随着高考英语的改革，英语作文的命题更具有开放性。开放式作文不同于书面表达，书面表达往往给出较为详细的提示，考生只需把提示要点转译成英语，加上一些适当的连接词连接上下文就行了，所以书面表达常有参考范文。而开放式作文只给出主题或两三点提示，由考生去发挥、构思，考生的思路是不同的，写出来的文章当然不会是一样的，所以开放式作文没有参考范文。
开放式作文的答题思路与汉语作文非常相像。首先要明确主题，然后根据主题搭建文章的主体结构，即写作提纲，接着进行文章血肉的填充。在拟写作提纲时，要突出主题，有层次，先写什么，后写什么，要层次分明。
下面我们结合例题，对开放式作文答题思路作一说明，以飨考生。
[例1]根据下面的提示，用英语写一篇120词左右的短文。
吉姆毕业后想去找工作，他的第一次就业面试失败了，但他学到了许多东西。(用记叙文体裁)
思路分析：本篇作文的要求要写成记叙文。吉姆毕业后想找工作，在写作时，写什么工作都行。他的第一次就业面试失败，应是记叙的主要部分。面试一定要回答有关问题，吉姆肯定要准备一些问题。由面试失败，问题主要出在回答问题上，可能是答非所问，也可能是太紧张，回答得不得体，或没有回答上来。所学到的教训可以是人际交往方面的问题，如微笑、举手投足、态度、机智，也可以是心理素质方面的问题。
例文：
After graduation Jim wanted to be a teacher. But he failed in his interview with the school principal. It was in the early morning that Jim went for the interview. Before he went there, Jim had been well prepared. He had worked out a list of questions that might be put to him. And then, he had carefully prepared the answers. Besides, he practised answering for quite some time. But when he was faced with the principal, he forgot all about the answers. He found the questions easy; however, all he was doing was stuttering and stammering. Later Jim said it wasn't the questions that failed him but the looks on the principal's face. He didn't smile at all. So Jim learned something from his failure.
[例2]根据下面的提示，用英语写一篇120词左右的短文。
1)眼睛是心灵的窗口。
2)学会如何保护眼睛。
思路分析：从题目的要求看，本篇作文要求写成说明文。重点要放在如何保护眼睛上。例如：不要看书时间太长，眼睛与书的距离要适当，走路坐车时不要看书，要常做眼保健操等。如何保护眼睛这个问题比较好写，因为考生有这方面的知识和体验。
例文：
People often say, "Eyes are the windows of soul". All of us understand the importance of the eyes. But how to protect eyesight still remains a question among us students.
If you want to take care of your eyesight, you must pay attention to the following points. Firstly, you should not use your eyes continuously for long periods. After you have read for a long time, about two hours or so, you take a rest by looking at something more distant. Secondly, you should keep your book about a foot away from your eyes when you read it. You should also keep in mind: "Don't read in a dim light or in the sun; don't read in a moving bus or in bed." Doing eye exercises regularly will help you keep good eyesight.
If you fail to keep these rules, you will become short-sighted sooner or later.
[例3]根据下面的提示，用英语写一篇120词左右的短文。
谈谈对考试的看法。
思路分析：本文是一篇议论文。考试有好处有坏处，先说明好处：可以检验学生学的情况和教师教的情况;再说明过多考试的坏处：增加学生的负担，使学生失去学习兴趣。最后总结出你的看法。
例文：
In my opinion， examinations are necessary for students. They can tell us how much the students have learned and what their strong points and what their weak points are in their study progress. Therefore, the proper exams are useful to the students further studies. At the same time, they are also helpful to the teachers. The teachers can get to know clearly what their students' problems are. Then they can get to change their teaching plans and improve their teaching methods so as to help their students study. However, if there are too many examinations, they will do more harm than good to the students. The examinations will become a heavy burden on the students. Sooner or later the students will get tired of them and lose interest in studying. In a word, examinations are necessary, but too many are not good. Therefore we should reduce unnecessary examinations.
[例4]根据下面的提示，用英语写一篇120词左右的短文。
说说近年来超市(supermarket)倍受人们青睐的原因。
思路分析：本文重在陈述原因上。超市倍受人们青睐的原因可能是：自主购物、价廉、种类多、营业时间长、质量放心等。
例文：
More and more people like shopping in supermarkets, which have developed rapidly in recent years. This, of course, has something to do with the convenience they offer to customers.
Firstly, prices in supermarkets are much lower, for they are run in the self-service style, therefore, fewer shop assistants are needed. Secondly, a wide variety of goods are displayed to satisfy the needs of different people. Thirdly, supermarkets usually have longer opening hours than other shops and stores.
Shopping in supermarkets can make customers feel confident, comfortable and relaxed. Moreover, it saves them both time and money. That's why supermarkets are getting more and more crowded nowadays.
