21世纪是一个国际化的知识经济时代，社会主义市场经济的发展要求新世纪的人才除了具有扎实的专业知识、良好的创新能力、人文素养外，还必．须具有优秀的外语能力。英语作为一种国际性的语言，已成为人们在国际交往中不可缺少的工具。新形势下，社会的发展对中国大学生英语能力提出了全新的要求，已从原来纯粹的语言技能的掌握，发展到语言应用能力及跨文化交际能力的提高、英语文化认知水平的扩大及人文综合素养的完善。

为了提高广大英语爱好者从事英语基础写作和实用写作的能力，为将来更高层次的科技论文写作打好基础，本教材包括基础写作和实用写作两个部分，对写作的理论和技巧进行了阐述，并在每一章后面提供了大量的练习材料供学生们进行写作训练。第一、第二、第三章主要是从理论上分析英语写作，指出中国学生在英语写作中所存在的问题，并提出相应的解决办法。第四至第七章介绍了从词、句、段到全文写作的理论和技巧。第八和第九章主要介绍了大学生在学习和生活中常用的两种文体(说明文和议论文)的写作技巧。第十章介绍了英语写作中常出现的一些拼写、排版和校对等细节问题。第十一、第十二、第十三章介绍了简历、申请信和私人信件方面的写作内容和技巧，第十四至第十六章介绍了商务信函、通知及合同等方面的写作内容和技巧。

Part I Basic Writing

Chapter One Misunderstandings of English Writing and Solutions.

1.1 Misunderstandings of English writing

1.2 Solutions

Chapter Two Criteria and Qualities of Good Writing

2.1 Criteria of good writing

2.2 Qualities of goocl writing

Chapter Three Writing as a Process

3.1 The product vs. process approach

3.2 Eight steps in the writing process

Chapter Four Word Writing

4.1 Meaning of'words

4.2 Levels of being general or specific

4.3 Sexist language

4.4 Idiomatic language

Chapter Five Sentence Writing

5.1 Common problems in sentence writing

5.2 Types of sentences

5.3 Writing effective sentences

Chapter Six Paragraph Writing

6.1 Structure of paragraphs

6.2 Methods to write topic sentences

6.3 Length of paragraphs

Chapter Seven Essay Writing

7.1 Finding a suitable topic

7.2 Style of writing

7.3 Methods to write

Chapter Eight Writing Strategies for Exposition

8.1 Essay development by giving examples

8.2 Essay development by comparison and contrast

8.3 Essay development by cause and effect

8.4 Essay development by definition

8.5 Essay development by classification

8.6 Essay development by process analysis

Chapter Nine Writing Strategies for Argumentation

9.1 Components of an argumentation

9.2 Methods to develop an essay by argumentation

9.3 The rhetoric,of argument

9.4 Points to be observed in argumentation

Chapter Ten Mechanics of Writing, Editing, and Proofreading

10.1 Mechanics of writing

10.2 Editing

10.3 Proofreading

Part II Prat--tical Writing

Chapter Eleven Resume and Reference Writing

11.1 Resume writing

11.2 Reference writing

Chapter Twelve Application Letter Writing

12.1 Two types of application letters

12.2 Main content and requirements

12.3 Methods to write an application letter

Chapter Thirteen Personal Letter Writing

13.1 Basics of personal letters

13.2 Different kinds of personal letters

Chapter Fourtenn Business Letter Writing

14.1 Features and requirements of business letters

14.2 Methods to write different kinds of business letters

Chapter Fifteen Note, Notice, and Poster Writing

15.1 Note writing

15.2 Notice writing

15.3 Poster writing

Chapter Sixteen Contract Writing

16.1 Content of contracts

16.2 Methods to write contracts

References