Lesson Three The Power of Habit.ppt

1、Lesson ThreeThe Power of Habit,Chen Jinzhong Department of Foreign Languages Shaoxing UniversityMar.15th, 2006 Email:,Background Information Language variation Style of the Text Structural Analysis of the Text Detailed Study of theText Exercises,Background Information,1. The author William James (18

2、42-1910) William James was raised in a highly intellectual household: his father Henry, Sr. was a Swedenborgian theologian, his sister Alice wrote lengthy, literary diaries, and his brother Henry, Jr.(1843-1916) became a renowned novelist. William himself studied art and geology before recieving a p

3、rofessional medical degree from Harvard university, where he taught for thirty-five years.,Work in psychology with Hugo Munsterburg at Harvard resulted in publication of Jamess Principles of Psychology (1890), the classic exposition of a discipline in transition from reliance upon anecdotal introspe

4、ction toward its experimental foundations as a natural science. James himself emphasized the notion of the individual self or person as a continuous stream of consciousness capable of exercising free will.,In Pragmatism: A New Name for some Old Ways of Thinking (1907) James offered significant expan

5、sions of C.S. Peirces philosophy of pragmatism. He not only accepted Peirces method of using pragmatic meaning to resolve dispute, but also spelled out a pragmatic theory of truth as whatever is expedient in the way of our thinking.,Since for James it was the consequences of believing that matter, h

6、e argued in The Will to Believe (1897) that belief must remain an individual process and that we may rationally choose to believe some crucial propositions even though they lie beyond the reach of reason and evidence. This position has important implications for religious convictions in particular,

7、which James explored in detail in The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902).,2. The Duke of Wellington Duke of Wellington, General and British Prime Minister,1769-1852 Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington, was born in Dublin on 1 May 1769. On 30 April 1790 Wellington was elected to the

8、Irish parliament in Dublin as MP for Trim even though he was under age at the time. Once he was out of office, Wellington was appointed as Commander-in-Chief of the army, a post that he held until his death, which took place suddenly at Walmer Castle on 14 September 1852. He lay in state there until

9、 10 November and then in Chelsea Hospital until 17 November. He was given a state funeral and was buried in St. Pauls Cathedral. He was 83 years old.,3.Thomas Henry Huxley(1825-1895),Thomas Henry Huxley was one of the first adherents to Darwins theory of evolution by natural selection, and did more

10、than anyone else to advance its acceptance among scientists and the public alike. As is evident from the letter quoted above, Huxley was a passionate defender of Darwins theory - so passionate that he has been called Darwins Bulldog. But Huxley was not only the bulldog for Darwins theory, but was a

11、great biologist in his own right, who did original research in zoology and paleontology.,2. Language Variation,( from Qian Yuan, 1991，Stylistics: A Coursebook for Chinese EFL Students(上)，北京师范大学出版社，p141。),Hallidays definition of Register,Three main variables are distinguished which are felt to be sig

12、nificant for the choice of situational features: Field (话语范围): subject matter; Mode (话语方式): speech or writing; format, etc.; Tenor (话语体式): the relations between the participants (e.g social roles)which influence degree of formality.,3. style,What is style? 1) manner of expression in writing and spea

13、king, just like a manner of doing things bad/good 2) the register, which refers to the special variety of language used by a particular special group that have a common profession, e.g., doctors, lawyers, teachers, or the same interests 3) the set of linguistic features that seem to be the character

14、istics of a text,4) choice of items, their distribution and patterning, which is partly determined by the demands of genre, form, theme, etc, partly by the likes of the author e.g. Peter passed away last summer. Peter kicked the bucket last summer. 5) deviation from the norm e.g. the widow-making un

15、childing unfathering deeps- the deeps which deprive (wives) of husbands, (children) of fathers and (parents) of children,Introduction,Have you ever wondered what your instructors mean when they write wordy or passive voice or awk in the margins of your paper? Do you sometimes sense that your sentenc

16、es could be stronger, clearer, shorter, more effective? Do you often feel that you know what you mean but do not know how to say it? If you often get feedback from your instructors that you need to tighten your prose or look at your word choice, you may need to work on your writing style. Its import

17、ant that you develop a writing style which makes it possible for you to say what you mean.,Style Markers,A. phonology(elision) B. syntax( sentence types, clauses/phrases,words, word order) C.lexical choice( general/specific) D. graphology( punctuation, capitalization,paragraphing,italicization) Choi

18、ce is meaning!,Style of the Text,Introduction Its obvious that we all write differently in different situations. Writing an assignment is different from writing a note to the milkman, or a love letter, or a postcard to a friend. In all these kinds of writing, we use the style which sounds right for

19、the situation. Lots of the differences between the different styles are to do with formality and informality. We can say that a postcard to a friend is at the informal end of the spectrum, and that things like legal documents are right at the formal end. Here are two small bits of writing to illustr

