DSE Letter to the Editor
寫法全攻略
- 格式只有四件事:Dear Editor,、開首段、正文、Yours faithfully, 加題目指定的名字。
- 開首段要交代三樣:回應哪篇文章或事件、你是誰、你的立場。
- 正文每段一個論點,按 Opinion → Reason → Example → Outcome 展開,並最少用一段回應反方意見。
- 結尾不是重複論點,而是提出具體可行的建議或呼籲。
讀這封信的不只是改卷員,
還有翻開報紙的市民。
Letter to the Editor(致編輯的信)是寫給報章或雜誌的公開信:寫信人就一篇已刊登的文章或一件社會事件表達意見,刊登後所有讀者都會看到。所以它同時考三件事:書信格式、論證能力,以及面向公眾的正式語氣。
DSE 英文科 Paper 2(Writing)考試時間兩小時,分為 Part A(必答的短篇,約 200 字)和 Part B(四題選一的長篇,約 400 字),這種信件兩部分都可能出現。以下是完整寫法。
標準格式一覽
| 位置 | 寫甚麼 | 注意 |
|---|---|---|
| 稱呼 | Dear Editor, | 不要用 Hi 等隨意稱呼。 |
| 標題(可選) | 一行簡短主題,例如 More Free Study Spaces for Students | 不是必須,但有助讀者一眼看到主題。 |
| 開首段 | 回應哪篇文章/事件+你的身份+立場 | 兩至三句完成,不要鋪墊。 |
| 正文 | 兩至三個論點+回應反方 | 每段一個重點,段首一句點題。 |
| 結尾段 | 總結立場+具體建議或呼籲 | 不要加入新論點。 |
| 結束語 | Yours faithfully, | 以 Dear Editor 開首,就用 faithfully。 |
| 署名 | 題目指定的名字,例如 Chris Wong | 不要寫自己的真名。 |
題目沒有要求時,一般不需要寫地址;如題目有指示,以題目為準。
開首段:三句交代清楚
改卷員最先看的是你有沒有回應題目。開首段依次回答三個問題:
- 回應甚麼? I am writing in response to the article "…" published in your newspaper on 3 March.
- 你是誰? As a Secondary Five student who …
- 立場是甚麼? I strongly agree that … and I would like to suggest …
如果題目要你就一件事表達關注,而不是回應某篇文章,可改用:I am writing to express my concern about …
正文:用 OREO 展開每一段
每個論點段落按四步寫,段落就不會只剩一句空泛的意見:
| 步驟 | 作用 | 常用句式 |
|---|---|---|
| Opinion | 段首一句說出論點 | To begin with, … / Another reason is that … |
| Reason | 解釋為甚麼成立 | This is mainly because … |
| Example | 具體情境或例子 | For instance, … |
| Outcome | 帶出影響,扣回立場 | As a result, … / It is therefore hardly surprising that … |
想不到論點時,可以從四個方向想:金錢與經濟、身心健康、效率與便利、環境與社會責任。大部分社會議題都能從其中兩三個角度找到論點。
回應反方:拉開分數的一段
先公平地說出對方的理由,再說明為甚麼你的建議仍然可行:Some may argue that … However, …。這一段顯示你考慮過不同意見,論證會更有說服力。
原創示範信
以下是一封完整的示範信(約 260 字),標示了每一段的作用。題目假設:報章刊登了一篇關於學生擠在快餐店溫習的文章,你以中學生身份寫信回應。
Dear Editor,
More Free Study Spaces for Students
開首段 · 回應+身份+立場I am writing in response to the article "Students Pack Fast-Food Restaurants to Revise" published in your newspaper on 3 March. As a Secondary Five student who revises in a crowded flat, I strongly agree that Hong Kong needs more free study spaces, and I would like to suggest how this could be achieved.
論點一 · Opinion → Reason → Example → OutcomeTo begin with, many students simply have no quiet place to study at home. In small flats, a single table often serves as a dining table, a desk and a workspace for parents. It is therefore hardly surprising that students turn to fast-food restaurants, where noise and interruptions make it difficult to concentrate for long.
論點二Furthermore, the study rooms that already exist cannot meet demand. During examination periods, students often have to queue outside public libraries before they open, and some are turned away. Time spent queuing or travelling between districts is time that could have been spent revising.
回應反方 · Some may argue … However …Some may argue that building new facilities would be too costly. However, the Government does not need to start from scratch. Community halls and school classrooms are often empty in the evenings and at weekends. Opening them as study rooms, with a simple online booking system, would cost little and make use of spaces that are currently wasted.
結尾段 · 總結+具體呼籲In conclusion, providing more free study spaces is a practical way to support students' learning. I urge the Government and schools to work together and open existing spaces to students as soon as possible.
Yours faithfully,
Chris Wong
五個常見失分位(附修正例句)
1. 語氣太口語
✗The Government should really do something about this, you know.
✓I urge the Government to take immediate action on this issue.
2. 格式缺漏或配錯
以 Hi 開首、漏寫結束語,或以 Dear Editor 開首卻用 Yours sincerely 結尾。稱呼和結束語最容易拿分,也最容易白白失分。
3. 開首沒有回應題目
✗Nowadays, education is very important in Hong Kong.
✓I am writing in response to your article on students revising in fast-food restaurants.
空泛的大道理沒有交代寫信原因,讀者不知道你在回應甚麼。
4. 只有意見,沒有理由和例子
✗Study rooms are not enough.
✓The study rooms that already exist cannot meet demand: during examination periods, students often queue outside public libraries before they open.
不要編造具體數字。沒有可靠數據時,用具體情境代替,同樣有說服力。
5. 結尾只重複論點
結尾要讓讀者知道接下來應該做甚麼。用 I urge … to … 或 I hope that … 提出一個具體可行的建議,比把論點再寫一次更有力。
考場時間怎樣分配?
Paper 2 共兩小時,要完成 Part A 和 Part B。無論寫哪一部分,都建議預留三段時間:
- 審題和列大綱:約 5 分鐘。圈出身份、讀者、目的和字數,寫下每段的一句重點。
- 寫作:按大綱逐段寫,不要中途改變立場。
- 檢查:約 5 分鐘。先看格式(稱呼、結束語、署名),再看時態、冠詞和主謂一致。
常見問題
Letter to the Editor 結尾用 Yours faithfully 還是 Yours sincerely?
以 Dear Editor 開首時,因為不知道收信人的名字,結尾用 Yours faithfully。只有以對方姓名開首(例如 Dear Mr Chan)時才用 Yours sincerely。
署名要寫自己的真名嗎?
不要。DSE 題目通常會指定寫信人的身份和名字(例如 Chris Wong),照題目提供的名字署名即可。
Letter to the Editor 需要寫地址和日期嗎?
以題目指示為準。題目沒有要求時,重點放在 Dear Editor、清楚的開首段、正文,以及 Yours faithfully 加署名,不必花時間編造地址。
可以加標題嗎?
可以。在 Dear Editor 下方加一行簡短標題,有助讀者一眼看到信件主題。標題不是必須的。
Letter to the Editor 和議論文有甚麼分別?
兩者都要表達立場和論證,但 Letter to the Editor 是寫給報章讀者看的公開信:開首要說明回應哪一篇文章或事件、寫信人是誰,結尾通常提出具體建議或呼籲,並要使用書信格式。
免費內容只是起點,
完整備考系統在筆記和課程裏
《DSE English 考前終極攻略》近 50 頁,覆蓋三份筆試卷;八小時衝刺課再加上 CC 老師親自教的錄影課程、改文服務和 WhatsApp 問書。