全文颜色说明

red代表与小标题相关的关键信息。
blue代表与小标题无关的重要信息。
green代表自己归纳出的对自己很关键的信息。

1. 主动语态

主动语态通常比被动语态更直接,更简洁,更生动,更有力.

I shall always remember my first visit to Boston.
My first visit to Boston will always be remembered by me.

A. 被动语态有时比较方便甚至是必要的.

The dramatists of the Restoration are little esteemed today.
Modern readers have little esteem for the dramatists of the Restoration.

在论述英国王室复辟时期剧作家的时候,用第一句比较好,在论述当前人的鉴赏能力的时候,用第二句比较好.句子的时态通常与句子强调的主语有关.

B. 主动语态通常比被动语态更直接,更简洁,更生动,更有力.
可以用主动语态及物动词代替某些诸如”there is”, “could be heard”一类考虑切周全的词句.

There were a great number of dead leaves lying on the ground.
Dead leaves covered the ground. (物动词)

At dawn the crowing of a rooster could be heard.
The cock’s crow came with dawn.(物动词)

The reason he left college was that his health became impaired.
Failing health compelled him to leave college.(物动词)

句子越有力,通常越短.简洁是生动有力的副产品.

2. 肯定,正面—尽量少用否定或者非肯定语气助词

话要从正面说,“肯定”要力求明确. not这个词存在很多的缺点.

反面	正面
He was not very often on time.	He usually came late.
She did not think that studying Latin was a sensible way to use one’s time.	She thought the study of Latin a waste of time.(宾语补足语)
The Taming of the Shrew is rather weak in spots. Shakespeare does not portray Katharine as a very admirable character, nor does Bianca remain long in memory as an important character in Shakespeare’s works.	The women in The Taming of the Shrew are unattractive. Katharine is disagreeable, Bianca insignificant.(<训悍记>中的哪些妇女缺乏吸引力.凯瑟令人讨厌,比恩无足轻重)

A. 减少not的使用
not这个词存在很多的缺点.读者更愿意了解肯定的东西.因此,即使表达的是否定的概念,也最好用肯定的形式表达.

否定	肯定
not honest	dishonest
not important	trifling(微不足道的)
did not remember	forget
did not pay any attention to	ignore
did not have much confidence in	distrusted

B. 减少非肯定语气的助动词使用
用表示非肯定语气的助动词或带条件状语从句的陈述句常给读者带来一种捉摸不透的感觉.如果你写的每个句子都让读者存在怀疑,你的文章就会缺乏根据和说服力.因此,除非真的无法确定,否则就不要使用助动词would, should, could, may, might, can.

If you would let us know the time of your arrival, we would be happy to arrange your transportation from the airport.
If you will let us know the time of your arrival, we shall be happy to arrange your transportation from the airport.

Applicants can make a good impression by being neat and punctual.
Applicants will make a good impression if they are neat and punctual.

Plath may be ranked among those modem poets who died young.
Plath was one of those modern poets who died young.

shall, will, should, would四个词的关系

1. shall 的过去式是 should，will 的过去式是 would
2. 语气强度: shall(一定会,要,不可避免) > will(将会) > would(将会) > should(应该会)
3. 用法: shall 和 will 用于一般将来时，should、would 用在很多场景中.

单词	特点
shall	一定会,要,不可避免—常用于第一人称
will	将会—常用于第一,二,三人称
should	should可以表示劝告,建议,意思为”应该”(you should get up.),可以表示谦逊委婉的语气(I should say依我看,I should advice.我倒是建议),should have + 过去分词,表示”本应该做,但是没有做”
would	1.相对于过去的一个时间点,后来”将要”做什么(he said he would meet me at the station). 2.表示过去常常做的事情(we would take a walk along the river). 3.would后接like,love,mind等动词,表示特定含义

C.否定是肯定的对偶 = 强有力的肯定
把否定和肯定对偶的放在一起,将构成一种更为有力的结构.

Not charity, but simple justice.
Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.
Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.

3. 明确,具体—尽量通过实例将问题阐述清楚

很多研究过写作技巧的人一致同意:唤起并吸引读者注意力的最可靠的方法是说话明确,肯定,具体.切记笼统,含糊,抽象.
在叙述一件事情的时候,一切有意义的细节都要描述的确切且生动.
在说明和说理的时候,必须提供具体的实例.
如何将模糊笼统的句子改写的生动具体?

In proportion as the manners, customs, and amusements of a nation are cruel and barbarous, the regulations of its penal code will be severe.(一个国家的风俗,习惯,娱乐活动越残忍,越野蛮,这个国家的刑事法典的规定就越严酷)
In proportion as men delight in battles, bullfights, and combats of gladiators, will they punish by hanging, burning, and the rack.(人们越是以战斗,斗牛和格斗为乐,就越会用绞刑,焚烧和拉肢作为惩罚的手段.)

Objective consideration of contemporary phenomena compels the conclusion that success or failure in competitive activities exhibits no tendency to be commensurate with innate capacity, but that a considerable element of the unpredictable must inevitably be taken into account.(客观的考察当代的现象,必定得出这样的结论:竞争中,成败与天赋无关;而必须考虑的,倒是一种无法预料的重要因素.)
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.(我又转念,见日光之下,快跑的未必能赢,力战的未必得胜,智慧的未必得粮食,明哲的未必得资产,灵巧的未必得喜悦.所有临到众人的,是在乎当时的机会.)

4. 简明,扼要—省略不必要的词

A. 很多常用的词组违背了这条原则:

词语	省略后	中文
the question as to whether	whether (the question whether)	至于是否…问题
there is no doubt but that	no doubt (doubtless)
used for fuel purposes	used for fuel
he is a man who	he
in a hasty manner	hastily	仓促的样子
this is a subject that	this subject
Her story is a strange one.	Her story is strange.
the reason why is that	because

B. … the fact that …(那个…事实),应该从所在的每个句子中删除

词语	省略后
owing to the fact that	since (because)
in spite of the fact that	though (although)
call your attention to the fact that	remind you (notify you)
I was unaware of the fact that	I was unaware that (did not know)
the fact that he had not succeeded	his failure
the fact that I had arrived	my arrival

C. case(情况), character(特性), nature(性质), who is(此人是), which was(它曾是)已经诸如此类的词,常常是多余的.

His cousin, who is a member of the same firm.
His cousin, a member of the same firm.

肯定句比否定句简明,主动语态比被动语态简明.

D. 一个常见的罗嗦说法是用一组句子一步一步的表述一个复杂的思想.如果将这些句子组成一个句子,表达就很紧凑.

多个句子	一个句子
Macbeth was very ambitious. This led him to wish to become king of Scotland. The witches told him that this wish of his would come true. The king of Scotland at this time was Duncan. Encouraged by his wife, Macbeth murdered Duncan. He was thus enabled to succeed Duncan as king.	Encouraged by his wife, Macbeth achieved his ambition and realized the prediction of the witches by murdering Duncan and becoming king of Scotland in his place.