大学英语作文是衡量学生英语综合应用能力的一个重要指标，也是大学英语四级考试的一项重要内容，在整个四级卷面100分中占15分，考生在这一部分的得分直接决定其四级考试成绩。自1997年6月起，全国大学英语考试委员会又正式实施了在计算成绩时考虑“作文最低分”。如果学生作文得零分，其总成绩将被视为不及格。因此，写好一篇文章对参加四级考试的学生来说可谓至关重要。本文拟将探讨四级写作中推展句的写作技巧。

　　大学英语四级写作的布局要求三段式的写作模式。每段都由主题句(topic sentence)，推展句(supporting statement)和结论句(concluding statement)组成。作为对主题句的论证，解释和说明的推展句就构成了每段的主体，只有写好了推展句才能使文章言之有理，具有说服力。

　　英语中的推展句有主要推展句(major supporting statement)和次要推展句(minor supporting statement)两种。主要推展句的主要特点是围绕段落主题句展开的每个推展句本身都不要求作进一步的说明或证明，句与句之间的关系是相互独立又是相互连接的。次要推展句是指对主要推展句作进一步的事实分析和举例说明，它从属于某一个或某几个推展句。

　　例：(主题句) I don't teach because teaching is easy for me. (主要推展句1)Teaching is the most difficult of the various ways I have attempted to earn my living: mechanic, carpenter, and writer.(主要推展句2) For me, teaching is a red-eye, sweaty-palm, sinking-stomach profession.(次要推展句1) Red-eye, because I never feel ready to teach no matter how late I stay up preparing.(次要推展句2) Sweaty-palm, because I'm always nervous before I enter the classroom, sure that I will be found out for the fool that I am. (次要推展句3)Sinking-stomach, because I leave the classroom an hour late convinced that I was even more boring than usual.

　　从属于主要推展句2的三个次要推展句起着解释说明的作用，分别解释red-eye, sweaty-palm, sinking-stomach的含义。这就更加形象生动地证明了teaching is not easy这个主题。

　　下面谈谈大学英语四级写作中推展句的写作方法。

　　1. 列举法(details)

　　列举法就是通过列举一系列的论据对主题句中摆出的论点进行广泛、全面地陈述或解释，列举的顺序可以按照所列各项内容的相对重要性、时间、空间等进行。例如：

　　Yesterday was one of those awful days for me when everything I did went wrong. First, I didn't hear my alarm clock and arrived late for work. Then, I didn't read my diary properly and forgot to get to an important meeting with my boss. During the coffee break, I dropped my coffee cup and spoilt my new skirt. At lunchtime, I left my purse on a bus and lost all the money that was in it. After lunch, my boss was angry because I hadn't gone to the meeting. Then I didn't notice a sign on a door that said “Wet Paint” and so I spoilt my jacket too. When I got home I couldn't get into my flat because I had left my key in my office. So I broke a window to get in and cut my hand.

　　根据本段主题句中的关键词组everything I did went wrong，作者列举了8项内容，分别由first, then, during, at lunchtime, after, so等连接词语引出，使得该文条理清、脉络分明、内容连贯。常用于列举法的过渡词有：for one thing, for another, finally, besides, more over, first, second, also等。

　　2. 举例法(example)

　　作者通过举出具体的事例来阐述、说明主题句的内容。严格讲，举例法也是列举法的一种，它们的区别在于：列举法注重列举事实，所列事实力求全面；而举例法侧重通过举出典型事例来解释作者观点，且事例可多可少。我们来看下面这个用举例法展开的扩展句。例如：

　　There are many different forms of exer-cises to suit different tasks. For example, those who enjoy competitive sports may take up ball games. For another example, if they prefer to exercises alone, they can have a run or take a walk in the morning or in the evening. Besides, people can go swimming in the summer and go skating in the winter, in short, no matter what their interests are, people can always find more than one sports that are suitable to them.

　　本段采用了三个事例来说明主题句中的关键词组 different forms of exercises，这三个例子分别由连接词for example, for another example, besides引出。举例法中常用的连接词有: for example, one example is, besides, furthermore, moreover, in addition等。

　　3. 叙述法(narration)

　　用叙述法写成的推展句主要是按照事物本身的时间或者空间的顺序排列，通过一些特有的过渡连接词的使用，有层次分步骤地表达主题句的一种写作技巧。用这种方法展开推展句，作者能够清楚连贯地交代事物的始末，从而可以使读者清楚了解文章的含义。例如：

　　In the flat opposite, a woman heard the noise outside, when she looked out through the window; she discovered that her neighbor was threatened by someone. She immediately called the police station. In an answer to the call, a patrol police car arrived at the scene of the crime quickly. Three policemen went inside the flat at once, and others guarded outside the building to prevent anyone from escaping.

