5 tips to improve your writing

提高写作能力的5个技巧

Hi there, my name is Emma

大家好，我是艾玛老师。

and in today's video

在今天的视频中

We are going to look at, five ways

我们将要学习五种

to improve academic

提高学术写作

essay writing

的方法。

Okay? Or TOEFL writing, IELTS writing.

好吗？它们也适用于托福、雅思写作。

This doesn't have to do with

当然当你和朋友通信时

when you write a letter to your friends.

用不着考虑这些。

Okay? We're talking specifically about

好，接下来我们将要具体讨论的是

formal writing, maybe business writing,

有关正式场合的写作，如商务写作、

or academic writing.

学术写作。

Okay, so let's get started.

那我们开始吧！

My first tip on how to improve writing

首先，关于提高写作的一点提示是

is do not use contractions. Okay? And again this is for academic writing.

不要用缩略形式。当然，这是针对学术写作而言的。

Awesome

就是这样

"don't," "can't"

“不要，” “不能”

"shouldn't," "couldn't," "wouldn't",

“不应该，” “不应该，” “不会”

"isn't," "haven't," "hasn't."

“不是，” “还没有，” “还未”。

Okay so it's the short form of, (Two Words Put Into One)

这些都是缩写，（把两个词合成一个）

for example, "don't" is the contraction of "do not."

犹如，“don't”就是“do not”的缩写。

Okay?

好了。

So, it's better to actually write out the word in full

所以，在学术和商务写作时最好不要用缩写，

in academic and formal business writing.

要将单词写完整。

So, instead of "don't," use "do not." Instead of "can't," use "cannot."

所以，要写“do not”而不是“don't”, 要用“cannot” 不要用“can't”。

And notice how with "do not," it's actually two words.

同时要注意“do not”, 它实际上是两个单词。

"Cannot" is just one word.

而“cannot”是一个单词。

"Shouldn't" becomes "should not."

“Shouldn't”应该写成“should not”。

"Couldn't" becomes "could not."

“Couldn't” 应该写成“could not”。

"Wouldn't" — "would not."

“Wouldn't”则是“would not”。

"Isn't" — "is not."

“Isn't”则是“is not”。

"Haven't" — "have not"

“Haven't”则是“have not”。

"Hasn't" — "has not." Okay.

“Hasn't”则是“has not”。知道了么。

So don't use these,

所以不要用这些缩略形式，

use these.

要用这些完整表达。

Okay. So now let's look at Tip #2.

都明白了吧。好，接下来我们来看提示2。

So Tip #2

提示2是

is avoid "there is" or "there are."

避免用“there is” 或 “there are”。

Okay?

了解吗？

So why do we avoid "there is" or "there are"?

我们为什么要避免用“there is”或“there are”呢？

Well one of the reasons is

首先第一个原因是

when we write, we want to write our ideas clear and concise,

当我们写作时，我们希望清楚明了的表达我们的想法，

meaning we don't want these long sentences,

这就意味着我们不想用这些长句子，

we want our sentences to be to the point.

我们希望我们的句子能直击要点。

There are "adds" extra words that are not needed.

这儿列举了一些不必要的表达。

So let's look at some examples.

让我们看一些例子。

a) There are many issues that students face at university.

学生在大学里遇到了许多问题。

So, that's an okay sentence, but if I wanted to make it a better sentence,

从语法上说这是一个可行的句子，但是如果我想让它成为一个更好的句子，

that is more appropriate for academic writing,

更合乎学术写作的句子，

I would change it. I'd get rid of "there are"

我需要对它做出调整。我将删去“there are”,

and I would say instead

我会直接说

"Students face many issues at university."

在大学里，学生遇到很多问题。

So you don't need "there is" or "there are."

所以你并不需要“there is” 或 “there are”。

A second example

第二个例子

"There are many development projects that the UN supports."

美国支持很多发展计划。

Okay?

没错

Again, we don't need "there are."

我们同样不需要“there are”。

We can just change it

我们可以直接说

to "The UN supports many development projects."

美国支持很多发展计划。

By getting rid of "there is" and "there are"

删去“there is”和“there are”，

your sentences become stronger, and to the point.

你的句子会变得更有说服力，更能突出重点。

So tip number three, is

第三个注意点是

Avoid words

so don't use words

避免虚词

不要在学术（正式）写作中

in academic writing

运用诸如“really, very, a lot”

such as "really, very, a lot,"

这样的词，

I'm gunna add another one, "so."

