Tài liệu Developing writting skills 1 part 7 docx

____9. As Christmas grows near, I find myself looking back into my childhood days at fun-filled times of snowball fights. To think about this makes me happy. ____10. Making up his mind quickly. Jim ordered two dozen red roses for his wife. Hoping she would accept his apology. ____11. They were all having a good time. Until one of Joe's oldest and best friends had a little too much to drink. ____12. Although it only attained a speed of about twelve miles an hour. My old rowboat with its three-horsepower motor seemed like a high-speed job to me. ____13. With my brother standing by my side, I reached for the pot handle. Tilting the pot way too much caused the boiling water to spill. ____14. The small, one-story houses are all the same size and style. With no difference except the color. ____15. Being a friend of mine like he was when we first joined the soccer team. Together we learned a lot. Exercise 2. These paragraphs need proofreading for possible fragments. Revise them. 1. How can a person find patriotism in a local night club? Well, it did not take me too long. About four weeks ago in a little night club in Louisville, Kentucky, a couple of my friends, Rick and Lon, the duo who were providing the entertainment that night for the club. 2. For the past twenty years, the Survey Research Center at the University of Michigan has been measuring the level of Americans' trust and confidence in their politicians and quasi-political trust and confidence in their political institutions and their leaders. "Political" being all levels of government, and "quasi-political" churches, labor unions, large professional/business associations, educational institutions, and the like. The result is that a very sharp decline has taken place every year since 1964. 3. For 200 years Americans believed in better jobs, better homes, a better life for one's children. This confidence no longer exists. Polls now indicate that fewer Americans who feel they are better off today than they were five years ago. A public-opinion 61 analysis group has found that large numbers of Americans, at some times and in some places, see themselves as lower on the ladder. Adding worse living conditions and anticipation of further decline over the next five years. 4. Well, in looking at the picture at the left you see an old lady. She has a very funny look on her face. As if she's lonely and just wants to be left alone. She also looks as if she has seen a lot and experienced lots of things. 5. A president is an appointed leader. Someone who is a decision maker in the executive branch of our government. This doesn't necessarily mean that the person the people elect is capable. Just hopefully assumes. Assumes through his past record as a politician, over the years' buildup of experience and handling situations. Exercise 3. The following paragraph has no capital letters or periods to mark the beginnings and ends of sentences. Add capitals, periods, commas, and/or other punctuation that may be needed to make the word groups into complete sentences. Your goal is to be sure that there are no fragments. my brother was always my best friend when I was a child especially as we two were almost alone in the world we lived with our old grandmother in a little house, almost a shack, in the country whenever I think of him now I see a solemn, responsible boy a boy too old for his years who looked out for me no matter what once there was a bully John Anson who looked enormous to me though he was probably an average twelve-year-old John had it in for me because he liked Littice Grant who liked me he decided to beat me up right before her eyes I was lucky my brother came by he didn't interfere any he just stood there somehow though his presence gave me confidence I licked the stuffing out of John Anson if my brother hadn't been there I don't think I could have done it. Section 3. Writing Practice. Composition Technique Character’s Setting . A character’s setting helps the reader (and author) get to know the setting. The author must know the world in 62 which her character lives in order to know intimate details about her. Here are some exercises that will help set your character in her setting. First, start your character in his/her bedroom, in front of the closet. Write for ten, fifteen minutes about the clothes hanging in the closet, the shoes, the belts. Is it neat, color coordinated or arranged haphazardly? Does your character have to dig for accessories or is everything put together? Or perhaps your character has no concern toward accessorizing. Describe your character getting dressed and moving around in the room. The furniture, the décor, knickknacks, etc., are all important. Did she hang onto a favorite doll from childhood? Does