广大烤鸭们都知道雅思大作文整体由三个部分组成:开头段——主体段——结尾段,其中主体段又分为立论段(支持自己观点的段落)与让步反驳段。
这两段是两个对立面,是对于题目中的观点所产生的正反两个不同方面的看法,通常是决定大作文分数高低的关键段落,因此,里面有很多细节问题值得提醒大家注意。
笔者在实际教学过程中发现,很多同学在自己练习的时候都习以为常地把立论段写在让步反驳段之前,这种理解显然是过于笼统,并不适用于所有的题型,那么,这两者的顺序究竟应该孰先孰后? 笔者今天为烤鸭们做了一个具体分析。
例如:
1. In some countries,young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school and starting university studies. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for young people who decide to do this. ( C5T2 )
在这篇经典的双边讨论题型中,考官所持的立场是支持gap year这件事,文章的布局是先写出立论段,即在主体段第一段先讨论了他支持的观点gap year这件事的advantages:
1)have a broader view of life and better personal resources to draw on.
2)They tend to be more independent.
然后在主体段第二段先让步讨论了gap year这件事的disadvantages:
end up never returning to their studies or finding it difficult to readapt to an academic environment,
然后在这一段紧接着列出反驳部分:
But overall, I think this is less likely today, when academic qualifications are essential for getting a reasonable job.
2. Some people believe that children’s leisure activities must be educational; otherwise they are a complete waste of time. Do you agree or disagree? (C3T1)
这道题考官所站的立场是“不同意孩子们的休闲活动也需要有教育意义”,因此整篇文章的立论段就是在论述“孩子们的休闲活动也需要有教育意义”这个观点的不正确。
让步反驳段应该是先讨论“孩子们的休闲活动也需要有教育意义”这个观点的合理性然后再来驳斥掉。
然而考官范文的顺序却是先写了:
as access to the best education and best jobs is becoming more competitive, and then it is true that children have to make the best of their study time when they are young(让步部分的观点). However, the parents who do not allow their children sufficient free time for leisure activities are misguided.(直接反驳)
然后再详细论述个人观点:孩子们的休闲活动需要玩耍。
1)It is important to remember that children need to develop skills other than intellectual ones.
2)Many children form strong personal relationships with the friends they play with, and without the opportunity to do this, they could grow up emotionally immature or unformed.
由这两篇范文可见,一般情况下,立论段和让步反驳段的顺序是灵活的,谁在前面都可以,但他们之间的对立关系始终不变。
然而,当题目中出现极端表达时,如everyday, everyone, all, only, 或否定词:do not, cannot, will not等。
2017 年 1 月 21 日=2014 年 1 月 9 日
The best way for the government to solve traffic congestion is to provide free public transport 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Do you agree or disagree?
2016 年 9 月 10 日
Many customs and the traditional ways of behavior are no longer relevant to the modern life and no worth keeping. Do you agree or disagree?
题目当中的绝对词常常是我们反驳的靶子,这个特点决定这种题型的常见回应方式是先让步后立论。
这就好比你拒绝一个不喜欢的告白对象,高情商的拒绝方法是先承认对方的好(让步部分),然后再委婉拒绝(直接反驳),接着再列举你们不合适的理由(立论段),与结尾段“拒绝的意味”一脉相承,逻辑上也较为通顺,这种方法比起那些直男式的拒绝方法(直接说出你们不合适)要显得有温度得多。
Discuss题型有非常明显的对立双方,最常见的形式是some people think…while other people suggest…这种题型的写法可以是“一边倒”(只支持其中一方的观点),也可以是“墙头草”,即对双方都表示支持或都表示反对。
在这种“墙头草两边倒”的情况下,段落之间的连接词仍用however,反驳前一段的说法就显得有失偏颇,就没有反驳部分了,因此两个主体段的位置可以互换。
e.g. (C8T1)
利弊分析/优劣势题目(advantages and disadvantages)相对比较少见,通常作者是有倾向性的,无论优势劣势,你倾向的那一段就是立论段。这个特点决定这种题型的和其他题型一样可以先让步后立论。
因此,综上所述,在没有绝对词出现的题目中,立论段和让步反驳段的顺序是灵活的,而一旦出现绝对词,则最好先写让步反驳段,再写立论段,这样更为符合西方的逻辑思维。