大学英语写作活动的自身首先需要解决好一个思路问题，然后根据思路拟出写作提纲，或按照提纲完成主题句及段落直至篇章。期间特别要注意的是写好主题句、段，衔接好发展句、段，以类型变化有致的句子把整篇文章联系起来、整体化一，使文章的脉络清晰、中心明确、主题突出、结构严谨又自然流畅。要做到这些，需要研究以下几个方面的问题。
一、审题
我们拿到作文后第一件事要做的就是审题。审题的作用在于使你的写作不跑题（如果跑题，条理和语言再好，也得不到及格分，甚至0分。）审题首先要审作文的体裁和题材，因为什么样的体裁就会用什么样的题材去写。就四级考试而言，它包括议论文、说明文、记叙文和描述文。从近些年来看，四、六级作文往往不是单一的体裁，而是几种体裁的杂合体。审题
写作的基本思路应为：审题---提纲---主题句---段落---篇章。考生必须弄清作文的要求，最大限度地挖掘素材及信息，明确写作的重点以及进入写作的方式及步骤。如How to Keep Fit一文，关键是写How而不是健康的好处或重要性。抓住题目的重点就可以拟出提纲，写出段落主题句，进入写作的实质阶段。
例如：
Trying to Be A
You should write at least 100 words and you should base your composition on the outline(given in Chinese) below:
（1）做合格大学生的必要性
（2）做合格大学生的必备条件（可以德智体等方面谈）
（3）我打算这样做
很多人说这种类型的作文是议论文，但这是片面的，因为第一段要求写“...必要性”，说明本段体裁是议论文；第二段要求写“...必备条件”，说明本段要求写说明文；而第三段要求写“...这样做”，说明本段要求写的是记叙文。所以我们说在大多数情况下，四级作文是三种体裁的杂合体。
审题的目的就在于根据不同的体裁来确定不同的写作方法。通过审题，我们可以看出四级作文大都是三段式。如上例第一段为议论体、第二段为说明体、第三段为记叙体。议论体有议论体的写作方式、说明体有说明体的写作方式、记叙体也有它自身的写作特点。第一段为议论文：它的写作特点是要有论点和论据，而且往往从正反两面来论述。例如上面题目的第一段的写作思路是：做合格大学生，会怎么样（这是从正面论述）；不能做到合格大学生，会怎么样（从反面论述）；所以我们要做合格的大学生（结论）。第二段为说明文：它的写作特点是从几方面或几条来说明一个问题，就跟某一机器的说明书一样通过1、2、3说明它的用途。就以上面的作文而言，我们从三个方面（德智体）来说明做合格大学生的必要性。第三段为记叙文：以“我”为中心描述一个“做”的过程。跟上两段相比，本段的主语多为人称代词，并要与第二段相呼应。
保证不跑题是写作当中第一重要任务，第二个重要任务就是条理清楚。对于议论文来说，正反面要清楚。对于说明文来说，1、2、3条要清楚，对于记叙文要来，谁干什么要清楚。
为了使文章更具关于条理性，我们可以用first(ly),second(ly),third(ly)等副词，他们可以使文章的条理性十分突出。作文是主观性题，要想得高分我们必须把评卷老师考虑进去。评卷老师的时间很短（每份卷子的作文只有一两分钟就要阅完），所以我们在列条条时最好不用：To begin with, ... After that,... And then,... The next,... The following,... At last ...。因为用这样的词语不利于阅卷老师看出你作文的条理性。
二、提纲
审好题目后，就可以拟出提纲，设计好写作的基本路线。如果有现成的提纲，则可以再拟出次极提纲，对主提纲进行充实和调整，略加修饰后，一篇作文就差不多写成了。如写对“机会”的看法，开始至少可以拟出三条提纲：
Opportunities often fall on those who have their mind well-prepared.
Opportunities have to be caught rather than waited for only.
However, patience is after all necessary.
然后再对上述提纲进行调整或补充，或举例说明。
三、主题句
通过审题知道了写作的思路，下边第一步就是要写主题句。主题句是确保不跑题的前提，只有不跑题才有可能得及格分。主题句的位置应该放在段首，尽量不要放在段中或段尾。
写主题句最保险的方法就是把中文提纲译成英语。例如上述作文的三段主题句分别为：
It is very necessary to be a good university student.(议论体主题句)
There are several respects of necessities to be a good university student.（说明体的主题句）
What I will do in the future is as follows.（记叙体的主题句）
主题句是英文段落的典型特点,顾名思义,主题句就是提出段落主题的句子。它是一个段落的中心，要求全段其他所有的文字都围绕它展开。它指出了这段内容的主导思想。我们应该尽量把主题句放置于一个段落的开始,这既有助于组织材料,也可以使文章结构清楚。
主题句是一篇文章的灵魂,文章的所有材料和论述都是围绕主题句展开的,因此,写好段落的主题句是写好作文的关键,一个好的主题句首先应该紧扣文章的中心思想,把该段落的内容限定在文章的中心内容之内。例如:
如果要求句是英语就可以把它扩充成主题句，例如：
Good Health
（1）Importance of good health
（2）Ways to keep fit
（3）My own practice
这样的作文的提纲可以直接扩展成主题句，扩展后三段的主题句分别为：
It is very important to have good health. (将名词importance变成形容词important)
There are four ways to keep fit for
My own practices are as follows.（采用原词）
请看下面主题句写作的实例：
Physical Exercise
More and more people today are realizing the importance of regular physical exercises.In the past, most people were involved in manual labour out in the fresh air of the fields. Nowadays a lot of people work in offices, spending most of their time indoors. In the evenings they usually sit watching TV or reading newspapers. Their daily lives don't provide them with the exercises needed to keep them healthy. Therefore, they must devote part of their time to doing regular physical exercise.
There are many different forms of physical exercises suiting different tastes.Some people enjoy competitive sports and find others to share their interest. For example, they play table tennis or football together. Others prefer to exercise alone. They do some running or practise qigong in parks in the morning. Clearly, different people are fond of different forms of physical exercise to improve their health.
As for me, I like running in the morning.And I have benefited a lot from it. It does a lot of good to my health. So I will persist in doing it in the future.
上文的标题“Physical Exercise”是一个比较大的题目,一篇100多字的短文根本不可能容纳它的全部内容,但是，作者通过各个段落的主题句把内容限定在一定的范围之内,各段的主题句都是该段落的第一句。我们不难看出,上文中三个段落的主题句都紧扣文章的标题,并很好地限定了段落的内容。
其次,好的段落主题句必须完整，即能表达一个完整的思想,该段落将围绕这一主题句逐步展开,或定义,或论述,或分类,或解释,或举例说明。因此,段落主题句中必须包含段落的主旨,必须包含一个等待发展的思想。例如在上面我们所列举的“Physical Exercise”一文中的第二段的主题句为“There are many different forms of exercises suiting different tastes”,其主导思想为“different forms of physical exercise”,下面该段的内容也是围绕这一主导思想而展开的。
另外,一个好的段落主题句应该具有一定的限定性,它应该限定该段落的内容不至于偏离全文的中心内容,而且,一个段落的容量是很有限的,如果主题句限定的范围太宽,主题句的内容就无法在该段落内得以阐述清楚。例如以Cheating on the Campus为题的作文为例,用Cheating is popular,或者Cheating is bad或者Cheating is understandable就过于笼统了, Cheating指的是什么?即便是在大学校园里, cheating可以表现在考试,爱情,图书馆等各个方面,不确定具体的范围,主题句就形同虚设,等于还是停留在题目上。因此,一个好的主题句,不仅要表达作者的态度,还需要根据内容和字数方面的要求,对题目的范围进行控制和确定,例如:
例1. Whatever pressures, academic or professional, experienced by students, cheating on the exam is not allowed.
例2. Academic and professional pressures make it understandable that cheating on the exam is widespread on the campus today.
例3. Cheating on the exam is popular on the campus today because of academic and professional pressures.
当然,主题句也不能太具体,如果主题句太具体,作者就无法在文字上加以展开。例如: American food is tasteless and greasy because Americans use too many canned, frozen, and prepackaged foods and because everything is fried in oil or butter.
