....

...

Read the model below, which begins with the words "Sleep tight, Scottie,"...
.........

2.
A few years ago [more = ==>] on a skiing holiday I had one of the worst experiences of my life.

My friend and I had decided not to ski that day, the sun was shining and the snow was melting. We had decided, instead, to take the ski-lift to the top of the mountain and have a walk around, taking our picnic lunch with us.

As there was little snow left we met very few skiers and the bar at the top of the lift was empty. After drinking a quick cup of coffee we set out to explore the mountain top. We had lunch, sitting on a rock overlooking a deep wooded ravine. After finishing our sandwiches we decided to walk a little way further before turning back and following the path back to the bar.

The weather changed quite suddenly. We had been too busy to notice the approaching black clouds, but suddenly the sun disappeared and it became quite cold. We decided to turn back immediately and before long, reached our lunch spot. To our horror, however, ew noticed that two paths led away from the spot through the trees. We hadn’t noticed this before, an realized hat we didn’t know which path to take. Although we had a map with us, it wasn’t helpful as it only showed one path through the woods. To make matters worse, it began to snow and we realized that soon we might not be able to find the path at all.

What do you think will happen next?

Despite all this, neither of us panicked and, after a brief discussion, we decided to chose the right-hand path. After about an hour of walking we realized that we hadn’t recognized a single landmark and that the snow was falling faster and faster. What should we do? Should we turn back? It would take an hour just to reach the lunch spot. We would never get back to the ski-lift before it closed at 5 pm. There was no alternative but to carry on or to face a night on the mountain!

I was just beginning to get really frightened when I heard a shout in the distance. We stopped and, after a moment’s silence, began to shout at the tops of our voices. We turned a corner of the path and we saw ahead of us the ski-lift station. We had made it! However, it was not the top of the slope, but the bottom. Without realising it we had walked all the way down the mountain side.

Afterwards, in the safety of the hotel, I realized how lucky we had been and how close to disaster we had come.[/more]

Techniques to begin or end a story.

A narrative - a connected series of events (either imaginary or based on your own experience) in a vivid descriptive style. It may/can be written in the 1st person (I/we) or in the 3rd person (he/she/etc), and often includes the thoughts, reactions, etc of the main character(s), describing the action as it would be seen through their eyes.

A good N should consist of the following:
INTRODUCTION
Para1
Set the scene
(who - what - when - where)

MAIN BODY
ParaS 2-3-4 (Development)
Develop the story
(describe incidents leading up to the main event, and the event itself in detail;
describe ppl/places/emotions/actions/etc)

CONCLUSION
Final paragraph
End the story
(complete the plot; refer to/describe ppl's moods / reactions /feelings / comments;
explain the consequences)

(1. Who is the story about?
2. Where is John?
3. What is the weather like?
4. What time of year is it?
5. What happens to him?
6. How does Miriam feel?
7. What does Miriam do?
8. How does she find John?
==============================
SO, A good N should consist of:

a) an introduction which sets the scene (place, time, sharacters), creates an interesting mood/atmosphere to make the reader want to continue reading, and/or begins dramatically to capture (=catch) the reader's attention;

b) a main body which develops the series of events clearly, gives vivid description of the ppl/places involved; and

c) a conclusion which completes the story (perhaps in an unexpected way), and in which you can refer to ppl's feelings, comments and consequences of what happened, etc. The more unpredictable your conclusion is, the longer-lasting the impression it will make on the reader.

This type of writing can be found in novels, articles, witness statements, etc and may describe ppl's feelings/reactions, the consequences


POINTS TO CONSIDER

.....NB! You should NEVER start writing before you have decided on a plot.
.........You must first think of a suitable story outline,
.........then you should decide on a detailed plot (including how the story will begin, who the characters will be, where the story will happen, the events in the order you will present them, and how the sory will end).

.....NB!! The sequence of events is very important, therefore you must use TIME WORDS such as
at first/in the beginning,
after,
later,
then,
before,
until,
while,
during,
finally/in the end
etc

.....NB!!! Writing techniques include various descriptive techniques:

a) the use of vivid description of people, places, objects, etc, especially to set the scene at the beginning of the story;

b) description of feelings and actions, suggesting a certain mood/atmosphere; descriptive techniques can be used in a narrative when you want to emphasise specific parts of your narration.

c) the use of direct speech;

d) the use of various adjectives (disgusted, exhilarating, etc) and adverbs (fearlessly, surprisingly, etc) to describe feelings and actions (see here) ,

e)as well as use of a variety of verbs (see here)

This will make your WR more excitiong to read.

===============================
.....NB!!!! BE CAREFUL WITH THE TENSES you choose.
Narratives are normally set in the past, therefore use a variety of past tenses.

PastCont is often used to set the scene:

... ... ...It was raining hard and the wind was blowing/howling as Jane drove towards the small cottage...

PastSimple is used for the main event:

... ... ...Jane opened the garden gate and went through the garden towards the front door. She knocked on the door but there was no answer. She entered the room, looked around and...;

PastPerf - to give the background of the story or describe an event before the main events

... ... ...Jane had been planning to visit the old cottage for months before he was able to do so.
... ... ...She had set out in the morning, full of hope, but now she felt...

Present and past participles can also be used:

... ... ....Startled, she went round the house towards tha back door.

A variety of VERBS (e.g. murmer, whisper, mutter instead of "say" etc.) will make your story more lively.

e.g. "Hide it," she murmered and put a small box into my hand.

He was wandering the streets aimlessly, trying to make a decision.

(!?) ...For each word below, think of as many synonyms or near synonyms as you can:

• say/tell
• look/watch/see
• smile/laugh
• walk/run

Keys==>

Доп. http://www.efl.ru/forum/threads/17237/

Aim: to develop the skill of using descriptive vocabulary

B It was a 1)NICE evening, and after a 2) NICE sunset the stars were a million 3) SMALL points of light in the sky. "A 4) NICE end to a 5)VERY 6)NICE day," John thought to himself; and after the 7)BAD week which had just passed he was 8)VERY pleased to breath a 9)BIG sigh of relief and put the 10)BAD memories behind him.

NB!...Avoid using simplistic adjectives or adverbs (e.g. good, bad, nice, well, etc.) as these will make your composition sound uninteresting. Try to use more sophisticated adjectives or adverbs ( e.g. luxurious, extravagant, threatening(ly), etc.)Choosing interesting vocabulary helps to make your writing more descriptive.

(!?-1) ...For each word below, think of as many synonyms or near synonyms (other words that mean almost the same but that are more descriptive)as you can, and write them on the lines provided:

• good/nice
• bad
• big
• clever
• happy
• beautiful
• very
• small/little

Keys==>

A. The 1)BIG old castle stood at the top of a (2) BIG mountain in the middle of a 3)BIG forest. I was 4)VERY terrified as I approached and jumped with fright when I heard a 5)BAD scream from the direction of the castle. My heart was in my mouth as I knocked on the 6) BIG front door, and the sound of 7) SMALL scurrying feet behind the door made me imagine 8)BIG, 9)BAD rats running away to hide. I wanted to run away, too, but I was 10)VERY exhausted, and had to find somewhere to sleep for the night.

собираю учебный материал по подготовке к Writing FCE, делюсь этим материалом с интересующимися, раздаю ссылки по теме...

Оглавление:

1.Be descriptive (Adjectives, Adv - 1)

2. Be descriptive (VERBS)