Writing a Narrative Essay

There's nothing like reading a great narrative. Whether in novel or essay form, a narrative piece of writing transports readers into the time and space of the world portrayed by the writing.

There's also nothing like writing a great narrative. Through reflecting upon an event, and through recreating the experience for other readers, writing a narrative essay can enable you to develop new, subtle, and rewarding perspectives.

Basic qualities of a narrative essay:

• A narrative essay is a piece of writing that recreates an experience through time.
• A narrative essay can be based on one of your own experiences, either past or present, or it can be based on the experiences of someone else.
• In addition to telling a story, a narrative essay also communicates a main idea or a lesson learned.

First steps for writing a narrative essay:

• Identify the experience that you want to write about.
• Think about why the experience is significant.
• Spend a good deal of time drafting your recollections about the details of the experience.
• Create an outline of the basic parts of your narrative.

Writing about the experience:

• Using your outline, describe each part of your narrative.
• Rather than telling your readers what happened, use vivid details and descriptions to actually recreate the experience for your readers.
• Think like your readers. Try to remember that the information you present is the only information your readers have about the experiences.
• Always keep in mind that all of the small and seemingly unimportant details known to you are not necessarily known to your readers.

Communicating the significance of the experience:

• It's often effective to begin your narrative with a paragraph that introduces the experience and communicates the significance. This technique guarantees that your readers will understand the significance of the experience as they progess through the narrative.
• Another effective technique is to begin the essay by jumping directly into the narrative and then ending the essay with a paragraph communicating the significance of the experience. This approach allows your readers to develop their own understanding of the experience through the body of the essay and then more deeply connect to your expression of the significance at the end.
• You might also consider introducing the experience in the first paragraph but delaying your expression of the significance of the experience until the end of the essay. This approach heightens your readers' sensitivity to the significance of the narrative.

Revising your narrative essay:

• After spending time away from the draft of your narrative essay, read through the essay and think about whether the writing effectively recreates the experience for your readers.
• Ask other people to read through the essay and offer their impressions.
• Identify where more details and descriptions are needed.
• Identify and consider removing any information that seems to distract from the focus and main narrative of the essay.
• Think about whether you've presented information in the most effective order.

Potential prompts for your narrative essay:

If you're having trouble choosing an experience to write about, take a quick glance through these prompts. They might help you remember or identify a particularly interesting or significant experience to focus on.

• A childhood event. Think of an experience when you learned something for the first time, or when you realized how important someone was for you.
• Achieving a goal. Think about a particularly meaningful achievement in your life. This could be something as seemingly minor as achieving a good grade on a difficult assignment, or this could be something with more long-lasting effects, like getting the job you desired or getting into the best school to which you applied.
• A failure. Think about a time when you did not perform as well as you had wanted. Focusing on an experience like this can result in rewarding reflections about the positive emerging from the negative.
• A good or bad deed. Think about a time when you did or did not stand up for yourself or someone else in the face of adversity or challenge.
• A change in your life. Think about a time when something significant changed in your life. This could be anything from a move across town to a major change in a relationship to the birth or death of a loved one.
• A realization. Think about a time when you experienced a realization. This could be anything from understanding a complicated math equation to gaining a deeper understanding of a philosophical issue or life situation.

Critical Essay

The word "critical" has positive as well as negative meanings. You can write a critical essay that agrees entirely with the reading. The word "critical" describes your attitude when you read the article. This attitude is best described as "detached evaluation," meaning that you weigh the coherence of the reading, the completeness of its data, and so on, before you
It involves three steps
An analytical task
In doing thesis for critical essay, you state the view u wish to defend in contrast to other views. Critical analysis involves taking apart a whole topic/subject, and then to reassemble it in your own terms. its better to state the clearly the argument or position of the author or school of thought in question. the point is not to summarize the authors thoughts only highlighting the main points but interrelating them and finding appreciation in them judging and selecting them accordingly. You need to show how the major points are interlinked to try to form the logical structure of an argument, supporting a particular thesis.
An evaluative task
As a critical reader, you must determine the importance of an author's argument or point of view as well as its soundness.

