從句到段：段落的展開
基本句法掌握之後，接下來就要訓練段落寫作，這是因為段落是文章的基本組成部分，要寫出好文章，必須在段落寫作上多下功夫。
段的基本組成是句子，好的段落應該是該段中所有的句子都圍繞著一個主題展開，且句與句之間應該是緊密相連，形成統一的整體即unified and coherent。那麽怎樣將一個段落展開呢?下面介紹英語中幾種常用的方法。
(1)時間順序 按時間順序寫作就是按照事物發展在時間上的正常順序或先後順序展開段落。在講述故事或回憶事件時，先發生的先寫，後發生的後寫。請看下面的例子：
My heart gave a leap when I heard the announcement that our train would soon arrive at its destination-Beijing. Like other passengers, I began to collect my things and put my mug, towel, atlas, apples, and other things into my bag. To the tune of a beautiful song the train pulled into the station and gently stopped by a platform. I walked out of the train and was carried forward by the stream of people into an underground passage and then into a big hall. As I stepped out of the station, I was dazzled by the bright autumn skies of Beijing. Though I had been on the train for more the thirty hours and spent an sleepless night, I didn't feel tired at all, and I believed my days in this glorious city would be as sunny as the skies.
(2)空間順序 按空間順序組織材料通常用于描述一個地方、事情或人物外貌等。其文章內容應按照由近及遠、由遠及近、自下而上、自上而下、按順時針方向或逆時針方向排列，例如：
In the middle of the rectangular-shaped courtyard stood three magnolia trees(), all in full bloom. A little girl was hoping among them, now gazing at a bud, now collecting fallen petals. Under one of the trees stood her parents, who, while keeping an eye on her, were examining the snow white blossoms with great interest and admiration. In front of another tree a young couple, fresh and bright as the flowers, were posing for a picture. At the end of the courtyard a group of youngsters had gathered behind an artist painting a flourishing limb, which looked so charming and real that a boy stooped to sniff at a half-open flower. At the opposite end a few elderly men and women stood admiring the leafless flowering trees and the people looking at them.
(3)列舉法 通過列舉一系列的論據 對主題句中的論點進行廣泛、全面的陳述或解釋，列舉的順序可按照所列各點的內容的相對重要性、時間、空間來排列，例如：
The Other Side of City Life
In the eyes of many people, city life is attractive with all its advantages and convenience, yet they don't see the other side of the picture. First, with the expansion of the city, housing has become a serious problem for city people. Then, there is the problem of pollution: harmful gases from vehicles and poisonous water from factories pollute our surroundings; noise continually disturbs your peace and rest and drives you mad. Thirdly, modern city life puts a high pressure upon people; you have to hurry to and from work; you have to dodge in so as to avoid bumping into the flood of people, bicycles, cars, buses…; all day long you are under great stress. Fourthly, big cities also cause some social problems. Of which high crime rate is the most serious one. People are justifiably in fear of becoming victims of burglary, robbery, murder and other crimes at any time. They should find some ways to cope with all these problems.
(4)舉例法 在主題句中簡要、概括地說明一個段落的主題思想之後，可以用具體的、生動的事例來支撐論證主題，向目標讀者展示並使他們具體感受主題句中尚未展開的內容和細節，例如：
This term several useful and interesting courses have been offered. An Introduction to European Culture, for instance, gives us a lot of background knowledge of the history of European philosophy, literature, and arts. From time to time we see slide shows of famous paintings and hear tapes of famous pieces of music, and they make the lectures all the more interesting. American Society and Culture is another course that attracts a large audience. The teacher, who visited the United States not long ago, discusses new trends and changes in American life as well as American history and traditions. We like these and other courses very much, because they help us not only to improve our English but also to broaden our vision.
