本教材编写的基本原则是注重培养学生的语言交际能力。《非英语专业硕士／博士学位研究生英语教学基本要求(试行)》辨证地阐述了语言学习和能力培养的关系，提出研究生英语教学应“确保语言基本功训练，但以培养学生语言交际能力为主要目标。”本套研究生英语教材，其选材、编写到练习的设计，都体现了“扎实的基础训练，突出的能力培养”的目标。

Chapter 1 English Composition and the Chinese Student

 THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

 YOUR WRITING STRENGTHS

 WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES?

 GAINING CONFIDENCE IN WRITING

 READING AND WRITING

 HOW THIS BOOK IS ORGANIZED

 READINGS

Chapter 2 Planning to Write

 STEP ONE: PLANNING

 STEP TWO: RESEARCH

 STEP THREE: DRAFTING

 STEP FOUR: REVIEWING AND REVISING

Chapter 3 Guiding the Reader

 THESIS STATEMENT

 PARA GRAPHING

 TRA NSITIONS

 OUTLINING

 INTRODUCTIONS AND CONCL USIONS

 READINGS

Chapter 4 Writing Clearly

 READING ENGLISH

 A READABLE STYLE

 COMMON GRAMMATICAL PROBLEMS

Chapter 5 Developing a Portfolio of Your Writing

 RESEARCH TOPICS

 SAMPLE PORTFOLIOS

Chapter 6 Writing on Your Experiences

 PURPOSE AND AUDIENCE

 METHODS OF DEVELOPMENT

 ASSIGNMENT 1: EXPRESSING KNOWLEDGE AND OPINIONS

 READINGS

 PLANNING/SEL F-EVAL UA TION OF DRAFT

 PEER REVIEW

 REVISION

Chapter 7 Using and Acknowledging Resources

 USING THE LIBRARY

 SUMMARY, PARAPHRASE, AND QUOTATION

 ACKNOWLEDGING SOURCES

Chapter 8 Writing to Inform

 PURPOSE AND AUDIENCE

 RESEARCH PROPOSAL AND WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY

 UNDERSTANDING FACTS AND ISSUES

 METHODS OF DEVELOPMENT

 USING GRAPHICS

 ASSIGNMENT 2 — WRITING TO INFORM

 READINGS

 PLANNING/SELF-EVALUATION OF DRAFT

 PEER REVIEW

 REVISION

Chapter 9 Writing to Persuade

 PURPOSE AND A UDIENCE

 METHODS OF DEVELOPMENT

 RESEARCH PAPER FORMAT

 ASSIGNMENT 3 — WRITING TO PERSUADE

 PROGRESS REPORT

 READINGS

 PLANNING/SEL F-EVAL UA TION OF DRAFT

Chapter 10 Answering Essay Examinations

 PREPARING FOR AN ESSAY EXAM: THE LONG VIEW

 PREPARING FOR AN ESSAY EXAM: CLOSE TO TEST TIME

 TAKING THE EXAM

 SAMPLE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS