Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
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Formal essays:
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The descriptive essay:
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The narrative essay:
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Direct experience
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Information from others:
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g. From cause to effect- The writer first discusses causes and then the resulting
effects.
Styles
The combination of distinctive features of writing reflects the writers
personality and character.
Here are two statements that characterize different styles of writing about the
same subject.
A: Parents should not embarrass their child; they should not call them stupid,
bighead, skinny or other names that might embarrass them in front of their
childs friends or in public.
B: Dont correct or embarrass kids in front of other people. It messes up
pride.
Styles involve the ways in which a writer puts down the words he/she has
chosen to use. Things to consider are:
Tone: The writer may decide to be serious, humorous, sarcastic, cynical,
straightforward, imaginative, sophisticated, and down to earth
Diction: The choice and use of words by the writer; It messes up pride, the
use of the word messes is an example of diction. Diction can vary in several
ways and involves numerous choices and decisions from the writer. Some choices
involving diction include standard English greeting or slang, street language
whats up?
Part of the creative process of writing an essay centers on the diction of the
writer. Allow the writer choose words, encourage her invention and experimentation
with words.
(Adapted from Bernard, 1981, p.67)
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Example 3
Peace
Peace is everything quiet and daydreaming. Peace is having
not a worry in the world. For there to be soft music. Peace makes you
think of being on a stage doing ballet. Peace is when you feel like
youre about to go to sleep. Peace is being under a tree watching the
sun waving. Peace is like walking around knowing you are not going
to be harmed. And to cuddle up with an with an animal by the
fireplace, when it is cold outside. Peace is waking up in the morning
watching the dawn.
Jeanette
Expressions show
creative thinking
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Creative words
Exercise 4
Choose ONE topic from the list below to write a creative essay.
Beauty
Nature
Darkness
Happiness
Love
Success
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Exercise 6
Write a creative essay to describe the environment in your place.
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Exercise 7
Look at the outline of a descriptive essay in the box and write an essay by
writing the rest of the word after the first letter. Look at the outline as a guide. (some
words are given in the outline below)
Title :
Northeast
Body 1: first
taste
Body 2: -watering
garlic
lime
Body 3:
surprising
papaya salad
it
dish
favorite
spicy
but
delectable
chilies
fire
is
Hot
ingredients young
Baby
Shocking
fish
special
delectable
smell
touch
smell
But
really
Conclusion:
spicy
delectable
surprise
Luscious
try
chilies
ingredients
special
smell
deliciously
surprised
The introduction: an introductory question to the reader to get his/her interest, some
basic information and the main idea (thesis statement)
s_______
b_________d______________surprise.
many mouth_-
w____________in ___________.Yo___________papaya.
Ba________tomatoes. Sh____________g____________.Sour
li________. And the most de____________
ingredients, MSG.
(Body 3)
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sp________sm_______!
And then the conclusion (1. reword the thesis statement, the main idea; 2. summarize
the body; 3. give your opinion and final conclusion)
Yes, its a
be
deli___________su______________.
Exercise 8
From the outline write a creative descriptive essay by rearranging the
following paragraphs into a suitable order. (Look at supporting ideas to help with the
order)
Title :
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Now write the essay from your idea of the best order. Begin with Introduction, Body
and Conclusion.
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Introduction
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Body 1
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Body 2
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Body 3
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Body 4
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Body 5
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Title:
Supporting Ideas:
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Example
My Favorite Weather : Hot
What weather do you like? Of the three seasons in Thailand. The cool.
The hot. The rainy. Or even the cold, icy winter of Alaska. Me? I like the hot,
the summer. Its my favorite weather.
The things I like? The summer warmth. No cold, icy wind. No snow.
Just hot sunshine. Balmy, beautiful hot weather.
The things I do? The activities of summer. Swimming. Sunbathing.
Chilling out in the sun. Sitting on a deck chair in my yard. Or on the beach. Or
playing a round of golf. A game of tennis. Or badminton. And a chance to go
sightseeing. Around the ruins of Ayutthaya. Or up the hills in Khao Yai
National Park.
The clothes I wear? Summer clothes. Short pants. Sandals or sneakers.
Sleeveless t-shirts. Thin cotton clothes. Feel freeneasy. And of course my
new swimsuit!
The evenings? Oh, the summer evenings. So warm. So wonderful. So
romantic. In a shady garden restaurant. In a lively beer garden. Listening to live
music. And live happiness. And then walking home in the warm darkness. With
my sweetheart.
Oh, yes. The hot weather is my favorite. Because of the summer warmth.