(5)比較和對比 比較(comparison)主要是指出兩個或兩個以上不同種類的事物的共同點或相似之處，如人物、地點、事物、思想、觀點等。對照(contrast)主要是指出它們的不同點。相同的或類似的特征可以組成比較，不同的特征則可以組成對照。不僅如此，比較和對比常常同時使用，這是因為比較中往往隱含著對比。
比較和對比常有兩種形式，即整體比較和對比(block comparison and contrast)與逐項比較(alternating comparison)，例如：
Although Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee were fierce adversaries during the Civil War, their lives, both military and nonmilitary, has a great deal in common. Grant descended from a family whose members participated in the American Revolution. He received his commission of second lieutenant from West Point and served in the Spanish-American War. He was later summoned by President Lincoln to assume command of the Union Forces during the Civil War. After the Civil War, Grant suffered financial problems and was forced to declare bankruptcy. Lee also descended from a family which engaged in the American Revolution. He, too, received his commission from West Point and later fought in Mexico during the Spanish-American War. His fame as a military strategist during the Civil War, when he was the commander of the Confederate armies, is well known. Although it is not always pointed out by historians he, like Grant, had financial difficulties after the civil War and was compelled to declare bankruptcy. By securing a post as president of Washington College, he was able to avoid additional poverty.(整體比較)
The same qualities that make people good houseguests make them good hospital patients. Good houseguests can expect a reasonable amount of service and effort on their behalf, and hospital patients can also. Guests have to adjust to what is for them a change, and certainly hospital patients must do the same. No one appreciates a complaining, unpleasant, unappreciative house guest, and the hospital staff is no exception. Hose guests who expect vast changes to be made for their benefit are not popular for long. Certainly nurses and other personnel with their routines feel the same way about patients in their care. Just as house guests must make adjustments to enjoy their visits, so patients must make adjustments to make their stays reasonably pleasant and satisfying under the circumstances.(逐項比較)
(6)原因和結果 因果分析是常用的拓展段落的方法之一，一定要註意推理的邏輯性因果關系必須表達清楚，不能因果混淆，更不能因果倒置，要避免牽強附會和迴圈論證。一個原因可能造成一個或多個結果，也可能在一大段文章中涉及到一連串因果關系。一個結果也可能由多種原因所引起，通常先寫結果，後寫多種原因;但也可先寫原因後寫結果。另外，如果喲啊強調原因或結果，可用倒裝或強調句型加以突出。例如：
The surge of demand for oil will soon begin to send shock waves through the American economy and transportation system. The impact of these tremors can already be anticipated: to the consumer they signal the end of a long love affair with the car, and to Detroit they offer an early warning that its 1985 growth aims are dangerously unrealistic. Unless we exercise foresight and devise growth-limits policies for the auto industry, events will thrust us into a crisis that will lead to a substantial erosion of domestic oil supply as well as the independence it provides us with, and a level of petroleum imports that could cost as much as $20 to $30 billion per year. Moreover, we would still be depleting our remaining oil reserves at an unacceptable rate, and scrambling for petroleum substitutes, with enormous potential damage to the environment.
(7)定義法 有時候為了避免混淆或誤解，我們必須對一個詞、一條術語或諺語、一個概念通過下定義加以說明、解釋。通常有三種方法下定定義：給出同義詞、用一個帶有定語從句的復合句或用一整段文章，而以第三種方法最為常用。1997年1月份四級考試的作文Practice Makes Perfect就是一篇極為典型的定義型文章。再看下面的例子：
A "liberated woman" is simply a woman who controls her own life, rather than allowing it to be controlled by other people, traditions, or expectations. A "liberated woman" can be found pursuing any line of work, including housework, or no work at all. She may or may not be married; she may or may not have born children. She may belong to any race; she may have attained any age. She need have only one trait in common with her "liberated sisters": she makes her own choices, whether they be the colors on her walls or the advanced degrees she seeks. She acts of her own volition, responsible to herself, and not out of fear of what her mother, lover, or neighbor might say.