20、ate the differences between formal and informal styles. What is an argument? In academic writing, an argument is usually a main idea, often called a claim or thesis statement, backed up with evidence that supports the idea. In fact, making an argument-expressing a point of view on a subject and supp

21、orting it with evidence-is often the aim of academic writing.,Style of the Text a clear,logic argument and substantial amount of humorous stories; Highly elevated style of writing; Elaborate parallel structures; Rich imagination,connecting things seeming to be unrelated at all; Quotations from other

22、 scholars; Latinate vocabulary; Complex sentence structure; Figurative language; 9. Use of the present tenses of verbs giving the issue a sense of immediacy,writing style,Writing style means the way in which a particular writer manages his or her words and sentences. It is the creative part of writi

23、ng, giving life to the writers personality. A writer always has choices when it comes to sentence form. The three main types of sentences are simple, compound, complex and compound/complex.In addition to a variety of sentence forms, a writer may use other elements such as figures of speech, parallel

24、ism, modifiers, even the so-called periodic sentence in order to individualize his style.,Here is a paragraph written with no attention to style: I am a young, strong woman. I am not very brave. My friends told me they were going on a skiing trip. I agreed to go with them. I never had skied. I didnt

25、 admit it to anyone. A big ski lift took us up to the top of the mountain. I was frightened to death. I went over the mountains edge. I tumbled all the way down, but didnt get hurt. My friends all said, Why didnt you tell us?,The above was written entirely with simple sentences (subject-verb-object)

26、. To give the paper more life and the reader more variety, the writer should use compound and complex sentences in addition to the simple ones. A compound sentence simply combines thoughts by connecting two sentences (or independent clauses) with a coordinating conjunction. She could combine the fir

27、st two sentences by saying, I am a young, strong woman, but I am not terribly brave.,Another option is to use a complex sentence. This includes a dependent clause and again carries two or more thoughts into one sentence. A dependent clause tends to explain the rest of the sentence. In the third, fou

28、rth and fifth sentences above, she can make it flow better by using a dependent clause. When my friends told me they were going on a skiing trip, I thoughtlessly agreed, although I had never skied before.,Now we switch to the skiing area with a new paragraph, using dependent clauses to set the scene

29、. As we rode to the top of the mountain on the huge ski lift, I was too proud to talk about the mess I was being drawn into. When I looked far down at the distant parking lot, I was frightened to death. However, nothing would have forced me to confess the truth, that out of a group of high school st

30、udents, the only one who had never been on skis was I.,Having achieved smoothness and rhythm, she can create a more vivid picture by using figures of speech, similes, metaphors or an aphorism.She could write, As I glanced at the distant mountains from my lofty perch, I felt like an eagle gazing down

31、 on the world-an eagle without wings! Instead of a deadly swoop after prey, how would I land? I gave an uneagle-like shiver. Here, the metaphor involving the eagle adds another dimension to the story; her feeling of unworthiness was outlined clearly, along with a self-deprecating sense of humor.,Ano

32、ther device used to add power to a composition is parallelism, a repetition of sentence form to emphasize a point. Returning to the skier, I gathered my nerve; I plunged over the edge; I tumbled down the mountain in a whirl of skis, sweaters and poles. I landed in a pile of soft snow. I was still al

33、ive. Parallelism can also be used for dramatic effect as in President Kennedys plea, Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. It is particularly useful for concluding a speech or an essay.,Writing style is a personal thing; yours should be different from anyone

34、 elses. In the skiers story you get an idea of the young ladys personality: her vulnerability, a youthful urge to keep up with her peers, and a self-saving sense of humor. Writing is a bit like dancing. You have basic moves to follow, but the best dancers have their own rhythm, their own flair. Writ

35、ers of fiction, in fact, may become known for their striking individual styles, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, to name two. Fitzgerald favored subtle psychological flourishes in his descriptions, while Hemingway wrote hard masculine prose comprising terse, brusque sentences.,Contrast the

36、two authors styles in these selections: Fitzgerald describes Gatsby: He smiled understandinglymuch more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced, or seemed to face, the whole exter

37、nal world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you, just as you wanted to be understood, believed in you, just as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best,

38、you hoped to convey.,Hemingway describes Brett: Brett was damned good looking. She wore a slipover jersey sweater with a tweed skirt, and her hair was brushed back like a boys. She started all that. She was built with curves like the hull of a racing yacht, and you missed none of it with that wool j

39、ersey.,TIPS on BETTERING YOUR STYLE,1. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Make sure your message is not vague to the reader. If the message is not clear in your own mind, that sentence, paragraph or essay of yours still needs work. 2. Say what you mean not only clearly, but concisely, e.g. usi

