| USEFUL LIST OF WORDS |
1 DESCRIBING PEOPLEPhysical Attributes
Personality(a) Adjectives
MovementChoosing apt verbs for actions To replace “said”
To replace “walked” or “ran”
2 DESCRIBING PLACES AND SCENESOther than for your descriptive composition, you may also include description of places or scenes in your narrative composition. When describing places, you must convey to the reader the feeling of actually being at the scene. Ask yourself these questions: 1. What would one see, hear, smell, touch or taste at this scene? You have to include descriptions involving as many of the five senses as possible. For example, in describing seaside trip, you could include; Blue sea – sight Crashing of waves – sound Fishy smell of seaweed – smell Salt water in your mouth – taste Roughness of sand under your feet – touch 2. What emotions would one feel at this time? (a) Your description will gain depth if you mention your emotional reaction to what you see, hear, smell, touch or taste at this scene. (b) As mentioned before, you should not just list descriptive details. Choose the details that convey the message of how you feel about the place or the situation. You should have some sort of “theme” in mine. For example, if you are describing a seaside scene, your theme could be: The beauty and solitude of the place make me feel at peace OR The pollution and crowds spoil the spot and I feel harassed, disappointed and disgusted 3. What words would you convey my feelings exactly? A good writer will have a wide vocabulary from which he can select the words that convey the exact nuance of meaning. When you are reading novels or articles, take note of interesting and useful words. Some Useful Phrases for Describing Scenes Here are some examples of phrases used for describing scenes. You can use them in your own essays where relevant. Sea scene · Sand: soft, silky, coarse, burning, white, golden, shimmering · Coconut palms: dancing, waving, rustling… as if to welcome us · The water: blue, green, grey (storm approaching), foam-specked, crystal-clear, shimmering in the sun · The waves: Gentle waves rushed to the shore; Gigantic waves crashed on the rocks · Far out in the sea/on the horizon…a fishing boat, a kelong , an ocean liner… · Couples…walking hand in hand, splashing in the shallows/frolicking on the water’s edge · A cool/warm/gentle breeze caresses my skin. · The beach : crowded, deserted, golden, jam-packed, lonely, muddy, polluted, pebbly, sandy, sheltered, unspoilt Sky · The sun rose…a ball of fire/in a pool of liquid gold/crimson and gold · The sky was streaked with red, orange and gold. · The clouds blushed a shade of deep pink. · The sky seems ablaze with red and gold. · Fluffy white clouds drifted across the blue sky. · Ominous black clouds hung overhead. · It was a grey afternoon with dull clouds threatening rain. Rainstorm · The dark clouds that had been gathering all day gave way to pouring sheets of rain. · A flash of lighting streaked across the sky, followed by a roll of thunder. · The distant rumble of thunder… · The soft patter of raindrops… · The torrential rain thundered on our zinc roof. · The rain poured from the heavens. · Sheets of rain …/A curtain of rain · The storm raged · The wind was thrashing in the treetops/howled overhead · A high wind swept across the plain. · Late that night, the rain finally abated. Traffic · A motorbike/racing car whizzed by/roared past… · A lorry/An old bus rumbled by… in a cloud of dust/petrol fumes… · The traffic piled up… · Long rows/A sea…of cars, motorcycles and lorries…/traffic · We crawled along the road…/We inched forward, bit by bit…, slow-moving, at a standstill, bumper-to-bumper, honk, roar, screech, overtake, accelerate, park, pass, exhaust fumes… · Impatient drivers pressed on their horns…cursing…waving their fists · Red, sweaty faces… Food · Delicious, appetizing, mouth watering, tasty, scrumptious, disgusting, burnt, dry, fatty, oily, Filling, fresh, healthy, nourishing, piping hot, sizzling, steaming, well-cooked, chewy, creamy, Crisp, crunchy, lumpy, mushy, soggy, smooth, spongy, squashy, tender, tough, bitter, plain, salty, sour, spicy, sugary, sweet, syrupy, sticky adventure · Amazing, action-packed, dangerous, exciting, fascinating, scary, strange, terrifying, thrilling, incredible. Scenery · Breathtaking, glorious, incredible, magnificent, marvelous, spectacular, wonderful Weather · Sunny, delightful, fair, misty, stormy, rainy, damp, fabulous, glorious, gorgeous, blazing, scorching, magnificent, marvelous, superb, wonderful |
No comments:
Post a Comment