your character have expensive items mixed with dime store items? Once your character is dressed, move him/her outside. Next, have your character go on a walk in the neighborhood, on her way to her favorite place. If her favorite place isn’t close enough to reach by foot, then describe it from a moving car. Don’t record her impressions or thoughts. Just write everything straight- forward as she passes everything. The trees (what types?) flowers, fences, cars, etc., etc. It might help to sketch a map. Name the streets, shops, anything that she would pass. Okay, now she’s in her favorite place. Describe it again, without her thoughts or impressions. Just straight-forward again. Hone in on details, even if they seem ordinary. Start with the door or whatever type of entrance. Then move inside the space. Describe sights, sounds, smells. Touch all the senses. N o t e: You may not use all these details in your story. But the more details you know, the better you know your character, and the more real you can make your character for your readers. Hope this will get you started… Exercise1. Read the excerpt from David's journal he wrote one autumn and do the assignments. By the side of J.P. Brown's grain-field I picked up some white oak acorns in the path by the wood-side, which I found to be unexpectedly sweet and palatable, the bitterness being scarcely perceptible. . . . Such as these are no mean food. . . . Their sweetness 63 is like the sweetness of bread, and to have discovered this palatableness in this neglected nut, the whole world is to me sweeter for it. . . . I should be at least equally pleased if I were to find that the grass tasted sweet and nutritious. It increases the number of my friends; it diminishes the number of my foes. Assignments. Now take yourself to an autumn day, past or present. Are there special chores that mark the season? Is it spent with different people? What sensory details can you remember? Use all senses. What are you doing? Where are you? What is the mood, atmosphere? Freewrite this scene for fifteen minutes. As always, don't stop to edit, don't worry about whether it makes sense. Use all your senses. Use strong verbs and nouns. Go deep. Let go. Exercise 2. Think of a situation to illustrate the following proverbs: 1. Too many cooks spoil the broth. 2. Don’t cry out before you are hurt. 3. The course of true love never did run smooth. 4. Confession is good for the soul. 64 Lesson 7 Section 1. Spelling A. Adjectives with the Suffixes -able, -ible. The suffixes –able/-ible are Latin in origin (L. suffix –bilis). They came through French and are active in Modern English. They are added mainly to verbs to form adjectives, and sometimes to nouns or even phrases (eatable, readable). Among them there are many adjectives borrowed from Latin or French (audible, edible). here is a list of adjectives for you to memorize. Explain what they mean. -able: agreeable, amiable, available, capable, considerable, disreputable, indispensable, inevitable, liable, memorable, miserable, probable, remarkable. -ible: audible, compatible, contemptible, edible, forcible, horrible, illegible, incredible, intelligible, negligible, plausible, possible, terrible, responsible, sensible, visible. Exercise 1. Form adjectives from the given verbs and nouns, and explain their meaning. Pay attention to their spelling and pronunciation. Use a dictionary. M o d e l: to accept – acceptable; to rely – reliable; to conceive – conceivable; to value – valuable. N o t e: after c and g the letter e is retained: to notice – noticeable; to mange – manageable. to avoid, to bear, to convert, to suit, to admire, to advise, to compare, to cure, to imagine, to measure, to remove, to change, to exchange, to force, to replace, to trace, to envy, to justify, to pity, to vary. Exercise 2. Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Translate the sentences. (adorable, indistinguishable, incurable, reasonable, audible, disagreeable, imaginable, disreputable, imperceptible, inconceivable, incapable, admissible, indispensable, available, responsible, invaluable, reliable, suitable, irrevocable, valuable, unmistakable) 65 1. He felt that there was something … in the world’s suffering. 2. I didn’t forget that sense of anxiety and tension which had upset me during the night, but it became … . 3. Augustus, my … brother, is completely infatuated about her. 4. This separation was a great grief to me and I blamed myself for being … of that moral courage necessary to acknowledge the evil nature of man. 5. He would eat fresh fish for breakfast if … . 6. From the start, Palmer took it that something catastrophic and … had occurred. 7. He was aware of an immense load of responsibility; it was … from love. 8. Sometimes the pulsing of the drums was all but …, at others they seemed to be beating only just round the corner. 