Writing Strategy

The body of a written piece is where you elaborate, defend, and expand the thesis introduced in the introduction. The body should support your main contention with supporting evidence and possible objections. A good body presents both sides of a case, pros and cons. As you make your case, save your best argument for last. When presenting contrary views, be sure to set forth the strongest arguments so you can avoid being charged with erecting a “straw man”. The body includes three components: elaboration, illustration and argumentation.

Writing for Specific Purposes: Postcard

In daily life, we sometimes send short messages by postcards to our friends, colleagues and family members. The names and address of the recipient (接受者) are usually on the right side while your message is on the left, with your name under the message. With the popularity of the Internet, electronic postcards are now getting more and more popular. But their form is more or less the same with that of the printed ones.

Sample: