COLLEGE ENGLISH FINALS REVIEWER

Elements of Descriptive Writing

Personal pronoun are the only pronoun with case. Announcement - is one of the short functional
There are 2 pronoun case: Nominative andGood text.descriptive
It is an official notification
writing about something,
is comprised of five
Objective. Whether written or spoken which
elements; Sensory Details, Figurative Language, presented to
the public.
dominant impression, precise language, and
Nominative Pronouns Careful Organization.
The social function of Announcement:
Example of Nominative pronouns: I, we, you, you1) Sensory To makeDetails
a formal written notice of certain events
(plural/ all), he, she, it, and they. whichdescriptive
Good has happened or going
writing to happen.
includes many vivid
sensory details that paint a picture and appeals
They are used as a subjects and predicateto HOW all of TOtheMAKE ANNOUNCEMENT?
reader's senses of sight, hearing,
nominatives: touch, smell, and taste when appropriate.
Generic Structure
Descriptive writing may also paint a pictures of
I am a teacher the• feelings
Openingthe ( title )
person, place or thing invokes
You are a student. the•writer.
Content
• Closing
The pronouns are the subjects. 2) Figurative Language
Using them as predicate nominative is correct butGood The content
descriptiveof announcement:
writing often makes use of
may sound a little strange: • To whom
figurative the announcement
language to help paint isthe for picture in
the•reader's
The purposemind.ofThere
announcement
are manyitself
ways to use
It is I. • Whenlanguage,
figurative the eventand will itbeisheld ( day,that
a talent dateshould
, time )
The winner of the prize is he. • Where the event
be practiced until perfected. will take place
• Who makes the announcement
Objective Pronouns 3) A DOMINANT IMPRESSION
Language
When Features
you plan a descriptive essay, your focus
Example of objective personal pronouns: me, us, you,on •selecting
Simple Present
details Tense
that help your readers see
you (plural/all), him, her, it, and them. what• Simple
you see, Future
feel what you feel, and experience
what• No conjunction
you experience. Your goal is to create a
These are used as direct objects, indirect objects, andsingle
• Date, time, place
dominant impression, a central theme or
objects of preposition. idea• to
Event
which all the details relate

I see him - direct object TIPS AND

4) PRECISE TRICK TO WRITE ANNOUNCEMENT
LANGUAGE
I give him food - indirect object • Straight
Good forward
descriptive anduses
writing easeprecise
the readers to get
language.
I believe in him - object of preposition information
Using quicklyand phrases will help the
specific words
• Keep
reader it short,
“see” whatinviting,
you areand to the point.
describing. If a word
With appositives, case depends on the case of theor phrase• Clear and complete
is specific, it is exact and precise. The
noun. • For aof
opposite bad news, language
specific make a direct and no- that
is language nonsense
is
statement.
vague, general, or fuzzy.
Example:
Kind of announcement
5) CAREFUL ORGANIZATION
The two daughters, Rita & I, will help with the meal. Good
• Business Announcement
descriptive writing is organized. Some
• Funeral Announcement
ways to organize descriptive writing include:
He saw his two daughters, Rita & me. • Graduation
chronological Announcement
(time), spatial (location), and order
• Birth Announcement
of importance.
First case renames the subject, so you use a • Wedding and engagement Announcement
nominative pronoun. Second case renames the directSpatial • Event
Order - Uses location, such as top to
object, so you use the objective case. • etc, front to back and left to right
bottom

Paraphrasing - you use your own words to expressOrder

NOTICE
of Importance - Puts the most important
something that was written or said by anotherdetails
Warning
at themade in advance of an event to allow
beginning
person. preparations to be made.
Chronological order - Arranges details in time
Summarizing - is a brief overview of an entire The verb “notice” is to observe or to take note of.
discussion or argument.
 Verbs and Voice

Voice - is the form a verb takes to indicate

whether the subject of the verb performs or
receives the action.

There are two types of voice: active voice and

passive voice.

Active voice - is used to show that the subject of

the sentence is performing or causing the action.

Example:
Lebron threw the basketball before the buzzer.
Lebron shot the basketball from the free throw
line.
Lebron scored three points.

Passive voice - is used when the subject is the

recipient of the action.

Example:
The ball was thrown by Lebron.
The basket was shot by Lebron.
The score was made by Lebron.

Why does it matter?

Active voice is more direct and concise.
Passive voice is usually wordier.

Form of Passive Voice Verbs

The passive voice requires a "double verb" and
will always consist of a form of the verb "to be"
and the past participle (usually the "en/ed/t"
form) of another verb.

