ORLI_CO

Prévia do material em texto

Oficina de Redação em Língua Inglesa
Describing is an activity in which all senses are used in order to capture some real information and translate it into a verbal tissue. 
 In other words, there are Descriptive texts in which a real context may be grasped by senses and then interpreted through linguistic images.
 Read the following texts:
Now you’ll be in contact with other simple types of descriptive texts and specific characteristics will be shown:
A description is the type of text in which the characteristics presented refer to people, objects, situations etc.  In the following text, which was taken from a DIARY, the author describes four people, specifying a lot of details about them. So, the text is mostly descriptive. Click the PDF icon to read the text.
Although a BIOGRAPHY is presented according to the Narrative model, elements of the description may be clearly identified too.
Read the Chronicle taken from The New York Times and notice that the writer uses simple language, comments on a recent fact, presents some “unrevealed information” and also includes descriptive elements.
The descriptive structure may be found in letters and e-mails too, depending on the purpose of the message, both in Formal and Informal contexts.
 For example, if you need to send a letter or an e-mail in order to apply for a job, you certain will include descriptive elements in your composition.
Remember that GENRE represents the norms of different kinds of writing. Whatever the genre is, if it’s well-constructed, people within that discourse community will understand what kind of writing it is.
Organizing and Presenting your Ideas
Atividade Proposta
Watch the following video in order to get some ideas and get familiarized with the Descriptive details concerning the proposed topic. Nao tem video
There is no fixed style, but it’s recommended to divide your essay at least in three paragraphs as described the next screen.
Writing “more descriptively” means using adjectives, adjective clauses and similes in order to make the reader’s sense come alive:
In a Descriptive essay, you should make an effort to attract the reader’s attention through a good selection of adjectives and verbs so that you can create a lively and interesting Description.
*Restrictive Relative Clauses are groups of words which act like adjectives to describe or identify a noun. So, they are also plenty used in a Description.
See that Adjective Clauses begin with Relative Pronouns that make reference to the noun being described. In those sentences there is a combination of two shorter sentences talking about the same noun.
The Relative Pronoun takes the place of the noun it describes. This way, the choice of pronoun will be determined by the noun it refers to. The main ones are:
Metaphors and similes are generally present in Descriptive texts.
Both metaphor and simile are used to COMPARE things.
Depending on the context, other verb tenses may also be used in Descriptive essays. Read the excerpt below in which the main verb tense is the Simple Past:
In the Description below, the author describes some people sat at a table in a past context, so most verbs are being used in Past tenses:
Now, read the Introduction of a Description about Pompeii, Italy. See that the verbs are in the Past tense too:
The people of Pompeii wore togas, but like all Romans, only in formal public places, as they were considered. 
Click the PDF icon to learn about the Passive Voice.
In any context – oral, visual or written - a Narrative text presents characters who act in time and space, organized by someone: the narrator. So, everything in that type of text depends on him/her, on how he/she “tells” the story.
Everything in a narrative depends on the narrator, on the voice which is “telling” the story, on his/her perspective.
 Watch the video and notice how the narrator presents the subject, “bringing it to life”: VIDEO INTERESSANTE
In a NARRATIVE text, chronology is essential as it recreates an experience through time. Therefore, the order of events is crucial. 
Click the PDF icon and read text 2.
Notice that, more than telling a story, a Narrative essay also communicates a main idea or a lesson learned. Click the PDF icon and read the text 3.
Watch this helpful video bellow:
On the other hand, in a Narrative essay, there is a specific point of view, which includes information that the narrator reveals at certain times, as well as actions that the narrator supplies to set up a dilemma and to solve it, or to pass along information.
A lot of songs may be characterized by instrumental resources combined with lyrical tales. Most of them tell a story which reflects on real life concerns such as love, loneliness, loss, work, religion, infidelity and even events in the news. So we may also find the narrative type in the lyrics of such songs. 
 Watch this video so that you can identify those Narrative characteristics in the song Diary (Bread):
Narrative Space
Click and watch the video “A story for tomorrow”. You’re going watch and listen to a motivating story and, at the same time, notice the details that build the scenes both in visual and psychological spaces.
http://tle.westone.wa.gov.au/institutions.do
What about watching and reading the classic Fairy Tale Cinderella?
http://www.leaner.org/
Now, let’s study the main steps for your own Narrative reporting a past event. Some clues:
Now, let’s study the main steps for your own Narrative reporting a past event:
Avoid alternating the verb tense unless it’s necessary, for example, while reporting a direct speech or making reference to current facts.
Connectors are also very important in the writing of any genre because they are words which we use to establish different types of relationships between words and sentences. When they are used correctly our ideas are presented in a more logical way.
Now you should identify all the connectives used in the adapted text “The story of Opo”. Click the PDF icon, read the text and find the connectives.
The reporting of what people said is very much used both in factual and fiction Narration. Thus, it’s advisable to study the Direct and Indirect (Reported Speech).
Watch the video in order to see the use of the direct speech when telling a story and the characteristics of narration. It’ll also be an opportunity for you to think about the motivational quote “Don’t ever give up!”.
The ability of organizing and presenting information in a clear and coherent way is an important feature in expository texts. Where can we find expository writing? Certainly, it can be found within almost all types of reading in our daily lives. See these excerpts taken from:
Notice that, for a very long time, we’ve been dealing with a very common discursive genre: the Didactic text, which also follows the expository type. Read the following excerpt:
Pictures and other visual resources are helpful tools for explaining the subject and the language applied must consider, for example, the readers’ age and level of knowledge.
For example, the author could have expressed his idea clearly if he had written this way:
Formal and Informal Letters
Cohesion and Coherence
Notice the Improvement in this Version
Watch this Video: Unity and Coherence
Notice how the alternating use of pronoun and antecedent provides effective transitions in the following sentences:
Notice that the use of several forms of the same pronouns keeps the sentences together.
 They guide us along, helping us see how one detail leads to the below:
Sometimes others indicate the direction which the new sentence is about to take and so prepare the reader for what is to follow. They may be classified as:
READ:
Exposition
Thereare several types of exposition:
Why teach and learn exposition?
Some places that you might find expositions include:
STUDY MORE:
http://www.englishtutes.com/Expository_essays/The_structure_of_an_expository_essay.shtml
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NCBo8o2Wmk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFbvHUcsA90
What is a Good Summary?