《英语写作阶梯》根据最新《高等学校英语专业英语教学大纲》中四级的写作要求编写。内容包括便条、邀请函、书信、段落、文章写作和常用修辞手段介绍。如果读者按照《英语写作阶梯》的内容循序渐进，必定会在英语写作方面有所突破。《英语写作阶梯》可作为英语专业一年级下和二年级上的学生教材，也可供具有一定英语基础并希望在英语写作方面有所提高的读者学习。各章的部分练习参考答案可在上海交通大学出版社的官方网页上搜索。
《英语写作阶梯》内容包括便条、邀请函、书信、段落、文章写作和常用修辞手段介绍。如果读者按照《英语写作阶梯》的内容循序渐进，必定会在英语写作方面有所突破。 《英语写作阶梯》分为5章内容，适合从事相关研究工作的人员参考阅读。
Chapter I Notes and Invitation Cards
1.1 Note Writing
1.1.1 Definition and Features
1.1.2 Composition
1.1.3 Notes for Various Purposes
1.2 Invitation Cards
1.2.1 Content and Form
1.2.2 Requirements for Writing
Exercises
Chapter II Letters
2.1 The Format of Letters
2.1.1 Addressing Envelopes
2.1.2 The Format of a Letter
2.1.3 The Composition of a Letter
2.2 Social Letters
2.2.1 Letters of Apologies
2.2.2 Letters of Congratulations
2.2.3 Letters of Thanks
2.2.4 Letters of Sympathy and Condolences
2.2.5 Letters of Invitation
2.2.6 Letters of Introduction
2.2.7 Letters of Informal Discussion
2.2.8 Letters of Keeping Correspondence
2.3 Business Letters
2.3.1 Letters of Inquiry and Request
2.3.2 Letters of Complaint
2.3.3 Letters of Application
Exercises
Chapter III Paragraphs
3.1 Structure
3.1.1 The Topic Sentence
3.1.2 Supporting Sentences
3.1.3 The Concluding Sentence
3.2 Unity
3.3 Coherence
3.3.1 Sequence
3.3.2 Cause or Reason
3.3.3 Result
3.3.4 Illustration
3.3.5 Comparison
3.3.6 Contrast
3.3.7 Concession
3.3.8 Transition
3.3.9 Condition
3.3.10 Exception
3.3.11 Purpose
3.3.12 Place
3.3.13 Restatement
3.3.14 Feelings
3.3.15 Conclusion
3.3.16 Time
3.4 Ways of Developing Paragraphs
3.4.1 Narration
3.4.2 Description
3.4.3 Listing
3.4.4 Illustration
3.4.5 Process Analysis
3.4.6 Comparison and Contrast
3.4.7 Cause and Effect
3.4.8 Definition
3.4.9 Division and Classification
3.4.10 Argumentation
Exercises
Chapter IV Essays
4.1 Structure
4.1.1 Paragraphs Versus Essays
4.1.2 The Title
4.1.3 The Thesis Statement
4.1.4 The Introduction
4.1.5 The Body
4.1.6 The Conclusion
4.2 Modes of Writing
4.2.1 Narration
4.2.2 Description
4.2.3 Exposition
4.2.4 Argumentation
Exercises
Chapter V Rhetorical Devices
5.1 Phonetic Devices
5.1.1 Alliteration
5.1.2 Consonance
5.1.3 Assonance
5.1.4 Rhyme
5.1.5 Onomatopoeia
5.2 Semantic Devices
5.2.1 Simile
5.2.2 Metaphor
5.2.3 Metonymy
5.2.4 Synecdoche
5.2.5 Transferred Epithet
5.2.6 Synaesthesia
5.2.7.Analogy
5.2.8 Personification
5.2.9 Zoosemy
5.2.10 Allusion
5.2.11 Litotes
5.2.12 Euphemism
5.2.13 Hyperbole
5.2.14 Oxymoron
5.2.15 Paradox
5.2.16 Zeugma
5.2.17 Pun
5.2.18 Parody
5.2.19 Paregmenon
5.3 Syntactic Devices
5.3.1 Loose Sentence
5.3.2 Periodic Sentence
5.3.3 Inversion （or Anastrophe）
5.3.4 Repetition
5.3.5 Epanalepsis
5.3.6 Antimetabole
5.3.7 Anaphora
5.3.8 Antithesis
5.3.9 Parallelism
5.3.10 Palindrome
5.3.11 Gradatio
5.4 Stylistic Devices
5.4.1 Climax
5.4.2 Anticlimax （or Bathos）
5.4.3 Rhetorical Question （or Erotema）
Exercises
书单推荐