Review the forms of "to be":

 am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been

Examples:

Passive: The cookies were eaten by the children.

Active: The children ate the cookies.

Passive: The tunnels are dug by the gophers.

Active: The gophers dug the tunnels.

DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY WRITING

Descriptive writing - creates a picture of a

person, place, thing, or event. Description tells
what something looks, sounds, smells, tastes, or
feels like.
STRUCTURE OF DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY
RUN-ONS, COMMA SPLICES, & Fragments
INTRODUCTION - capture the reader's attention
& Identify your subject, provide background RUN-ONS - joining two independent clauses
information, and state your thesis (Domination without punctuation creates a run-on (Fused
Impression) Sentences).

BODY - Use variety of details (sensory, factual or There are 4 fixes for run-on sentences:
figurative), includes thoughts and feelings, and 1. Use a comma + a coordinating conjuction
arrange details in logical order. 2. Use a semicolon
3. Restructure the sentence
CONCLUSION - Reemphasize the dominant 4. Make the clauses into separate sentences
impression and summarized the material you
have discussed. COMMA SPLICES - A comma splice is a type of
run-on sentence. It is a grammatical error that
REDUNDANCY AND WORDINESS occurs when a comma is used to join two
independent clauses without a conjunction. An
independent clause can function as a standalone
REDUNDANCY - The state of being not or no sentence, because it has its own subject and
longer needed or useful verb.

SYNONYMS: Unnecessary, not required, A writer joins together two independent clauses,
inessential, unessential, needless, unneeded, using only a comma as punctuation between
uncalled for them.

Fixing comma splices

PRUNING THE REDUNDANT
1. Separate the sentences into two
2. Change the wording so that they can become
Avoid saying the same thing twice. one complete sentence.
3. Join the two sentences by a comma and a
A phrase that repeats itself- like “true fact,” FANBOYS.
“twelve noon,” “I saw it with my own eyes”- is
sometimes called a pleonasm. Fragments - Sentence fragments are groups of
words that don't express a complete thought.
WORDINESS - using more words than necessary They are only part of a sentence. They are fine to
within a sentence, especially short, vague words use in conversation, but they are a no-no when it
that do not add much meaning. comes to any kind of formal or academic writing.

Using more words than necessary within a There are four types of sentence fragments:
sentence, especially short, vague words that do 1. Missing Subject Fragments
not add much meaning. 2. Missing Verb Fragments
3. Missing a Subject and a Verb Fragments
AVOIDING WORDY SENTENCES 4. Dependent Clause Fragments

1. Reducing Clauses to Phrases, Phrases to Single Persuasive writing

Words. is writing that tries to convince a reader to do
2. Beware of intensifiers that do not really something or to believe what you believe about a
intensify certain topic.
3. Avoiding Expletive Constructions
(Expletive constructions begin with there is/are THE PURPOSE OF PERSUASIVE WRITING
or it is.) 1. Support a cause
4. Phrases You Can Omit 2. Urge people to action
3. Make a change
4. Prove something wrong
5. Stir up sympathy
6. Create interest
7. Get people to agree with you

Format of doing a persuasive writing Creating arguments & thesis statement - A thesis
statement is one sentence at the end of your
 introduction that states your opinion. It needs to
1. Pick a topic you're passionate about be strong.
2. Know your audience
3. Research both sides Three Supporting Paragraphs: Use each of the
4. Outline your argument main arguments you used in your introductory
5. Write your introduction paragraph and expand on each giving facts and
6. Include your body paragraphs (Topic Sentence, reasons.
Relevant Supporting/Evidences, and Closing
Sentences/Analysis) The Other Side of the Story - This is where you
7. Wrap it up with a strong conclusion should explain why your opposition believes
8. Proofread what they believe.

Do's and Don't s in doing a persuasive writing Sentence unity

Parallelism - is the use of similar structure in

Do’s
related words, clauses, or phrases.
Do use the editorial “we” rather than the first Parallelism using coordinating conjunctions
person “I.” Wrong: I like to read and spending time with my
friends
Do support your argument with facts and Correct: I like to read and to spend time with my
opinions. friends

