A descriptive grammar is a set of rules about language based on how it is actually used. Copyright ©1998-2020 Thinkmap, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Emphasize the central analogy between Apple's creation of the iPhone and Cinderella's fairy godmother's ability to transform "some homely and utilitarian object, like a pumpkin or a mouse into something glamourous and amazing?" Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media. To reiterate the point that certain descriptive words can be used both literally and figuratively, display the VT web for the word "coarse" on the white board and have students point out which of the adjective definitions (color-coded in gold) would be most fitting to describe a work of art. For homework or in a subsequent lesson, have each student choose a product to review in a short article. In a descriptive grammar there is no right or wrong language. ), List the five senses on the board (i.e., sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste). Tell students that now it is their turn to use descriptive language to express their feelings about a new or interesting product. Descriptive Writing Activities. Encourage students to use the Visual Thesaurus as a reference aid during this sorting process. Descriptive writing has a unique power and appeal, as it evokes sights, smells, sounds, textures, and tastes. Each student could set up his or her desk as a mini-product exhibition by placing the product (or an image of the product) and related review on the desk. For example, does the art feel "warm" or "cold"? I don't necessarily include all these stages in every writing lesson, and the emphasis given to each stage may differ according to the genre of the writing and / or the time available. Check each group's adjective chart to make sure that students identified a sufficient number of adjectives from the Times article and listed each adjective in the correct column (i.e., "positive" or "negative"). For example, if a group is unsure about the connotation or definition of the word "homely" from the article's first paragraph, they could look it up on the VT and discover this adjective is defined as "lacking in physical beauty or proportion" and is associated with such words as "plain" and "inelegant"; therefore, "homely" should be placed in the "negative" adjective column. Elicit students' responses and establish that the words they listed are considered adjectives because they were all used to describe or modify a noun (the artwork). As students enter the classroom, ask them to study the displayed work of art and to then use their five senses to write a list of words to describe their reactions to it. were used to contrast the iPhone with "lesser" products.]. How does this comparison communicate Pogue's overall feeling about Apple and its latest creation? If students get "stuck" during the review-writing process, suggest they use the VT as a resource as they search for descriptive adjectives. Learners work in pairs or groups as much as possible, to share ideas and knowledge, and because this provides a good opportunity for practising the speaking, listening and reading skills. Direct the class discussion to focus on how Pogue uses metaphorical language to capture the significance of the iPhone's creation. These descriptive writing activities are best utilized with individuals, although you could also allow students to work in partners to share and revise their ideas. It can be compared with a prescriptive grammar, which is a set of rules based on how people think language should be used. were used to describe the iPhone, while many of the negative adjectives (e.g., homely, ordinary, awkward, etc.) Standard 2. Day 1: Have students write a descriptive paragraph for their pictures. Students could share their completed product reviews in a later class by creating product exhibitions. Does it taste "sweet" or "bitter"? Encourage them to make them so descriptive that readers will be able to see the picture in their mind. Elicit students' examples of how Pogue used his five senses to describe the iPhone. Also establish that some of the adjectives can be interpreted literally (e.g., those adjectives used to describe sight-bright, dark, colorful, geometric, etc.) Have students join small groups to "pool" the adjectives they circled as they read "State of the Art: Apple Waves Its Wand At the Phone." Uses the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing, Standard 5. Perhaps one student might describe a painting as "coarse" because its brushstrokes seem "rough" or "grainy" and another student might use the adjective "coarse" because he or she considers the content of the painting "gross" or "vulgar.". Inform students that they are about to read a Times product review in which journalist David Pogue describes Apple's soon-to-be-released iPhone and his feelings about this new product using sensory details, descriptive adjectives, and metaphorical language. Distribute copies of the New York Times article "State of the Art: Apple Waves Its Wand At the Phone," available at the following URL: Ask students to read the Times article, circling examples where Pogue uses sensory details, descriptive adjectives, or metaphorical language in describing the iPhone or for another purpose in the review (or "preview" as Pogue calls it). and to describe how one uses touch to activate the iPhone's search features (e.g., "...you flick your finger on the glass to send the list scrolling freely, according to the speed of your flick."). This type of descriptive writing generally talks about an individual or group of individuals. For example, Pogue used physical details about the iPhone to help his readers visualize the product: "Its face is shiny black, rimmed by