Describing Events

I. Points to remember:

l To describe an annual event (e.g. a carnival) you should give accurate information in well-structured paragraphs. Briefly introduce the event, stating the place, the time and the reason it takes place. Give more detailed information concerning the preparations and the description of the event in the main body. Finish by describing people’s feelings or commenting on the event.

l Present tenses are commonly used to describe annual events (e.g. annual festivals). However, if the event happened in the past, past tenses should be used. (e.g. a wedding which you attended last Saturday). The Passive is frequently used to described the preparations or activities which take place, e.g. Turkey is served for Christmas dinner.

l Narrative techniques and a variety of descriptive adjectives can be used to set the scene and describe the atmosphere. This will make your description more vivid. e.g. As I entered the room I saw brightly coloured balloons hanging on the walls and a huge, beautifully-decorated birthday cake on the table in front of me.

l These pieces of writing can be found in magazines, newspapers, as parts of letters, etc.

II. Organization of the composition

Introduction

Paragraph 1

Set the scene ( name, place, time, reason)

Main Body

Paragraph 2

Preparations

Paragraph 3

Description of the actual event / activities

Conclusion

Paragraph 4

Feelings, comment, final thoughts

III. Exercises

1. Read the following text and underline the passive forms. Then, list the preparations made before the event and the activities which take place on the actual day. Finally give the paragraph outline.

Valentine’s Day

Many countries celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th. This modern-day holiday is a celebration of love which gets its name from a Roman priest, Valentine, who secretly performed wedding ceremonies for Christian couple in the 3rd century.

Weeks before the fourteenth of February, shop windows are decorated with red paper hearts, red streamers and boxes of chocolates. Heart-shaped cakes and sweets are baked and gifts such as perfume and jewellery are promoted by department stores. Red roses are ordered from florists, dinner reservations are made and presents are bought in preparation for Valentine’s Day. Even cards and small gifts are made by young children at school.

On valentine’s Day, many people wear something red, since it is considered to be the colour of love. Gifts, wrapped in shiny paper and red ribbons, are exchanged, women receive bouquets of flowers and people express their feelings to their loved ones. In the evening, many couples choose to dine at romantic restaurants while others enjoy spending time together at home.

Valentine’s Day is a time to let people know how much you love and appreciate them. It is a day that makes everyone feel romantic and happy.

2. Read the following text and fill in the blanks with words from the list below, then say which traditions are mentioned in the text:

luck exchanged looks forward to

play atmosphere winds through

filled firecrackers keep out

held celebrated stripes

The Chinese New Year festivities are 1) __________ at end of January of beginning of February for a period of one month. During this time, Chinese people 2)___________ the end of the winter season.

Preparations begin in December when shops are 3)___________ with people buying gifts. Buying new shoes is extremely important because it is believed that if you walk in old shoes on new Year’s Day, you’ll have bad 4)___________.

On New Year’s Eve, families gather at home and cover their doors with 5)__________ of red paper. This is meant to 6) ___________ evil spirits. Gifts are 7) ____________ at midnight. Homes are filled with the sounds of happy children, who traditionally receive coins in red envelopes on New Year’s Eve.

For the next two weeks, all shops are closed as people enjoy visiting friends and relatives. The 8) ___________ is friendly as children sing songs for sweet rice cakes and musicians 9)__________ in the streets. The final and most impressive event is the Lantern Festival. Colourful lanterns are hung outside homes and a dragon parade takes place. The dragon is very long, made of paper and painted in bright colours. Men stand under the dragon’s head and body. The parade 10) ___________ the streets and crowds cheer and set off 11)_____________.

The Chinese new Year is an exciting holiday which everyone 12)____________. It is a celebration rich in tradition and full of happiness.

3. Read the following text and answer the questions:

a) Which model is a description of an annual event and which of a past event attended by the writer? b) Which tenses are used in model A and which in model B? c) Which model has a personal style and which has an impersonal style? d) How does each model finish?

Model A

Graduation Ceremony

Graduation day at Swansea University takes place in July. The Town Hall is used for the ceremony. The occasion is kept formal and traditional in order to properly honour the achievements of the students.

Days before the ceremony, students are given their caps and gowns. A stage is set up and chairs are arranged for those attending. The hall is decorated with beautiful bouquets of flowers, and speeches are prepared by the invited guests of honour.

On the day itself, students and their families attend a cheese and wine party held by the faculty before the actual ceremony. A few hours later, usually around 2:30 in the afternoon, the ceremony begins. Speeches are made, then the students queue up in the order in which they are going to be called. Their names are read out one by one, and students go up onto the stage to receive their degrees from the Dean, who shakes each graduate’s hand. All the graduates look sophisticated in their black caps and gowns as proud parents take photos of them.

Afterwards, everyone attends a less formal dinner party where professors have the chance to congratulate the graduates.

Graduation day is a special occasion in a student’s life. It is a time to feel pleased about reaching a very important goal.

Model B

“My Graduation Day”

On a sunny July afternoon in 1995 I graduated from Swansea University. It was a day I had been looking forward to for a long time, and the graduation ceremony gave me an absolute sense of fulfillment, as I had dreamt it would.

About a week before the ceremony, caps and gowns were handed out to all the students. The hall was prepared as worker set up a stage an chairs. Flowers were put all around the hall as well.

On graduation day, I arrived at the Town Hall to find the Dean and the lecturers already there along with hundreds of students. Soon the ceremony began and speeches were made. Then we stood up and were called one by one to receive our degrees. The Dean shook our hands and congratulated us as everyone applauded. An informal dinner party followed the ceremony.

A feeling of pride and satisfaction stayed with me throughout the day. I will always remember my graduation because it signified the end of a long period of hard work and the beginning of a new era in my life.

4. Match the beginnings with the endings. Which describe annual events and which past events?

Beginnings ….

A. My 15th birthday party last your was a really memorable occasion. My family and just bought a house by the sea and as it was summer, my parents let me have a barbecue on the beach.

B. America’s most important national holiday, Independence Day, takes place on the 4th of July. Americans celebrate the day in 1776 when the American colonies declared themselves free from British rule.

C. The sight of my friends and family standing in the living room on my arrival made tears come to my eyes. I had felt so lonely all those months away from home and their surprise welcome reminded me of how much I’d missed everyone.

D. Thanksgiving is celebrated every year in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November. On this day, many people sit down to a traditional turkey dinner and give thanks to God for the harvest.

…. Endings

1. People across the U.S. enjoy this patriotic day and take great pride remembering the history of their young country.

2. It certainly was the best party I have ever had, Not only because it was the first time I had ever cu my birthday cake on a beach, but also because of the great pleasure it gave me to see so many of my friends and relative together in the same place.

3. Families all over the country look forward to this autumn holiday. It is a time for everyone to think and appreciate everything they have.

4. At the end of the evening when the last guests had left, I sat by the fireplace to have a cup of tea with my parents before I went to bed, What a relief it was to be home again surrounded by familiar objects and people who really cared.

5. Write one of the following compositions suing 100 –120 words:

l A travel magazine is running a competition for the best description of a festival in your country. Write a description for the competition.

l Describe a party / ceremony you have been to.

How to describe people

I. Words to use

a. skinny, straight, almond-shaped, square, wavy, well-built, oval,

middle-aged, scar, curly, muscular, round, crooked, limp, heavily-built

teenage, full, tanned, spots, blond, shoulder-length, formally dressed

freckled, pale, high cheekbones, wrinkled, of medium height

b.

Height/build/age

l In her twenties, tall,

Facial features

l Oval face, small nose, thin lips, green eyes

Hair

l Red, shoulder-length

Clothes

l Fashionable tops

Character

l Polite, gentle, quiet

Hobbies/interests

l Goes to the gym, collect stamps

c. describe a person in your partner

II. Organization of a composition

l Introduction

Set the scene ( name of the person/ time/place you met/ saw him/ her)

l Main body

a. physical appearance

b. personality characteristics

c. activities he/she takes part in: hobbies, interests

l Conclusion

Comments / feelings about the person

III. Points to remember

l When describing physical appearance you should give details in the following order: height/built/age, facial features, hair, clothes moving from the most general adjectives to the most specific ones, e.g. Ann is a tall, thin woman. She has got a long face, blue eyes and an upturned nose. She wears her long blond hair loose. She is often casually dressed in a T-shirt and jeans.

l When describing character and behaviour, support your description with examples. E.g. Tom is very reserved. He never talks about his feelings.

l Make your composition more interesting by using a wide range of adjectives (fabulous, superb, etc.) instead of a limited one (good, big, nice, etc.)

l Be careful with the use of tenses. You can use present tenses when you describe someone in the present, and past tenses when you describe someone related to the past, e.g. someone you had met before you moved to this city, someone who is no longer alive, etc.

l Avoid writing simple short sentences. More complex sentences joined with connectors make your composition more eye-catching. E.g. Instead of saying: John is thin. He has large blue eyes. He has long curly hair. He has full lips. He wears his hair loose. You can say: John is a tall thin man with large blue eyes and full lips. He wears his long curly hair loose.

l When you describe someone for official purposes e.g. a police report, you emphasize the physical features and try to give the most accurate description possible. When you write a letter to recommend someone for a job you write only about his/ her personality characteristics.

IV. Exercises

1. Read the following composition and put it in the right order.

A Julie is quite short and slim. She ‘s got a round face with beautiful almond-shaped eyes and a slightly upturned nose. She often wears her shoulder-length fair hair in a pony-tail. Julie prefers comfortable clothes and can often be seen wearing a blue jumper, a pair of denim jeans and trainers.

B Over the years, I have shared many good times with Julie. She has been one of m best and most trusted friends. I feel fortunate to have met her.

C I have known Julie since my first day at school, when we were only five. I can remember her smiling face as the teacher, Mrs Snow, asked me to share the same desk with her.

D One of Julie’s favourite hobbies is cycling. She also enjoys reading people’s horoscopes and trying to predict what will happen in the future. Julie likes going to the cinema and is especially fond of adventure films.

E

Although Julie is quite reserved, she is a kind person who will listen to your problems and try to help you. She is also quite active and enjoys outdoor activities.

2. The following models describe a relative of yours who is no longer alive. Read the compositions and compare and contrast them. Which is purely descriptive? Which involves narrative techniques? Underline the narrative parts.

MODEL A

My grandmother died two years ago, but I still have fond memories of the time we spent together when she was alive.

She used to live in Australia but she moved back to England to live in a little house, She was a sweet, plump lady and she was rather short. She had a round face, short grayish curly hair and friendly green eyes. Her rosy cheeks gave her wrinkled face a childlike appearance. She always used to wear perfectly-ironed dresses.

My grandmother was a very generous and understanding woman. She always had something for everyone and listen to us without intruding into our lives.

My grandmother’s main interest was writing and she managed to publish several books of poetry while she was alive. As well as that, she had many other hobbies and interests in there was always something to talk about.

My grandmother was a fantastic woman who gave me comfort, advice and support whenever I needed it. I shall never forget her.

MODEL B

I ‘ll never forget the first time I met my grandmother. She had been living in Australia, but decided to move back to England.

When she arrived I stood nervously pulling on my father’s coat, half hiding behind him. It had never occurred to me that this sweet, plump, elderly lady would be so excited to meet me. She was shorter than I had imagined and had a round face, short, grayish curly hair and friendly green eyes. Her rosy cheeks gave her wrinkled face a childlike appearance, and when she smiled at me I couldn’t resist giving her a big hug, ignoring her perfectly-ironed dress.