Do look for a “hook” to grab your reader’s Parallelism using than or as.
interest. Think about your audience. Wrong: I like swimming better than to dive.
Correct: I like swimming better than diving.
Do give incidents and examples.
Parallelism using correlative conjunctions.
Do organize your writing. Wrong: We were told to either make a parrol or
write a letter for santa.
DON’T S Correct: We were told to either make a parrol or
to write a letter for santa.
Don’t be negative.
Needed Words
Don’t threaten. Add needed words to complete compound
structure
Use a strict either/or argument Wrong: Many Filipinos in various countries
continue to believe and practice Filipino
Don’t toss in a Red Herring. Christmas traditions.
Correct: Many Filipinos in various countries
Don’t use Bandwagon persuasion. continue to believe in and practice Filipino
Christmas traditions.
Don’t use vague terms.
Add the word if there is any danger in reading it
Strategies to use in grabbing your audience Wrong: Ana didn't discover her friend Jana; she
discovered that Jana's actions are different at
school and when she's at home.
Riddles, Strong Statement, Quotation ,
Correct: While Ana was still staying at Jana's
Interesting fact, Anecdote, Fact or Statistic,
house, she discovered how Jana was acting so
Question, and Outrageous Statement
differently at school than at home.

Add words needed to make comparisons logical Keep the verb tenses constant
and complete. Wrong: Mom arrives home with lots of
decorations that she bought from Waltermart.
Wrong: My father's menudo is still the best than
any dish for christmas noche buena. Correct: Mom arrived home with lots of
decorations that she bought from Waltermart.
Correct: My father's menudo is still the best than
Create verbs with consistent voice and mood
any other dish for christmas noche buena.
Wrong: She first prepares the food. Then she
PROBLEMS WITH MODIFIERS decorated the venue for the Christmas party.
Correct: She prepares the food and then
Put limiting modifiers (only, even, almost, decorates the venue for the Christmas party.
nearly, just) in front of the words they modify.
Avoid sudden changes in questions or
Wrong: Only my father gave me 500 pesos for quotations from indirect to direct.
christmas.
Wrong: Flor said that Santa Claus will come over
Correct: My father gave me only 500 pesos for and I want to have a bear as a gift.
christmas. Correct: Flor said that Santa Clasu will come over
and tell him to have a bear as a gift.
Place phrases and clauses so that readers can
see at a glance what they modify. Mixed Construction

Wrong: The teacher gave Christmas cookies to A Untangle the grammatical structure
the children wrapped in aluminium foil.
Wrong: Although we feel sleepy waiting for
Christmas, but the food in front of us will make
Correct: The teacher gave Christmas cookies
us feel alive.
wrapped in aluminium foil to the children.
Correct: Although we feel sleepy waiting for
Christmas, the food in front of us will make us
Dangling Modifiers feel alive

Wrong: Walking home at night, the road is Make the logical connections evident.
already full of snow.
Wrong: In the bowl of names, the kid, who
Correct: As Rensy was walking home at night, the received more than 3 gifts, will be disqualified.
road was already full of snow. Correct: In the bowl of names, the kid, more than
3 gifts will be disqualified.
SHIFTS
Avoid... is when...is where and reason... is
Consistently use the same person and number because constructions.
of points of view.
Wrong: The reason why I felt sad during the
Wrong: We were talking recently about Christmas event is because I forgot to bring my
Christmas and the problems I personally have as camera.
fur parents.
Correct: I felt sad during the Christmas event
because I forgot to bring my camera.
Correct: We were talking recently about
Christmas and the problems we personally have
as fur parents

Narrative Writing
 COORDINATION AND SUBORDINATION Number 1 – Your Story Beginning
Your story needs a strong beginning. You can
COORDINATION - Use coordination to join to achieve this using one of the following
ideas together that are equal in value. methods:
 Dialogue (Conversation)
 A Question
SUBORDINATION - Use subordination to join two
 A Vivid Description
sentences together when one idea is less
 An Interesting Fact
important (subordinate) to the other.
 Sound Effects
A Combine choppy sentences Number 2 - Paragraphs
They tell when you're switching time, place, topic
Choppy - Mark is the one who gave me the gift. or speaker, and they help break the page up so it
He is my nephew. is not just a solid block of writing.

Improved - Mark, the one who gave me the gift, How Do I Know When To Start a New
is my nephew. Paragraph?

Avoid ineffective coordination There are a few standard times to make a new
paragraph:
Ineffective - Santa Claus and his reindeer deliver  When you start in on a new topic
gifts to children, and they are waiting at the  When you skip to a new time
chimney to see them.  When you skip to a new place
 When a new person begins to speak
Improved - Because Santa Claus and his reindeer When you want to produce a dramatic effect
deliver gifts to children, they are waiting at the
chimney to see them. Number 3 - Capitalization & Punctuation
Capitalize
 Beginnings of Sentences
Do not subordinate major ideas
 Proper Nouns
Punctuate
Ineffective - I was eating cake at a Christmas  End Marks (question mark, period,
party, getting full because of lots of food, when it exclamation End Marks (question mark, period,
suddenly rained heavily. exclamation
marks)marks)
Improved - As I was eating cake at a Christmas  Commas when joining two sentences with a
party, getting full because of lots of food, it Commas when joining two sentences with a
suddenly rained heavily. conjunction, addressing a person, with
quotations, conjunction, addressing a person,
Do not subordinate excessively with quotations, etc.

