英语写作技巧知识要点

英语写作技巧知识要点

Ｃhapter 9：Ｃorrecting Ｐroblems with Ｍodifiers

Ａdjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases are all part of a group of words, clauses, and phrases that are modifiers. Ｍodifiers describe nouns, pronouns, and verbs in a sentence. Ｍodifiers help to make your writing vivid, clear, and specific.

Ｔhe problems with modifiers are created when the modifier either has nothing to describe in a sentence or it has been placed in the wrong spot in the sentence so it describes the wrong element in the sentence. Ｍisplaced or dangling modifiers can create confusing and often unintentionally funny sentences.

Ｔhe best way to avoid the problem of dangling or misplaced modifiers is to be sure that the modifier is placed next to what it describes in a sentence. Ｔhis is fairly simple with single word modifiers. Ｗorking with phrases and clauses that modify requires paying very close attention to what is being described by the phrase or clause so that you can be certain that placement in the sentence is correct.

Ｃhapter 12：Ｖerbs：Ｃonsistency and Ｖoice

Ｏnce you have decided whether to write in the present tense or the past tense, you must remain consistent. Ｙou cannot shift tenses in the middle of a sentence or the middle of a paragraph unless there is a reason within the context of the writing to make a change in time. Ｉn other words, you can't go from the past to the present and back to the past if all the events you are describing occurred in the past. Ｙou must remember when you are editing to check the tenses to be sure that you have been consistent with the choices you've made. Ｃorrecting shifts is easy. Ｓimply choose one of the tenses and make everything with in the sentence that tense.

Ｖoice describes the subject of the sentence. Ｗhen the subject of the sentence does the action of the sentence, it is considered active. Ｗhen the subject of the sentence does not do the action with in the sentence, the subject is considered passive. Ｐassive voice is wordier and weaker than active voice so you should avoid using it whenever possible.

Ｃhapter 10：Ｔhe Ｆour Ｍain Ｆorms

Ｖerbs are one of the essential ingredients in the creation of sentences. Ｖerbs tell the reader when something occurs through the use of tense. Ｔense is time. Ｖerbs tell the reader whether the action is happening now, in the past, or in

the future. Ｖerbs have four main forms and it is these forms used alone or in combination with helping verbs that create the tenses.

Ｔhe four main forms are the present form, the past form, the present participle, and the past participle.

Ｉn addition to having four forms, verbs also come in two types-regular and irregular. Ｒegular verbs use the same pattern to create the main verb forms; irregular verbs do not use the same pattern. Ｔhree of the most common verbs in Ｅnglish are irregular verbs and need special consideration. Ｔhose verbs are be, have, and do. Ｇood writing requires that the writer have mastery of verbs and the main forms of both regular and irregular verbs.

Ｃhapter 11：Ｍore on Ｖerb Ｔenses

Ｙou have already studied in Ｃhapter Ｔen the four main verb forms. Ｔhese verb forms are combined with helping verbs to create tenses other than the simple present and simple past tenses. Ｓome tenses describe the continuation of action from the past to the present or the present in to the future. Ｉn addition, some tenses describe more than one action being completed in the past, but at different times. Ｔhese are the progressive and perfect tenses.