It wasn’t long before I realized how generous and understanding she was. She always had something for everyone and was there to listen to us without intruding into our lives.

She was determined to buy a little house of her own so she could find the peace and quiet that she needed to write her poetry. She had so many hobbies and interests that there was always something to talk about.

That meeting with my grandmother led to a close relationship which lasted until her death two years ago. She was a fantastic lady and I shall always be grateful for the comfort, advice and support she gave me whenever I needed it.

3. Write any of the following compositions using 100 ~ 150 words.

a. A youth magazine is running “The Best Mum of the Year” competition and has asked its readers to submit their compositions describing their mothers. Write your composition for the competition.

b. Write a composition describing the person who has influenced your life the most.

c. A TV channel has asked its young viewers to submit a description of their favorite film star.

How to write a story?

I. What is a good story?

Writing a good story either in first or third person means to describing a sequence of events in an interesting. Lively way. A good story should consist of:

a. an interesting beginning to catch the reader’s attention and make him / her want to go on reading your story.

b. Good development in the main body to develop your story you should use appropriate tenses, especially past ones, e.g. Past Simple to describe the main events, past continuous to set the scene, past perfect to talk about events which happened before the main events, etc. (eg. He went out to the car. It was raining hard and a cold wind was blowing. He had rung her ten minutes before, so he knew she would be waiting.)

c. A good ending. If possible an unexpected or unpredictable one, to surprise the reader and create a long-lasting impression on your piece of writing.

II. Points to Remember

a. never start writing your composition before deciding on the plot.

b. Use time words (before, until, then, next, lastly, etc.) to make the sequence of events clear.

c. Use various adjectives ( horrified, surprised, etc.) and adverbs ( absolutely, extremely, etc) to stress feelings and actions. This will make your story more interesting.

d. Use the senses to describe atmosphere, especially when you want to emphasize specific parts of your narration.

III. Organization of the composition

Introduction

Paragraph

Set the scene: ( who – where – when --- what)

Main Body

Paragraphs 2 –4

Development ( describe incidents leading up to the main event and the event itself in detail)

Conclusion

Final Paragraph (refer to moods, consequences, people’s reactions, feelings, comments)

IV. Exercises

1. Match the titles with each story:

1) The Handsome Man

2) A Knight in Shining Armour

3) Escaped Prisoners

A

When Larry’s car breaks down on the way to a fancy-dress party, he has to

walk three miles to the nearest petrol station in a suit of armour.

A robbery at the station gets Larry taken hostage. Thus begins one of the

wildest and funniest get-aways ever seen.

B

When two prisoners from the Windson-Grey prison escaped, they never thought

they would be caught by people from another planet! Can the two escape again, this

time back to earth? What do the people of Trixom want with them? The answer may lie

in their new friend, Lexer.

C

Before they knew Clark Fossi’s name, the women of Chesapeak Bay called him

“That Handsome Man”. Then a dead body is found floating in the bay. Can a man that

handsome be a murderer? Some of the women of Chesapeake Bay will do anything not

to find out the truth.

2. Read the story extracts and match them with the title and decide what the types of stories they are:

Science fiction 1. Who Shot Henry Jennings? ( )

romance 2. Naughty Nigel ( )

drama 3. The Battle of the Galaxies ( )

action/ adventure 4. Run for Your Life ( )

horror 5. Family Crisis ( )

comedy 6. Don’t Break my Heart ( )

murder/ mystery 7. The Creature from the Deep ( )

A. Jim had set up his fishing line and was about to settle down for a peaceful night of fishing on the seafront when suddenly his rod was pulled right out of his hands. He gasped in terror as suddenly, before his eyes, something began to rise from the waves.

B. Nigel was always in trouble --- but the trouble was he didn’t know why! It wasn’t his fault that his pet spider had somehow crawled up Miss Piggy’s leg. And he had nothing to do with Fanny’s falling in the pond. It wasn’t as if he’d pushed her in, his hand had just, well, sort of slipped ….

