I like this book and would like to share with you some good phrases and sentences:
1. It was still dark, but in the wet moonlight outside the window she could still see shimmer of raindrops on smooth banana leaves.
2. Dawan liked this part of the day the best of all, when the waves of afternight twined so gently around the slow swirls before-dawn.
3. Somewhere in the distance, the crowing of a rooster drilled through the fluid stillness.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Blackout and chaos
Blackout and chaos
• Without warning, the MRT train jerked to a halt and everything turned pitch dark. Panic invaded the carriage I was in. Some of the commuters screamed at the top of their voice and burst into tears. Fear ripped into my lungs, robbing me off all oxygen. I could hear my own pulses and my heart palpitating with the chilling fear that was setting in. The carriage was soon abuzz with nervous chatters and some lights from mobile phones illuminated the carriage.
• The train came into a sudden halt. The light in the carriage started flickering and the whole train was engulfed in darkness.
• The train was plunged into total darkness! The train was in total chaos and fear snaked around my heart as I adjust to the darkness.
• Without warning, the MRT train jerked to a halt and everything turned pitch dark. Panic invaded the carriage I was in. Some of the commuters screamed at the top of their voice and burst into tears. Fear ripped into my lungs, robbing me off all oxygen. I could hear my own pulses and my heart palpitating with the chilling fear that was setting in. The carriage was soon abuzz with nervous chatters and some lights from mobile phones illuminated the carriage.
• The train came into a sudden halt. The light in the carriage started flickering and the whole train was engulfed in darkness.
• The train was plunged into total darkness! The train was in total chaos and fear snaked around my heart as I adjust to the darkness.
Fire
Fire
• Fire spread itself throughout the whole building like locusts destroying everything in its path. Everywhere, people were taking off in all directions with fear visibly etched on their faces. The fire changed from orange to blue as the temperature rose like the thick black fumes that were stretching skywards.
• Pandemonium broke out, people dashed off in fear, hoping to escape from the clutches of the raging fire. The howling wind fed the raging flames and the fire sang a grim tune triumphantly as it burnt. The repugnant burning scent filled the air as the ravenous orange flames swallowed up the building.
• The orange clutches of fire wrapped its fiery fingers around the whole building, turning the whole building into a gloomy black. The roaring flame escalated ferociously when aided by the strong winds. The entire building was transformed into an incinerator with its strong flames, cremating everything into ashes.
• Everything and anything that can be burnt was fried in the fiery cauldron of yellow flames. Smoke and sparks were whirling in all direction. The sharp shrill of alarm reverberated through the whole building.
• Fire spread itself throughout the whole building like locusts destroying everything in its path. Everywhere, people were taking off in all directions with fear visibly etched on their faces. The fire changed from orange to blue as the temperature rose like the thick black fumes that were stretching skywards.
• Pandemonium broke out, people dashed off in fear, hoping to escape from the clutches of the raging fire. The howling wind fed the raging flames and the fire sang a grim tune triumphantly as it burnt. The repugnant burning scent filled the air as the ravenous orange flames swallowed up the building.
• The orange clutches of fire wrapped its fiery fingers around the whole building, turning the whole building into a gloomy black. The roaring flame escalated ferociously when aided by the strong winds. The entire building was transformed into an incinerator with its strong flames, cremating everything into ashes.
• Everything and anything that can be burnt was fried in the fiery cauldron of yellow flames. Smoke and sparks were whirling in all direction. The sharp shrill of alarm reverberated through the whole building.
Car Crash
Car Crash
• The young driver sped recklessly on the highway. The bus zipped past cars and lorries and was traveling at a speed on 120km/h with 20 passengers on board! Suddenly, the bus veered abruptly to the right and plunged into a ravine, crashing into a tree.
• The driver’s foot riled the accelerator and pushed the taxi to its limits precariously. All of a sudden, the car in front of them braked. The driver slammed his foot down, attempting to salvage the situation with an emergency brake.
• The tyres blazed the rough cement road as it screeched with a deafening sound. The car went free-wheeling and turned turtle before coming to as stop.
• A deafening blast rose into the air. The car had crashed into a tree. The windscreen shattered into smithereens. Thick layers of burnt dust puffed out of the rattling engine. Traffic came into an immediate total standstill.
• The young driver sped recklessly on the highway. The bus zipped past cars and lorries and was traveling at a speed on 120km/h with 20 passengers on board! Suddenly, the bus veered abruptly to the right and plunged into a ravine, crashing into a tree.
• The driver’s foot riled the accelerator and pushed the taxi to its limits precariously. All of a sudden, the car in front of them braked. The driver slammed his foot down, attempting to salvage the situation with an emergency brake.
