222222222222222222.

Academic Writing

Writing argumentative and descriptive essays

Student’s book

Level: B1/B2
16 horas
 Sobre o Curso
Ementa: Estudo das características do gênero essay. Identificação dos movimentos
discursivos do gênero. Estudo da estrutura léxico-sistêmica do gênero. Argumentação,
coesão e coerência. Produção de essays.

Objetivo: Ao final deste curso o aluno estará apto a: 1) reconhecer as características

discursivas do gênero essay; 2) identificar as características léxico-sistêmicas do gênero; 3)
aplicar estratégias de argumentação, coesão e coerência na produção textual; 4) produzir
essays.

Justificativa: Necessidade de desenvolver proficiência linguística em Inglês com

vistas a capacitar a comunidade universitária à interação oral e escrita com seus pares de
universidades estrangeiras, promovendo, assim, a internacionalização da universidade
brasileira. Busca-se, em particular, ampliar a participação e a mobilidade internacional do
corpo discente e de servidores das instituições de educação superior brasileiras para o
desenvolvimento de projetos de pesquisa e extensão, estudos, treinamentos e capacitação
em instituições de excelência no exterior. Com igual relevância, objetiva-se capacitar esse
mesmo público para receber seus pares em universidades brasileiras. Assim, existe a
demanda de conhecimento cultural que norteie essas interações, além de reflexão crítica
acerca de possíveis dificuldades a serem encontradas em relação às peculiaridades
linguísticas e culturais do país em questão. Dessa forma, busca-se ampliar a participação e
a mobilidade internacional das IES brasileiras.

Metodologia: Aulas expositivas e dialogadas, com atividades guiadas e livres,

realizadas em pares ou pequenos grupos, debates, apresentações individuais e em grupo.
Interação prezando pelo trabalho comunicativo e uso contextualizado da linguagem,
respeitando as necessidades dos alunos e o contexto de preparação para mobilidade
acadêmica. Maximização de oportunidades de exposição do aluno à língua, permitindo que
ele a manipule em situações reais de engajamento linguístico. Uso de aulas no laboratório e
sala multimeios com recursos tecnológicos e dispositivos móveis para acesso a vídeos e
outros recursos digitais de áudio e texto, como redes sociais, ambientes colaborativos e
espaços de socialização.

Avaliação: Os alunos serão avaliados ao longo do curso nas perspectivas formativa e

somativa, preferencialmente mediante critérios definidos colaborativamente, por meio de,
por exemplo, atividades de interação em ambiente virtual de aprendizagem, tarefas em sala
de aula, produção escrita e/ou oral, apresentação final em pares ou em grupos acerca dos
temas trabalhados. A média de aprovação no curso é 6,0 (seis vírgula zero) e o aluno deve
ter 75% de assiduidade para aprovação.

2
Index

1. Argumentative Essay
Warm up ………………………………………………......................…….. Page 4
What is an argumentative essay? ………………………………...………. Page 6
How to write an argumentative essay …………………………...……….. Page 7
Step1. The first paragraph: Introduction…………...……….......……... Page 7
Thesis Statement ……………………......................………. Page 8
Practice …………………….……….............................….... Page 10
Step 2. Body paragraphs: Moving from general to specific information ..P. 10
Topic sentences ……………………………………............. Page 11
Arranging your argument ………………………….......… Page 12
Coherence ……………………..……….................................Page 13
Practice ………………………..............................……….....Page 14
Step 3. Conclusion ……….…………………...................…………….….Page 13
Practice ……………………...............................………….….Page 13
Problems to check for in your paper……..............….……...Page 14

Exercise……………………..……………………………...........................…………..Page 15

2. Descriptive Essay
Warm up ………………………………....................................……...…......Page 17
Understanding the essay ………………………………..…….………….…Page 18
Using visualization …………………………………...……….……….…….Page 21
Further practice ……………………………………....................……….….Page 22
Organization of a descriptive essay ………………………...............….…...Page 23

3. Appendixes
Appendix I …………………………………...................................….……… Page 26
Appendix II ……………………………………………...……….......……… Page 27

4. References ………………………………………...................………………....Page 28

3
1. Argumentative essay
Warm-up:
Read this text about telework underlining the arguments used as pros and circling
the ones used for cons.
Telework: The Pros and Cons
Technology has changed the way we live and especially the way we work. For many
jobs, workers no longer need to be in a fixed office building. People can telework:
they can work from home or anyplace where they can access the necessary
technology.

