The Mystery of English Test Essays

Author: Hu Wanru
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: Is there a secret to learning how to write English essays? The answer is "there is, and there isn't." For those who follow the objective laws of language learning, writing English essays indeed has a secret; for those who ignore the objective laws of language learning, there is no secret to it at all. If a learner blindly believes that memorizing a few opening sentences can serve as a secret to pass the essay exam, it might be a good idea to spend some time browsing this book first to adopt a new perspective.
First, this book attempts to reveal the so-called "secret," mainly hoping to persuade more learners to believe in the following fact: As one of the language skills, writing skills cannot stand alone; they must be built upon a certain level of English proficiency and personal cultivation. In other words, there must be a solid vocabulary and mastery of grammar as a foundation, a certain level of intellectual awareness as support, and basic logical thinking as the basis.
Second, learning to write must be based on the foundation of reading.
Third, writing skills need practice to become one's own; therefore, they must be mastered through practice, or else it is just theoretical knowledge. It is clear that seeking quick results or cramming at the last minute may sometimes work for memorizing words or doing grammar tests, but it is absolutely not suitable for learning writing.
Secondly, the book hopes to encourage more learners to achieve "high aspirations but low skills." Here, the idiom is used not in its literal sense but to convey that one must first understand that writing is a relatively advanced language skill. Then, one must accumulate language knowledge and expand reading scope through small, meticulous efforts and practical experience. One must never trust shortcuts and must follow the old saying, "No pain, no gain." The book advocates a framework where learning writing techniques is the priority, targeted and practical vocabulary learning is the foundation, extensive reading of model sentences and sample essays is supplementary, and ultimately, it comes down to hands-on creation or imitation.
This series of steps can scientifically guide learners to improve their writing skills solidly and effectively. The purpose of this learning is not only to prepare for the CET-4 and CET-6 exams but also to handle various English essay exams in the future, and more importantly, to cultivate higher writing skills in the future.
Now, readers are encouraged to start practicing writing essays by following the steps in this book: "Learning to organize the structure of the text—learning specific techniques—quickly accumulating essential vocabulary—studying and imitating reference essays."
The book adopts a relatively practical approach, where reading is done specifically for the purpose of practicing writing.