• The tyres blazed the rough cement road as it screeched with a deafening sound. The car went free-wheeling and turned turtle before coming to as stop.
• A deafening blast rose into the air. The car had crashed into a tree. The windscreen shattered into smithereens. Thick layers of burnt dust puffed out of the rattling engine. Traffic came into an immediate total standstill.
Chasing after a snatch thief and robbery
Chase
• The thief grabbed my bag and dashed across the road, running like a mad horse on steroids. I immediately pelted towards the thief before pouncing on him and giving him my signature punch on his face that made him cry out in pain.
• The security guards gave chase like a group of Olympic athletes. In no time, they had caught up with the thief and handcuffed him.
• The snatch thief skedaddled away and disappeared round the corner. Upon seeing that, I immediately gave chase and scooted around the corner at the speed of the light. Soon, I narrowed the gap between the thief and me. Taking the opportunity, I sprinted towards him and threw myself on him.
Robbery
• Armed with rifles, the four masked robbers rushed into the bank and held up the staff members and the customers at gunpoint.
• “Don’t move!” the robber bellowed. Silence hung in the air as time stood still. All the customers and staff members raised their trembling hands and crouched in fear.
• The thief grabbed my bag and dashed across the road, running like a mad horse on steroids. I immediately pelted towards the thief before pouncing on him and giving him my signature punch on his face that made him cry out in pain.
• The security guards gave chase like a group of Olympic athletes. In no time, they had caught up with the thief and handcuffed him.
• The snatch thief skedaddled away and disappeared round the corner. Upon seeing that, I immediately gave chase and scooted around the corner at the speed of the light. Soon, I narrowed the gap between the thief and me. Taking the opportunity, I sprinted towards him and threw myself on him.
Robbery
• Armed with rifles, the four masked robbers rushed into the bank and held up the staff members and the customers at gunpoint.
• “Don’t move!” the robber bellowed. Silence hung in the air as time stood still. All the customers and staff members raised their trembling hands and crouched in fear.
A fight
A Fight
• In mere seconds, punches were thrown. Fists were sent flying. A fight had erupted! I watched in horror as the two men wrestled each other to the ground. One of them had already owned a bloody lip.
• Their heated argument turned into violence. The two men exchanged blows. Bystanders cowered in fear and leapt out of their seats to escape from any fury that might come from either of the two men.
• Like a relentless murderer, he went head-on with John. John swung his fists and hit his cheeks. The sudden punch cracked across his cheeks, bursting the fine blood vessels in his mouth. Instantly, he could smell blood which was pooling beneath his tongue.
• In mere seconds, punches were thrown. Fists were sent flying. A fight had erupted! I watched in horror as the two men wrestled each other to the ground. One of them had already owned a bloody lip.
• Their heated argument turned into violence. The two men exchanged blows. Bystanders cowered in fear and leapt out of their seats to escape from any fury that might come from either of the two men.
• Like a relentless murderer, he went head-on with John. John swung his fists and hit his cheeks. The sudden punch cracked across his cheeks, bursting the fine blood vessels in his mouth. Instantly, he could smell blood which was pooling beneath his tongue.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Writing a GOOD composition
Writing a GOOD COMPOSITION
Content:
• Answer all “WH” and “H” questions
• Check the time sequence of the story
• Pick the most appropriate introduction
• Include direct speeches
• Make use of five senses
Language:
• Use the correct tenses
• Check your punctuation
• Use similes, idioms, adjectives, proverbs
• Replace words that you use repeatedly in the story
A good composition......
Includes……
• Ideas that is ample, relevant, and fully developed.
• Almost no errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• Wide And appropriate use of vocabulary.
• Good paragraphing and content.
• Include:
• What were the characters doing before the scene?
• What was the time of the day?
• Were there any direct speeches?
• Is a sunny or windy day?
• Who were the characters?
• Did you describe their appearances, actions and their facial expressions?
• What was the relationship between the characters?
• Where are the characters?
• Why were the characters there?
• What happened to them?
• Why did this incident happen?
• Are they affected?
• How does the story end?
Content:
• Answer all “WH” and “H” questions
• Check the time sequence of the story
• Pick the most appropriate introduction
• Include direct speeches
• Make use of five senses
Language:
• Use the correct tenses
• Check your punctuation
• Use similes, idioms, adjectives, proverbs
• Replace words that you use repeatedly in the story
A good composition......
Includes……
• Ideas that is ample, relevant, and fully developed.
• Almost no errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• Wide And appropriate use of vocabulary.
• Good paragraphing and content.