mirror-finish stainless steel." https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/grammar-vs-lexis-or-grammar-through-lexis, https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/what-grammar-michael-swan, © British Council, 10 Spring Gardens, London SW1A 2BN, UK Using description in your writing brings the world within your text to your reader. After groups have sorted adjectives into "positive" and "negative" chart columns, have them review how many of the positive and negative adjectives were used to describe the iPhone and how Pogue used descriptive adjectives to convey his feelings about the iPhone. Click here to login. Descriptive writing about a person. A descriptive grammar is a set of rules about language based on how it is actually used. We're sorry, you must be a subscriber to comment. (Ask your school's librarian to see if they have available art posters or prints. In the classroomLearners can be encouraged to move away from a prescriptive approach to grammar by using a guided discovery, or inductive, approach, in which they look for examples of variations in use in authentic texts. Already a subscriber? [Students will discover that the majority of the positive adjectives in the review (e.g., gorgeous, spectacular, super-smart, wicked cool, etc.) Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process, Standard 9. Exploring Descriptive Language with Different Parts of Speech, use the five senses to respond to a work of art, evaluate a writer's use of sensory details and descriptive language in a product review, determine adjectives' definitions and connotations using the VT, synthesize knowledge of descriptive language techniques by writing original product reviews, Before class, display a print or poster that features a work of art that would inspire students to use strong adjectives in describing it. Is it "loud" or "quiet"? These examples can be compared to prescriptive rules in order to decide if they are useful or not. Explain to students that writers often evoke the five senses when they are trying to describe something new they have encountered. In a descriptive grammar there is no right or wrong language. ExampleA descriptive grammar might include ‘He goes...', meaning ‘He said'. © BBC World Service, Bush House, Strand, London WC2B 4PH, UK, Education exchange: Schools reopening - pupil well-being, Take a survey on teaching speaking in online environments. Because of this variety, here are the three major types of descriptive writing: 1. Then, have each group create a two-columned chart where group members list all "negative" adjectives in one column and all "positive" adjectives in the other column (students can disregard "neutral" adjectives). A fun descriptive writing activity is to ask students to bring in a picture (or provide them) of a vacation spot. Assess each student's product review for creative use of sensory details, descriptive adjectives, and metaphorical language. Then, fellow classmates could circulate throughout the room, checking out the products, reading the reviews, and writing feedback to the writers on sticky-notes or on sign-in sheets placed alongside the reviews. Pogue also made references to the iPhone's sound quality (e.g., "The speaker is on the bottom edge, rather than the back, where it would be muffled when the phone is set down.") Getting FCE students to write an informative and descriptive article can be challenging. For example, an abstract painting by Jackson Pollack or Paul Klee could work well for this exercise. The first step in using effective description is to focus on a dominant impression. This entertaining 2.5/3-hour writing lesson encourages learners to source expressions from authentic texts, be inspired by video input and to annotate a model in order to effectively plan and draft their own article based around the idea of festivals. Students need not worry about their product choices as much as how they will use sensory or metaphorical language to creatively describe the physical characteristics of the product, its features, or their views about its quality. For example, students may wish to review a new candy bar on the market, a recently-released CD, or even a new kitchen gadget that they have discovered. (Explain to students that although they cannot actually hear, touch, smell, or taste the art, that they can still use these senses to express their feelings. State of the Art; Apple Waves Its Wand At the Phone, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/11/technology/11pogue.html. (Students should appeal to at least two of the five senses, include at least one metaphor, and use strong "positive" or "negative" adjectives in their reviews.). Collect the writing … Creating A Dominant Impression. Descriptive writing is essentially about describing a subject; however, subjects in a descriptive text differ from each other. and that many of the adjectives are used metaphorically or figuratively (e.g, those adjectives used to describe the other four senses-loud, soft, smooth, coarse, pungent, sour, etc.). It can be compared with a prescriptive grammar, which is a set of rules based on how people think language should be used. Then, students are asked to write original product reviews which incorporate some of the descriptive writing techniques identified and evaluated in class. etc.). There are four types of paragraphs that you need to know about: descriptive, narrative, expository, and persuasive. Click here to read more articles from Lesson Plans. Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus: Lesson Plans - In this lesson, students analyze a writer's use of sensory details and descriptive language in a New York Times article reviewing the Apple iPhone. 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