上述句子作主题句显然不合适,因为它讲述得太具体了,最好应改为: American food is tasteless and greasy.
我们在设计主题句时还应该注意不要把太多不相关的观点包括在一个主题句中,否则,整个段落就会缺乏统一性。例如:Shanghai is famous for its temperate climate, its large population, and its rapid industrial development.
上句包括了三个方面的内容,难以在一个段落中同时讲述,因此,最好只是取其中之一,三个观点放在三个段落中论述。
写好主题句是写好一个段落的关键。之间是要告诉读者这篇文章或这一段谈什么。一般每一段文字都会有一个主题，而若干段落的主题又是围绕一个中心主题展开的。
主题句是需要进一步的描述或论证来支持和发展其中心思想的。发展句要紧扣主题句并对其加以补充，丝丝入扣，入木三分。虽然并不是每段文字都要有一个主题句，但是句句话都须围绕中心内容进行，不断丰富文章的层次。一般可以采用列举实例，解释定义，或依时空顺序推进情节，或采用比较、对照分析的手法使文章更具可读性而不至于翻来覆去就那么两句话。一般议论文可以引语开头，也可以用问题的方式打开话匣子，方法多样，不一而足。段落结尾处多有承上启下之笔，好使段与段之间衔接自然，前后照应。总之，主题句应力求有新意，发展句力求引人入胜，收尾句则更应简洁、概括或耐人寻味。
四、篇章
若干段落便可以形成篇章。一般来说，一篇文章要依靠篇章纽带把上下文编织到一起，前后照应，浑然一体。它将句和段落连接起来，表达出统一的主题，反映出其中的逻辑关系，从而获得了篇章的整体性和连贯性。要使句与句或段与段连成一体，应恰当地运用连接词汇（conjunctions）。
类型 | 词例 |
附加 | and, also, furthermore, in addition, moreover, or else, in other words, i.e., for instance, for example, likewise, similarly, in the same way, meanwhile |
转折 | yet, though, but, however, nevertheless, on the other hand in fact, actually, as a matter of fact instead, rather, on the contrary in an case, in either case |
因果 | so, then, hence, consequently, all in all, in conclusion, in brief, in short, for, because, for this reason, it follows, as a result, in consequence, in conclusion, for this purpose, to this end, then, that being the case, otherwise, under circumstances, in this respect, in this regard |
时间 | at first, to start with, next, finally, to sum up, in short, briefly, previously, before this, before that, hitherto, at this point, here, from now on, henceforward, meanwhile, in the meantime, soon, after a time, just then, at the same time |
五、文体
常见的文体有记叙文、描写文、说明文、议论文和应用文五种。不同的文体对选词、造句、成文有较大的影响，值得我们在写作时加以注意。下面仅就议论文文体作个简述。
议论文是现今英语考试最常见的文体之一。就某一事物和现象发展个人的看法是日常生活中再普通不过的事了。议论文常常要结合一点描述，写成夹叙夹议的文章。写议论文章的关键是必须有论点和论据，论说的方法要有条有理、符合内在逻辑才有说服力。论点要明确肯定，不能反复无常、自相矛盾，而论据应充分。通过举证、分析和比较逐步阐述自己的主张和观点，让读者有所启迪、心悦诚服。议论不妨引经据典，从正反两个方面入手把道理说透、说明白。议论文的行文一般比较严谨、语气书面化一点，以表现出认真和负责任的态度。
六、首段写作
1．谚语法
由于谚语一般已经被大家所接受，用谚语提出自己的观点也容易被读者所接受。
例如：
As the saying (proverb) goes, “Haste makes waste.” We are now living in an age of rapid pace and high efficiency. Everyone wants to set the quickest result within the shortest time. But if too much emphasis is laid upon speed, people will ignore the quality of what they are doing, and thus yield unsatisfying results.
常用的句型有：
There is an old saying that…
People often say…
It is often quoted that…
One of the great men once said that…
2．定义法
定义法是通过对文章中的关键词做一些简单或正面或反面的解释，限定其范围，这样比较有利于引出主题。
例如：
Fashion means a general tendency among people in a certain society, for example, their common interest in clothes, in one type of hair style and so on. Some people like fashion….