An evaluation of the author's work, including

• An assessment of the "facts" presented on the basis of correctness, relevance, and whether or not pertinent facts were omitted
• An evaluation or judgment of the logical consistency of the author's argument
• An appraisal of the author's values in terms of how you feel or by an accepted standard

A constructive task
You should suggest alternative ways of looking at the issue(s) of concern and the advantages or importance of the alternatives, or you can show better and correct ways tow rite certain things pointing out the mistakes in reasoning, evidence and coverage. provide lacking evidence and highlight new and important conclusions.
Finally, a good conclusion is part summary and part drawing things together for the reader so she is reminded of the point of the essay, the major steps in getting to that point, and why that point is an important one. No one writes an excellent critical essay in a first draft. An essay that performs the analytical, evaluative, and constructive tasks well takes several drafts, as you critically evaluate your own work. Also, while writing is in part a solitary activity, it is intrinsically social in that it is normally meant to be read by others. Thus, you may want to share drafts with your peers, involving other readers in the process of critically evaluating drafts.

See - Sample essay

Essay Writing Guide: The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Internet

Introduction: Introduces the increasing use of Internet in the modern society.

Body: Three paragraphs on the advantages and two paragraphs on the disadvantages of the Internet.

Conclusion: Concludes the pros and cons of the Internet depend on the users and their use of the Internet.

Proceed to the next step... -  Writing Introduction, Body and Conclusion

Introduction
A good introduction will surely give the reader a good impression. There are several types of introduction to start your essay:

Definition - According to the English dictionary, Internet is a computer system that allows millions of computer users around the world to exchange information…

Question - Do you know that the invention of the Internet has revolutionized the business world? What are the pros and cons of the Internet? …

Fact - A recent survey on the Internet suggested that more than 60 per cent of the users receive spam emails daily…

Dialogue - “Son, can you please help me to pay the bills online?” The use of the Internet benefits not only the Internet-literates but also the illiterate ones…

Quotation - No man is an island. Everyone needs friends in his life…

Body

Now you need not worry about running out of points, so you can focus on paragraphing. A good paragraphing is essential for a good essay.

Include only one topic sentence which contains one main idea in one paragraph. Support the topic sentence with some elaborations, examples and further details or information. You should write your essay until you have nothing to write anymore.

Be specific in your essay and avoid generalization. A too general sentence is hard to support your topic sentence. Maintain the right tone and coherence in your essay. If a piece of writing is coherent, it is easy to understand because it is clear and reasonable.

Use logical connectors to join sentences and maintain coherence. Here is a list of useful logical connectors:

To add another related point: and, also, too, besides, as well, in addition (to), furthermore

To add a similar point: similarly

To connect two statements or phrases when the second one adds something different or seems surprising after the first one: but, however, nevertheless, nonetheless, on the other hand, yet, whereas, while, except

To show connection between actions and consequences: so, therefore, so that, as a result, consequently, then, thus

When a particular fact does not prevent something from happening: although, though, in spite of, despite

Conclusion

End your conclusion carefully and clearly. Do not give the reader a vague idea about the essay topic you have just written. Do not end your essay like this: There are some advantages and disadvantages of the Internet. Your can include your point of view or your thoughts on the essay topic in the conclusion of your essay. Try to start your conclusion with one of these words: In conclusion, In a nut shell, So, Personally

Proceed to the last step...- Proof reading and Final Editing Your Essay

After you have written your essay, you should proofread the essay in order to correct any mistakes in it. Read through your well-written essay and check for gross errors and first draft slips.

Edit your essay where necessary. Replace some of the poor words with vocabulary. Poor words include non-specific words which convey a too general idea to the readers. For instance, the word ‘happy’, ‘sad’, ‘say’, ‘walk’ …

Specific Words

The more specific words for ‘happy’ - cheerful, content, pleased, be tickled, gloat, gleeful…
The more specific words for ‘sad’ - upset, miserable, dejected, wistful, mournful…
The more specific words for ‘say’ - recommend, urge, blame, accuse, compliment, whisper, mumble…
The more specific words for ‘walk’ - stroll, hike, trek, wander, roam, prowl…