(8)分類法 所謂"分類"就是根據人物和事物的特征將他們/它們分別歸入各自不同的範疇。在寫這一類段落時，一定要抓住各個類別的典型特征，不要異類相串，混淆起來。例如：
According to Xiao Li, the fifteen students of his class fall into three groups. Seven of them work hard and study well. They always get good marks in examinations and are often praised by the teachers. Li calls them "good students". The monitor, the secretary of the Youth League branch, and the captain of the class volleyball team, are quick in finding out what their fellow students are interested in or what they should do as a collective. They always organize proper activities at the proper time, so Li calls them "good organizers". Four other students are very kind to their classmates, always ready to lend them a helping hand. They help to clean the classroom and the corridor even when they are not on duty. Li says that they are "good fellows". "What about yourself?" someone asks him. "I'm a group by myself-a good observer."
從段到篇：四種體裁
掌握了前面八種段落展開的"天龍八部"，在面對任何級別的英語考試的作文時，相信大家都可以從容落筆，應付如裕。
不過，大家仍然要謀篇布局，從篇章的角度對自己要寫的內容作巨觀的整體上的把握，這就要求大家區分各種體裁，以採用不同的方法去應對。英語文章的體裁可分為四類，即：
(1)記敘文(narration)
(2)描述文(description)
(3)說明文(exposition)
(4)議論文(argumentation)
和中文無異。限于篇幅，在此就不一一舉例詳細論述，隻說一下寫作要領。
先說記敘文。所謂narration就是敘述一件事或一連串事件，像四級曾經考過的A Morning Walk(晨間漫步)即是一例。在寫這類作文時，要註意以下幾點：首先，在一開始就要設定時間、地點、人物，一定要交代清楚;其次，在講述發生的事件本身時，要選取一些關鍵的細節，不要漫無邊際或不著邊際，而組織那些素材一般採用"時間順序"亦即先發生的先寫，後發生的後寫，或用倒敘法，先講結局，再從頭描述經過。另外，要註意人稱、時代的一致性。
再看描述型文章。所謂description就是用文字對一個人、一個地方、一件物體或一個場景進行描繪。在描述自己的印象時，一定要盡量選取那些有助于表現人物、場景的典型特征和突出特點，剔除那些枝蔓的零碎的細節。隻有這樣，才能使所描述的內容呼之欲出、躍然紙上，具有極大的表現力。
再談談說明文。這是四級考試中出現最為頻繁的體裁，無論是A or B、A and B，還是Why to do、How to do, 或是圖表型作文，都可歸入此類。如果說描述文主要涉及外表和感受，記敘文主要涉及事件和經歷，那麽說明文則主要是關于過程和關系。舉例來說吧，我們面前有一件物體，如果要對其面板進行描寫，我們就要寫成描述型的作文，如果要解釋它是如何製作的，又是如何使用的，那就必須寫成說明文;我們可以講述一個歷史事件，到底發生了什麽，何時何地發生，都有誰參與其中，那就是敘述，而要討論該事件的前因後果，它的本質又是什麽，以及在歷史長河中的深遠意義，那就必須寫成說明文。前面所介紹的展開段落的方法，如分類法、定義法、比較和對比、舉例法等等，大多數都可用于說明文的寫作。
最後談談議論文。說明文是一種以闡釋和解說為表達方式，用簡潔、平實、通俗的語言，對事物的、事理的、人物的特徵、情況、背景等所作的解釋和介紹的文體，而議論文則是以議論為主要表達方式，以邏輯思維為主要思維方式，對現實生活中的現象和原理說長道短、論是斥非、闡明自己的立場和觀點的一種文體，二者不可相混淆。說明是讓人明白，而議論則要令人信服。論點要旗幟鮮明，論據要充分有力，論證要符合邏輯。就四級考試而言，真正意義上的議論文並不多見，即便是已經考過的議論文，如幸運數位、英語口試的必要性等，也較易處理，因此不再贅述。
需要強調的是，在四級考試中，往往是在同一篇文章中幾種體裁兼而有之，大家不要拘泥于教條，如2003年6月的車禍見證書，記述、描寫、說明三種體裁都有所照顧，目的是要檢測同學們對于不同類型寫作的把握，全面地考察寫作教學的水準。