常用的句型有：
Sth is / is called / is considered to be /is taken to be / refer to / means /signifies…
3．提问法
通过提问一个或一连串的问题，可以激发读者的兴趣，从而引出主题。
例如：
Do you have many friends? Are they similar to you or different from you? Which kind of friends do you prefer?
4．现象描述法
概括法指先总结文章内容所涉及的现状，然后引出主题。
例如：
In recent years, while our industries and businesses have developed quickly, the number of trees in many big cities has dramatically reduced. Efforts are being made to prevent people from cutting more trees, but to realize the significance of making cities greener is of importance.
5．主题句开篇法
即开门见山直接陈述主题。
例如：
As a human being, one can hardly do without a friend. Society is made up of individuals, and making friends is a very important part of our life. Friends can give you a lot.
6．故事法
故事法指用简单有趣的故事激发读者的兴趣，从而提出自己的观点。
例如：
Most of us may have such experiences: when you go to some place far away from the city where you live and think you know nobody there, you are supposed to find that you run into one of your old classmates on the streets, perhaps both of you would cry out: “What a small world!”
7．引语法
例如：
Just as eating without liking harms the health, learning without interest harms the memory and can't be retained. From Vinci's words we can see how important it is to motivate the students in language learning.
8．调查法
为了得到读者的认可，文章的开始可以引出调查数据等，借以提出主题。
例如：
It was reported that scientific studies had been made to determine whether smoking was a hazard to health. Evidence had shown that there was a serious health risk.
9．假设法
假设法是指通过假设提出一种选择，交代文章要涉及的问题，从而提出文章的主题。
例如：
Suppose you were offered two jobs, one is highly-paid but rather demanding, the other is less demanding, but poorly-paid, which would you prefer? …
10．间接开头法
常用的句型有：
People often say that…, but I think it is not true.
Some people say /believe / hold the view /claim / suggest that…
Others criticize ./ point out / maintain / argue that…
Nowadays it is universally / generally admitted / acknowledged / accepted / held that…
七、结论段的写作
1．重述或总结主题
重述主题指于结论处以另外一种表达方式重申主题，与首段照应。
例如：Influence on Young Adults一文的开头段是：The process of growing up is very complex for every person. Among countless factors which influence a person’s growth, there are two conspicuous aspects: the family and the friends.
结尾段：Families offer us warmth and care. Friends give us strength and horizon. They both help us understand the world as it is. Both of them are the dearest parts in our life.
2．提出建议
例如：Since postcards do us more harm and good, since we have many other ways to convey our feelings and promote our friendship, I hope everyone will take actions now to stop using postcards.
3．概括总结
例如：To sum up, in order to keep the respectable life, the students ought to behave well according to the four rules mentioned above: 1. be ambitious; 2. be broadminded; 3. be brave; and 4. be honest.
4．引用名人名言
例如：In particular, I enjoy what Francis Bacon said Studies serve for delight, for ornament and for ability.
5．提出预测和希望
例如：In a word, TV advertisement,I think, are a newborn thing in the development of our economy, of course, there is much room for improvement in the TV ads. I believe the TV ads will benefit both the advertisers and consumers.
八、写作的最后校对和复查
全篇短文写好之后，必须留出五分钟对短文进行校对复查，这是确保英文写作不出差错或少出差错、取得高分的最后机会。校对与复查的重点应围绕下列问题。
1．英文短文内容是否紧扣文章主题？离开主题的句子不管写得多么漂亮都必须删除，否则就要被扣分。切忌离题。
2．开头段能否概括全文？开头段是否太长？
3．文章的主体部分是否有段落中心句？有无细节？其他句子是否围绕段落中心句？句子之间是否相互联系？
4．结尾段能否总结全文？
5．全文的句子开头有无变化？句型有无变化？有无句法、用词、拼写和语法方面的错误？如有这类错误，须及时改正。应在紧扣主题的前提下，想尽一切办法消灭所有的错误，因为各种错误都可能导致大量扣分。
