ACT写作成绩排到全美前2% ，我有嗨多的干货和你分享

昨天TestDaily给大家推送了SAT的写作指南，有同学留言说小编太可恶，居然考完了才推送这么好的干货😂

今天小编给大家推送Cecilia N分享的ACT写作经验，这篇文章直接地点出了大家平常容易犯的错误，强调了批判性思维和逻辑的重要性，并手把手地带着大家完成了一篇例文的写作。

本文干货略多，思辨性较强，阅读的时候需要跟着作者的思路来走。但所谓“攻书莫畏难”，认真读完并勤加练习的同学一定能够有所收获。

本文是TD「创作计划」第050号文章，如果你有表达和写作的欲望，希望获得更多的影响力，或者希望赚到一些有诚意的稿费，快👉戳这里入坑。

有些学校现在不要求写作成绩，然而写作就不重要了吗？

写作成绩与文书水平不符合会导致招生官质疑整份申请材料的真实性，并且会上了大学以后paper得不了A， GPA跪。更重要的是，写作是对观点的表达，学术写作是基于现有文献与其他学者进行对话的途径。

如果把ACT的三个perspective理解成文献的话，考官需要看到的是你对他人观点逻辑清晰的反驳与支持， 以及对你自己观点完整的论述。

本文略读大约花费10分钟，精读加练习大约花费一个月。

审题

题目

题目毫无疑问是需要贯穿整篇文章的key word，所有的论述和观点都要围绕着题目展开。而在审题过程中，题目类型分成两组

单一题设的题目可以简单理解为只有一个关键词或词组， 没有and。 对于这样的题在拿到试卷的时候围绕这一个中心词思考，列提纲即可。

复合题设的题目有两个关键词或词组，有and连接。复合题设又分为两类：

意思相近的（比如latest and greatest; the best and the most expansive）--对于这样的题需要分清楚它们定义的范围，重合点和区分点 ；

意思相反的（比如：public health and individual freedom; imitation and creativity）要分析这两个相反概念各自的定义，谁先谁后的区间，分类讨论。（下文会有分析）

Brainstorming

看完题目请先不要看perspective！为什么？我们来举个例子：

亚洲地区9/10的题： compare yourself with others

这道题的关键词是： 和别人比

perspective1 ：和别人比会增加我们的动力。

perspective2 ：你并不知道别人经历了什么才达到这个成就，也不知道他们的成就是否对你就好，所以不要和别人比。

perspective3 : 每个个体都是独特的，不要忘记你的初心，先接受你是谁吧。

在看过三个perspective以后，大家就会不由自主的跟着perspective的论点去写，然后各位淳朴的同学就掉进了出题人的陷阱里——跑题。

总结一下大家都是这么跑题的🙄：

关键词是：和别人比

1. 被p2迷惑，在关键词前面直接加否定词：❌－（不和别人比）好

2. 被p3迷惑，替换关键词：（和自己比）好❌

正确的打开方式：（和别人比）好／（和别人比）不好

ACT作文跑题的后果就是上不了8分！

比如我4月作文被perspective迷惑，跑题只给了7分，论证再好也无济于事。比如上面错误打开题目的同学九月得分都不好看。

唯一避免被perspective迷惑导致跑题的办法： 拿到题目，用手捂住perspective，对着题目问自己对这个词／词组的想法在脑袋中或草稿纸上列出分论点。然后再看perspective。

行文过程中题目关键词不可以替换！比如intelligent machine不要替换成machine或者artificial intelligent。再比如如果题目是Is the Latest the Greatest？ (改编北美6月)：  那么论述只可以是Latest is / isn’t the greatest, 不可以是The greatest isn’t/ is the latest❌

Perspective里替换了关键词请在分析中指出。（下文会分析和举例）

对perspective的思考

在自己brainstorming以后就要确定自己支持／反对哪个perspective了，这里给一个读perspective通用的步骤。

用不同的标记画出reasons & conclusion

比如(北美6月):the latest and the greatest

P1: As a culture, we value innovation. We encourage and support new and improved product because they make our personal lives better and keep our society from stagnating.

Reasons:  The latest make our our personal lives better and keep our society from stagnating.

Conclusion: We should value the latest and it stands for the greatest.

思考定义不确定的词(considering ambiguity)和定义变换了的词（the confusing flexibility of the word）

举个栗子🌰：xdf模拟题Is the Most Expensive The Best？

P1: People value things which is the most expensive, because it provides us with the best quality. However, the most expensive things must offer the best guarantees or after-sales service.

P2 : For many people, the most expensive is a luxury things they can’t afford. The basic necessities are the best for our life, and we don’t need to pay a lot of money.

在这两个perspective里the most expensive的定义都是价格最高的

而the best被分别定义为：“the best quality”&”the basic necessities”（见下划线）:此处就可以就着两个定义分类讨论了。

作者价值观站队( Value Assumption)

e.g.价值观冲突： order& freedom; equality & individualism; generosity & material success; tradition & novelty.

比如public health and individual freedom就是一个典型的价值观站队问题。

Descriptive Assumption: 

The author’s viewpoint of what the world is.

consider with the opposition- whether there is a gap between the conclusion and the reasons. Is there another possibility?

题目关键词是否出现（Whether Key Word appears）

e.g.2015年12月亚太真题：Mastery P1: Dedication to goal gives purpose and order to life. The determination and persistence required shape us into strong people and are rewards to themselves.

关键词是mastery， 然而这个perspective没提关键词怎么破？

请在分析这个perspective的时候指出题目关键词的替换（substitution）：dedication to goal＝mastery

逻辑谬误(Fallacies in Reasoning)：

这一点的确是能加分的项， 从长远考虑的确对阅读学术文献有帮助，因此在这里列出几个考试最常见的逻辑谬误(标粗的希望大家记一下)，限于篇幅不举例子了。欲知更多请移步 ：

1. Slipping Slope: Making the assumption that a proposed step will set off an uncontrollable chain of undesirable events, when procedures exist to prevent such a chain of events.