　　这段是按照事物发展的先后顺序，叙述从发现案情，报警，到警察赶到，包围现场的全过程。全文脉络清晰，叙述的层次感强，结构紧凑。常用于叙述法中的过渡词有：first, at the beginning of , to start with, after that, later, then, afterwards, in the end, finally等。

　　4. 对比法或比较法(comparison &contrast)

　　对比法或比较法是将同类的事物按照某种特定的规则进行比较分析，是常用的思维方式。通过对比更容易阐述所述对象之间的异同和优缺点。例如：

　　The heart of an electronic computer lies in its vacuum tubes or transistors. Its electronic circuits works thousand times faster than the nicer cells in the human brain. A problem that might take a human being a long time to solve can be solved by a computer in one minute.

　　这段文字上，作者为了突出电子计算机运行速度之快，首先将它与人脑进行了比较“a thousand times faster than”，而后，又将这一概念具体到了“a problem”上，通过对比使读者从“a long time ”到“in one minute”上有更加直观的认识。常用于比较法或对比法的连接过渡词有：than, compared with, in contrast with 等。

　　5. 分类法(classification)

　　在阐述某一概念的推展句中常用分类法。通过对概念中所包括的事物进行分门别类,分别加以阐述，使读者有更为清晰的认识。例如：

　　Even since humans have lived on the earth, they have made use of various forms of communication. Generally, this expression of thoughts and feelings has been in the form of oral speech. When there is a language barrier, communication is accomplished through sign language in which motions stand for letters, words and ideas, tourists and the people unable to hear or speak have had to resort to this form of expression. Many of these symbols of whole words are very vivid and exact and can be used internationally, spelling, however, cannot. Body language transmits ideas or thoughts by certain actions, either internationally or uninternationally. A nod signified approval, while shaking the head indicates a negative reaction. Other forms of nonlinguistic language can be found in signal flags, more codes and picture signs.

　　在该推展句中，为了说明主题句中的“various forms of communication”，作者将其分为oral speech, sign language, body language及other forms of nonlinguistic language, 并逐一阐述。采用这种方法的推展句并没有标志突出的连接词，所述各项均为平均并列关系，所以没有明显的主次之分。

　　6. 因果分析法(cause and effect)

　　在阐述某一现象的推展句中，常采用因果分析法。例如：

　　The role of women in today's society is changing. One reason is that women have begun to assert themselves as independent through the women's movement, also women are aware of the alternative to staying at home. Another reason is that increasing number of women who enter new fields and interests serve as role model for other women. Moreover, men are becoming more conscious of the abilities of women and have begun to view their independence positively.

　　本段中，主题句提出了一种社会现象，推展句则对产生这种现象的原因做出各种解释。常用于因果分析法的连接词有：because, so, as a result, consequently等。

　　7. 重复法(repetition)

　　句子的一部分反复出现在推展句中，这就是重复法。它往往造成一种步步为营的气氛，使文章结构紧凑，有感染力。例如：

　　Since that time, which is far enough away from now, I have often thought that few people know what secrecy there is in the young, under terror, I was in mortal terror of the young man who wanted my heart and liver, I was in mortal terror of my interlocutor with the iron leg, I was in mortal terror of myself, from who an awful promise had been extracted.

　　该段中反复应用了“I was in mortal terror of ”，“我经常处于恐怖之中”这种重复的手法来说明主题句。

　　以上，我们结合具体的文章讨论了推展句写作的几种方法。在实际写作中，我们往往可以根据实际需要，将若干方法穿插在一起，使文章有声有色。

　　最后，让我们读一篇大学英语四级考试写作的范文，从中感受一下部分推展句写作技巧的运用。

　　Travelling

　　(主题句)It is exciting to visit different places. (推展句、列举法)As you travel, you will see beautiful sceneries typical of the region. Besides, you can meet and make friends with people of different colors and races. Finally, you can get to know the customs and living habits of the local people. Today people are so fond of travelling that tourism has become one of the faster growing industries in most countries.

　　(主题句)The main reason why people travel is, perhaps, for pleasure.(推展句、举例法) For example, having worked hard throughout the weekdays, people will find a widened trip to the nearby mountains or beaches a real relaxation. For another example, spending an annual holiday travelling abroad is an especially satisfying experience for those who do not have much of an opportunity to be away from their homelands. When people return from their travel, they will generally feel fresh and energetic, ready to work harder.

　　(主题句)Travelling is also one of the best means for learning.(推展句、因果法) You may have read or heard about something but you can never get an accurate picture of it until you see it for yourself. Seeing is believing. Furthermore, if you are a careful observer, you can learn much during your travel about the geography, biology, and history of the places you visit. No matter how well educated you are, there is always a lot for you to learn through travelling. The knowledge acquired from travel, as you will have found in your life, is no less valuable than that from any influential reference book.

　　希望以上介绍的几种方法能对大家写好大学英语四级考试写作有所帮助。

　　(文/高 兰; 英语通大学英语四级考试版2004年第12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。)