Sahil Lavingia, chief executive officer (CEO) of an online payments company he started, works in his
home in San Francisco, California, 2012.

A 2015 survey from the company Gallup found that 37 percent of Americans worked
from home. In 1995, that number was only 9 percent. It is easy to think that this
freedom to work whenever or wherever is good for workers and for families. As it
turns out, teleworking may be both good and bad.

A new report warns that some forms of teleworking may blur the line between our
personal and professional lives. In other words, some teleworkers may have a hard
time keeping their personal life separate from their professional life. This report
claims that this “blurring” may have negative effects on the health and well-being of
teleworkers.

4
The report, titled, "Working anytime, anywhere: The effects on the world of work," is
a combined effort by the International Labor Organization and the research institute,
Eurofound. It looks at the pros and cons -- or the advantages and disadvantages -- of
teleworking from home. The report looked at 15 countries including Argentina, Brazil,
India, Japan, the United States and 10 European nations.

Oscar Vargas is with Eurofound and Jon Messenger is from the International Labor
Organization. The two co-wrote the report. They say in the findings of the study are
unclear and, in some cases, contradictory. For example, the researchers found that
on the one hand, teleworkers "report reduced commuting time, more time for their
families and a better balance between work and personal life; on the other hand,
they also report an increase in working hours, a blurring of the boundaries between
paid work and personal life and more work-life interference.” For some people,
teleworking adds more family-work conflict, for others teleworking lowers family-work
conflicts. For some people, teleworking lowered stress; for others it lead to higher
levels of stress and other health problems such as sleep disorders.

Vargas explains that some of the pros are less commuting time and greater freedom,
or as he says, autonomy. One of the cons is working longer hours. “Among the
positive effects, we find the reduction of commuting time leading, greater work
autonomy leading to more flexibility, better overall work-life balance and higher
productivity. There are also disadvantages. For example, these workers tend to work
longer.” How teleworking affects the health and lifestyle of the workers seems to
depend on how much and what type of teleworking they are doing.

The study puts teleworkers into three categories:

- those who work commonly from home,

- those who work from several locations outside an office,
- and those who work both in an office and off-site.

Vargas notes the study found that 20 percent of people in Europe who worked in an
office reported high levels of stress. Compare this to 40 percent of stressed-out
people in Europe engaged in high-intensity work at home. He said the findings were
similar for those who suffer from sleep disorders. The report also states that
teleworkers who are out of the office too often say they feel isolated, or separate
from their colleagues and the work environment.

5
Messenger told VOA that always working away from the employer's work-site seems
to be more negative. One of the downsides is this isolation. He calls this a
“disconnect from co-workers and from the organization as well. “This constant work
outside the employer’s premises seems to be more negative. And one of the
downsides is this isolation, this disconnect from co-workers and of course from the
organization as well.”
Also, the high-intensity teleworkers that we talked about earlier may have a difficult
turning off their work.

Glossary

blur – v. to become unclear

off-site – adj. not located or occurring at the site of a particular activity
downside – adj. harmful or bad (also; con, disadvantage, negative)
premises – n. plural a building and the area of land that it is on

Source:http://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/pros-and-cons-of-teleworking/3834726.html

Based on the text above, discuss the following questions in groups and then
report to the class:

a. What is your opinion and your group’s opinion about this subject? Do you all agree
or do you have different opinions about this particular subject?

b. How can you support your ideas? How do your friends support their ideas?

c. Did anyone have any scientific evidence for what they are saying?

d. Did you, or any of your colleagues changed their idea after discussing with each
other?

e. Could you summarize your point of view in one sentence? Write it down.

f. Supposing that you will write an essay about your point of view on this subject,
what would the structure of your essay be like? How would you organize your
arguments?

What is an argumentative essay?

The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires the investigation of

a topic; collect, generate, and evaluate evidence; and establish a position on the
topic in a concise manner.

6
 Argumentative essay assignments generally call for extensive research of
literature or previously published material. It is necessary to make detailed research,
which will allow you to learn about the topic and to understand different points of
view regarding the topic so that you may choose a position and support it with the
evidence collected during research. Regardless of the amount or type of research
involved, argumentative essays must establish a clear thesis and follow sound
reasoning.
Source: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/05/

How to write an argumentative essay?

The structure of the argumentative essay is held together by the following:

1. A clear, concise, and defined thesis statement that occurs in the first
paragraph of the essay.

2. Clear and logical transitions between the introduction, body, and

conclusion.

