Academic writing i Class 25 May 28, 2013

Today Descriptive Writing (continued)

Descriptive Writing Tells a story about a specific thing (object, person, place) - Appeals to the senses: sights, sounds, smells, taste, feel A good description is a “word picture” The reader can imagine the object/person/place in his or her mind. “Shows” more than it tells.

Descriptive writing has a “direction”

Descriptive Style Descriptive writing requires: - Specific details - Adjectives: size, color, shape, texture, smell, purpose, personality, location, etc. - Descriptive “action verbs” Try to avoid “be” verbs. - Sensations and emotions.

Descriptive Style Avoiding “be verb + adjective” i.e., The food was unappetizing.  The pale chicken slices floated limply in a pool of murky fat. The sprinkler was refreshing.  The cool water from the sprinkler sprayed our hot faces.

Descriptive Style The tree is very tall. Improved: - The tree stretches toward the sky. - The tree's branches reach far upwards. - The tree brushes the clouds. Source: klick.wordpress.com

Descriptive Style The blanket is colorful. Improved: - Rich colors decorate the blanket. - Deep hues of red, green, and orange cover the blanket. Source: www.sarasews.net 

Descriptive Style Almond bong bong ice cream is delicious. Improved: - The wonderful taste of almond bong bong lingers on the tongue long after it is gone. - Almond bong bong tastes of sweet cream, soft chocolate, and crunchy almonds. Source: www.baskinrobbins.co.kr

Descriptive Style Snakes are scary. Improved: - Snakes strike fear into my heart. - Snakes, quiet and cunning, frighten Tony as though they were real-life monsters. Source: www.animaldanger.com

Descriptive Style When she was young, Jiho was happy when she visited Woobang Land. Improved: - When she was young, visiting Woobang Land brought joy and excitement to Jiho. Source: klick.wordpress.com

Bonus Assignment Write a descriptive paragraph (free topic). - i.e., your dorm room review a restaurant. an item of sentimental value Anything. Score: 1 – 5 points. These are bonus points you can add to any ONE assignment of your choosing.

Bonus Assignment Deadline: Tuesday June 4 (11:59 p.m.) Subject: AW1 bonus assignment File name: NAME_BONUS