Understanding and Producing Understanding and Producing Written EnglishWritten English

Lecture ThreeLecture Three

DescriptionDescription

The ‘Thinking’ StageThe ‘Thinking’ Stage

The ‘Writing’ StageThe ‘Writing’ Stage

ReminderReminderBring the topic and Bring the topic and notes for your notes for your descriptive essay descriptive essay to you tutorialto you tutorial

Let’s look at some Let’s look at some of your topicsof your topics

HomepagesHomepagesStudent helper Student helper Alwin Alwin EMAIL EMAIL 50446350@student.cityu.edu.50446350@student.cityu.edu.hkhkICQ ICQ 40197654019765 SendSend– NameName– URLURL– EmailEmail– ICQ number and nicknameICQ number and nickname– QuoteQuote– To To – By…..By…..

Diagnostic TestDiagnostic Test 

 

Tut Instructor Time

1 Rodney Jones 16:30-17:20

2 David Li 14:30-15:20

3 David Li 11:30-12:20

4 Rodney Jones 10:30-11:20

5 Sherman Lee 15:30-16:20

 

Diagnostic TestDiagnostic Test

Venue: CSC studio KVenue: CSC studio K

FormatFormat– ‘‘Fill in the blanks’ reading passageFill in the blanks’ reading passage– Correcting errorsCorrecting errors– Short essayShort essay

Don’t worry!Don’t worry!– Does not count for your gradeDoes not count for your grade

Other BusinessOther Business

Academic AdvisorsAcademic Advisors– In files section of CityWritersIn files section of CityWriters

Master Assignment ScheduleMaster Assignment Schedule– In files section of CityWritersIn files section of CityWriters

Student RepresentativesStudent Representatives– Send nominations to CityWriters by Send nominations to CityWriters by

ThursdayThursday

DescriptionDescription

Painting a picture with wordsPainting a picture with words

Uniqueness and identificationUniqueness and identification

Showing vs. TellingShowing vs. Telling

Expressing feelings and ideasExpressing feelings and ideas

Two most important qualities of Two most important qualities of descriptive writingdescriptive writing

SpecificSpecific– Vs. generalVs. general

ConcreteConcrete– Vs. AbstractVs. Abstract

What’s wrong?What’s wrong?I love you…I love you…

My classmate is My classmate is very beautiful. very beautiful.

She’s wearing She’s wearing casual clothes. casual clothes.

The MTR was full of The MTR was full of tired commuters.tired commuters.

What’s WrongWhat’s WrongRiding a bicycle is preferable to driving a car. First of all, a Riding a bicycle is preferable to driving a car. First of all, a bicycle is relatively inexpensive to buy and to maintain. bicycle is relatively inexpensive to buy and to maintain. While a car may cost thousands of dollars to buy and While a car may cost thousands of dollars to buy and hundreds of dollars annually, a good bicycle Will cost only a hundreds of dollars annually, a good bicycle Will cost only a hundred dollars or sohundred dollars or so, , and its annual maintenance cost is and its annual maintenance cost is very small. Biking is also healthier; not only does the biker very small. Biking is also healthier; not only does the biker get more physical exercise than the driver, but bicycles are get more physical exercise than the driver, but bicycles are nonpolluting. The consequence is a person with strong legs nonpolluting. The consequence is a person with strong legs and a strong heart whose bicycle helps keep the and a strong heart whose bicycle helps keep the environment clean. Finally, bicycling is, unlike driving, environment clean. Finally, bicycling is, unlike driving, personally satisfying. Instead of being a robot inside a personally satisfying. Instead of being a robot inside a machine, the biker pedals along, enjoying the scenery, machine, the biker pedals along, enjoying the scenery, becoming a part of nature. In all but the most inclement becoming a part of nature. In all but the most inclement weather, the bicycle is a pleasurable means of weather, the bicycle is a pleasurable means of transportation.transportation.

No bikerNo bikerNo driverNo driverno oneno one

Describing a PlaceDescribing a PlaceThe Dentist's OfficeThe Dentist's Office

I can smell the wintergreen flavored tooth paste out in I can smell the wintergreen flavored tooth paste out in the hall even before I go into Dr. Smith's office. As soon the hall even before I go into Dr. Smith's office. As soon as I open the outer door, the blast of cool air from the as I open the outer door, the blast of cool air from the air conditioner hits me in the face making me shiver all air conditioner hits me in the face making me shiver all over. While I wait for the new nurse in her crisp white over. While I wait for the new nurse in her crisp white uniform to call out my name, I look at the fish in the uniform to call out my name, I look at the fish in the large blue tank in the corner of the room. The sleek fish large blue tank in the corner of the room. The sleek fish dart about playing hide and seek with the plastic dart about playing hide and seek with the plastic snowman at the bottom of the tank while tiny silver snowman at the bottom of the tank while tiny silver bubbles slip to the top of the tank's surface and break bubbles slip to the top of the tank's surface and break silently while I wait my turn. The nurse calls my name silently while I wait my turn. The nurse calls my name and I enter the inner office and sit in the white leather and I enter the inner office and sit in the white leather chair looking at all the shiny stainless steel equipment. chair looking at all the shiny stainless steel equipment. It's my turn.It's my turn.

