英语议论文的写作，大多有具体要点(即论点或论据)的限定，所以并不需要如何地纵横捭阖，如何地旁征博引。但是，麻雀虽小，五脏俱全，一篇100来字的议论文，同样必须逻辑严密，结构清晰，语言洗练，必须论有中心，言而有据。以下笔者试从篇章结构、句子修辞和词汇运用等三个方面来谈一谈写好一篇小议论文的基本方法和技巧。篇章结构：
(一)先有规矩，然后才能从心所欲，不逾矩
议论文的写作，住往从正反两方面来论述，且都有其约定俗成的议论模式，即从“主题句一正面论述，反面论述一结论”四大块去营造文章的基本结构(四块论)。例如，某题目要求论述“学校规定‘课间学生只能呆在自己的教室里’对吗?”这一话题。如果作者认为学校的规定不对，他就应该在文章第一块(段)亮出自己的观点：There is currently much discussion about whether students should stay in their own classrooms or not during break times. Personally I believe that...。而第二块应该从正面论述“课间不能只呆在自己的教室里”的理由。比如可以说：I would argue that break times are our only opportunity to choose what we want to do. 第三块则从反面观点，即“课间只能呆在自己的教室里”出发，批驳对方观点或进一步阐述己方观点。例如可以说：Another reason why people say that students have to stay in their own classes at break times is that it would be difficult to organize dinners. 最后一块(段)则用不同的语言再次强调已方观点。乍一看去，议论文“四块论”仿佛有“八股文”的嫌疑，但“四块论”符合人的认知规律，所以值得多多模仿和操练。
(二)围绕中心论述，确保论述的内容直接为主题服务
在上例中，“学生课间时不能只呆在自己的教室里”是主题句，论述时应该紧紧围绕它。有的同学在写的时候先说“学生若课间被允许到其他班级活动，就可以交到更多的朋友”，然后又说“交到更多朋友就可以学到更多知识”，“学到更多知识就可以为社会做出更大的贡献”……这种论述方式貌似环环相扣，承前启后，实则是中心涣散的流水账，说到最后，不仅读者会一头雾水，连作者自己都会忘了自己在说什么。
(三)确立并写好论点，并将其置于每一段的段首
整篇文章有整篇文章的中心论点，每一段落有每一段落的分论点。选取论点时要问一问自己：这一论点是否会让自己信服?如果—个论点连自己都说服不了，就要放弃它。段落论点的呈现不能羞羞答答，犹报琵琶半遮面，也不能深藏不露，让读者去总结和归纳，而必须在文章开篇或段落开头就亮出来。论点置于篇首或段首，才能纲举目张，也是确保不跑题的前提。以下两个例子中，第一个结构松散，群龙无首，令读者不知所云;而第二个例子则中心突出，章法严谨。请看：
1.Firstly, it is very convenient in daily life. There are many shops and supermarkets in a city. I can buy everything I need easily in these places. When I am sick, I can easily see a doctor in any clinic or hospital. Transport services are good in a city. when I want to go somewhere, I can take a bus, a train or something else. There are also many kinds of entertainment in a city. Public buildings (such as libraries) and parks can easity be found in a city, too.
2.First. it is convenient and comfortable to live in a city.To begin with, there is good housing in a city, as all the houses and flats are well-equipped with good facilities and surrounded by modern amenities such as places of entertainment, public libraries and parks.
而中心句的写法也有讲究。中心句必须能高度概括所在段落的论据，它的关键词应该在每—个论据中都有重复或适当体现。那种无关痛痒的叙述或说明性的句子，是不适宜用作中心句的。例如：
1.Students always feel relaxed and happy during breaks.(叙述性句子)
2.Break times are scheduled for about 10 minutes.(说明性句子)
以下即是论述“学校规定‘课间学生只能呆在自己的班级里’对吗?”的一篇学生习作：
Although some people believe that students should stay in their own classrooms during break times, I would like to argue that we should be allowed to spend break times in another class.
The most important reason for believing that is that many students have friends in other classes. We spend all day in our own classroom, and break times are the only time we have to spend with other friends. It can become very tedious(令人厌倦的)to have to spend even more time with the same people.
A further reason for allowing student to choose where they spend their break times is that it would stop arguements. If students are forced to spend time with classmates who are not good friends, they can annoy each other.This leads to problems that have to be sorted out by teachers.
Teachers argue that we all should stay in our own classes, because it is then easier to know what is going on.They say that it is difficult to keep track of students when they are walking round the corridors. However, students could be given the chance to choose a different classroom to spend the whole break time in. That would mean that there would not be any students in the corridors.
As I have explained, although it might be a little easier to manage when everyone stays in their own classroom, it would make break times happier for all students if they were allowed to choose where they spent their time.
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