C. Rachel felt that her heart would suddenly stop beating. She couldn’t believe this was happening, not after everything they’d shared together. Darren had come into her life unexpectedly and had changed her world completely. And now, just as suddenly, it looked as though he’d have to leave.

D. The meeting of planet leaders had ended in agreement., They had to prepare to defend themselves with all their available forces, otherwise the Valarians would take over the entire galaxy.

E. Kincaid was running through the forest, the men chasing him on horseback getting closer and closer. He jumped into a river, but he didn’t feel safe until he was further down stream.

F. Roger was away on business when the call came through to his hotel room. He picked up the phone and heard his mother’s trembling voice on the other end, “Roger, I know it’s been a long time, but please come home. The family needs you!”

G. Detective Jaffrey stared in disbelief at the body of the highly respected businessman Henry Jennings lying on the while marble kitchen floor in a pool of blood. Suddenly he caught sight of a small gold earring lying near the corpse. Perhaps this was the clue that would lead him to the murderer.

3. Match the following beginnings with the endings:

Beginnings:

A. She woke up feeling the floor shaking violently beneath her. At first she thought it was part of the dream she had been having, but then she realized what was happening.

B. What can I tell you about Roger? He was the kind of man you’ve probably all met at some stage in your lives-self-confident, charming, polite … and completely ruthless. So I wasn’t surprised when I saw his picture in the newspaper.

C. The grey sky covered the city like a heavy blanket, making the buildings dull and shadowy. The rain had been whipping the faces of the hurrying citizens with icy, sharp drops and now the roads were dark and shining, the air damp and cold. I looked carefully before crossing the street.

D. “Where is all this light coming from?” peter asked Tim as he stared at the green beams crossing the starry summer sky.

E. He could hear the wind howling through the window as he made his way down the creaking wooden stairs, lighting his way with two candles. This huge empty house always frightened him. Still , he had to be here tonight as he had been every year on the same day.

…… Endings:

1) It couldn’t have been their imagination. The deep hole in the field was still hot and glowing.

2) “Thank God! I’m safe now,” I thought as I entered my flat. But as soon as I turned on the light, I noticed a glass on the table. He was there waiting for me.

3) With some hope she started shouting. It wasn’t long before she could see daylight again. She was injured but alive.

4) … As the clock struck twelve he started shivering. He knew they would come to visit him again.

5) As the policemen took Roger out of the courtroom I could hear people murmuring. I felt relief. After all, he had got what he deserved: 30 years in prison.

4. Read and put the paragraphs into the correct order:

A The captain was showing Danny the different controls and dials when suddenly the cockpit door burst open. A tall man with a scar on his left cheek, who was carrying a gun, grabbed Danny and shouted at the captain. “This is a hijacking. I’m in control now.” without thinking of the danger Danny bit the man’s hand as hard as he could. The hijacker screamed in pain. Quickly the co-pilot grabbed the gun while the captain knocked the hijacker unconscious.

B Danny looked excitedly out of the window as the airplane was taking off into the bright sky. Then he smiled happily at his dad who was holding his soft hand tightly.

C “This is going to be the best Christmas ever,” thought Danny. “I can’t wait to tell Grandpa about what I did.” When the plane landed Danny was given a hero’s welcome. As a reward the airline gave Danny and his family free flights for the rest of their lives.

D They had been flying for an hour when Danny’s father disappeared for a few minutes. He came back followed by a friendly looking stewardess in a blue and red uniform. “Would you like to see the cockpit, Danny?” she asked. Danny could not believe it. “This is a dream come true,” he thought as he followed the stewardess to the front of the plane.

5. The adverbs below describe the way a person might speak or act. Choose suitable words from the list to complete the sentences:

threateningly hurriedly confidently angrily suddenly

a) “Get out of here!” Bill shouted ________ , his face turning red.

b) _______, without any warning, her guide turned round and held a knife to her throat.

c) She gathered her papers together _________ and rushed off to the meeting, which had already begun.

d) “Don’t worry, I’ll kill the dragon,” the knight said __________ to the king.

e) “If you tell anyone, you’ll be sorry,” said the kidnapper _________.