Describing a PersonDescribing a PersonWhat you have heard is true. I was in his house. His wife carried a tray of What you have heard is true. I was in his house. His wife carried a tray of coffee and sugar. His daughter filed her nails, his son went out for the coffee and sugar. His daughter filed her nails, his son went out for the night. There were daily papers, pet dogs, a pistol on the cushion beside night. There were daily papers, pet dogs, a pistol on the cushion beside him. The moon swung bare on its black cord over the house. On the him. The moon swung bare on its black cord over the house. On the television was a cop show. It was in English. Broken bottles were embedded television was a cop show. It was in English. Broken bottles were embedded in the walls around the house to scoop the kneecaps from a man's legs or in the walls around the house to scoop the kneecaps from a man's legs or cut his hands to lace. On the windows there were gratings like those in cut his hands to lace. On the windows there were gratings like those in liquor stores. We had dinner, rack of lamb, good wine, a gold bell was on liquor stores. We had dinner, rack of lamb, good wine, a gold bell was on the table for calling the maid. The maid brought green mangoes, salt, a the table for calling the maid. The maid brought green mangoes, salt, a type of bread. I was asked how I enjoyed the country. There was a brief type of bread. I was asked how I enjoyed the country. There was a brief commercial in Spanish. His wife took everything away. There was some talk commercial in Spanish. His wife took everything away. There was some talk then of how difficult it had become to govern. The parrot said hello on the then of how difficult it had become to govern. The parrot said hello on the terrace. The colonel told it to shut up, and pushed himself from the table. terrace. The colonel told it to shut up, and pushed himself from the table. My friend said to me with his eyes: say nothing. The colonel returned with a My friend said to me with his eyes: say nothing. The colonel returned with a sack used to bring groceries home. He spilled many human ears on the sack used to bring groceries home. He spilled many human ears on the table. They were like dried peach halves. There is no other way to say this. table. They were like dried peach halves. There is no other way to say this. He took one of them in his hands, shook it in our faces, dropped it into a He took one of them in his hands, shook it in our faces, dropped it into a water glass. It came alive there. I am tired of fooling around, he said. As for water glass. It came alive there. I am tired of fooling around, he said. As for the rights of anyone, tell your people they can go fuck themselves. He the rights of anyone, tell your people they can go fuck themselves. He swept the ears to the floor with his arm and held the last of his wine in the swept the ears to the floor with his arm and held the last of his wine in the air. Something for your poetry, no? he said. Some of the ears on the floor air. Something for your poetry, no? he said. Some of the ears on the floor caught this scrap of his voice. Some of the ears on the floor were pressed caught this scrap of his voice. Some of the ears on the floor were pressed to the ground. to the ground.

Descriptive WordsDescriptive Words

Adjectives?Adjectives?

Nouns Nouns And And

VerbsVerbs

Three Easy StepsThree Easy Steps

ThinkThink

WriteWrite

EditEdit

Invention Stage: ReviewInvention Stage: ReviewGathering MaterialGathering MaterialResearchResearch– observationobservation

IntrospectionIntrospectionTechniquesTechniques– Free writingFree writing– MappingMapping– ListingListing– DiscussingDiscussing

But it all depends on…But it all depends on…Thinking of a good Thinking of a good idea!!!idea!!!Some ideas (good Some ideas (good or bad?)or bad?)– My bedroomMy bedroom– My motherMy mother– A colorA color– A photo boothA photo booth– A pencilA pencil– My villageMy village– ??

Composition StageComposition Stage

Reviewing Purpose and AudienceReviewing Purpose and Audience

‘‘Controlling Impression’Controlling Impression’

SelectingSelecting

SortingSorting

DevelopingDeveloping

ShapingShaping

SelectingSelectingStrengthening your focusStrengthening your focusFinding the ‘gems’Finding the ‘gems’Getting rid of the ‘dung’Getting rid of the ‘dung’

Criteria for selectionCriteria for selection– Concrete?Concrete?– Specific?Specific?– Potential?Potential?– What does this add to my purpose?What does this add to my purpose?

Digging for TreasureDigging for Treasure