我们之前很多的文章都有教大家如何去总结引用别人的观点以及各种引用格式下应该如何做好reference等等,而本文中我们要给大家这说一下如何去应对别人的观点。应对别人的观点方法有很多,这边主要讲最常见的三种:同意(Agreeing)、不同意(Disagreeing)、结合两者(some combination of both)。我们中国留学生在Essay写作中,一定要非常清晰地在一开头就要表现出自己的立场。这样你的Tutor在读你的文章的时候,就会非常清晰,就会有一个mind map(再次强调为audience着想的重要性)!

  要注意,文学课上的essay,有的时候老师并不要求你去读secondary sources(即其他学者对某小说的解读),这个时候其实就用不到去respond,而是自己去分析小说(即自己的解读。自己的解读其实就是一种argument)。但是越是高年级的作文,就越需要读secondary sources,所以这边讲的道理,以后肯定会用到。

  1、反对—要解释为什么

  谈到批判性思维(Critical Thinking)的时候,大家都会想到“反对”,反对的确是体现批判性思维的方法,但是提出反对的同时,也要解释反对的理由。相信大家不免会遇到这类essay作业,那怎么反对的?大家要首先了解下议论文的三要素(观点Claim、前提假设Assumption、和证据Evidence),大家可以去攻击对方观点的前提假设是有问题的,或者说证据是有问题的,或者可以去说对方的逻辑是有问题的。现在来介绍一些常见的模板:

  X is mistaken because she overlooks recent fossil discoveries in the South.

  X's claim that rests upon the questionable assumption that.

  I disagree with X's view that,because,as recent research has shown,.

  X contradicts herself/cannot have it both ways.On the one hand,she argues.On the other hand,she also says.

  By focusing on,X overlooks the deeper problem of.

  2、同意—但是要有所不同

  同意的时候,要尽可能多的加入新的见解,而不是单纯炒冷饭。比如说,你可以找到一些新的证据或者新的论证方法来支持X的观点。如果X的观点非常难理解,你可以用自己的话解释一遍。一些常见的模板如下:

  I agree that diversity in the student body is educationally valuable because my experience at Central University confirms it.

  X is surely right about because,as she may not be aware,recent studies have shown that.

  X's theory of is extremely useful because it sheds light on the difficult problem of.

  Those unfamiliar with this school of thought may be interested to know that it basically boils down to.

  当你同意一个观点的时候,不可避免会讲到反面的观点,这个时候,可以用如下的模板:

  I agree that,a point that needs emphasizing since so many people still believe.

  If group X is right that,as I think they are,then we need to reassess the popular assumption that.

  3、同意和不同意相结合

  这种回应的方式比较友好,读者可能更容易去接受。根据具体的情况,有两种回应方式,一种是:Yes,but(强调反对点),另外一种是,no,but(强调同意点),模板如下:

  Although I agree with X up to a point,I cannot accept his overriding assumption that religion is no longer a major force today.

  Although I disagree with much that X says,I fully endorse his final conclusion that.

  这里小编还为大家提供了其他的一些常见的模板以供大家在新学期essay写作中使用:

  Though I concede that,I still insist that.

  X is right that,but she seems on more dubious ground when she claims that.

  While X is probably wrong when she claims that,she is right that.

  Whereas X provides ample evidence that,Y and Z's research on and convinces me that instead.

  上面的三种Respond方式,无论哪一种,都必须要非常清楚地告知读者你的立场。相信这三种respond方式大家在essay写作中肯定会用得到。