General Writing

1. General Writing Describing Objects

2. Describing Objects • Describing objects is to tell what it looks like. Including: • Measurements，Shape，Color，Material，Texture of surface，Location，…………… • We also could describe: Value，Quality，Function • In one paragraph, we must highlight one of the most different characters. • Example: How to tell police a stolen cell phone? • Emphasis should be on appearance and some other physical qualities; • How to tell your friend about a watch which has been used for years? • The emphasis should be shifted to how useful and valuable it is.

3. Organize your paragraph A. Topic sentence • Examine the following topic sentences • 1. I have never seen such dirty and worn-out sneakers as my brother’s. • 2. The Walkman I received last Christmas has become my best friend. • 3. If you intend to buy a ride-on for your kid, Power Wheels is your best choice. • 4. The most outstanding building in the street is the public library. • 5. There is a house for sale. • 6. The Ford Jack bought is a 1980s’ model. • 7. How could we improve the 5th topic sentence? • 8. There is an old but inexpensive house for sale.

4. A. Topic sentences • Write topic sentences based on the following topics, showing clear attitudes • Longman English-Chinese Dictionary • My grandfather’s rocking chair • A birthday present • A building • A dress/product for everyday use

5. B. Supporting Details • Supporting Details should be specific and descriptive. • Sentences are to be organized in spatial order. • Be selective to some supporting details • Tree: • Trunk  boughs leave measurement shapes and colorA worn-out pair of sneakers:No needs to describe the size, number of eyelets

6. Model 1 • The first thing I notice in the bride’s room is the beautiful curtain. This curtain is patchwork in design, and is made by stitching lots of different squares of material together. It is made of silk, which shines softly in the lamp light. Trimmed with delicate braids, it is about six feet long, and hangs from a wooden rail, which has round wooden rings at intervals along it. The curtain matches perfectly with the wooden furniture in the room. • What does it miss? • C o l o r •      Color should be the crucial point to make a beautiful curtain.

7. Model 1 • Read the passage below • The first thing I noticed in the bride’s room is the beautiful curtain. This curtain is patchwork in design, and is made by stitching lots of different squares of material together in interesting color combination. The predominant color in the curtain are white, light green, russet, brown and orange. It is made of silk, which shines softly in the lamp light. Trimmed with delicate braids, it is about six feet long, and hangs from a wooden rail, which has round wooden rings at intervals along it. The curtain matches perfectly with the dark wooden rail and furniture in the room.

8. Model 2 • A book is comprised by the cover, the front matter and the main body. The cover of a book is thicker and harder than the other pages. On the front cover are the full title of the book and the name of its author; on the back cover are often remarks taken from book reviews about the book or the author. The front matter includes: fly leaf, a page at the front that has nothing printed on it; half-title, a page next to the fly leaf, with half of title printed on it; title page, on which the full title, subtitle and publisher’s imprint are to be found. The rest of the book is the main body, which contains the printed content of the book.

9. Model 3 • My car was stolen the other day and I was surprised that it had been taken because there were plenty of faster, more up-to-date models in the street. My car is a standard 1965 Mini, painted red, number ABC 456C. It is in good condition, except that there is a lot of play in the steering. In fact, I was on my way to the garage to have the steering adjusted when the car was stolen. The only accessories are the seat belts, also of standard make and design. The only distinguishing mark that would help police trace the thief is a scratch on the paintwork about three inches long just above the left rare wheel. The door on the passenger’s side sticks and doesn’t open properly. The car was found in a side-street three or four miles away. It was not damaged  but someone had stuck a note to the windscreen. It read: To the owner. If you want to kill yourself with this steering, go ahead. I’ve got better things to do.

10. Model 4 • The crystal Palace • Perhaps the most extraordinary building of the nineteenth century was the Crystal Palace, while was built in Hyde Park for the Great Exhibition of 1851. The Crystal  Palace was different from all other buildings in the world, for it was made of iron and glass. It was one the biggest  buildings of all time and a lot of people from many countries came to see it. A great many goods were sent to the exhibition from various parts of the world. There was also a great deal of machinery on display. The most wonderful piece of machinery on show was Nasmyth’s steam hammer. Though in those days, traveling was not as easy as it is today, steam boats carried thousands of visitors across the Channel from Europe. On arriving in England, they were taken to the Crystal Palace by train. There were six million visitors in all, and the profits from exhibition were used to build museums and colleges. Later the Crystal Palace was moved to South London. It remained one of the most famous building in the world until it was burnt in 1936.

