Descriptive Writing Intro

1. Descriptive Writing Intro Thursday Dec. 20, 2011

2. Missing Work Block A • Lemon: Portfolio (late), Café (late), Tiger/Lamb Para (late). • Youki: Café • Rae: Café • Jessia: Café

3. Missing Work Block D • Beryl: Portfolio, Poetry Test, Synthesis Essay • Jakym: Café • Sam: Tiger/Lamb P (email) • Remy: Tiger/Lamb P (will check) • Constance: Tiger/Lamb P (email)

4. Missing Work Block E • Vicky: Tiger/Lamb P • Chrislyn: Tiger/Lamb P • Regina: Tiger/Lamb P • Yumi: Café • Jumon: Literary Quiz (no internet, cheated), Portfolio (late marks tomorrow), Elephants P (handed in?), Café

14. Five Senses Examples See • Crowds filling the streets, man with sledgehammer, East Berlin, brother ahead of crowd

15. Five Senses Examples Hear • Sledgehammer whacks, bricks cracking, gravel crunching, crowd cheering, brother calling out

16. Five Senses Examples Smell • Crisp autumn day, sweat, cigarette smoke

17. Five Senses Examples Taste • Water from plastic bottles, crackers passed to workers on the wall

18. Five Senses Examples Feel • Heavy hammer, rough bricks, cold wind

19. Poetic Devices

20. Adjective and Adverb Use • Adjectives: • Words that modify nouns and pronouns • Adverbs: • A word that changes or identifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb • Be careful not to use an adjective where you need an adverb • [WRONG] Once the test was over, Sharon walked slow out of the classroom.[RIGHT] Once the test was over, Sharon walked slowly out of the classroom.The sentence needs an adverb, not an adjective, to modify the verb "walked.“ • [WRONG] We tried real hard to get the muffin mixture perfect.[RIGHT] We tried really hard to get the muffin mixture perfect.The sentence needs an adverb, not an adjective, to modify the adjective "hard." (Note that "really" is an informal substitute for "very", and you should avoid in in formal essays.)

21. Using GOOD, BAD, WELL, BADLY • You might also note the distinctions between "good" and "bad" (which are adjectives) and "well" and "badly" (which are adverbs): • Shelley plays the piano well and the drums badly.The actor's performance was good even though he felt bad that night. • "Well" is an adjective only when it refers to health or condition:She protested that she was well enough to start playing sports again.

22. Using Adjectives with Linking Verbs • Remember that adjectives modify nouns and pronouns. Do not mistakenly use an adverb to modify these parts of speech. • For example, after a linking verb you may be tempted to use an adverb instead of an adjective. • The linking verb is a special kind of verb because it links its subject to a subject complement. • A subject complement can be either a noun (renaming the subject) or a modifier (describing the subject). • When it is a modifier it must be an adjective because it describes the subject (always a noun or pronoun). It does not modify the linking verb itself and should therefore not be an adverb: • [WRONG] We felt badly about having caused the accident[RIGHT] We felt bad about having caused the accident.

23. Using Conjunctive Adverbs • The conjunctive adverb is a special kind of adverb that often serves as a transition between two independent clauses in a sentence. • Some common conjunctive adverbs are "therefore," "however," "moreover," "nevertheless," "consequently," and "furthermore." • When using a conjunctive adverb at the beginning of the second independent clause, be sure to precede it with a semicolon not a comma. • My roommate usually listens to rock music; however, he also likes John Coltrane and several other jazz musicians.

24. Using Vivid Verbs • Verbs • A word or group of words that expresses the action or indicates the state of being of the subject • Activates sentences; makes them come alive • Vivid Verbs • A verb that is very descriptive

25. Using Vivid Verbs • Vivid Verbs • Make writing more interesting and enjoyable for the reader • Have more specific meaning than the general verbs they replace • Be careful when replacing a general verb • Make sure it does not significantly alter the meaning of the sentence

26. Using Vivid Verbs • We must keep in mind that each vivid verb has its own distinct meaning

27. Using Vivid Verbs • EX As the students walked through the park, the breeze blew the leaves on the trees. • EX As the students ambled through the park, the breeze lifted the leaves on the trees. • In the revised sentence, the verb “ambled” connotes relaxation and pleasantness, while the verb “lifted” connotes a gentle action. Here the use of vivid verbs conveys a pleasant tone. • EX The harder James worked, the more he disliked his job and the customers he served. • EX The harder James toiled, the more he detested his job and the customers he served. • In the revised sentence, the verb “toiled” denotes hard labor, while the verb “detested” denotes intense dislike. Here the use of vivid verbs conveys a more negative tone. Also note that not all of the verbs in the example sentence were replaced with vivid verbs; the writer chose to leave the verb served because it seemed specific enough for the situation.

28. Using Vivid Verbs • Vivid verbs are best used in moderation • Replacing more than two or three general verbs in one sentence could make the sentence difficult to understand • In effect, vivid verbs are a great tool to use when you want to make your meanings clear to the reader

29. Vivid Verb Game Team 1: Say, said, tell Team 2: Like, love, want Team 3: Movement (walk, run, play, jump, etc.) Team 4: Feelings (Laugh, Cry, Mad, etc.)

30. Vivid Verb Game • Create a list of as many vivid verbs as you can (can use dictionaries) • Team X presents a vivid verb • The other teams must come up with a sentence using that vivid verb • Team X and Teacher will judge the best sentence

31. Homework • Describing a Moment • Grade 11 Vocab Test - Friday Exit Slip • Hopes + Fears of the O.C. and Final Exam