CONFUSING WORDS

abdicate / abrogate To abdicate means that a monarch resigns from office, e.g. The king abdicated in favour of his son. The word abrogate means to end an official agreement or law. accede / exceed To accede to a request is to agree to it; to exceed  something is to go over/above a specific limit in terms of such things as speed or quantity. accept / except We accept something when we agree to take it. except points out someone or something that is different. We all agreed except for John. adjacent / adjoining Adjacent means nearby adjoining means directly connected. advice / advise Advice is a noun (She gave him some good advice.) the second is a verb (I advise you to.....). affect / effect Affect relates to someone or something having an influence: His illness affected him badly. effect concerns the result of something. The effect of the stock market crash was disastrous. afflict / inflict Something bad afflicts someone (He was afflicted by malaria.). Someone inflicts themselves or something else on someone. (The Australians inflicted a stunning defeat on the English cricket team.) aggravate / exacerbate Aggravate means to annoy someone, probably in an on-going way not just one-off; exacerbate means to make a situation worse. beside / besides beside: preposition meaning 'next to', 'at the side of' Examples: I sit beside John in class. Could you get me that book? It's beside the lamp. besides: adverb meaning 'also', 'as well'; preposition meaning 'in addition to' Examples: (adverb) Besides tennis, I play soccer and basketball. (preposition) That is a beautiful lamp beside the table. clothes / cloths clothes: something you wear - jeans, shirts, blouses, etc. Examples: Just a moment, let me change my clothes. Tommy, get your clothes on! cloths: pieces of material used for cleaning or other purposes. Examples: There are some cloths in the closet. Use those to clean the kitchen. I have a few pieces of cloth that I use. dead / died dead: adjective meaning 'not alive' Examples: Unfortunately, our dog has been dead for a few months. Don't touch that bird. It's dead. died: past tense and past participle of the verb 'to die' Examples: His grandfather died two years ago. A number of people have died in the accident. experience / experiment experience: noun meaning something that a person lives through, i.e. something that someone experiences. - also used as an uncountable noun meaning 'knowledge gained by doing something' Examples: (first meaning)His experiences in Germany were rather depressing. (second meaning) I'm afraid I don't have much sales experience. experiment: noun meaning something that you do to see the result. Often used when speaking about scientists and their studies. Examples: They did a number of experiments last week. Don't worry it's just an experiment. I'm not going to keep my beard. felt / fell felt: past tense and past participle of the verb 'to feel' Examples: I felt better after I had a good dinner. He hasn't felt this well for a long time. fell: past tense of the verb 'to fall' Examples: He fell from a tree and broke his leg. Unfortunately, I fell down and hurt myself. female / feminine female: the sex of a woman or animal Examples: The female of the species is very aggressive. The question 'female or male' means 'are you a woman or a man'. feminine: adjective describing a quality or type of behaviour that is considered typical for a woman Examples: He's an excellent boss with a feminine intuition. The house was decorated in a very feminine manner. its / it's its: possessive determiner similar to 'my' or 'your' Examples: Its color is red. The dog didn't eat all of its food. it's: Short form of 'it is' or 'it has' Examples: (it is) It's difficult to understand him. (it has) It's been a long time since I had a beer. idle / idol If you are idle, you are lazy and inactive. An idol is something that is loved or worshipped. She was my idol. I worshipped her. illegal / illicit illegal means that something is against the law. illicit refers to an action which may be against the law or it may simply be not generally acceptable in terms of general social norms. lay / lie lay: verb meaning 'to put down flat' - past tense - laid, past participle - laid Examples: He laid his pencil down and listened to the teacher. I usually lay my pies on the shelf to cool. lie: verb meaning 'to be down' - past tense -lay (be careful!), past participle - lain Examples: The girl lay on the bed asleep. lose / loose lose: verb meaning 'to misplace' Examples: I lost my watch! Have you ever lost anything valuable? loose: adjective meaning the opposite of 'tight' Examples: Your trousers are very loose! I need to tighten this screw. It's loose. male / masculine male: the sex of a man or animal Examples: The male of the species is very lazy. The question 'female or male' means 'are you a woman or a man'. masculine: adjective describing a quality or type of behaviour that is considered typical for a man Examples: She's a very masculine woman. His opinions are just too masculine for me. price / prize price: noun - what you pay for something. Examples: The price was very cheap. What's the price of this book? prize: noun - an award Examples: He won a prize as best actor. Have you ever won a prize in a competition? principal / principle principal: adjective meaning 'the most important' Examples: The principal reason for my decision was the money. What are the principal irregular verbs? principle: a rule (usually in science but also concerning morals) Examples: It's the first principle of aerodynamics. He has very loose principles. quite / quiet quite: adverb of degree meaning 'very' or 'rather' Examples: This test is quite difficult. He was quite exhausted after the long journey. quiet: adjective meaning the opposite of loud or noisy Examples: Could you please be quiet?! She's a very quiet girl. sensible / sensitive sensible: adjective meaning 'having common sense' i.e. 'not stupid' Examples: I wish you would be more sensible about things. I'm afraid you aren't being very sensible. sensitive: adjective meaning 'to feel very deeply' or 'to hurt easily' Examples: You should be careful with David. He's very sensitive. Mary is a very sensitive woman. shade / shadow shade: protection from the sun, a dark area outside on a sunny day. Examples: You should sit in the shade for a while. It's too hot. I'm going to find some shade. shadow: the dark area created by something else on a sunny day. Examples: That tree casts a large shadow. Have you every noticed your shadow getting longer as it gets later in the day? some time / sometimes some time: refers to an indefinite time in the future Examples: Let's meet for coffee some time. I don't know when I'll do it - but I will do it some time. sometimes: adverb of frequency meaning 'occasionally' Examples: He sometimes works late. Sometimes, I like eating Chinese food. http://esl.about.com/cs/vocabulary/a/a_confused.htm