11. Useful expressions • Measurements: width, height, length, depth, area, volume, weight, etc. • Shape: triangular, oval, square, rectangle, rhombus, trapezium, egg-shaped • Color: yellow, purple (pure), reddish-brown (light red and brown, combination); light green, off-white (gray while)

12. Writing task • Try to describe your apartment or room (something else you like is ok )

13. Model 5 • My computer • My computer in my office has two parts, one is the screen which is on my desk, other is mainframe on the ground. The screen is a 17- inch liquid crystal with gray frame that made by LG. It is light, stands small room and protects my eyes. There are six buttons on the below of the frame that could choose the light, size and power. The mainframe has gray body with blue frame. On the face of the body has one button of the power. On the back there have many jacks for mouse, keyboard, power, screen, sound box, Internet line and so on. The computer is very important tool in my life.

14. Model 6 • Compare these two paragraphs: • A. “I rented a room in an old building on Broadway. The room was dark, and had not been occupied for many years. Dust and spider webs were hanging from every wall and corner. I went up the stairs, and did not see a cobweb because of the darkness. It hit me in the face; it was creepy.” • B. “I took a large room, far from downtown on Broadway, in a huge old building whose upper stories had been wholly unoccupied for years until I came. The place had long been given up to dusts and cobwebs, to solitude and silence. I seemed groping among the tombs and invading the privacy of the dead, that first night I climbed up to my quarters. For the first time in my life a superstitious dread came over me; and as I turned a dark angle of the stairway and an invisible cobweb swung its sleazy woof in my face and clung there, I shuddered as one who had encountered a phantom.”

15. Model 7 • Our backyard is dominated by a huge oak tree. The thick muscular trunk rises solidly about eight feet and then separates into four main branches. From these, the lower branches spread out horizontally over the ground, and up, where they compete with each other for air and sunlight. From these heights, the neighborhood cardinals and blue jays sing to each other, keeping a sharp eye out for cats. As the birds sway in the wind, they look as if they are riding a ship across a gently swelling ocean. From these heights, too, it is easy to see the variety of shrubs and sweet-smelling flowers lining the two long side of out rectangular yard, the small walkway along the back of the house, and the back fence that runs along the alley.

16. Model 8 • The upright piano is a keyboard instrument that produces its sound by vibration of strings. It is about 3ft 4in to 4ft(1-1.2 m) tall; its case is made of wood with iron frame, soundboard, steel strings and wooden hammers inside. The 88-note(seven-and-a-quarter octaves) keyboard is built in the middle part of the piano. On the bottom of the piano, there are soft pedal which reduces the sound when being pressed, and a sustain petal which enables a sound to last long when the player presses it with his foot.

17. Model 9 • The great ship, Titanic, sailed for New York from Southampton on April 10th, 1912. She was carrying 1316 passengers and a crew of 891. Even by modern standards, the 46,000 ton Titanic was a colossal ship. At that time, however, she was not only the largest ship that had ever been built, but was regarded as unsinkable, for she had sixteen water-tight compartment. Even if two of these were flooded, she would still be able to float. The tragic sinking of this great liner will always be remembered, for she went down on her first voyage with heavy loss of life.

18. Model 10 • No creature has received more praise and abuse than the common garden snail. Cook in wine, snails are a great luxury  in various parts of the world. There are countless people who, ever since their early years, have learned to associate snails with food. My friend Robert, lives in a country where snails are despised. As his flat is in a large town, he has no garden of his own. For years he has been asking me to collect snails from my garden and take them  to him. The idea never appealed to me very  much, but one day, after a heavy shower, I happened to be walking in my garden when I noticed a huge number of snails taking a stroll on some of my prize plant. Acting on a sudden impulse, I collected several dozen, put them in a paper bag, and took them to Robert. Robert was delighted to see me and equally pleased with my little gift. I left the bag in the hall and Robert and I went into the living room where we talked for a couple of hours.

19. Model 11 • I had forgotten all about the snails when Robert suddenly said that I must stay to dinner. Snails would of course , be the main dish. I did not fancy the idea and reluctantly followed Robert out of the room. To our dismay, we saw that there were snails everywhere: they had escaped from the paper bag and had taken complete possession of the hall! I have never been able to look at a snail since then.

20. Useful expressions • More useful expressions: • Texture of surface: smooth, ridged, bumpy, even (flat), rough • Pattern of decoration: floral, striped, crisscross • Materials: wooden, brass, denim, cotton, silk, nylon • Physical properties: transparent, fragile, hard, combustiblePosition: bottom, end, front, upper-edge, on, by, near, inside

21. Thanks!