40、ng as few words as possible. Students often worry how they will ever get 750 words for an essay so they shift into automatic pilot, repeating themselves, writing in circles, and padding like mad. Yet this is a waster of time, fools no one, and earns a poor grade. How do I get 750 words, then? A stud

41、ent may ask. The answer: write concrete example, descriptive detail, a bit of dialogue. If you make each word count in this way you will get your quota, derive satisfaction in your work (both style and content), and earn a better mark!,Parallel Structure in Professional Writing,When you are expressi

42、ng ideas of equal weight in your writing, parallel sentence structures can echo that fact and offer you a writing style that uses balance and rhythm to help deliver your meaning. Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance

43、. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level. The usual way to join parallel structures is with the use of coordinating conjunctions such as and or or.,1. Words and Phrases With the -ing form (gerund) of words: Parallel: Mary likes hiking, swimming, and bicycling. With infinitive phrases:

44、Parallel: Mary likes to hike, to swim, and to ride a bicycle.ORMary likes to hike, swim, and ride a bicycle. (Note: You can use to before all the verbs in a sentence or only before the first one.) Do not mix forms. Example 1 Not Parallel: Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle. Parallel:

45、 Mary likes hiking, swimming, and riding a bicycle.,2. Clauses A parallel structure that begins with clauses must keep on with clauses. Changing to another pattern or changing the voice of the verb (from active to passive or vice versa) will break the parallelism. Example 1 Not Parallel: The coach t

46、old the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and to do some warm-up exercises before the game. Parallel: The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and that they should do some warm-up exercises before

47、 the game.,- or - Parallel: The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, not eat too much, and do some warm-up exercises before the game,3. Lists after a colon Be sure to keep all the elements in a list in the same form. Example 1 Not Parallel: The dictionary can be used for these

48、 purposes: to find word meanings, pronunciations, correct spellings, and looking up irregular verbs. Parallel: The dictionary can be used for these purposes: to find word meanings, pronunciations, correct spellings, and irregular verbs.,When you are writing about things or ideas that are logically p

49、arallel, use parallel grammatical forms. Parallelism is important at the sentence level, at the paragraph level, and at the document level. Using parallel structures involves a kind of repetition, which helps the reader understand the logical relationships more readily. Change: This could be a probl

50、em for both the winners and those who lose. To: This could be a problem for both the winners and the losers.,Structural Analysis of the Text,1.Introduction(Para 1):Although developed after birth, habit becomes actually no less than an inborn/inbred quality of a human creature than his character and

51、can powerfully control his behaviour.(citing from the Duke of Wellington) 2. The bulk of the paper(Paras 2-5): Paras 2: to support his argument, cites Prof. Huxleys humorous story Para 3: furnish examples of his own(3 examples) to further strengthen his central argument Paras 4: discusses the relati

52、on of habit to society.Thanks to the power of habit, cosiety is able to keep different people in different occupations thus being saved from collapse into disorder,Paras 5:makes a distinction in age between the formation of intellectual and professional habits and the formation of personal habits 3.

53、 Conclusion(para 6):gives a piece of advice on how to take advantage of, rather than struggle against, the power of habit. Urging us to form as early as possible as many good habits as we can so that our behaviour may be decisive and our conscious mind may be freed from the burden of daily routine a

54、nd applied to more useful work.,The Power of HabitBy William James,Habit a second nature! Habit is ten times nature, the Duke of Wellington is said to have exclaimed; and the degree to which this is true no one probably can appreciate as well as one who is a veteran soldier himself. The daily drill

55、and the years of discipline end by fashioning a man completely over again, as to most of the possibilities of his conduct.,There is a story, says Prof. Huxley, which is credible enough, though it may not be true, of a practical joker who seeing a discharged veteran carrying home his dinner, suddenly

56、 called out, Attention! whereupon the man instantly brought his hands down, and lost his mutton and potatoes in the gutter. The drill had been thorough, and its effects had become embodied in the mans nervous structure.,Riderless cavalry-horses, at many a battle, have been seen to come together and

57、go through their customary evolutions at the sound of the bugle-call. Most domestic beasts seem machines almost pure and simple, undoubtingly, unhesitatingly doing from minute to minute the duties they have been taught, and giving no sign that the possibility of an alternative ever suggests itself t

58、o their mind. Men grown old in prison have asked to be readmitted after being once set free. In a railroad accident a menagerie-tiger, whose cage had broken open, is said to have emerged, but presently crept back again, as if too much bewildered by his new responsibilities, so that he was without di

59、fficulty secured.,Habit is thus the enormous fly-wheel of society, its most precious conservative agent. It alone is what keeps us all within the bounds of ordinance. It alone prevents the hardest and most repulsive walks of life from being deserted by those brought up to tread therein. It keeps the fisherman and the deckhand at sea through the winter; it holds the miner in his darkness, and nails the countryman to his log-cabin and his lonely farm through all the months of snow; it protects us from invasion by the natives of the desert a