3. Body paragraphs that include evidential support.

4. Evidential support (whether factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal).

5. A conclusion that does not simply restate the thesis, but readdresses it
in light of the evidence provided.

Source: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/05/

Step 1. The first paragraph – INTRODUCTION

The introduction is the broad beginning of the paper that answers three important
questions:
1. What is this?
2. Why am I reading it?
3. What do you want me to do?

You should answer these questions by doing the following:

1. Set the context –provide general information about the main idea, explaining
the situation so the reader can make sense of the topic and the claims you
make and support
2. State why the main idea is important –tell the reader why he or she should
care and keep reading. Your goal is to create a compelling, clear, and
convincing essay people will want to read and act upon

7
 3. State your thesis/claim –compose a sentence or two stating the position you
will support with logos (sound reasoning: induction, deduction), pathos
(balanced emotional appeal), and ethos (author credibility).

Source: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/724/ Contributor: Allen Brizee.

THESIS STATEMENT

Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement

1. Determine what kind of paper you are writing:

An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with
specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a
cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative
paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence
provided.

If you are writing a text that does not fall under these three categories (e.g., a
narrative), a thesis statement somewhere in the first paragraph could still be helpful
to your reader.

2. Your thesis statement should be specific —it should cover only what you will
discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.

3. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper.

4. Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis
statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.

Example of an argumentative thesis statement:

High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community
service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and
global awareness.

The paper that follows should:

● Present an argument and give evidence to support the claim that students
should pursue community projects before entering college

Source: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/

8
Let’s practice making some statements using the prompts below:
Before writing, think over these important points:
- Who is your target audience?
- What is the best register (formal/informal) for the language you will use? Are
there some language aspects that should be avoided?
- Are you being clear and telling the reader only what he needs to know about
the topic and your point-of-view?

Prompt Thesis Statement

When Do Pranks Cross the Line to

Become Bullying?

Has Gender Equality Improved in

Recent Years?

Is Technology Dangerous?

Should Stores Sell Violent Video

Games to Minors?

Should People Be Allowed to Obscure

Their Identities Online?

THESIS statement checklist!

Ask yourself the following questions as you work your way through the
writing process:
Does my thesis address a debatable topic?
Does my thesis make a specific claim on a topic?
Does my thesis offer a roadmap for the reader, containing
organizational cues as to how to arrange the various parts of my argument in
the pages that follow?
Does my thesis contain the keywords or central idea that focuses my
argument?
Is my thesis focused enough or complex enough to satisfy the page length of
the assignment?

9
Can I support my thesis with the material available?
Does my thesis really reflect my final argument?
Source: http://uncw.edu/ulc/writing/documents/ThesisStatementResivingandChecklist.pdf

Practice activity:

1. In groups, discuss the prompts above and answer the questions below:
a. What is your opinion about these topics? What are your friends’ ideas about this
topic?
b. Do you have any information that can support your ideas?
2. After discussing with your friends, choose one of the prompts above and write an
introductory short paragraph exposing your MAIN IDEA about the subject. Keep in
mind this is the first paragraph of a full essay you will write later on.

Step 2. Body paragraphs: Moving from general to specific information

Your paper should be organized in a manner that moves from general to specific
information. Every time you begin a new subject, think of an inverted pyramid - The
broadest range of information sits at the top, and as the paragraph or paper
progresses, the author becomes more and more focused on the argument ending
with specific, detailed evidence supporting a claim. Lastly, the author explains how
and why the information she has just provided connects to and supports her thesis (a
brief wrap up or warrant).

Retrieved from: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/724/

10
The four elements of a good paragraph (TTEB)

A good paragraph should contain at least the following four elements: Transition,
Topic sentence, specific Evidence and analysis, and a Brief wrap-up sentence (also
known as a warrant) –TTEB!
1. A Transition sentence leading in from a previous paragraph to assure smooth
reading. This acts as a hand off from one idea to the next.
2. A Topic sentence that tells the reader what you will be discussing in the
paragraph.
3. Specific Evidence and analysis that supports one of your claims and that
provides a deeper level of detail than your topic sentence.
4. A Brief wrap-up sentence that tells the reader how and why this information
supports the paper’s thesis. The brief wrap-up is also known as the warrant.
The warrant is important to your argument because it connects your reasoning
and support to your thesis, and it shows that the information in the paragraph
is related to your thesis and helps defend it.

Topic Sentences
Topic sentences play the most important role in pumping life into a paragraph-it's the
heart that keeps a paragraph going.