9. But the minute hand of the electric clock above his bed jumped forward with an almost … click. 10. This was quite possibly true, but not, in the present circumstances, … . 11. Dr. M. West, a member of this distinguished group of workers on vocabulary selection, is … for the compilation of a work which will prove … to all teachers of the English language. 12. In my opinion she was the most … of all ladies. 13. They have warned the doctor, guarded their tongues, done everything … to prevent her from learning the truth. 14. He thought of the … distance a man travels. 15. I hardly think that Mrs. Allon is a very … person. 16. Presently the child gave a little sigh, very slight, but … . 17. He was looked upon by his supervisors as a … officer. 18. His wrist-watch was a … thing made by a famous clock-maker. 19. This dictionary had achieved international recognition as an … practical reference book to English as a foreign language. 20. He shook his head, “It’s almost … . I’ll never understand unless you explain.” Exercise 3. Choose synonyms for the italicized words from the following list: (amiable, disagreeable, amicably, sensible, miserable, habitable, incredible, considerable, liable) 1. Many children under ten are subject to colds, even those who are lucky enough not to catch common children’s diseases. 2. The police are after you, it is not very clever of you to come here in the day-time. 3. The landlady was a very kindhearted old lady but with some prejudice against foreigners. 4. Though all the shutters 66 were closed, the house with its white walls and red roof looked fit to be lived in. 5. A large amount of important information went through unknown channels to the enemy’s side. 6. The boy would have been my age if such an unbelievable thing had not happened to him. He had been killed in a fight. 7. The hostess greeted us in a most friendly way and asked if we would like to interview her in her garden. 8. She has a pleasant voice but very unpleasant manners. 9. For some days after his departure I felt lonely and unhappy and didn’t want to see anyone. B. Words with the Suffixes -ant (adj.), -ance (noun). Here we draw your attention to some high-frequency words, adjectives and nouns, with the derivational suffixes –ant, -ance. In the word lists given below you will find groups of related words in which these suffixes regularly occur in their derivational function, i.e. forming adjectives and nouns from verbs. (a) verb adjective noun attend attendant assistance assist assistant assistance (b) guide guidance utter utterance (c) arrogant arrogance relevant relevance Sometimes there is only a noun ending in –ance: circumstance, countenance, nuisance. Exercise 4. Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Translate the sentences. (nuisance, ignorant(2), intolerance, acquaintance, assistant, allowances, reluctance(2), radiant, appearance(3), hindrance, assurance, resemblance ) 1. He had a formidable reputation as a hard, ruthless man, whose god was perfection and whose greatest … was for any weakness or sentiment which undermined it. 2. I went to the telephone with a feeling of undefined … . 3. There was no point in ever coming back, since I was nothing but a … to Toby. 4. I had the impression our … had been slight, and was of a year or two earlier. 67 5. Most people I met, even on the technical committees, were still … of the whole project. 6. With perfect … he ran his scissors across the stuff, folded it, made it into a parcel, and handed it to the dark- skinned customer. 7. I went across the passage to the little room where my personal … was sitting. 8. What was the girl like? Would you say there was any … between her and me? 9. Albert, you must get dressed. You’ve simply got to put in an … straight away. 10. You must make … for an old man like myself, who comes to his decisions slowly. 11. “I never loved him,” she said, with perceptible … . 12. The man’s … was singular. 13. Now Bateman asked himself if Arnold Jackson could think him … of the most terrible scandal that Chicago had ever known. 14. I discovered in due course that Mona’s chief … on the posters had been to advertise toothpaste. 15. Then his face broke into a … and understanding smile. 16. It was a …, not to be able to put him in his place. Exercise 5. Find words related to the verbs given below and use them in sentences of your own. Annoy, signify, inherit, enter, reassure, repent, abound, tolerate, resist, forbear. C. Words with the Suffixes –ent, -ence, -ency. The suffixes are of Latin origin, -ent occurring in adjectives, -ence, -ency in nouns. The latter form abstract nouns, mainly from adjectives and verbs: decent – decency, efficient – efficiency; exist – existence, prefer – preference. Here is a list of words for you to memorize. verb adjective noun differ different difference insist insistent insistence, insistency urge urgent urgency eloquent eloquence intelligent intelligence insolent insolence violent violence 68 Exercise 6. Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Translate the sentences. (convalescent, self-sufficient, reticence, imminent, confidence(2), impertinent, impatience, consistent, prominent, occurrence, convenience) 1. A momentary … rose in her. The whole thing was such a waste. 2. Uncle Harry’s offer of a partnership and on such excellent terms was an unexpectedly happy … . 3. She had smiled to herself, men were so transparent. She was a little amused at William’s old- fashioned … . 4. She doubted Joan’s sincerity. But surely the child couldn’t be so … . 5. There was a small rest house at the station for the … of travellers, where they were served with what meals they might need. 6. Cargill is doing very valuable and important work; his methods in treating tuberculosis have met with such striking success that he is a very … figure in the medical world. 7. When Harry was Barbara’s age he was curiously withdrawn and … . 8. He had complete … in his own judgement and soon his employers were sharing that … . 9. People should react to external stimuli in a manner … with their basic characteristics. 10. He was so evidently … that Packy felt there would now be nothing inhuman in asking for details of the affair. 11. Day became afternoon, became dusk and … evening. Section 2. Paragraph Structure A paragraph consists of a number of sentences which are closely related, and deal with the same topic. A well-constructed paragraph should possess a) unity, b) logical sequence of thought, c) variety of length and construction. By unity we mean that one main theme is dealt with. This theme may be expressed or understood. The main information is usually conveyed in the topic sentence. The remainder of the paragraph is an enlargement of this. A paragraph lacks unity when two different topics are treated in it. The topic sentence can be expressed by the first sentence, then comes the development and the last sentence rounds off the whole. The topic sentence may be 69 expanded in a number of ways or it may come as the climax of a series of preparatory sentences. A logical sequence of thought. A paragraph cannot be regarded as satisfactory unless the sentences are arranged in a clear and logical order. Each sentence must lead to the following and all must be linked up. The connection between the sentences will be shown by their logical order. Certain pronouns, adverbs and conjunctions are frequently used (thus, hence, further, consequently, however, moreover, etc.). Varying length and construction. It is impossible to say how long a paragraph should be. The length of a paragraph is largely determined by its purpose and by the length of the work which it is a part of. Variation of paragraph length is as important as variation of sentence length within the paragraph. It creates a sense of rhythm and movement which aids the reading. The paragraph is itself part of a larger unit of a section or chapter and must, therefore, fit neatly into that unit. It must show some reference to preceding or following paragraphs, perhaps by introducing a series of ideas or summing up a collection of statements. This means that a paragraph may have not only a topic sentence but also a linking sentence which takes up the thread of previous paragraphs or which states the theme to be developed in the next. Now, examine the opening paragraph paying attention to its unity and logical sequence of thought. The topic sentence conveying the main information is given in bold type. Once upon a starless midnight there was an owl who sat on the branch of an oak tree. Two ground moles tried to slip quietly by, unnoticed. “You!” said the owl. “Who?” they replied, in fear and astonishment, for they could not believe it was possible for anyone to see them in thick darkness. “You, two,” said the owl. The moles hurried away and told the other creatures of the field and forest that the owl was the greatest and the wisest of all animals because he could see in the dark and because he could answer any question. “I’ll see about that,” said the secretary bird and he called on the owl one night when it was again very dark. “How many claws am I holding up?” said the secretary bird. “Two,” said the owl and that was right. 70 . slight, but … . 17 . He was looked upon by his supervisors as a … officer. 18 . His wrist-watch was a … thing made by a famous clock-maker. 19 . This dictionary. away. 10 . You must make … for an old man like myself, who comes to his decisions slowly. 11 . “I never loved him,” she said, with perceptible … . 12 . The