Unit 6 Sentence Conciseness and Clarity句子简洁明了

1、Unit 6Sentence Conciseness and Clarity HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010101_p1.asp.htm Unit 1 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010102_p1.asp.htm Unit 2 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010103_p1.asp.htm Unit 3 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010104_p1.asp.htm Unit 4 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01

2、_01/guide010105_p1.asp.htm Unit 5 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010106_p1.asp.htm Unit 6 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010107_p1.asp.htm Unit 7 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010108_p1.asp.htm Unit 8GoalsBe able to use a pronoun instead of repeating a noun, words instead of phrases, and p

3、hrases instead of clauses.Learn not to repeat words or phrases in a sentence or one that follows.Learn not to use different words or phrases with similar meanings in the same sentence.Conciseness using words economically and eliminating wordiness is fundamental to good writing. Look at the following

4、 sentences:In the month of May people of different professions from all circles in this city will hold meetings to elect representatives, and these representatives will go to Beijing, the capital, in October to attend a national congress of model workers from the whole country.In the month of May ca

5、n be shortened to In May without any loss of meaning; of different professions and from all circles mean the same thing, so only one of them is needed; hold meetings can be omitted because it is not important; the important thing is that they will elect representatives; who can be used in place of t

6、hese representatives; the capital can be omitted; national and from the whole country are synonymous, so the phrase can be deleted:In May people of different professions in this city will elect representatives, who will attend a national congress of model workers in Beijing in October.The number of

7、words is reduced by half, but the meaning of the new sentence is the same as that of the original one.We write sentences to express ideas. The use of words in a sentence, therefore, is decided by the idea it expresses. Needless words do not help express ideas; on the contrary, they obscure the meani

8、ng and confuse the reader. So one of the rules of sentence-making is to use only the necessary words, or as few words as possible so long as the meaning is fully expressed. But often we tend to put a superfluous word here and there in a sentence. This habit may come from the way we talk. It is commo

9、n in speaking to repeat a word, use words of similar meaning together, and change words we have said and even the structure of a sentence in the middle of it. But we should not do so in writing. This is possible because when we write we have time to check what we have written and delete all the word

10、s that are not needed for the expression of ideas, or to make our sentences concise. In order to be concise in your writing, please observe the following guidelines:1. Use a pronoun instead of repeating a noun.Sample 1Wordy More ConciseThe factory bought 2 imported machines.The factory bought 2 impo

11、rted machines. They broke down the next day.The two machines broke down the next day.2. Use a word instead of a phrase with the same meaning, and use a phrase instead of a clause with the same meaning. Wordy More ConciseSample 2the man with ambitionthe ambitious manSample 3the class showingthe best

12、performancethe best-performing classSample 4The article, which has been published recently is instructive.The recently published article is instructive.Sample 5the idea that is most interesting the most interesting idea *Now I d like you to know some common circumlocutions that can be simplified int

13、o one word:the reason for, for the reason that,owing/due to the fact that, in light of the fact that, considering the fact that, on the grounds that, this is why=because, since, whyon the occasion of, in a situation in which, under circumstances in which=whenas regards, in reference to, with regard

14、to, concerning the matter of, where. is concerned=aboutit is crucial that, it is necessary that, there is a need/necessity for, it is important that=must, shouldis able to, has the capacity for, has the ability to=canit is possible that, there is a chance that, it could happen that, the possibility

15、exists for=may, might, couldUnit 6Sentence Conciseness and Clarity HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010101_p1.asp.htm Unit 1 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010102_p1.asp.htm Unit 2 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010103_p1.asp.htm Unit 3 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010104_p1.asp.htm Unit

16、 4 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010105_p1.asp.htm Unit 5 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010106_p1.asp.htm Unit 6 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010107_p1.asp.htm Unit 7 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010108_p1.asp.htm Unit 8Wordy More ConciseSample 6It is possible that nothing will com

17、e of these experiments. Nothing may come of these experiments.Sample 7She has the ability to influence the election.She can influence the election.Sample 8It is necessary that we look into this hot issue.We must look into this hot issue.3. If not for the sake of special emphasis, do not repeat words

18、 or phrases in a sentence or in one that follows.Sample 9WordyMore ConciseTom has a sister.Tom has a sister.Toms sister is a nurse.She is a nurseDo not use different words or phrases with similar meanings in the same sentence.WordyMore ConciseSample 10His wife considered the refrigerator an unneeded

19、 luxury.His wife considered the refrigerator a luxury.*Redundant Pairs Many pairs of words have similar implications. Finish implies complete, so the phrase completely finish is redundant in most cases. Here are some others (words in brackets can be omitted): (past) memories, (various) differences,