Make sure, for each paragraph, your topic sentence covers or refers to one idea
only. Don't get ahead of yourself. If your topic sentence attempts to cover too much,
two or three ideas, perhaps consider taking those three ideas and making three
paragraphs (one for each).

Are you furthering your argument with your topic sentence? What purpose does it
serve? If you can't answer these questions, your topic sentence isn't working.

What is the relationship between your paragraph's topic sentence and your paper's
thesis statement? Are they closely related? If not, go back and consider what you
can do to make a connection.

What is the relationship of the paragraphs above and below? Make sure you haven't
left out any steps or key points before you move onto the next paragraph. Hopefully
this is something that you tackled in your outline, but sometimes, once we commit
ourselves to paper and begin writing a draft, we discover areas a diagram or outline
never revealed.

11
Do you start each paragraph with a topic sentence? 90% of the time: yes. Beginning
with your topic sentence sets up the reader for what the rest of the paragraph is
about. The reader expects this. The other 10% of the time, for example, you have
information that needs to precede your topic sentence. In this case, a topic sentence
may come in the middle or even the end of a paragraph.
Source: http://uncw.edu/ulc/writing/organization.html

Arranging Your Argument

All papers need a coherent structure, and this is usually determined by the order in
which information is introduced. For example, if you are tracing the history of a
particular subject, arranging your subject matter in chronological order would best
suit your essay. If you are analyzing a piece of literature, then you might need to
draw from the end of the story to explain and interpret sections or reasoning behind
its beginning. If you are writing a paper for a sociology class, a behavioral study, for
example, then you might arrange your paragraphs by categories of emotion or
action.

In all cases, no matter how your paragraphs are arranged, you'll need to work toward
forming a conclusion. Think of your paragraphs as a way of tallying information for
the final result. A lawyer can't win a case without presenting all of his/her evidence; if
something's missing, even the smallest important detail, your essay might be guilty of
structural fraud! Always work toward having a clear picture of your ending in mind,
something that will tie up all loose ends. Make sure every paragraph you write serves
the paper as a whole.

Coherence
Once you've written your thesis, topic sentences, and organized your evidence, you
might go back and read the essay and find that what you're trying to say doesn't
make sense. All of your evidence is there. Your argument addresses counterpoints,
but something about the language doesn't make sense. It might not be a problem
with your structure or arrangement. Sometimes a lack of coherence might stall your
essay or cloud its purpose.

Typically you can spot this by reading your work aloud. If you come across a
passage that doesn't make any sense to you, it won't make sense to someone else.
The last thing you want is for your reader to have to go back over a sentence more
than once and figure out its meaning.

12
 Practice.
Based on the introduction paragraph you have already written, think
about your BODY PARAGRAPHS.
Take some time to research about it. What are GOOD and BAD sources for
researching?
How much scientific knowledge your topic requires?
Try to take as many notes as you can. But, try also to FOCUS? What is REALLY
important? Don’t waste your time.
Write down two or three body paragraphs developing your thesis statement.

Step 3. Conclusion

Conclusions are another challenge equally as important as introductions. Don't limit

your conclusion to a summary of events. Of course mention them, especially if you
made a complicated argument throughout the essay, but the best conclusions do
more than summarize. Conclusions should bring the reader back to that ongoing
conversation generated in the introduction, but now with a feeling that the reader has
learned something more.

Many of the same strategies that will help you with your introduction are relevant and
directly related to helping you with your conclusion. Seek the answers to these
questions:

1. Did I return to the ongoing conversation and highlight the importance of my own
contribution?

2. Did I consider the background information I used in the beginning, and explain
how my argument has built something on that information?

3. Did I return to the key terms and point out how my essay adds new dimensions to
their meanings?

4. Did I use an anecdote or quotation to summarize or reflect my main idea?

5. Did I acknowledge my opponents?

6. Did I use concise language that leaves the reader with something to think about?
Source: http://uncw.edu/ulc/writing/developingideas.html by Patrick Williams

13
 Practice.
Write down a conclusion for your essay. Once you are finished, use the
previous questions as a checklist for your paragraph.

