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——解構Argumentative Writing二之二
上文提到寫Argumentative Writing時，同學應在introduction列出plan of development：簡述將如何闡述論點。如果同學列舉三點的話，在文章的body亦應有三段。今日筆者將探討如何寫好一段paragraph。和前文提到的闡述論點一樣，一段好的paragraph應有三部分：
一段好段落 3部分組成
1. Topic sentence. Topic sentence是一段重點所在；由於它屬於作者的意見，所以會較general。
E.g. Studying in a group is beneficial to learning. 作者認為與別人一起溫習較自己溫習更有益。
2. Elaboration. 作者會引用不同的論證，例如統計數字，名人話語及個人經歷等闡述自己的論點。在well-developed的paragraph中，作者通常會用三個sub-points去解釋其論點。為了支持studying in a group的好處，作者有以下的elaboration：
E.g. We can help each other in most situations. (1) Last time when I skipped a lecture, Mary lent me her notes, which saved me at least two hours to look for the missing lecture elsewhere. (2) In another occasion when I failed to understand a concept in matrix, John spent three hours on me just to help me understand the concept. (3) When we discuss different issues together, we develop our ideas and all manage to understand the topics better.
3. Concluding statement. 如果paragraph較長，可以include它。在DSE exam中，這通常不需要。
最後想提醒同學，在elaboration寫時，切記要貼題和要specific enough。以下是一個bad example.
I learn more when I study in a group. We can help with others in most situations. If I miss something in class, another student in the group can help me. You know, looking for missing information wastes a lot of time. If I don't understand something, the others can explain the concept to me. My understanding of a topic is also enhanced. Although there are many advantages of studying in a group, my parents cannot see the benefits of it.
在這例子中，underlined的句子其實與paragraph的主題無太大的關係，所以應該要將它delete. ■Dr. A. Chan
作者簡介：哲學博士，哲學碩士，文學士，英語講師。熟悉公開考試之出題模式與評分準則，任教英語。
逢星期五見報
Q&A
Write "Specific" to the excerpts below that provide specific evidence to support the topic sentence. Write X next to the selections in which the topic sentence is followed by vague, general, wordy sentences.
1. It takes a great deal of skills to be a good leader. Not everyone can do it. Some people often dream of becoming a great leader and yet they have no vision and no leadership skills at all. A good leader should evaluate the situations and make plans for the junior. They should visualize the whole situation in their mind before undertaking anything.( )
2. Famous people suffer a loss of privacy. Since we love them, we want to get to know them better. We want to know how they live and how they relate to other people. We also want to know what happens in their lives. That's why they are followed or stalked by their fans. This is the price of being famous.( )
3. Our neighbors are really unpleasant. When we greet them, they have no responses. They often turn loud music on late at night, and we have to close our windows to shut out the noise. Amid public holidays, they invite friends to stay over and party all night long. To top it off, they allow their dog to urinate in my garden. ( )
ANS: 1.Not specific or X 2.Not specific or X 3.Specific
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