• Include:
• What were the characters doing before the scene?
• What was the time of the day?
• Were there any direct speeches?
• Is a sunny or windy day?
• Who were the characters?
• Did you describe their appearances, actions and their facial expressions?
• What was the relationship between the characters?
• Where are the characters?
• Why were the characters there?
• What happened to them?
• Why did this incident happen?
• Are they affected?
• How does the story end?
Model Composition: Fire
Fire
Q: You and your father were at a crowded supermarket. When both of you were queuing to pay for your groceries, you heard the fire alarm go off.
Q: You and your father were at a crowded supermarket. When both of you were queuing to pay for your groceries, you heard the fire alarm go off.
It
was a Saturday morning, April 14th. It is a splendid morning, and my father and I were planning to go to
the nearby supermarket to buy some ingredients for making a birthday cake for
mum’s birthday. We left the house and ambled
along the streets with our hands in our pocket, thinking about what
ingredients we needed for the cake.
Soon, we reached the supermarket. It was bustling with enthusiastic
housewives, many early birds were hovering
around discounted food items, there were
long lines of queues yet nobody seemed to mind at all. “And yet I thought we were
early,” I told my dad, who nodded in agreement. My father and I grabbed a trolley and made a beeline for the bakery ingredient section. I was already feeling claustrophobic as we attempted to avoid the busy shoppers, and was
relieved when I realized that section of the supermarket is deserted except for
a few wandering shoppers who seem to had lost their way in this gigantic
building. Rows and rows of different brands of sugar and flour seem to be
greeting us. My father and I were flabbergasted by the selections of
choices. When we reached the end of the aisle, we saw a young boy not more than 5 years old playing with a few matchsticks. Dark circles
formed a circumference round his eyes and added the years onto his boyish face,
he was decked in a yellow t-shirt and brown jeans. His parents are nowhere to
be seen.
“Young boy, you should not play with fire
matches, it is very dangerous as there are many goods here that can easily
catch fire,” my father warned
him out of
good intentions. The young
boy mumbled a ‘yes’ and scurried away to another side of the
supermarket. “Nowadays, children do not understand the consequences of their actions, parents should have done their
part and taught them well,” my father sighed, shaking his head.
After a long time pondering on which ingredients we
should buy, we immediately hurried to the line of queues to pay
for our groceries, afraid that we would not be able to finish baking the cake
in time before mum comes back from work. “DING……!” The sharp shrill
of fire alarm reverberated
through the entire supermarket building. Many people let out bloodcurdling screams and for me, I
was so petrified that my hair stood on
end, all traces of lethargy disappeared. Out of
nowhere, someone grabbed my hand, and it took
a moment for me to realize it was my father. Together, we dashed out of the supermarket’s exit. When we got out of the supermarket,
I
got the greatest shock of my life. Fire had spread itself throughout the whole
building like locusts destroying everything in its path, everything and
anything that could be burned was fried in the fiery cauldron of yellow flames.
The fire sang a grim tune triumphantly as it burnt. The entire supermarket was covered in a thick gloomy blanket of smoke.
Sparks and flying splinters hit us.
I could feel my own pulses and my heart palpitating as the orange clutches of
fire wrapped its fiery fingers around the whole supermarket building. There is
a thick repugnant scent as we waved away the smoke as best as we could and
looked in the building with our hearts in our mouths.
I looked around, in the midst of panic, nobody seemed to have called the
fire brigade, so I fished out my
hand phone and dialed the fire department. Meanwhile, the roaring flames
escalated ferociously when aided by strong winds.
Fortunately, the wails
of sirens of the fire engine could be heard. Within minutes, the
policemen also arrived, followed by paramedics. We were quickly ushered down to
a safer place but also with a good view of the fire where more paramedics
arrived to check on us to see if we had suffered any ill effects of smoke inhalations.
Meanwhile, the firemen battle the blaze
heroically.
After about ten minutes, the fire had ceased. Even though debris and rubble were what was left of
the supermarket and the furniture store, my father and I were glad that no one
had lost their life during this fire!
In the end, our
groceries were all burnt and hence, my father and I went to a bakery shop
and bought a cake instead to celebrate mum’s birthday. When I told mum about
the fire, she even praised me for calling the fire department!
The next day, I read the newspaper and found
out that the young boy with the brown jeans playing with the matches was the
culprit. He had accidentally dropped the matches on some goods and the fire had spread throughout
the entire supermarket building. When my father saw the newspaper, he spouted some words
which would be etched in my mind forever. “Son, you must learn never to play
with fire, it will not do you good.”
How to express feelings......
How to express feelings?
