Unit 6
Descriptive writing
Descriptive writing describes places , objects or scenes such as a market or a festival. It creates a picture in the mind of the reader. To do this, the writer uses words and phrases which appeal to the senses. The writer also uses expressions to explain where things are located, e.g. ‘ outside ’ , ‘i n the middle ’ , ‘ next to ’.
1 Study the description of the market. Find examples of: • expressions describing colour, size, sound and smell • expressions saying where people and things are located. Context clues
• Exercise 2: Tell students to try different alternatives in the sentences, e.g. sentence 1, The children avoided at the entrance. Avoided cannot be the correct alternative as it does not make sense. Prefixes can also be used to give clues. For example, in sentence 6, the prefix ‘dis-’ in discarded has a meaning of ‘not’. 2 What do the underlined words mean? Use the context to work them out. 1 The children lingered at the entrance, looking at the goods on display. a) stared b) stopped for a while c) avoided d) greeted each other 2 The children were tempted by the array of tasty snacks. a) lack b) colour c) display d) spiced buns 3 A group gathered round the baker’s van, lured by the smell of fresh bread. a) attracted b) tasted c) turned off d) liked 4 One vendor was spooning a steaming, aromatic chicken stew into bowls. a) delicious smelling b) flavourless c) cold d) expensive 5 It is evening now and the traders have abandoned their stalls. a) cleaned b) set up c) left d) lost 6 A dog sniffed at a pile of rubbish in search of a discarded titbit. a) disgusting b) delicious c) unwanted d) preserved Looking at words in context ( the surrounding words and sentences ) helps us to understand the meaning of unfamiliar words: The street is filled with throngs of neatly dressed schoolchildren. Filled tells us that there are a lot of children. Throngs therefore means crowds .
Comprehension strategy
WB 5 p114
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