Problems to check for in your paper:

1. Always start with grammar. Underline the subjects in all of your sentences. Can
these subjects coexist with the actual subject of your paragraph? Is the subject at the
beginning of the sentence or the end? Putting it in the beginning will give your reader
an idea of what you're talking about before you make your point. A reader will judge
your idea and form conclusions about its importance based on where you placed a
subject within any given sentence. Are your sentences overwhelmed by too many
prepositions? Is there a way to cut back?
2. It's a good idea to narrow the amount of sentence subjects in order to make your
writing clear and concise. Too many subjects will often confuse readers. The best
way to get an idea of how your subjects are working is to go through each paragraph
and underline them. If you have many different subjects with no clear connections,
you will need to revise.

3. Read your sentences front to back and back to front. What does sentence one say
about sentence two? Does sentence three belong after sentence two? This will help
you determine the relationship that sentences need within a paragraph to function.

4. Practice the concept of old to new. If you use older information at the beginning of
the sentence, and new information at the end, this accomplishes two main things.
First, it provides your reader with a balanced platform: you take the material from
familiar and universal themes to the unexplored. Second, the newer information
towards the end indicates emphasis on the most current developments. Readers will
suspect the most current information is the most important, which is true in most
cases.

5. Key words and phrases should be repeated to refresh the reader's memory and
put emphasis on certain terms, but don't overdo it. You don't want to sound
redundant.

6. Know your timeline. Transitional sentences will either make or break a shift in time.
Make sure you're clear when the switch happens.

14
 Exercise
Read the essay below identifying which part each paragraph stands for:

Text Structure of an
argumentative
essay

Computers cannot replace brilliant human minds

In many ways, I believe that this question is akin to
asking, "How far has the human foot been made
redundant by the invention of the wheel?" There are
many jobs that a computer performs far better than
humans, mainly those involving repetitions of
mathematical calculations just as in many cases,
travel by wheel based vehicles is faster than travel
by foot. Yet there are many situations where humans
can travel through on foot that wheeled vehicles
cannot cope, as any wheelchair bound person would
testify. The computer is a tool to be used to aid
human brains and bodies, but does not (yet) come close
to making them redundant.
Recently, a fuss was made in the newspapers over
falling ability at mental arithmetic in
schoolchildren. This was attributed to the rising use
of calculators in schools, and newspaper articles
claimed that children were losing their ability to
think for themselves, due to overuse of calculators.
Surely, though, it is poor teaching on the part of
primary school teachers, and the fault of our
`progressive' teaching policy, that allows children to
pass on memorising times tables in favour of simply
having calculators at the ready at all times?

The reason that computers have not made the human

brain redundant is that they are, in the most literal
sense of the word, idiotic. They have no ability to
think, or be creative, or be spontaneous. They simply
perform millions of calculations, very quickly,
following instructions laid out by a human. It is
impossible for a computer to produce a list of truly
random numbers, for example, something an eight-year
old child can do with ease. The closest that can
happen is for a programmer to invent an appropriately
complicated set of instructions (an algorithm) that
will deliver an approximation of a set of random
numbers. Of course, once this is done, the computer
can quickly calculate millions of (pseudo) random
numbers far more quickly than a human.

15
Research in artificial intelligence, the attempt to
produce a "thinking" computer, has grown massively in
the last decade, yet we are little closer to producing
any true artificial life for it. The definition of
artificial life that is now most widely used was set
out in the 1950's. It involves a set up of three
computers, linked so that what one person types on his
screen appears also on the other two. All three
computers are in separate rooms. At one computer is a
human, the scientist testing his AI program (or, more
likely, an independent tester). At another computer is
another human, on the third is running the AI program.
A three way conversation is started, with the tester
`chatting' to the other two, asking questions and
receiving answers. His aim is to distinguish between
the computer and the human participants. If he cannot
make any distinction, then that program can be said to
be `alive'. Our current technology could not fool any
tester for more than a few seconds, but as computers
grow more powerful, and new techniques which build
computers based on the `neural net' systems which our
brains use become more feasible, it is possible then
that life might be created according to this
definition. Only when this occurs is there any
possibility that computers may make our brains
redundant. Even so, I feel that it will be a very long
time before computers will be able to respond to
sensory visual and audio input as our cars and respond
to these inputs. Computers may become more and more
advanced, but I do not believe that these tools will
ever make human brains redundant.
Essay retrieved from ICLE corpus: <ICLE-ALEV-0002.6>

Now answer the questions below:

1. What is the thesis statement?
2. Do you think the thesis statement as well as the arguments were successfully
developed in the body paragraphs? Is there evidence to support the author
points?
3. Is there anything you believe could be edited in this essay in order to make it
more effective? Justify your answer.