WORDS DIFFERENTIATIONS

Another vs The other

another - another thing or person means an additional thing or person of the same type as one that already exists.

The other - the other thing or person means the only remaining thing or person except the existing one.

* Have another piece of cake.

* Please fetch another cup for me.

* That's quite another matter.

* Both my uncles are abroad, one in Paris and the other in New York.

* One of them is yours; the other is mine.

When we are given two options, we say one or the other.

When we are given more than two options, we say one or another.

Anyway vs Any way

anyway - ( in any case ) ( at any rate )

* Anyway, we can try.

* " I can give you a lift if you wait ". No, I'll walk. Thanks, anyway.

* I will not change my mind, anyway.

any way - any possible method

* If there is any way in which you can help me tide over the difficulties, let me know.

* He could not find the way to the village in any way.

* I cannot manage it any way.

Asleep vs Sleeping

asleep - someone who is asleep is sleeping.

Asleep is adj being placed in front of the verb to be. It cannot be used before a noun.

* Looking at the asleep baby. ( wrong )

* Looking at the sleeping baby. ( right )

sleeping - ( present participle of sleep )

Sleeping is adj that precedes a noun such as sleeping baby etc. While it is used after the verb to be, it is functioning as a verb.

* Who is that sleeping man ?

* Keep an eye on the sleeping baby.

* Let sleeping dogs lie.

accept vs except

accept - is a verb

* We accept your apology.

* Do you accept credit cards?

except - is a preposition.

* All of us failed the test except John.

* The museum is open daily except Mondays.

cross vs across

across - is a preposition

* I want to go across the road.

* They're building a new bridge across the river.

cross - is a verb

* I want to cross the road.

* Look both ways before you cross over

already vs all ready

already - means ' before the time specified '.

* We had already prepared lunch by noon.

* The concert had already begun by the time we arrived.

all ready - means ' completely prepared '.

* She is all ready to go.

* We are all ready to study English.

effect vs affect

affect - is a verb; it means ' to influence '.

* Smoking affects your health

* It's a disease which affects mainly older people.

effect - may be a verb or a noun. The verb effect means ' to cause to happen'. The noun effect means ' the result '.

* What are the effects of pollution ?

* The radiation leak has had a disastrous effect on the environment

beside vs besides

beside - means ' next to '.

* May I sit beside you ?

* Our school was built right beside a river.

besides - means ' in addition to '.

* Besides tennis, he is good at football.

* Do you play any other sports besides football and basketball?

boring vs bored

bored - is used to describe how we feel

* Staying at home all day makes me feel so bored.

* He was getting bored with the same thing every day.

boring - is used to describe the person or thing that makes us feel bored.

* The film was really boring.

* She finds opera boring.

compliment vs complement

compliment - is to praise.

* He complimented me for helping the poor family.

* I must compliment you on your handling of a very difficult situation.

complement - is to go well with another thing.

* The necklace complements the suit.

* The music complements her voice perfectly

elder vs older

elder - is used to compare the ages of people within a family.

* Let me introduce you to my elder sister.

* You should listen to the advice of your elders.

older - is used to show the difference in years.

* Carlos is a year older than Shabby

* He's a couple of years older than me

a few vs few

few - means ' not many '

* Few people live to a hundred years old.

* Few things in this world give me more pleasure than a long bath

a few - means ' some '.

