Mastering Common English Sentence Patterns for the College Entrance Examination Writing Test
English writing is an integral component of the College Entrance Examination (CEE) in China. To achieve a good score in the exam, students need to work on their writing skills, particularly in mastering common English sentence patterns. This article will discuss the importance of mastering sentence patterns in CEE writing, provide examples of common sentence patterns, and offer tips on how to improve sentence pattern utilization in writing.
The Importance of Mastering Sentence Patterns in CEE Writing
Mastering common English sentence patterns is essential to writing successful CEE essays. A well-written essay must follow the right sentence patterns to ensure logical coherence, clarity, and cohesion of ideas. If you can master common sentence patterns, you can significantly improve the quality of your writing and increase the chances of scoring high marks in the CEE writing test.
Common English Sentence Patterns
There are numerous sentence patterns in English, but only a few are commonly used in CEE writing. Here are some of the most commonly used sentence structures:
1. Subject + verb + object (SVO)
This sentence pattern is one of the simplest and most common sentence patterns used in English writing. It follows the sequence of subject, verb, and object. Example: "John ate an apple."
2. Subject + verb + complement (SVC)
SVC sentence pattern includes the subject, verb, and complement. A complement is a word that gives more information about the subject or the object. Example: "The weather today is sunny."
3. Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object (SVIDO)
This sentence pattern contains the subject, verb, indirect object, and direct object. The indirect object in the sentence usually refers to a person, while the direct object is the thing or object that is being acted upon. Example: "I gave my mother a present."
4. Subject + verb + object + object complement (SVOC)
The SVOC sentence pattern contains the subject, verb, object, and object complement. The object complement provides additional information about the object. Example: "I found the book interesting."
5. Compound sentence pattern
A compound sentence pattern is a combination of two or more independent clauses. It usually contains two independent clauses linked either by a comma or a conjunction. Examples: "Tom likes football, but Mary prefers basketball." or "I bought a new book and started reading it immediately."
Tips on Improving Sentence Pattern Utilization in Writing
Mastering common sentence patterns is only part of the journey to improve your writing skills. Here are some additional tips for using sentence patterns to improve writing quality:
1. Take note of the sentence patterns used in good model essays.
Students can improve their use of sentence patterns by taking note of the sentence patterns used in good quality essays. When reading model essays, focus on identifying the sentence patterns used in the text, how they contribute to the clarity and flow of ideas, and how they create a particular tone.
2. Practice sentence pattern variation
Varying sentence patterns can make your writing more interesting and engaging. Experiment with different sentence structures to avoid monotony, and make an effort to use a variety of sentence patterns throughout the essay.
3. Avoid excessive use of complex sentence patterns
While the use of complex sentence patterns is essential, over-dependence on long, convoluted sentence structures can make your writing complicated, confusing, and difficult to read. As such, it is best to mix sentence structures and use simpler, shorter sentence structures when appropriate.
Conclusion
In conclusion, mastering common English sentence patterns is an essential part of writing high-quality CEE essays. By paying attention to the structure of sentences in model essays, practising sentence pattern variation, and avoiding excessive use of complex sentence structures, students can significantly improve their writing skills, and, in turn, achieve excellent scores in the CEE writing test.