2. Searching for Perfect Solution: Falsely assuming that because part of a problem would remain after a solution is tried, the solution should not be adopted.

3. Equivocation (也就是上文2.2强调的定义问题): A key word is used with 2 or more meanings in an argument such that the argument fails to make sense once the shift in meaning is recognized.

4. Appeal to popularity: An attempt to justify a claim by appealing to sentiment that a large group pf people have in common—falsely assumes that anything favored by a large group is desirable.

5. Confusion between Cause and Effect: Falsely assumes that A cause B is equivalent to B cause A.

6. Wishful Thinking: Making the faulty assumption that because we wish X were true or false then X is indeed true or false.

实（自）战（虐）一下

Casual Dress（北美4月真题）: P1 : This trend reflects the fact that Americans value equality. Formal dress tends to separate people; casual dress says: ”We are the same.”

Step1: 分析conclusion和reasons

Reasons： People wear casual dress look the same by diminishing the separation caused by formal dress.

Conclusion: Casual dress reflects equality.

Step2: 思考定义不明确的词(defining ambiguity)

如何定义equality？Equality refers to the evenly distribution of social resources and the similarity of each individual’s socioeconomic status and hierarchy. 

Step3:作者价值观站队： 

Equality> Hierarchy. 

Step4: Descriptive Assumption:

The uniform dress code can reflect equality. A world value equality is justice.  Casual dress is the same.这个假设是正确的吗？

Step5: 逻辑谬误：

Confusion between cause and effect.

那么你要如何写呢？（为了论证的完整以下给出一整个正文段，正文段详细写作后文会分析）

段首句：Casual dress is not a representative of equality.

Defining Ambiguity：equality refers to the evenly distribution of social resources and the similarity of each individual’s socioeconomic status and hierarchy. 

According to evolutionary psychology, humans, in ancient times without clothes, have the realization of hierarchy.  Based on prestige effect, even chimpanzee tend to follow the behaviors of privileged member, indicating that even without clothes we are intrinsically divided into different classes.

Therefore, the hierarchy is not neglected even with the same dress code, in this case, casual dress.

For example:  略

套路一：I disagree with Perspective One because it is based on the descriptive assumption that the uniform dress code is a prerequisite to equality which is potentially biased. It confuses with the effect and cause: equality can result in casual dress but the reverse effect doesn’t exist.（如果这样说的话论述不需要调整）

套路二：I disagree with Perspective One because it is based on the assumption that casual dress are the same which is not. It has ignored that the brand of casual dress can also be a indicator to social class. （如果这样说的话论述需要说明brand的问题）

套路三: This goes against Perspective One because its underpinning value on equality does not necessarily benefit our society. Equality isn’t equivalent to justice. (如果这样说的话论述需要说明equality和justice的问题)

在实际考试中选择一种角度就可以了要不你写不完！

再举个🌰栗子：Latest and Greatest P2: Our great desire for “latest and greatest” represents a dangerous cultural mindset: everything is disposable. Little is cherished or made to last.

如何挑刺：I disagree with Perspective Two which is declared the pursuit of the latest reflects we don’ t cherish. It is based on the assumption that we should generate emotions to all the products which is invalidated when it comes to products like electronic devices that need to update constantly.   

当然，赞同一个perspective的时候，只需要论证后加上这个perspective说了啥，这和我不谋而合就好了。

开头段写作：

明确题目关键词定义：

单一定义：给出讨论范围和你的态度。

不同定义：给出不同范围和你的态度，暗示正文段分类讨论。

对三个p的态度：

不提及三个p也不引用。仅仅对其conclusion做出回应

给出明确表达态度的词：

注意区分事实和观点（Fact and Opinion）需要你给出观点而不是事实。

Globalization brings international trades. 是事实。

Globalization benefits the developed countries by bringing more trades是观点。

主题段写作

段首句

1. 写观点不要写事实！

2. 最好不用it is important/ it is good…等形式主语，因为不够强调关键词。

3. 明确的价值判断（感情正负向）

Reasoning (Aristotle 3 steps)

1. Prerequisite: Interpret “Definition’s range/ domain; feature, and function”

2. Humans (Group or individual): common feature/unique feature.

3. Conclusion: attitude.

e.g. 校服是学校规定的统一的服装。

研究表明， 鼓励个性的发展对青少年的成长是有促进作用的。

所以校服泯灭了个性的表达，对于青少年成长是不利的。

例子🌰

与段首句和reasoning高度对应： 起因对应前提，经过对应人的属性，结果对应结论。

perspective

1. 与自己观点一致：部分引用／抽象概括。不要照抄

2. 与自己观点不一致：p的前提和结论：局限性／逻辑错误／假设不正确

论证和结论之间的gap。

需要注意的是：

1. 写完一段空一行写下一段，万一发现错误有改的余地。

2. 写完一段检查一段的论证，不要等到全部写完再检查：因为那个时候你的情绪是满的不容易看出错误，看出错误也可能不会改。

结尾段写作

强调观点＋美好设想，另外别忘了提key words！

要强调的是：正文段没写完也先写结尾。结构不完整比论证不完整扣的分更多。

最后，我比较蠢：以至于写了大约60张A4 ，看了好多的书成绩才勉强到了top 3%。我的总结也许会减少你的弯路，但不能代替你的练习。

以上。

TesDaily在2016年已经为万余人提供了各种形式的备考服务，欢迎点击「阅读原文」到店铺里逛一逛，