* You will have to wait a few minutes.

* There are a few cakes left over from the party

little vs a little

little - means ' not much '

* He cannot help you because he has little knowledge of the subject.

* There's so little choice

a little - means ' some '.

* If you add a little salt to the soup it will taste better.

* He gave a little smile.

Altogether vs All together

All together - Used of a group whose members acted or were acted upon collectively

* At the class reunion, we sang the college song all together.

* The books lay all together in a heap.

Altogether - Entirely, with all included or counted, with everything considered

* The work is altogether unnecessary.

* It was not altogether her fault.

in the end vs at the end

At the end - at the time when something ends.

* I'm going away at the end of January.

* At the end of the concert, there was great applause.

In the end - finally

* He got more and more angry. In the end he just walked out of the room.

* Jim couldn't decide where to go for his holidays. He didn't go anywhere in the end.

because vs because of

because - is a conjunction; it is followed by a clause.

* I took a taxi because I was late.

* We can't go to Julia's party because we're going away that weekend.

because of - is a preposition; it is followed by a noun or noun phrase.

* She failed the examination because of her laziness.

* The train was delayed because of bad weather.

bring vs take

bring - used for a movement from a further to a nearer place

* Bring your book to me.

* If you come to my house tomorrow, bring your friends with you.

take - used for a movement from a nearer to a further place

* He often takes his children to the beach.

* You can take my calculator with you, but you must bring it back when you have finished with it.

cloth vs clothes

cloth - material used for making clothes; a piece of garment

* He wiped up the mess with an old cloth.

* Get a cloth and wipe the table, please.

clothes - garments worn on the body

* His clothes are always beautifully ironed and so he looks very smart.

* It's time you bought some new clothes. You look very untidy these days.

character vs characteristic

character - moral nature; combination of qualities which distinguishes a person, place or thing

* London has a character of its own.

* In searching for a life partner, we must look for someone of good character.

characteristic - a quality, a trait

* His kindness is one of his most pleasing characteristics.

* One of the most important characteristics of a good student is diligence.

* His one negative characteristic was his very hot temper.

dissatisfied vs unsatisfied

dissatisfied - not satisfied with the quality of something

* I am dissatisfied with the quality of your work.

* We were very dissatisfied with the hotel so we complained to the manager

* I feel very dissatisfied with my new car. It isn't really going well at all

unsatisfied - not satisfied with the quantity of something

* The demand for Volvo in the U.K. is still unsatisfied.

* After two plates of rice and curry, his appetite was still unsatisfied.

disinterested vs uninterested

disinterested - unbiased, impartial

* Judges at all times must be disinterested in cases they are involved in.

* After their argument, they looked for a disinterested party to solve their dispute.

* Certain countries participated in wars for their own reasons. They were not totally disinterested.

uninterested - not interested, bored

* He was uninterested in the entire proceedings and just sat there reading a book.

* Very few people went to see the procession. The rest were totally uninterested.

elicit vs illicit

elicit - to draw out facts or information from someone

* the police finally managed to elicit the truth from the suspect.

* A good teacher is able to elicit information from his pupils.

illicit - illegal

* The sale of illicit drugs is a serious problem.

* He was involved in the illicit transportation of goods over the Thai-Malaysian border.

* The prosecuting lawyer was able to elicit a confession from the defendant regarding his illicit involvement in gambling.

principal vs principle

principal - chief, main; a head of college or organization; a sum of money

* My principal aim is to become a lawyer.

* After teaching for twenty years he became the principal of a private college.

* If you leave a principal of $50,000 on fixed deposit you will earn a good interest every month.

principle - a basic truth, a law of nature; a rule of behavior

* He based his life on a few simple principles.

* The underlying principle of his management style is compassion.

*This machine works on the same principle as the motor car engine.

lose vs loose

lose - to fail to keep or find; to be deprived of

* If you lose your book you must get a new one.

* If we lose another match we will not qualify for the finals.

loose - free; untied; not fastened; not controlled

* They dared not go in because the dog was loose.

* When the birds were let loose they flew immediately to the nearest tree.

* She has a very loose tongue. She told everyone my secret.

lie vs lay

lie - to rest; to recline

* If I lie down in the afternoon, I soon fall asleep.

* There were many other people who were lying in the park.

* When I came in she was lying on the sofa fast asleep.

lay - to place; to put in a certain position

* If you lay the table, I shall make the tea.