Extra practice

Finding Common Errors: Access:https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/561/02/

16
2. Descriptive Essays

Look at the picture and discuss it with a partner:

1. What kind of place is this?

2. What kind of event happens at a place like this?
3. What kind of day is this?
4. Imagine you were at this place: what do you see around you? What do you
hear? What do you smell? What would you be doing? How would you
feel?
5. Describe an experience you had at a place like this in as much detail as
you can.

Nowadays places similar to the one in the picture have many uses. The following
excerpt describes an event that may happen at a place like that. Read it carefully:

It is a crisp clear spring day in the month of May.

You are sitting among a crowd of people at a large stadium. Around you are
hundreds of young people. They are wearing long robes over normal clothing and
hats in the shape of a square. Some of your friends and family members are sitting
behind you. You turn around to look at them. Some are happy, while others start to
cry.
Why? You just completed a four-year degree program at a university, and are
now attending a graduation ceremony. This event, also called commencement, is
where schools recognize the students who successfully completed their degree
programs.
Suddenly, a person you have seen in the media stands up, walks in front of
the crowd - people cheer - and starts to say something like this: "Graduates, faculty,

17
parents … good morning and congratulations to the Dartmouth class of 2017." The
speech marks how important this special event is to the graduating students and
their loved ones.
Many speeches are similar, often just celebrating the students and thanking
the people who have supported them. But this time the commencement speaker is
making unpredictable claims. The graduation ceremony fills you with bliss and
assurance of success. You are certain this memorable event will be forever in your
heart.

Excerpt retrieved and adapted from:

learningenglish.voanews.com/a/what-makes-great-graduation-speech/3848182.html

Understanding the essay

1. Which picture below best portrays the description in the text? Explain why
the other pictures are not the best option.

A. B.

C. D.

2. Find words or expressions in the text related to:

a. Cool and refreshing:

b. Quantities:
c. Age:
d. Relations:
e. Outfit:
f. Position:
g. Feelings:

18
 h. Sound:
i. Things that are difficult to foretell or foresee:
j. Impossible to forget:

3. Appendix I brings some useful information on descriptive essays. Go to page 10

to find out. After reading it, answer the questions that follow:

a. What is the main object of description in the excerpt above?

b. What else is described?
c. Is the text clear and concise? How can you tell?
d. Does the author use vivid language in the text? Find examples in the text.
e. Does the author make use of senses in his descriptions? Give examples
from the text.
f. Does the author manage to convey emotions and feelings the reader can
relate with? How does s/he do that?
g. Is the text well organized? Why can you say so?

4. You can make a description even more interesting by showing instead of telling.

For example, you can simply inform your readers: I grew tired after dinner.

Or you can make them see that: As I leaned back and rested my head against
the top of the chair, my eyelids began to feel heavy, and the edges of the empty plate in
front of me blurred with the white tablecloth.

The examples above were taken from http://www.writeexpress.com/descriptive-essay.html

The sentences below are “telling”. Rewrite them in order to “show”:

You are sitting among a crowd of people at a large stadium.

__________________________________________________________________
You just completed a four-year degree program at a university.
__________________________________________________________________

As you can see, descriptive writing uses illustrative language that taps into our
senses and allows us to visualize, understand and relate to subject being described.

19
 Language Corner

Illustrative language requires the use of adjectives and adverbs. In order to

make the description more vivid, you can also use similes and metaphors.

Adjectives are used to describe or modify nouns whereas adverbs can modify verbs,
adjectives and other adverbs. Look at the word cloud above: are these words
adjectives or adverbs?

Information on adjective order: Access: learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/adjectives/order-

adjectives
Information on adverb usage: Access: www.grammarly.com/blog/adverb/

Add adjectives for each of the sentences below:

1. It was a _____________, _____________, _____________ song.

2. She lives in a _____________ and _____________ house.
3. Mark bought _____________, _____________, and _____________ vegetables.
4. When I was little, I lived on a _____________ and _____________ street.
5. He is always wearing that _____________ _____________ _____________ coat.

Simile and metaphors are figures of speech. Simile implies a comparison where one
element is compared to another element of a different kind to show they have
something in common. In similes the comparison is introduced by linguistic markers:
as, as…as and like.

Examples of simile: Access: examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-similes.html

In metaphors, a word or phrase which signifies something is used to make an

analogy which is not literally possible.