6. Read the story and add in the correct time words:

After, While, As soon as, Immediately, As, While, after, When, then,

“What is going on?” I wondered as I came round the corner and saw a huge crowd

gathered in the middle of the usually quiet street. Two fire engines were parked outside

my block of flats.

1) ____________ I noticed that their ladders were raised as far as the third floor, just below my flat. 2) ____________ I was rushing towards the building I became aware of the group of bystanders and some fire-fighters standing around the entrance. 3) ___________ I came close to them, they recognized me. Being on the 8 o’clock new every night surely makes you familiar to a lot of people. 4) ___________ they had greeted me I asked what was happening. They told me that the flat below mine had caught fire, but they had managed to put it out. 5) _____________ I was going into the building a man carrying a large television set stopped me.

“Hi, Paul,” he said. “Could you give a hand loading this into my van over there?”

6)___________ I was helping him I wondered who he was, but then I realized that he must have recognized me from TV. “Thanks, Paul,” he said 7) ___________ we had put the TV in the van. “I’d really love to get your autograph (親筆簽名) but I am in a hurry. See you,” the man said and drove off. Smiling, I entered the building and headed for my flat. 8) ____________ I reached it I saw that the door was open. Nervously I entered the flat. It was 9) __________ that I noticed that my television was missing. I had just helped a burglar to steal my own television!

7. Successful use of various adjectives shows a good knowledge of the language, especially when we write stories. Go through the following adjectives and match then with the nouns in the list. Some of the adjectives can be used more than once:

Adjectives: soft, bright, cold, expensive, fluffy, blazing, strong, high, snowy, light, starry, clear, grey, moonless, rocky

Nouns: clouds, wind, night, lights, eyes, perfume, sunshine, mountains,

e.g. soft clouds, soft wind

8. To make a story more interesting we can involve our senses. Read the short extracts and look at the phrases in bold. Which of the senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste) do each of these phrases refer to? Finally, identify the type of story. Which would you like to read and why?

A. When he reached the top of the hill, Keith realized what was lighting up the sky on the cool moonless night. There, in front of his care was a huge spaceship. It was completely still, and thousands of colourful lights were flashing along its surface. The smell of burning rubber filled Keith’s car as he hit the brakes.

B. A bullet whistled past policeman Mark Raymond’s ear. He fell to the hard ground, pistol in hand. “Let the child go free, and no one will get hurt,” he shouted. He heard the house’s front door slowly creak open and saw the little girl come out, her tears shining in the morning sun.

C. Clair asked Molly to sit down. Her silk skirt rustled as she sat comfortably in the armchair. Clair could smell her expensive perfume. “Could this woman have the heart of a killer?” she asked herself. But the cruel look in Molly’s eyes soon answered her question.

D. Susan rushed to the hospital as fast as she could. Her husband had finally woken up. The accident had happened three months before, leaving David in a coma. Three months without hearing his voice or seeing his smile. Three months of worrying, visiting the same white hospital, smelling the same antiseptic smell, drinking the same bitter coffee. Now they could leave all that behind them.

A. lighting up the sky ---

cool, moonless night --- sight/ touch

huge spaceship ---

colourful lights were flashing --- sight

smell of burning rubber ---

B. whistled ---

hard ground ---

shouted --- hearing

creak ---

tears shining ---

C. rustled ---

expensive perfume --- smell

the cruel look in Molly’s eyes --- sight

D. hearing his voice ---

seeing his smile ---

white hospital ---

antiseptic smell --- smell

bitter coffee ---

9. An interesting beginning grabs the reader’s attention. You can start a story: a) by describing weather, surroundings, people etc. involving your senses; b) by using Direct Speech; c) with a question; d) with a dramatic sentence creating mystery or suspense; e) by referring to your feelings or mood etc. Read the following beginnings and decide which of these techniques are used.