* She laid her book on the bedside table and went to sleep.

hanged vs hung

hanged - executed by hanging

* The prisoner was hanged at dawn today.

* In the days of the Wild West, men were hanged from the nearest tree by the lynch mob.

hung - suspended

* The picture was hung above the sideboard

* They hung the bags from the pegs on the wall of the changing room.

* The wet clothes were hung out to dry in the sun.

homework vs housework

homework - studies carried out at home in preparation for school

* He forgot to do his Maths homework.

* In addition to a full day's lessons. pupils have quite a lot of homework to do at night.

* She looks forward to the school holidays and a rest from lessons, teachers and homework.

housework - domestic work, household chores

* She doesn't mind doing all housework but ironing.

* It is not fair to let Mother do all the housework, so we try to help her when we can.

ensure vs assure

ensure - to make sure; to make sure something will happen

* The medicine will ensure you a good night's rest.

* You must always ensure that all doors and grilles are locked before going to bed.

assure - to inform confidently, to promise, to persuade

* I assure you the medicine will work.

* He hastened to assure the hotel guests that the water shortage would not affect them.

historic vs historical

historic - important in history

* Welcome to historic Melaka.

* Independence Day is a historic day for any nation.

* When man first landed on the moon it was considered a feat of historic importance.

historical - concerning history as a subject

* He is a member of the National Historical Society.

* She really loves reading historical novels about 18th century Europe.

formally vs formerly

formally - ceremonially, according to custom

* She was formally crowned Miss World last night.

* The exhibition was formally opened by the Minister of Education.

formerly - previously, in earlier times

* He was formerly the Prime Minister of Russia.

* East Timor was formerly part of Indonesia.

* Muhammad Ali was formerly known as Cassius Clay.

English vs The English

English - the English language

* English is chosen as one of the official languages to be used during meetings at the UN.

* English is also the official language in India.

* Hard Times is an English novel, written by Charles Dickens

The English - the English people

* The English have a wonderful sense of humor.

* The English belong to the white race.

Everyday vs Every day

Everyday - is an adjective used before a noun to mean "ordinary" or common

* Snatch thefts have become an everyday occurrence in our country.

* She has a few silk dresses for special occasions and many cotton dresses for everyday wear.

Every day - is an adverbial phrase meaning "without missing a day"

* The newspaper is delivered to his house every day.

* Older people can keep fit by walking briskly for half an hour every day.

indoor vs indoors

indoor - is an adjective

* Snooker is an indoor sport.

* The high percentage of death and disease is linked to indoor air pollution.

indoors - is an adverb.

* You should stay indoors if you are not well.

* Come indoors, it's cold outside.

mature vs matured

mature - fully grown and developed; ripe

* At sixteen he is not mature enough to live alone.

* University students are usually mature enough to manage their own lives.

* The picked the mature fruit from the tree and took it home.

matured - of wine, vinegar, etc; undergone the maturing process.

* The wine was matured in casks for six years.

* Before it is ready to drink the wine is matured in large barrels for several years.

price vs prize

price - cost, amount needed to buy something; loss or suffering to attain something

* The price of quality goods is high.

* What is the price of the pair of shoes in the window ?

* There is a price to pay when one is a famous film star.

prize - an award given for winning a competition, lottery, etc.

* She won the third prize in the essay competition.

* He spent all the prize money he won in the lottery on a new car.

stationery vs stationary

stationary - not moving

* He hit a motor-cyclist then collided with a stationary bus.

* When learning to shoot we begin with a stationary target before we try to hit a moving target.

stationery - writing materials

* I buy all my stationery from the bookstore next door.

* The manager was angry because his staff took office stationery for their personal use.

* If you need pens and pencils, you will find them in the stationery department.

weather vs whether

weather - climatic conditions

* If the weather is good we can go for a brisk walk.

* The weather in England at this time of the year is usually very cold.

whether - if

* I am not sure whether I will be able to come tomorrow.

* Contact me about whether you can come or not.

Wood vs Woods

Wood - material which forms the trunks and branches of trees.

* All the furniture here is made of wood.

* The wood is rotting.

* The woodcutter collected two bundles of wood.

Woods - area of lands covered with growing trees, or forest.

* We came upon a clearing in the woods.

* After dinner Alice slipped away for a walk in the woods with Artie.

Source:

http://www.englishdaily626.com/wd.php?021