什么就写什么。如果在下笔之前没有构思,边想边写,写写停停,那就写不出一气呵成的好文章来。常见的排列方式有以下几种:

　　a. 按时间先后排列

　　b. 按位置远近排列

　　c. 按逻辑关系排列

　　d. 按重要性顺序排列

　　e. 由一般到特殊排列

　　f. 由特殊到一般排列

　　2. 形连

　　行文的逻辑性常常要靠适当的转换词及其他手段来实现。请读下面这段文字并找出文中用以承上启下的词语:

　　Walter's goal in life was to become a successful surgeon. First, he had to get through high school, so he concentrated all his efforts on his studies—in particular on biology, chemistry, and math. Because he worked constantly on these subjects, Walter became proficient in them; however, Walter forgot that he needed to master other subjects besides those he had chosen. As a result, during his junior year of high school, Walter failed both English and Latin. Consequently, he had to repeat these subjects and he was almost unable to graduate on schedule. Finally, on June 6, Walter achieved the first step toward realizing his goal.

　　本文中起承上启下作用的词有两种,一种是转换词语,另一种是代词。前者有:first, though, so, in particular, and, because, however, besides, as a result, both... and, consequently, and, finally。后者是:he, his, these, them, those。 本段中所使用的转换词及其他连接用语约占该段总词汇量的四分之一。由此可见,掌握好转换手段不仅对行文的流畅有益,而且对于在半个小时内写足四级短文所要求的120个词也是不无好处的。

　　在写作中有损连贯性的情况通常有以下几种:

　　1. 不一致

　　所谓不一致不仅指主谓不一致,它还包括了数的不一致、时态不一致及代词不一致等。

　　例1:When one have money, he can do what he want (to do).

　　剖析:one是单数第三人称,因而本句的have应改为has;同理,want应改为wants。本句是典型的主谓不一致。

　　改为:Once one has money, he can do what he wants (to do).

　　例2:Bread and butter are what they usually have for breakfast.

　　改为:Bread and butter is what they usually have for breakfast.

　　例3:For years I have been attending summer camp and enjoyed every minute of it.

　　改为:For years I have been attending summer camp and enjoying every minute of it.

　　例4:We can also know the society by serving it yourself.

　　剖析:句中人称代词we 和反身代词yourself指代不一致。

　　改为: We can also know the society by serving it ourselves.

　　2. 指代不明,含义不清

　　指代不明,含义不清主要指的是代词与被指代的人或物关系不清,或者前后所用的代词不一致。试看下面这句:Mary was friendly to my sister because she wanted her to be her bridesmaid.

　　读完上面这句话,读者无法明确地判断两位姑娘中谁将结婚,谁将当伴娘。如果我们把易于引起误解的代词的所指对象加以明确,意思就一目了然了。这个句子可改为:Mary was friendly to my sister because she wanted my sister to be her bridesmaid.

　　例1:When only five years old, my father taught me to play tennis.

　　改为:When only five years old, I was taught to play tennis by my father.

　　例2:My father was an artist; therefore, I have also chosen it as my profession.

　　改为:My father was an artist; therefore, I have also chosen art as my profession.

　　3. 不间断句子

　　请看下面的例句。

　　There are many ways we get to know the outside world.

　　剖析:这个句子包含了两层完整的意思:“There are many ways” 以及“We get to know the outside world”。简单地把它们连在一起就不妥当了。

　　改为:There are many ways for us to learn about the outside world. 或:There are many ways through which we can become acquainted with the outside world.

　　4. 悬垂修饰语

　　所谓悬垂修饰语是指句首的短语与后面句子的逻辑关系混乱不清。例如:At the age of ten, my grandfather died. 这句话中“at the age of ten”只点出十岁时,但没有说明“谁”十岁时。按一般推理不可能是my grandfather, 如果我们把这个悬垂修饰语改明确一点,全句就不那么令人费解了。

　　改为:When I was ten, my grandfather died.

　　例1:To do well in college, good grades are essential.

　　改为:To do well in college, a student needs good grades.

　　例2:Walking along the road, a rock cut my foot.

　　改为:Walking along the road, I had my foot injured on a rock.

　　(文/董晓波；英语辅导报 大学一年级版 04～05学年第17、18期； 版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)