隨著開放改革的深入發展，運用英語進行寫作的頻率越來越高。因而英語寫作教學也就越來越引起人們的重視。那么，如何從教材中挖掘出寫作素材？筆者的觀點和做法是：

　　　　一、對課文進行縮寫

　　　　1．敘事記人類文章。應以情節或人物性格為主線，列出重要情節或性格特點來概述全文。例如，The Rescue (SEFC 1A Unit 4)一文以時間順序展開幾分鐘內的突發事件，我們可用表示時間詞來承接整篇縮寫短文，如First; Next; Then; Finally來概述全文。

First, Flora saw Jeff running and waving his arms. She turned around and saw a wall of water advancing toward her quickly. Next, the water swept Jeff and Flora down and they are struggling for their lives. Then they tried to get to the house and climbed the stairs to be safe from water. Finally, part of the house fell down but they were safe next to the chimney.這樣，學生就能通過縮寫掌握文章內容，并學會了這些表示時間先后的詞去寫作：First; Next; Then; Finally等。

２．科普短文、說明文、說理文�？赏ㄟ^列出段落主題句(topic sentence)去迅速捕捉文章的主要論點，規劃文章的框架結構。如The Properties of Water (SEFC 2B Unit 13)一文, 每段的主題句歸納如下：

Para. 1: general idea

Para. 2: chemical structure of water (two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom)

Para. 3: salinity of water (about 3.5%)

Para. 4: density of water (1000kg/m3)

Para. 5: heat capacity of water (relatively high)

Para. 6: ocean motion

Para. 7: significance of water to nature

二、對課文的仿寫。

１．仿寫課文結構。仿寫時，要注意學習其結構特點。記敘文，多采用三段式的謀篇布局形式，用順敘的方法。第一段交代時間、地點和人物，第二段交代事件發生的過程，第三段敘述事件的結果。議論文也多采用三段式：第一段擺出論題，第二段列出正方觀點，第三段列出反方觀點。掌握了這些文體結構之后，學生才有可能寫出結構緊湊的文章來。

２．仿寫課文句式。如：強調句，定語從句，非謂語動詞，名詞性從句等，還有一些適合某些特定情景、場合的常用句子，如：寫信的開頭和結尾，發表意見的短語：in my opinion, as far as I can see等，教師要向學生多強調、示范。特別是一些常用于文章開頭、結尾和中間起承接作用的慣用語，要讓學生多練習，并能運用到寫作中去。

３．仿寫課文內容。如：在New Zealand (SEFC 1B Unit 18)課文教學中，首先引導學生分析課文是怎樣圍繞中心選擇和組織素材的，讓學生掌握對地理位置的描述，使學生學會對有關國家、城市、旅游景點的寫作方法。然后以Taiwan Island, China, Our City等為題讓學生模仿課文的寫作方法進行寫作訓練。

三、對課文的改寫。

例如，在學習了The Necklace (SEFC 1B Unit 15)一文后，要求學生從劇中不同人物的角度，按照故事發生的順序將這出小短劇改寫為一篇敘述文體的短文。又如，可讓學生將At the Tailor's shop (SEFC 2A Unit 10)一文改寫成短劇。當然，還可引導學生以不同的人稱角度去改寫。如：

1. Tell the story to your partner in the past tense. Start like this: A man went into a tailor's shop to buy a suit. All the money he had in his pocket was a million-pound note...

2. Rewrite the story At the Tailor's Shop, as told by Tod, the shop assistant. Start like this: One Monday morning I was working in the shop as usual...

四、對課文的續寫

    如The Necklace(SEFC 1B Unit 15)一文，當Mathilde得知為之辛勞十年的項鏈竟是假的，故事的結局會怎么樣？要求學生續寫短劇。同學們想象的結局不一而足，很有創意，如：

1. She killed herself.

2. She bought a glass necklace and changed it for her real diamond necklace.

3. She divorced her husband and married a man with a lot of money.

4. She began to make a living by making false necklaces and cheating others of a lot of money.這樣，學生就會在口頭表達的基礎上續寫出了不少精彩的片斷。