Examples of metaphor: Access: examples.yourdictionary.com/metaphor-examples.html

Practice on simile and metaphor:Access: www.primaryresources.co.uk/english/PC_met.htm

20
Complete the sentences below making similes or metaphors to make them more
relatable.

1. My bedroom is…
__________________________________________________________________.
2. The house where I grew up was/is....
__________________________________________________________________.
3. My best friend is...
_________________________________________________________________.
5. The full moon is...
__________________________________________________________________.
6. Music is...
__________________________________________________________________.

Using visualization

1. Visualization encourages creativity and facilitates the writing of descriptive texts.

Read the first paragraph from the book ‘Black Beauty’, by Anna Sewell. While you
read, try to form a picture in your mind.

The first place that I can well remember was a large pleasant meadow with a
pond of clear water in it. Some shady trees leaned over it, and rushes and water-
lilies grew at the deep end. Over the hedge on one side we looked into a plowed
field, and on the other we looked over a gate at our master’s house, which stood by
the roadside; at the top of the meadow was a grove of fir trees, and at the bottom a
running brook overhung by a steep bank.

Retrieved from: www.gutenberg.org/files/271/271-h/271-h.htm#link2H_4_0001

2. The perception through our senses also helps with visualization. In the description
above, one of the senses is privileged. Which one? Find evidence in the text.

3. Now, share the image you have in your mind with a colleague. Then go to
Appendix II, p. 11 and compare. Do the pictures you and your colleague imagined
look anything like the one in the appendix? How do they differ?

4. Does anything in this paragraph bring back childhood memories? Share it with the
class.

21
Up to you!

Think of a place that was somehow relevant in your past. Write a short paragraph
describing it.

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Further practice

Discuss the picture above in pairs:

1. What do you call the place shown in the picture?

2. What can people do at a place like that? How do people feel doing these
things?
3. What can people see, hear and smell?
4. Describe a time you were at a similar place. Detail it as much as you can.

This is a place where people go to have fun. Make notes about your favorite place to
go for fun. Think about the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings of the place. Share
you notes in pairs or small groups.

Now access www.infoplease.com/homework/writingskills5a.html and read the text by Elisabeth

McCarthy. It describes her memories of being at a place like the one in the picture.
After reading it, do the exercises below:

22
Understanding the essay

1. Write T for true and F for false for each statement. Correct the false ones.

a. The author describes her first experience on a Ferris wheel. ____

b. She likes carnival rides because they do not scare her. ____
c. She was not intimidated by her first experience on the Ferris wheel. ____
d. She became increasingly confident on the Ferris wheel. ____
e. Ferris wheel rides continue to amaze her. ____

2. Find words in the essay that mean these things:

a. with great desire

b. emotion
c. very impressed
d. permanently established
e. sickening
f. agitated/agitating
g. very stimulating
h. addicted

3. Relate these sentences to sight (SI), smell (SM), sound (SO), pyhisical sensation
(PH), or psychological sensation (PS). Sometimes, more than one answer is
possible.

a. “...it is precisely the thrill and excitement of having survived the ride
that keeps me coming back for more.” ____
b. “Looking at that looming monstrosity spinning the life out of its sardine-
caged occupants, I was dumbstruck.” ____
c. “It was huge, smoky, noisy and not a little intimidating.” ____
d. “The first ride on one of these fantastic beasts gave me an instant rush
of adrenaline. As the death-defying ride started, a lump in my throat
pulsed like a dislodged heart ready to walk the plank.” ____
e. “A cymbal-like crash vibrated through the air as the wheel reached
bottom” ____

4. Go back to the text and find examples of:

a. simile:
___________________________________________________________________
b. metaphor:

23
Organization of a descriptive essay

The five-paragraph essay is considered the classic format for all kinds of essay.
Taking this format into account, study the structure of a descriptive essay presented
in the diagram below:

After you are done writing your descriptive essay, don’t forget to revise it!
Make sure people can understand the purpose of your essay.
Check whether it follows the format and whether you made use of adjectives,
adverbs, similes and metaphors to support your descriptions.

Now take a look at this essay on Angkor Wat:

Access: academichelp.net/samples/academics/essays/descriptive/angkor-wat.html

After reading it, discuss the following questions:

24
 a. Does it follow the structure shown above?
b. Does it make use of vivid language, similes and metaphors?
c. Does it resort to any of the five senses to help with the description?
d. Would you change anything in this essay? Why or why not?

Up to you!

‘Angkor Wat’ is a descriptive essay of a place. In descriptive essays, you are

usually asked to describe a place, a person, a memory, or an object. Considering
everything you’ve seen so far about descriptive essays, pick a topic and hands on!