Ineffective - Christmas is a family day for Number 4 – Use Rich Words

everyone, but we cannot be together, so I will go
out with my friends, which makes me somehow Number 5 - Wow Words
happy because I'm not alone on Christmas day.
Number 6 - Show, Don’t Tell
Improved - Christmas is a family day for The Show, Don’t Tell method of writing is when
everyone. We cannot be together, so I will go out the writer is able to create a picture in the
with my friends. It makes me somehow happy reader's mind, to get away from the repetition of
because I’m not alone on Christmas day. such empty words like went, big, or said.

Beginning - you should introduce your

characters.
  The reader should also know about the world
Number 7 - Conversation your characters live in (the setting) and the
something about each of the characters in your
The Five Rules for Writing Direct Quotations story.
 The beginning of your story is also the place
where your plot (the problem) is first introduced.
Rule 1 - Add quotation marks.
Middle - Your story needs to build to something
Rule 2 - Separate source phrase from quote. exciting, the climax. Write about a simple
conflict, a task that must be completed, a
Rule 3 - Capitalize the first word of the direct question that must be answered, or a barrier that
quotation. must be overcome.

Rule 4 - Add end marks.  Includes:

 Actions
Rule 5 - Add needed capitalization and  Dialogue
punctuation  Sensory Details
 Thoughts and Feelings
Must make a new paragraph every time a  Suspense (Remember to build to a climax.)
different person speaks
The End - this is the big finish. The end should
Number 8 - Sentences reveal how you overcame your problem. All
conflicts are resolved and everything goes back
to normal.
Vary your sentences.
1. Are some of your sentences long and others
Parallel Structure
short?
Parallel structure - adds both clout and clarity to
2. Do you start the beginnings differently? 3.
your writing. When you use parallel structure,
Do some sentences start with a part of speech
you increase the readability of your writing by
other than a noun or pronoun?
creating word patterns readers can follow easily.
Number 9 – Figurative Language Understanding Parallel Structure

Use a little figurative language to add interest to Parallel structure (also called parallelism) - is
the repetition of a chosen grammatical form
your story. within a sentence. By making each compared
 Simile - comparison between two unlike item or idea in your sentence follow the same
things that have something in common using like grammatical pattern, you create a parallel
or as construction.
 Metaphor - comparison between two unlike
things that have something in common without Example:
using like or as
 Alliteration - repetition of usually initial Not Parallel:
consonant sounds in two or more neighboring Ellen likes hiking, the rodeo, and to take
words or syllables afternoon naps.
 Onomatopoeia - the imitation of natural Parallel:
sounds in word form. These words help us form Ellen likes hiking, attending the rodeo, and taking
mental pictures about the things, people, or afternoon naps.
places that are described

Number 10 - Plot Structure

 a plot, including setting and characters

 a climax (This is when the plot is solved.)
 an ending
Using Parallel Structure
With Coordinating Conjunctions
When you connect two or more clauses or phrases with a coordinating conjunction
(for, and, nor, but, or, yet, or so), use parallel structure.

Example:

Not Parallel:
My best friend took me dancing and to a show.
Parallel:
My best friend took me to a dance and a show

With Correlative Conjunctions

When you connect two clauses or phrases with a correlative conjunction (not
only...but also, either...or, neither...nor, if...then, etc.), use parallel structure.

Example:

Not Parallel:
My dog not only likes to play fetch, but also chase cars.
Parallel:
My dog not only likes to play fetch, but he also likes to chase cars.

With Phrases or Clauses of Comparison

When you connect two clauses or phrases with a word of comparison, such
as than or as, use parallel structure.

Example:

Not Parallel:
I would rather pay for my education than financial aid.
Parallel:
I would rather pay for my education than receive financial aid.

With Lists
When yo u are comparing items in a list, use parallel structure.

Example:

Not Parallel:
John Taylor Gatto criticizes public schools because they are compulsory, funded
by the government, and destroy students' humanity.
Parallel:
John Taylor Gatto criticizes public schools because they are compulsory, government-
funded, and normalizing.