我还要补充一个词“so”。

Okay?

明白么？

This weakens your writing.

它会使你的写作变弱。

Your writing isn't as strong if you use these types of words.

而运用另一类的词则能让你的写作简明有力。

So let's look at some examples.

让我们来看一些范例。

"Many students think university is very hard."

很多学生觉得读大学很难。

Ok, so now, we have "very."

在这句里有“very”。

How could I improve the sentence?

怎样来改进这个句子呢？

Well, instead of using "very hard,"

首先要用一个强有力的词来

Just use a stronger word in the first place.

取代“very hard”。

say,

我们可以说，

"Many stuents think university is difficult."

很多学生认为读大学很难。

There are many cars...

那里有很多车

well there, I just broke a rule

哦，我不该说“there are”。

many cars speed very fast you get rid of the very in that sentence

“很多车开得很快”，在这句里要避免使用“very”，

come up with a stronger word for it

应该用一个更强有力的单词来替代它。

so let's look at number B sentence be

接下来，让我们来看B的句子

bill 399 is very

399的账单是很

oh sorry is really controversial

不，是很（really）有争议的

so again an academic writing avoid the usage of really we get to say built 39

在学术（正式）写作中，我们应当避免用“really”，

is controversial

我们可以直接说，399的账单是有争议的。

the sentence sounds better it sounds more formal him see a lot of the

修改后的句子显得更正式。

students

看这个短语，“很多学生”。

I didn't finish the sentence I could say a lot of the students live on campus now

我没写完这句话，我可以说“有很多学生生活在校园里”。

instead of using a lot

当然，不要用“a lot”，

we could use the word many students so we use many if we can count the noun if

我们可以用“many”来形容很多学生。

it's countable

我们可以用“many”来修饰可数名词。

instead of using a lot use many or if our noun is not countable if it's a

记得要用“many”来替换“a lot”,

non-count noun

同时，如果要修饰不可数名词

we can use much

我们可以用“much”。

get rid of a lunch instead of a lot of the students now we have many students

删掉“a lot”, 我们用many students取代a lot of the students

many students face problems in their first year of University much time is

很多大学生在进入大学的第一年里遇到了很多问题。

wasted because of procrastination

很多时间因为拖延症而浪费了。

ok so many and much are both words that are better to use than a lot and again

综上所述，在正式写作中运用many和much要好过于a lot。

the rule is avoid the usage of really vary a lot and so so our fourth tip when

再强调一次我们的第三个注意点，要避免运用“really, very, a lot”