25
3. Appendixes
Appendix I - Descriptive Essays

What is a descriptive essay?

The descriptive essay is a genre of essay that asks the student to describe
something — object, person, place, experience, emotion, situation, etc. This genre
encourages the student’s ability to create a written account of a particular
experience. What is more, this genre allows for a great deal of artistic freedom (the
goal of which is to paint an image that is vivid and moving in the mind of the reader).
One might benefit from keeping in mind this simple maxim: If the reader is unable to
clearly form an impression of the thing that you are describing, try, try again!
Here are some guidelines for writing a descriptive essay.
Take time to brainstorm
If your instructor asks you to describe your favorite food, make sure that you jot down
some ideas before you begin describing it. For instance, if you choose pizza, you
might start by writing down a few words: sauce, cheese, crust, pepperoni, sausage,
spices, hot, melted, etc. Once you have written down some words, you can begin by
compiling descriptive lists for each one.
Use clear and concise language.
This means that words are chosen carefully, particularly for their relevancy in relation
to that which you are intending to describe.
Choose vivid language.
Why use horse when you can choose stallion? Why not use tempestuous instead of
violent? Or why not miserly in place of cheap? Such choices form a firmer image in
the mind of the reader and often times offer nuanced meanings that serve better
one’s purpose.
Use your senses!
Remember, if you are describing something, you need to be appealing to the senses
of the reader. Explain how the thing smelled, felt, sounded, tasted, or looked.
Embellish the moment with senses.
What were you thinking?!
If you can describe emotions or feelings related to your topic, you will connect with
the reader on a deeper level. Many have felt crushing loss in their lives, or ecstatic
joy, or mild complacency. Tap into this emotional reservoir in order to achieve your
full descriptive potential.
Leave the reader with a clear impression.
One of your goals is to evoke a strong sense of familiarity and appreciation in the
reader. If your reader can walk away from the essay craving the very pizza you just
described, you are on your way to writing effective descriptive essays.
Be organized!
It is easy to fall into an incoherent rambling of emotions and senses when writing a
descriptive essay. However, you must strive to present an organized and logical

26
description if the reader is to come away from the essay with a cogent sense of what
it is you are attempting to describe.
Retrieved from:
owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/03/

Appendix II

Black Beauty is an autobiography of a horse. This classic children’s book was made
into a movie. You can check the official trailer:

Access: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX_wz2KN4zE

27
4. References
Baker, Jack; Brizee, Allen; Baker A., Elizabeth. ‘Argumentative Essay.’ The Purdue OWL Family of Sites. The
Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue U, 2008, www.owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/05/.
Accessed: 08 June 2017

Grow, George. ‘What makes a great college graduation speech?’ VOA Learning English. 13 May 2017. www.
learningenglish.voanews.com/a/what-makes-great-graduation-speech/3848182.html Accessed: 14 June 2017.

‘How to write a descriptive essay.’ Write express. www.writeexpress.com/descriptive-essay.html Accessed: 14

June 2017.

Kunz, Tom. ‘Structure and Organization.’ 2012. University of North Carolina

www.uncw.edu/ulc/writing/organization.html Accessed: 08 June 2017

Matteo, Anna. ‘Telework: The Pros and Cons’. VOA Learning English. 08 May 2017.
www./learningenglish.voanews.com/a/pros-and-cons-of-teleworking/3834726.html Accessed: 08 June 2017.

Sewell, Anna. ‘Black Beauty.’ Project Gutenberg.

www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/271?msg=welcome_stranger#link2H_4_0001 Accessed: 14 June 2017.

Tardiff, Elyssa; Brizee, Allen. ‘Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements’. The Purdue OWL Family of
Sites. The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue U, 2010
www.owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/ Accessed: 08 June 2017

‘The Brazilian Portuguese Sub-corpus of ICLE,The International Corpus of Learner English’

http://www2.lael.pucsp.br/corpora/bricle/. ICLE-ALEV-0002.6 . Accessed: 10 June 2017

‘Thesis Statement: Revising and checklist.’ University of North Carolina Wilmington. 2013.
www.uncw.edu/ulc/writing/documents/ThesisStatementResivingandChecklist.pdf Accessed: 08 June 2017

Williams, Patrick. ‘Developing ideas.’ University of North Carolina Wilmington. 2013.

www.uncw.edu/ulc/writing/developingideas.html Accessed: 08 June 2017

28