Σημειώσεις για Εκθέσεις (2) Descriptive

2. Descriptive

The purpose of describing someone or something is to create a vivid word picture, which will help the reader to see what is being described with his mind’s eye. Consequently we must present a series of images, highlighting different qualities, which altogether make up the whole person or place. Each image should be closely connected and logically connected to the previous one. If it is a scene we are describing, then we should follow some pattern in dealing with our points, i.e. starting at the centre and then moving systematically around or taking contrasted points, i.e. on the left……..on the right………etc.

Contrast and comparison will play an important part in your description, because they help to make your picture clearer. So try to remember the following:

a. Choose your adjectives very carefully. Don’t be content with stereotyped words like: good, nice, awful, terrible, beautiful.

b. Avoid using too many simple sentences of the same basic construction, e.g. He is clever and he is kind. He is also interesting.

Instead of adjectives we can also use nouns and verbs to express the same idea e.g.

Instead of: We can say:

He is very clever………………………………He has a brilliant mind….
He is honest.…….Another important quality in his honesty……….Few people are as honest as he is.
He is very polite…………………………………..His perfect manners impress everyone he meets.
He is very interesting.…………………….How stimulating it is to be in his company.
He is very generous…………………………….His generosity always amazes me.
He is very kind……………………………………Rarely have I met such kindness.

c. Aim at a variety of sentence structure as in Narrative.

describe yourself

d. Use Contrasts to make your picture cleaner.

While ………………………………………, whereas…………………………………………. .
On the one hand………………………. On the other hand…………………

Antithesis

Now…………………………………..Then.………………………………
Then…………………………………Now.………………………………..
Usually………………Sometimes………………At others………….
Here…………………………………There.………………………………
On the left…………………………On the right……………………..
To the north……………………..To the south…………………….
By day……………………………..By night……………………………
In summer……………………….In winter…………………………
At home…………………………..At work……………………………

Link words:

but
yet
however
nevertheless
on the contrary
for all that
nonetheless.

Comparison

The same as………………………….
As.……………………as………………………………………..
………………….than…………………………………………..
No less………………than……………………………………
The best in the school……………………………………
Their methods are similar to those of……………

e. Use Exclamations

How kind he always is with……………………..!
What a kind person he is!

f. Use Link Words with logical connections to give your description unity of structure.

To begin with………………..Then………………………..
First of all…………………………Another reason………….
Apart from this………………..Besides his generosity………………..
Moreover…………………………Furthermore…………………Finally………………..
Last but not least………………….To end with………………..Above all……………..

Model 1.

Pick out examples of the above in he following model.

Seated patiently in the lounge of Athens Airport. I waited for my flight to be announced. Round me sat or stood people of various nationalities, all ages and sizes, of every colour, some reading, some sipping drinks, others inspecting souvenirs and still others dozing.

Opposite me an old lady sat tense and nervous, only half-listening to the reassurances of her son. It must have been her first flight.

Nearby, a group of young people dressed in army fatigues, laughed and joked, while other travellers looked at them nervously. It was not easy to forget the recent hijackings and violence by other similarly looking youths.

Meanwhile porters kept passing to and fro loaded with luggage, and smart pilots and pretty air-hostesses passed importantly this way and that. How carefree they seemed! How confident! As each new flight was announced, queues formed at the various check-points, expectant passengers clutching their tickets and passports firmly in their hands, while from a distance, friends and relatives waved their last farewells, as plane after plane put down or took off from the runways outside.

Model 2.

I pride myself on being tolerant but there is one boy in my school whom I cannot stand. He’s just too perfect for words. To begin with, he’s tall, well-built and very handsome, with fair hair and blue eyes.

Naturally he’s very athletic and being the best footballer, basketball player, volley-ball player in the school, he’s captain of all teams. Then there is his academic brilliance. His intellect is so powerful that he sometimes makes even the teachers feel slow, but, of course, they never stop pointing him out as an example for all to follow. all forecast a brilliant future for him. With such qualities, who else but he could be Head Boy? No, don’t misunderstand me. I’m not envious. You see, this boy is me, and deep down I’d just like to be somebody ordinary, one of the crowd. How sick and tired I am struggling to come up to other people’s great expectations!