The summer activities. The summer clothes. The summer evenings. I am in
paradise in the hot weather. Come spend a warm, summer evening with me.
And you will agree.
Exercise 9
Write a personal descriptive essay. Begin with Introduction, Body 1(the
things you like), Body 2 (the activities), Body 3(the clothes), Body 4(evening),
Conclusion. Look at the plan provided to you. And then write from the plan.
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Example
My Favorite Weather : Hot
Step one : Plan
- What will your supporting ideas be?
- The reasons why this season is your favorite.
Step two:
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Exercise 10
From each of these incomplete topics think of your own title and list 3 or 4
supporting ideas (which will be the ideas for your paragraphs)
A. Write about your favorite sport.
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B. Write about your favorite type of music.
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C. Write about your favorite piece of clothing.
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D. Write about your favorite kind of movie.
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E. Write about your favorite(whatever you like : food, person, subject, shop)
Your title______________________________________________________
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Exercise 11
Take any of your personal topics, write the title and start writing. Try to be
creative. Use the same techniques as in the examples. Use creative words where you
can.
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Write down a list of events (one event will form one paragraph)
1. Go to Pattaya on vacation
2. Check in hotel. Go out to dinner. Leave wallet in room.
3. Return to hotel. Find wallet, ticket, everything stolen.
4. Hotel want money. Leave hotel.
5. Sleep on beach. No money.
6. Hungry. Walking past restaurant. Very hungry.
7. Still walking. See wallet on sidewalk. Full of money.
8. Thinking. More money than I had before. Credit cards.
What should I do.
9. My conscience wins. Hand in to store. They dont want it.
Hand in to police.
10. Police make phone call. Owner comes. Beautiful middle-aged
woman.
11. She gives me big reward. Pays hotel. Buys new ticket.
12. Return home. With promise of new vacation with woman
Exercise 12
Revise the sentences above to make the story more interesting or exciting
by adding more details. Write a title, an introduction, the body paragraphs, and
the conclusion
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(events)
Write a title:
Now, the introduction. Introductory sentences and thesis statement.( where you
were, some information about it, main idea)
At the beach ? The golden sands of Kata. A glorious beach on Phuket
Island. I really had a great day at the beach.
(Thesis statement: I really had a great day at the beach)
Next, the body. Short paragraphs, each on a different part of the story.
Start with a topic sentence including the main event or idea of the paragraph.
Remember the event ideas written earlier: on the beach, sunbathing, girl in
trouble, saving her, picnic, marry
BODY 1: set the scene (where in more detail) on the beach
when- summer
BODY 2: doing sunbathing
BODY 3: happened first girl in trouble
BODY 4: happened next - saving her
BODY 5: happened after that- picnic
CONCLUSION: happened finally-marry (Restate your thesis statement. Give your
concluding feeling or opinion. State what happened in the end. Write a finishing,
creative sentence).
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Exercise 13
Put the paragraphs into the most suitable order according to the plan above.
And then rewrite them in a creative narrative essay.
A Great Day at the Beach
_______A. Suddenly I heard a scream. Coming from the water. Looked like a girl.
Alone. Far out. In trouble. The sea had become angry.
_______ B. What was I doing? Lying on the warm sand. Bathing in the sun.
Dreaming
of. Romance. But all alone. With my dreams.
________ C. On a beautiful beach. Golden sand. Gentle sunshine. It was summer. A
blue sky to dream in. A loving orange sun.
________ D. What could I do? I ran. Fast. Dived into the rough water. Swam. Like
an Olympic champion. I reached her. Hardly breathing. Sinking. Took her in
my arms. Swam back to the shore. Safe. But exhausted.
_________E. What a great day at the beach. Saving a girl from the angry sea. Then,
a picnic together. We got married three months later. I really love that Kata beach!
_________F. Later. Eating her picnic on the friendly sand. Together. Drinking her
wine. New friends. Real romance.
_________G. At the beach? The golden sands of Kata. A glorious beach on Phuket
Island. I really had a great day at the beach.
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Exercise 14
Choose an event or experience from the partial topic titles. Write your title
and the ideas (events) from which you will write the paragraphs.
a) A Bizarre Day in/on/at
Example : A Bizarre Day on a Bus
Your title : ___________________________________________________________
The events: __________________________________________________________
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b) Wonderful Days in Nature
Example : A Dream Weekend in Kao Yai
Your title : ___________________________________________________________
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c)The Worst Day in My Life
Your title: ___________________________________________________________
The events: __________________________________________________________
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d)
Exercise 15
Write a creative narrative essay from ONE topic you have chosen in
exercise 14.
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