it comes to academic writing is unless so if you are in the sciences

第四个注意点是有关于被动语态运用的。当你在写有关科学技术的学术文章时，

it's ok to use the passive don't use it too much but it's it's okay and normal

可以适当运用被动形式但不要过多运用被动。

to use the passive voice and i'll explain what that is in a second but if

当然，运用被动形式是很常见的，我后面会详细讲解。

you are studying the humanities social science history psychology these types

但需要注意的是当你在学习研究人文社会科学，诸如历史、哲学等学科时，

of subjects do not use the passive voice use the active voice so for most

写作时不要运用被动语态，要用主动语态。

University Writing we use the active voice

在大多数的大学写作中我们都用主动语态。

so what is the passive voice and what is the active voice

那么，什么是被动语态，什么又是主动语态呢？

so here is an example of the passive voice health care reforms were

这儿有一个被动语态的例子，

implemented by Obama

医疗改革由奥巴马实施。

ok so notice first we have a form of the verb to be and then we have the past

首先注意到我们有一种动词形式“to be”,

participle of implement in this case implemented C and E and then oftentimes

然后我们有“implement”的过去式，在这里就是“implemented”,在后面加上了ed,

we have the word by someone so this is

很多时候句子里都有“by someone”(被某人)。

an example of a passive voice sentence health care reforms were implemented by

这就是一个运用被动语态的句子。医疗改革

Obama

由奥巴马实施。

so what is the problem with using the passive voice well it takes away the

那么，运用被动语态的问题是它会模糊

fact that Obama is the one who implemented the reforms

奥巴马实施了医疗改革的事实。

the sentence is sort of weak a little bit awkward it would be much better if

这个句子有种弱的感觉，并有一丝尴尬。

we had the actor who is Obama's of the person the verb and the object

如果我们用奥巴马来作主语，接着是动词和宾语，这个句子就改善了很多。

Obama implemented health care reforms

奥巴马实施了医疗改革。

so this is the active voice ok so if you can have the subject and the verb than

这就是主动语态。你可以运用这种主语、动词、宾语的主动语态

the object instead of the passive voice

来替代被动语态。

so here is another example of this if I wrote in the passive voice I would write

这儿是另一个例子，如果我用被动语态来写

the war was over here we have the form of the be verb 1

战争结束了。这儿我们有be动词的一种形式（was）,

here's the past participle a win by another keyword the French the war was

还有wind的过去式，后面还有另一个关键词法国。

won by the French

这场战争由法国获得了胜利。

so this is again a passive voice sentence in the passive sentence but

自然这又是一个被动语态的句子，

it's still a little bit weak in academic writing we want strong scent and food

无疑，在学术写作中它还是显得有些弱。我们需要浓香、足够多的食物

and a strong sentence has the actor or the person performing the action at the

还有强有力的句子。我们应该将主人公或做出这一行为的人物

beginning of the sentence

放在句首，

so instead a better sentence would be the French won the war

所以调整好的句子是法国获得了战争的胜利。

so the final tip in this video is when you write academically use strong verbs

最后一个提示是，当你写作时要善用强动词。

ok so what is the strong verb and what is a week

那么，什么是强动词，什么又是弱的呢？

herb i'm going to give you an example I could say he gave assistance to my

这儿我要举一个例子。我可以说，

friend

ok this is a very weak way of saying he gave assistance to my friend and a

他给予我朋友帮助。

这是一种非常弱的方式去表达他给予我朋友帮助。

stronger way I could instead just say he assisted my friend

我可以用更简洁有力的方法去表达他帮了我朋友。

so what is the difference between these two sentences

这两个句子有着怎样的区别呢？

well in this sentence assistance is a noun

在第一个句子里，“assistance”是一个名词，

so a better way to write this sentence

要想把句子写得更好的话，

anytime you have a verb a noun and you look at the noun and it could be its own

无论何时你想用一个动词短语时，注意这个词组里的名词是否有动词形式，

verb use this in a verbal form instead

有的话，就用它动词的形式来代替这个短语。

so for example he gave assistance should become he assisted

所以在这个例子里他给予帮助就应该写成他帮助

ok so this is stronger let's look at another example

这种显然更简洁有力。

so

让我们看下一个例子，

I have a week verb made an objection

我有一个弱动词“made an objection”(拒绝)

he made an objection ok so again we have a verb and then a noun

“他做出了拒绝”，这又是由动词make和名词objection组成的动词短语，

objection but objection can be its own verb

但是objection本身有动词形式。

so to make it stronger we get rid of made and we turn

所以为了让句子更简明有力，我们不用made，

objection into its verbal form objected he objected so he objected is better

并将objection转化为它的动词形式objected, 这样就变成了他拒绝。

than he made an objection

“他拒绝”要比“他做出了拒绝”来得好。

hey another example here we have our example of the week verb

来看下一个弱动词的例子，

she conducted an investigation

她做了一项调查。

she conducted an investigation but when I look here I see the word investigation

她做了一项调查并没有语法上的问题， 但当我看到句子里的investigation时，

and i think does investigation does this town have a verb form

我就会想investigation是否有动词的形式，

well yes it does investigate

没错，它有，那便是investigate。

so instead of saying conduct an investigation

所以不要说她做了一项调查，

she investigated something a lot better it's stronger

直接说“她调查了什么”，显得更简洁有力。

ok finally for a fourth example the week

好，终于到了第四个弱动词的例子，

verb is did an audit

“did an adult”（做一项审计）

they did an audit on Wesley Snipes I don't know important maybe they did an

他们对Wesley Snipes(男演员)进行财务审计。我不了解具体的、重要的。

audit on someone

或许，他们对某人展开财务审计。

so again I see the word audit

我又看到了句子中的aduit

so here's a verb and here's a noun

这又是一个动词和一个名词构成的动词短语，

I look at this now and I think audit is there a verb form of the word audit

我现在看着这个然后想到audit本身也是个动词。

yes there is Wesley Snipes was audited

Wesley Snipes被审查（财务）。

but again I told you not to use the passive so i could say

再一次强调不要用被动语态。

the government audited Wesley Snipes

我可以说政府调查了Wesley Snipes。

ok so there you have it five tips that will quickly improve your academic

好了，现在你有了五个可以快速提升你学术写作的的贴士。

writing so if you would like to practice some of these tips

如果你想进一步练习，

come visit us at our website at www.engvid.com until next time

欢迎登陆我们的网站：www.engvid.com