How do you describe a person who is angry?
• He turned red with fury.
• Her face was contorted with rage and fury.
• Jimmy was so angry that his blood boiled.
• Lara’s voice crackled with anger.
• An angry frown creased her forehead.
• A wave of futile rage swept over him.
• Venom spewed from his lips as he cursed belligerently.
• •She was like a bull in a china shop.
• Seething with anger, she approached Ben menacingly.
• Her eyes flashed with anger and resentment.
• His anger turned into violence.
How do you describe a person who is sad?
• Tears welled up in his eyes and began rolling down her cheeks like rivulets.
• No one could express his agony.
• She was on the brink of tears.
• He felt the whole world collapsing upon him.
• Dark clouds seemed to constantly loom over her head.
• She felt as if her heart had been ripped from her body.
• He cried his heart out on hearing the tragic news.
• She fell to her knees, clutching her head in despair.
• He felt the whole weight of the world upon her shoulders.
• His eyes were puffy and red after all the crying.
•
How do you describe a person who is shock/frightened?
• Panic started to engulf Timmy.
• The cold black night pierced his very bones.
• Terror seized us all.
• Paralyzed with fear, he could not command his legs to run.
• The shock robbed him of speech.
• The blood drained from his face when he heard the tragic news.
• A chill ran down his spine.
• His hair stood on ends as a cry rang high into the night.
• She screamed her head off when she saw the corpse.
• Overcome with fright, she lost her balance and fell down in a swoon.
• She stood rooted to the ground.
• A haze of fear surrounded her.
• He stood motionless with horror.
• Frightening thoughts race through her mind.
• She felt a wave of fear rush through her.
• He stood stunned and speechless by his sudden rebuke.
• •She was at loss for words.
• They huddled together and stared apprehensively into the darkness.
How do you describe a person who is happy?
• He was over the moon when he heard the good news.
• She was floating on air when her teacher praised her.
• She could hardly contain her joy.
• Her eyes glittered with tears of joy.
• It seemed as if a smile was plastered on her face.
• They were saturated with happiness.
• She felt as if the whole world was on her side.
• He nearly fell over in elation after learning that he had won the prize.
• Her bright smile was infectious, lighting up the room.
• Tears of joy streamed down my cheeks.
How do you describe a person who is angry?
• He turned red with fury.
• Her face was contorted with rage and fury.
• Jimmy was so angry that his blood boiled.
• Lara’s voice crackled with anger.
• An angry frown creased her forehead.
• A wave of futile rage swept over him.
• Venom spewed from his lips as he cursed belligerently.
• •She was like a bull in a china shop.
• Seething with anger, she approached Ben menacingly.
• Her eyes flashed with anger and resentment.
• His anger turned into violence.
How do you describe a person who is sad?
• Tears welled up in his eyes and began rolling down her cheeks like rivulets.
• No one could express his agony.
• She was on the brink of tears.
• He felt the whole world collapsing upon him.
• Dark clouds seemed to constantly loom over her head.
• She felt as if her heart had been ripped from her body.
• He cried his heart out on hearing the tragic news.
• She fell to her knees, clutching her head in despair.
• He felt the whole weight of the world upon her shoulders.
• His eyes were puffy and red after all the crying.
•
How do you describe a person who is shock/frightened?
• Panic started to engulf Timmy.
• The cold black night pierced his very bones.
• Terror seized us all.
• Paralyzed with fear, he could not command his legs to run.
• The shock robbed him of speech.
• The blood drained from his face when he heard the tragic news.
• A chill ran down his spine.
• His hair stood on ends as a cry rang high into the night.
• She screamed her head off when she saw the corpse.
• Overcome with fright, she lost her balance and fell down in a swoon.
• She stood rooted to the ground.
• A haze of fear surrounded her.
• He stood motionless with horror.
• Frightening thoughts race through her mind.
• She felt a wave of fear rush through her.
• He stood stunned and speechless by his sudden rebuke.
• •She was at loss for words.
• They huddled together and stared apprehensively into the darkness.
How do you describe a person who is happy?
• He was over the moon when he heard the good news.
• She was floating on air when her teacher praised her.
• She could hardly contain her joy.
• Her eyes glittered with tears of joy.
• It seemed as if a smile was plastered on her face.
• They were saturated with happiness.
• She felt as if the whole world was on her side.
• He nearly fell over in elation after learning that he had won the prize.
• Her bright smile was infectious, lighting up the room.
• Tears of joy streamed down my cheeks.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Writing
Writing is an Imaginative art
where words materialise Imagination
like a piece of beautiful artwork of
precise strokes painted gingerly with a variant of colour
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