A. “What I’m about to tell you could change your life forever,” the mysterious stranger told me, looking straight into my puzzled eyes. “Listen carefully and don’t ask any questions until I've finished what I have to say.”

B. As I stepped off the plane, my stomach felt as though a hundred tiny butterflies were flying around inside it. My legs began to tremble as I walked down the steps leading to the runway and for a moment I thought I’d faint with dizziness. Would he remember me after all these years?

C. Grey clouds blocked out every trace of sunlight and the continuous drizzle made everything damp and cold. As we were walking along in silence, the only sounds wre those of our feet in the mud and the howling of the wind over the mountains.

D. “Come here. Yes, you. Come here!” the sergeant’s voice sounded hard as he fixed his cold eyes on me. I had known this day would come. I hadn’t expected it to come so quickly, though.

A. use of Direct Speech, reference to feelings (_____________________)

B. dramatic sentence creating suspense, ________________________________, question

C. use of senses to ________________________

D. ______________, use of senses ( hard voice, cold eyes), dramatic sentence creating suspense

10. A good ending to a story is as important as a good beginning. You can finish a story by: a) using Direct Speech; b) referring to people’s feelings/ moods; c) describing people’s reactions to the event developed in the main body; d) creating mystery or suspense (unexpected ending). Read the following endings and say which of the above techniques are used for the following endings. The decide what type of story each suggests. Write possible beginnings for each ending.

A. …h(huán)e stepped out of the car, guns pointing at him from all directions. He realized it was all over.

B. … Sophie looked at the spaceship disappearing in the sky and wondered if he really had spent a night with aliens or if it was just his imagination. But then he felt the weight of the blue crystal in his hand.

C. “Hey you! Don’t move!” a voice said. But it was too late.

D. … As the clock struck twelve he started shivering. He knew they would come to visit him again.

E. … the killer had been put behind bars. Detective Burns knew the people of Sheffield would sleep better tonight.

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

Suggested beginnings:

A. ____________________________________________________________________________

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B. ____________________________________________________________________________

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C. ____________________________________________________________________________

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D. ____________________________________________________________________________

11. Here are some reasons why stories can be entertaining, boring etc. Match these reasons with the adjectives which can be used to describe stories as in the example:

scary characters, tragic end, too much violence,

funny incidents, predictable characters, clever plot,

story too long, thrilling plot, original ideas,

unhappy situations, lots of action, repetition, realistic

Entertaining funny incidents,

Boring

Shocking

Frightening

Sad

Exciting

Interesting

12. Read the story and write an ending of your own:

I was alone in the house, reading a scary ghost story as snow fell silently outside. The only sound was the ticking of my old grandfather clock. The dying fire cast an orange glow onto the walls of my study.

I was absorbed in the story when suddenly I began to feel that someone was watching me. The clock stopped ticking. I looked around but I could see no one. Was my mind playing tricks on me?

Trying to ignore my fears, I returned to my book. After a few seconds, though, the book was knocked to the floor by an unseen hand. “Who’s there?” I cried. I saw something standing in front of me that made my blood run cold. A shadowy white ghost pointed a pale finger at me. Its mouth moved. “ Come on! Come with me. It is time,” it said.

“What do you want?” I managed to ask, shaking with fear. The ghost took me by the hand and led me to the window. Just as we reached it, the clock struck twelve.

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13. Read and continue the story. Use sequence words. Eg. As soon as, after, before, when, then, hardly…when, etc.

One Saturday afternoon Jim Randall and his younger sister Pamela were staying at home watching TV. Their parents had gone out for the day. They were watching an exciting film when suddenly a news presenter came on with an urgent announcement. A dangerous criminal had escaped and was somewhere in the town.

At this moment, a neighbour’s dog started barking. ……

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