研究生英语写作之descriptivewriting

研究生英语写作之研究生英语写作之 descriptive writingDescriptive writingThe descriptive essay presents a word-picture of persons, places, objects, and emotions. The writer uses a careful selection of specific and concrete details to make a clear dominant impression on the reader. A descriptive essay can be objective or subjective and the writers purpose is to involve the reader enough so that s/he can actually visualize what is being described. The best description appeals to the five senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. As you work on your own descriptive essay, the main thing to remember is this rule: show, dont tell. I. Description of a person Principles: Descriptions of people may focus on the various aspects of the people described their physical appearance, style of clothing, their character and personality, their interests and behavior. What you select to describe depends on your topic and purpose. Describe clearly. Select only appropriate details. Make your descriptions vivid. Sample A :Remember that you cant write good descriptions without being specific. The following is a typical example of the descriptive essay, in which the writer Loe Dobbs uses specific details to create a portrait of his father who has affected his life greatly. “Terrific Work” By Loe DobbsI grew up in Childress, Texas, a town of nearly 8,000, where Dad had a farm- machinery business. I hauled hay, picked potatoes and did other chores, but my father always insisted that schoolwork come first.He may not have had much formal education Dad left school in the eighth grade but he possessed a world of knowledge. He was a voracious reader who was smarter about current affairs than anyone I knew. At the dinner table he pushed me to think and to defend my opinions. These discussions sparked in me an intense curiosity about the world and taught me the importance of attaining the best education I could.It also helped that Dad believed praise was a more powerful motivator than criticism. When I brought home a good report card, he would say, “Terrific work!” and that was enough to inspire me to bring home an even better one next time. This approach proved successful, and when it came time for me to go to college, I was lucky enough to be accepted by Harvard.Honesty was supremely important to Dad. He stressed that an honest life is an honorable life. I always remember him telling me, “Say what you mean and mean what you say.”My father has been gone thirty years now, but he still lives on in me and my children. I tried to raise them as he raised me, and I have wished countless times that he could see us now. Sample B: Read the essay below and notice how the writer uses appropriate details to present an unforgettable professor to the readers. My Favorite Professor In my more ambitious academic days, I was majoring in both mathematics and journalism. I was not a typical math major; my classes did not come easily to me despite my professors most brave efforts. While my peers tended to tackle their homework without too much sweat, I struggled to keep pace. Dr. Rudy Horne taught my differential equations course, which dealt with material I considered quite challenging. I still remember the first day of class. Dr. Horne had the rare ability to make difficult maths seem simple. Of course, I still failed to keep up, so I attended his open office hours every week to catch up on material that I could not digest in class. Dr. Hornes office hours were his strongest point. At first, I was concerned that he would not be pleased with how much extra help I was seeking. I was worried for no reason. Not only would he go through any homework problem with which I struggled, but he made sure I knew that he wanted me to be there. After the work on differential equations was finished, we would sit and chat about Carolina sports, the dynamics of the classroom and even his friends upcoming wedding. Needless to say, Dr. Horne became a friend in that mathematical part of my life where I needed the most support. I had a difficult time telling certain people about my decision to focus solely on journalism. Months after my decision, I still had not told Dr. Horne. I did not want to disappoint him since he had spent so much of his time helping me. I eventually ran into him at a movie theater on Franklin Street. We went out for coffee after the film to catch up with each other. When I told him about my decision and the reasons behind it, he could not have been more supportive. I realized then that even though he was an experienced mathematician who had been dragged into my mathematical struggles, he really wanted what was best for me. That, to me, is the definition of a friend.Sample C: To create a good descriptive essay about a person, you should try to make your description lively. The following is an essay written by Katharine Brush, first published on March 16, 1946, in The New Yorker. As you read it, note ho