根据教育部颁布的大学英语教学大纲的要求，大学英语四级考试的命题形式有以下几种：首尾句作文、提纲作文、图表作文、命题作文、书信体作文等。
第一节首尾句作文
首尾句作文是根据段首(尾)句续写短文。段首句作文也称主题句作文，因为作文题中所给的段首句往往是段落主题句。其特点是以题目为中心，一般情况下将文章分为三个段落，每段首句即为该段的主题句(topic sentences)。考生要按主题句的要求组织材料，提出论据，用一些辅助句(supporting sentences)来支持或说明主题句，写英文段首句作文要注意：所写的内容要紧扣主题，辅助句应围绕段首句续写。保证段内每个句子的内容与段首句紧密展开各个段落，如：例证、因果、定义、比较对比、程序等。要注意句与句之间，特别是段首句与辅助句之间的自然衔接。另外，所给的段首句有时是一个完整的句子，有时不是一个完整的句子，只是句子的一部分，这就要求考生一定要审好题。找出其中表示中心思想的关键词，围绕这些关键词去扩展、描述或说明。
[例1]Directions :For this part,you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition about Women in the Modern World in three paragraphs. You are given the first sentence of each paragraph and are required to develop the idea in completing the paragraph; your part of the composition should be about 100 words, not including the words given. Remember to write clearly.
[范文]
Women in the Modern World
Women are playing an increasingly important role in society. Successful women who are government officials,writers, scientists,doctors and teachers can be found everywhere. It is true that many jobs that once were dominated by men can be done well by women.
With the changes in their social role,womens position in the family has been improved as well.The husband is no longer the only bread maker in the family and the wife no longer lives on others.They share comforts and hardships with each other.
In spite of these changes, the liberation of women has not been completely realized. Women still face many difficulties and obstacles due to traditional roles and limited economic strength.Women still have a long way to go in their struggle for complete equality with men.
第一段首句是讲妇女在社会上的作用，因而续写的内容紧紧围绕妇女的社会作用，比如，妇女可以是政府机关的工作人员、科学家、教师等;第二句的段首句是关于妇女在家庭中的地位也提高了，续写的内容也是有关夫妻患难与共;第三句的段首句是讲妇女解放仍然任重而道远，续写的部分提出了妇女所面临的问题，整个续写的部分紧扣段首句。
[例2]Directions :Write a composition about What Would Happen If There Were No power in three paragraphs, you are given the first sentence or part of the first sentence of each paragraph:
1Ever since early this century,electricity has become an essential part of our modern life.
2If there were no electric power,...
3Therefore,...
[范文]
What Would Happen If There Were No Power
Ever since early this century, electricity has become an essential part of our modern life. It has played a decisive role in the modern world. Everybody admits that development of our civilization depends on electricity.
If there were no electricity power, our modern world would be in trouble. For instance, all the wheel would stop because without the power the machine would cease working. And all the electrical equipment life would be impossible and in a great mass without electricity.
Therefore, we should make better use of elective power. On the other hand, we should educate people to economize on electricity and not to waste energy resources. At the same time we must do our best to exploit more electric resources to meet the requirements of human beings.
第一段的段首句是讲电已经成为人们现代生活中必不可少的部分，因而接下来的续写部分应强调它的重要性。第二段的段首句提出如果没有电的假设，下面列出没有电将会出现的麻烦。最后一段指出我们应该节约用电，开拓更多的电力资源。
第二节提纲作文
提纲作文是要求考生根据所给出的作文题目和提纲(一般为中文提纲)进行写作。中文提纲大多是以三个单句的形式出现的。写提纲作文，首先要做的就是审题，并要仔细分析题目中所列举的提纲。审完题后应该根据提纲拟出三个英文的主题句，再在这些主题句的基础上扩展成文。在扩展的过程中一定要做到条理清楚，开门见山。
[例1]Directions: For this part,you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition on the topic Good Health according the following outline. Your composition is less than 120 words.Remember that the contents of the outline should all be included in your composition.
Outline:
1健康的重要性
2保持健康的方法
3我的做法
[范文]
Good Health
Good health is very important to everyone. With it, we can study hard, we can serve our country, we can do everything as we like. Without good health, everybody knows that we will fail to do things. We can’t work efficiently, we may stay in hospital, well become a burden of our family.
In my opinion, there are two ways for us to keep fit. First, we must eat a balanced diet. That is to say, we must eat not only eggs, fish and meat, but also some vegetables and fruit everyday. Besides eating properly, drinking clean water is also important. Never get addicted to drinking the soft drink.Second, exercising is a vital part of our daily life. We can do some running in the morning and play football in the afternoon.
As a university student, I pay much attention to physical exercises. I do some swimming in summer and some skating in winter. I often play badminton and tennis. I am also careful with my diet. In a way, keeping healthy is not very hard if you just take it seriously.
文章开门见山就点出了主题：Good health is very important to everyone。然后作者很巧妙地用了with 和without这两个介词从正反两个方面举出了具体的事例来支持自己的观点。另外，with和without这两个词常用于议论文中，用“正证法”和“反证法”来对各论点或观点进行论述。第二段的开头句紧扣提纲，概括地提出保持健康有两种方法，并且通过first, second这样的指示词,使所列举的事实条理化。最后一段告诉读者自己的做法，也紧扣了提纲。
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