Writing Openings and Endings That Earn · 写出值得拥有的开头和结尾
Two sentences at each end
- A timed essay does not have room for a ceremonial opening or a summary close.
- Two sentences at each end is enough to do a permitted job properly.
- Everything else belongs in the body, where four of the six points live.
The conclusion is the exit, not a gift shop selling every earlier point again.
两端各两句
- 限时写作没有余地放仪式性的开篇或概括式的收尾。
- 两端各两句,就足以把一项允许的工作做好。
- 其余的都属于主体部分,那里有六分中的四分。
结论是出口，不是把前面每个观点再卖一遍的纪念品店。
Building the opening
- Sentence one: the job — position the subject, name the exigence, or establish your standing.
- Sentence two: the defensible thesis, responding to the prompt.
- Nothing else. No history of humanity, no announcement of intent, no undisputed definition.
搭建开篇
- 第一句:那项工作——为主题定位、点出促因,或确立你的立足之地。
- 第二句:针对题目的可辩护论点。
- 别无其他。不要人类简史,不要意图声明,不要无人争议的定义。
Does this sentence belong at an end? · 这句话适合放在结尾吗？
Sort each sentence by where it belongs. · 按位置对每个句子排序。
Put the steps of writing an opening in order. · 将写作的步骤按正确顺序排列。
Two sentences on the page, but the claims are sketched before either of them. · 纸上只有两个句子，但在这之前主张已草拟完毕。
Building the ending
- Sentence one: the thesis in language the essay has earned, or its significance.
- Sentence two: what follows — the wider question, or what the argument obliges.
- Then stop. An essay that ends twice weakens both endings.
搭建结尾
- 第一句:用文章已经赢得的措辞写出的论点,或它的重要性。
- 第二句:由此推出什么——更大的问题,或这一论证所要求的事。
- 然后就停。结尾两次的文章,两个结尾都被削弱了。
An essay that ends twice has two chances to finish strongly. · 双重结尾的文章有两次机会强力收尾。
Ending twice weakens both endings — stop after the second sentence. · 双重结尾削弱双方——在第二句后停止。
Select all · 所有 the openings this lesson says to cut. · 选择所有本课指出应删除的开篇类型。
The thesis is one of the two sentences the opening is for. · 论点是开篇两句中的一句。
If time runs short, do not sacrifice commentary to write a conclusion. A missing conclusion costs part of one point; a body paragraph with evidence and no commentary costs part of four.
如果时间不够,不要为了写结论而牺牲评述。缺一个结论,损失的是一分中的一部分;而一个有证据无评述的主体段落,损失的是四分中的一部分。
If you run short of time, you should... · 如果时间不足，你应该……
A missing conclusion costs part of one point; missing commentary costs part of four. · 缺失结尾仅扣一分；缺失评论则扣四分中的部分分数。
Write the ending , when you know what the essay turned out to argue. · 当你清楚文章实际论证了什么时，再写结尾。
The ending should use language the essay has earned. · 结尾应使用文章已赢得的语言。
When to write them
- Write the opening after you have sketched your claims, so the thesis covers what you can actually defend.
- Write the ending last, when you know what the essay turned out to argue.
- If you run short of time, a missing conclusion costs less than a body paragraph without commentary.
什么时候写它们
- 在勾画完各项主张之后再写开篇,这样论点才覆盖你真正能辩护的内容。
- 最后再写结尾,那时你已经知道这篇文章最终论证了什么。
- 如果时间不够,缺一个结论的代价,小于一个没有评述的主体段落。
The deletion test, both ends
- Delete the opening and start at the first body paragraph. What was genuinely lost?
- Delete the ending and stop at the last. Does the essay end, or just stop?
- Whatever was lost is what those paragraphs should contain — and nothing more.
两端的删除检验
- 删掉开篇,从第一个主体段落读起。真正损失了什么?
- 删掉结尾,停在最后一段。文章是收束了,还是只是停住了?
- 损失掉的东西,才是那两段应当包含的内容——除此之外别无其他。
A complete opening: "The scheme was introduced after a single year's figures showed a decline. Its own measure of success, however, records exactly the failure it was created to prevent." Two sentences: exigence, then a defensible thesis.
一个完整的开篇:*"该方案是在仅仅一年的数据显示下滑之后推出的。然而,它自己的成功指标所记录的,恰恰是它被创设出来要防止的那次失败。"*两句话:先是促因,再是可辩护的论点。
Two sentences at each end. Opening: the job, then the defensible thesis. Ending: the thesis in earned language or its significance, then what follows. Write the opening after sketching claims and the ending last — and never sacrifice commentary to write a conclusion.
两端各两句。开篇:先是那项工作,再是可辩护的论点。结尾:用已被赢得的措辞写出的论点或它的重要性,再写由此推出什么。开篇在勾画主张之后写,结尾最后写——而且绝不要为了写结论而牺牲评述。