Writing

Descriptively
- draw picture with
words
- readers can
picture the scenes,
people or activities

Describing
Describing
Places &
People
Scenes

Physical Dressing

Describing
People

Personali Movemen
ty t

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONS
Cheek Hand
Shape Face Chin Nose Mouth Limbs Skin
s s

Chubby Broad Cleft Dimple Aquilin Big Fat Broad Dark

Fat Oval Doubl d e Pouting Flabby Huge Fair
Lanky Round e Fat Big Thick Long Narro Freckles
Muscul Squar Pointe Pale Crooke Thin Skinny w Pimples
ar e d Rosy d Rosebu Muscul Rough Pockmark
Paunch Thin Squar Sunken Flaring d ar Soft s
y e jaw Flat Scarred
Plump Wrinkled
Short
Skinny
Stout
EXERCISE
1. Read the following example. Pick out the descriptive details. What
effect/message/emotion does each detail convey about a person?

Mr Baba, my neighbourhood hairdresser, is a short man with a paunch.

He has a huge nose with long hair poking out of the nostrils and two
flappy ears that stick out of each side of his head. Balding on top of his
head, Mr Baba has curly hair that goes round his head like a croissant.

2. a) List down five people you know.

b) Write a short description of each person’s physical appearance.

Convey
Realistic
Personalit
Detail Dressing
y

Example:

Kee Tak was always dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, no matter where he
went. He even wore them to the bank and to visit his girlfriend.

EXERCISE

Read the following sentences. Pick out the descriptive details. What is
conveyed about the personality of each character? What effect/mood is
expressed in each case?

1. The little girl’s hair was matted and dirty. She was dressed only in a
huge T-shirt that was torn and had probably not been washed for days.
2. Mr Hiroshima’s hair was swept back neatly from his broad forehead. A
row of ivory white teeth shined when he smiled. His shoes – gleaming
Italian leather – showed beneath a pair of well-tailored silk trousers. His
designer tie, fastened in a perfect knot, lay in a perfectly straight line
down his spotless white shirt.
3. Mrs Lee wears her hair in a gigantic bun. Her face is always well-
covered with make-up. She has an imposing figure - actually, she is
 obese. Her dresses are usually brightly coloured and in loud flowery
designs. She always wears shiny black shoes with three-inch heels.

1. Adjectives

Personality
3. Descriptions 2. Illustrations

1. ADJECTIVES
-Words that describe characteristics of a thing-

Ambitious Fair Jovial Selfish

Amusing Fearfull Kind Sociable
Boring Generous Lazy Timid
Brave Gentle Nosey Trustworthy
Caring Hardworking Patient Understanding
Cruel Helpful Playful Unfriendly
Dependable Ill-mannered Quiet
Dull Irresponsible Rude

EXERCISE
1. Using the dictionary, find the meanings of 10 of the adjectives in the
list.

2. Illustrations
- used to add details to adjectives -

Example:
Sally was very kind. She was always willing to help her friends when they
were in trouble, even at her own inconvenience.

• The second sentence further illustrates the adjective kind.

EXERCISE
Using 5 of the adjectives in the list build a pair of sentences. In each case,
the first sentence should contain the adjective while the second sentence
should illustrate it further.

3. Descriptions – habits & idiosyncrasies

- describe things the person always does and is distinct to that person-
- usefull when writing funny essays-

EXERCISE
Read the following paragraphs. Pick out the habits and idiosyncrasies. What
is conveyed about the personality of the characters?

a. Before going to bed Rahmah checked and rechecked all the locks and
latches on the doors of her house again and again. Then, she looked
into all the rooms, opening cupboards to make sure that no one was
hiding in any of them. Finally, before sleeping she looked under the
bed.
b. Mr Goh Ah Lock was a multi-millionaire. Yet, he would go to his
neighbour’s house every evening to read the newspapers. He didn’t
order his own papers. “Why waste the money?” he would say.
c. James would never go to sleep before he had completed every item of
his homework and studied every item on his Revision Timetable that
he had allotted himself for the day. Sometimes, he did not get to bed
till the early hours of the morning.
Body shapes

Lanky Muscular

Chubby

Stout

Fat

P
a
u
n
c
h
Face shapes
 noses

Crooked Flaring

Aquiline Button

Flat Straight
 chins

Sharp Cleft

Square Double
 cheeks

Dimpled Sunken

mouths

Pouting

Thick

Thin
 CHOOSING
SUITABLE
VERBS

MOVEMENT

DESCRIBING
HOW IT IS
CARRIED OUT

CHOOSING
SUITABLE VERBS

Will show how the actions

are done

Convey the emotions

behind the action

To replace
Loudly/Angry/Fie “said”
Softly
rce Insulting
Mouthed
Bellowed Jeered
Mumbled
Growled Sneered
Murmured
Grumbled Sniggered
Muttered
Ranted Mimicked
Whispered
Snapped
Thundered
 To replace
“walked” or
“ran”
Sad/Tired/Hurt
In haste/Too Crawled
Angry/Stern
excited Drooped
Marched
Barged Dragged
Stamped
Dashed Limped
Stomped
Dived Hobbled
Stormed
Flew Staggered
Scrambled

EXERCISE
1. Compare these sentences. What emotion is conveyed in each
sentence by the use of a different verb? In what situations might
each be used?

a] “Come here,” she said.

b] “Come here’” she whispered.

c] “Come here!” she screamed.

d] “Come here,” she begged.

e] “Come here!” she ordered.

2. Think of different effects of the words in each of the sets below

and in what situations one would use each word. Make a
sentence for each word.

A] walked/ strolled/ crawled/ rushed/ sneaked

B] threw/ flung/ cast/ tossed/ hurled

 C] laughed/ chuckled/ giggled/ sniggered/ howled

DESCRIBING
HOW IT IS
CARRIED OUT

Will show how the actions

are done

Convey the emotions

behind the action

EXERCISE
1. (a) Compare the following sets of passages [i] and [ii] and point out the
descriptive detail in the second passage of each set.

(b) What effect/emotion is conveyed by the details?

[i] Compare:

My parents listened to the neighbour’s complaints. My father got

angry. When the neighbour had finished, he went into the house and
called for Simon.

As my father listened to the neighbour’s complaints, his face

grew redder and redder. Finally, the neighbour finished her high-
pitched tirade. My father stormed into the house, shouldering past my
terrified mother.

“Simon! Come here at once!” he bellowed.

[ii] Compare:

He ate up all the food. Then, he cried.

He stuffed a handful of rice into his mouth