20、(each) individual, (basic) fundamentals, (true) facts, (important) essentials, (end) result, (final) outcome, (free) gift, (past) history, (unexpected) surprise.*Redundant CategoriesSpecific words imply their general categories, so we usually dont have to state both. We know that a period is a segme

21、nt of time, and that pink is a color. In each of the following phrases, the general category term can be dropped, leaving just the specific descriptive word: large (in size), (of a) bright (color), heavy (in weight), round (in shape), (at an) early (time), in (the field of) economics, honest (in cha

22、racter), (in a) confused (state), unusual (in nature), extreme (in degree), (of a) strange (type). Another three helpful methods:1. Do not overuse the form it + be-verb or there + be-verb at the beginning of sentences.Such expressions have some rhetorical effect for emphasis in some cases, but unnec

23、essary use of such structures results in wordy writing. Most often you can write a more concise sentence by getting rid of such openings. You can make the noun the subject of the sentence and remove the relative pronoun.WordyMore ConciseSample 11There are four questions that should be answered:Four

24、questions should be answered:Sample 12There was a big explosion, which shattered the windows, and people ran out of their houses.A big explosion shattered the windows, and people ran out of their houses.2. Use verbs in their active rather than passive voice.WordyMore ConciseSample 13My English was t

25、aught by Mrs. Green.Mrs. Green taught me English.Sample 14Your accounts were checked by the Director.The Director checked your accounts.3. Do not overuse nominalizations (the noun forms of verbs).WordyMore ConciseSample 15The function of the movie is the entertainment for people. The movie entertain

26、s people.Sample 16The current focus of the medical profession is disease prevention.The medical profession currently focuses on disease prevention. Unit 6Sentence Conciseness and Clarity HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010101_p1.asp.htm Unit 1 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010102_p1.asp.htm Un

27、it 2 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010103_p1.asp.htm Unit 3 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010104_p1.asp.htm Unit 4 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010105_p1.asp.htm Unit 5 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010106_p1.asp.htm Unit 6 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010107_p1.asp.htm Unit 7

28、HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010108_p1.asp.htm Unit 8Task: Revise the following sentences to make them more concise(1) The umbrella is pink in color.(2) In the early part of the month of July, the students will have their summer holiday.(3) In my opinion, I think your plan is not practical.(4)

29、During that period of time, many girls preferred skirts that are red in color and made of cotton.(5) This kind of organisms were round in shape and peculiar in nature.(6) Imagine a mental picture of someone engaged in the intellectual activity of trying to learn what the rules are for how to play th

30、e game of chess.(7) Some of the universities are jointly run by a company in collaboration with the local government.(8) Smoking is considered a handsome act by some students.(9) The theory isnt proved by this experiment.(10) In this essay is an example of the use of the refutation in argumentation.

31、 Assignment HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010101_p1.asp.htm Unit 1 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010102_p1.asp.htm Unit 2 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010103_p1.asp.htm Unit 3 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010104_p1.asp.htm Unit 4 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010105_p1.asp.htm

32、Unit 5 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010106_p1.asp.htm Unit 6 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010107_p1.asp.htm Unit 7 HYPERLINK /06/2/yyxz/ch01_01/guide010108_p1.asp.htm Unit 8Make the following sentences more concise and clear. 1. His father is not like her father. Her father reads more book

33、s.2. Many uneducated citizens who have never attended school begin to take part time training courses.3. Beijing Foreign Studies University, which was founded 60 years ago, is well known in China.4. At this point in time, we should pay much attention to quality education.5. The grass was like a carp

34、et. It covered the whole field. The color of the grass was fresh green.6. Anna spoke in a low and hard-to-hear voice.7. This was a history museum planned with a great deal care.8. These were issues that in essence were related to economy.9. The novels written by Hemingway (海明威) are different from th

35、e novels composed by Faulkner（福克纳）.10. In the early part of December there was a heavy snow in this area, and it snowed for three days without letup. 11. Early in the morning there was a fog, which covered all things in the city and people who were driving were careful and they had to drive very slo

36、wly.12. He has tasted the wines produced in different places and he says the red wine made in Beijing is the best.13. Each time there was a knock at the door he was nervous, for he feared that someone might come to bring him more bad news.14. China has a population of 1.2 billion. She must do much t

37、o limit the growth of population.15. Some people like to say thats neat when they mean to say thats good. It is a slang expression.16. Students who are in their fourth year at the university go to visit the library regularly to look for material and reference books useful for the writing of their graduation papers.17. These children are busy playing with toys. They have little time for studies.18. When you read the beginning of the book, you cannot understand the meaning of the title. You will understand it when you come to the end of the book.19. Here are twenty-fi