寫文章立論的時候，很多時候?qū)W生認(rèn)為一定要黑白分明，把自己的立場清晰道出。其實在功課或是考試題目很多也只要求學(xué)生撰寫說明文。

　　學(xué)生經(jīng)?；煜h論文（argumentative essays）及說明文（expository essays），兩種題材確有相似的地方。

　　簡單來說，說明文是比較客觀，而議論文則比較主觀。大家先比較以下兩個段落，可以分辨哪一段是說明文哪一段是議論文嗎？

Example 1 - An excerpt from an essay about the effects of the internet on education

　A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010)… Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation.　　This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources… Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

Example 2 - An excerpt from an essay about the invention of the printing press

　The invention of the printing press in 1440 changed this situation dramatically. Johannes Gutenberg, who had worked as a goldsmith, used his knowledge of metals in the design of the press. He made his type from an alloy of lead, tin, and antimony, whose durability allowed for the reliable production of high-quality books... Gutenberg’s invention rapidly transformed cultural production in Europe; among other things, it would lead to the Protestant Reformation.

　　例子一是有關(guān)互聯(lián)網(wǎng)對教育影響的議論文，劃線的部分就是反論證（counter-argument）。而上下文就是支持論據(jù)的資料。

　　議論文一般寫成比較有說服力的文章（persuasive essays）以第一身觀點(diǎn)來寫，作者要就一個特定的議題或問題立論，論點(diǎn)可以是事實數(shù)據(jù)，甚至純粹個人觀點(diǎn)，務(wù)求說服讀者。

　　例子二則是有關(guān)印刷機(jī)發(fā)明的說明文，劃線部分詳細(xì)解釋主題，提供具體資料，而上下文就是敘述印刷機(jī)的發(fā)明及傳播。

　　說明文一般比較資訊性，資料也是針對某事情／問題作出比較平衡，不要求作者對事情或問題采取立場。相反地，作者應(yīng)該提供非常有系統(tǒng)的證據(jù)或數(shù)據(jù)去支持每一個寫作論點(diǎn)；很多時候也是以第三身敘述。

例子資料來源：

Caulfield, J. (2021, December 06). The Four Main Types of Essay | Quick Guide with Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 22, 2023, from:

https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/essay-types/

Miss Carol

資深英語老師、國際英文考試主考官；前大專院校導(dǎo)師

及企業(yè)培訓(xùn)導(dǎo)師。