Renta Marosi

PIS I Writing 1
Lesson 12
Narrative and Descriptive essay

To write a descriptive essay, youll need to describe a person, object, or event so vividly that
the reader feels like he/she could reach out and touch it.
Use all five of your senses to describe the setting, characters, and the plot of your story. Don't
be afraid to tell the story in your own voice.

To write a narrative essay, youll need to tell a story (usually about something that happened
to you) in such a way that he audience learns a lesson or gains insight.
Effective narrative essays allow readers to visualize everything that's happening, in their
minds. One way to make sure that this occurs is to use concrete, rather than abstract, details.
Abstract: It was a nice day.
Concrete: The sun was shining and a slight breeze blew across my face.

Language and Grammar

Use past continuous for background information. (It was raining heavily as we left the house.)
Use past perfect before the main events of the story. (Anne had kindly lent me her umbrella)
Use simple past for the main events. (There wasn't a single person on the street.)
Try to include some direct speech.
You can use contraction (haven't, couldn't etc). But a story should not be as informal as an
email to a friend, for example.

Useful phrases

Time phrases:
It all began Shortly afterwards Meanwhile Not long afterwards Some time later
Later that day A little later Finally In the end Eventually

Phrases for dramatic effect:

Suddenly All of a sudden Without warning Out of the blue Just at that moment
Quite unexpectedly As if from nowhere

Direct speech:
.., said Fred .., shouted Fred .., screamed Fred .., whispered Fred
.., announced Fred. .., thought Fred .., cried Fred .., promised Fred

Concluding stories:
When it was all over Looking back now In retrospect In the end After all that had
happened

Pre-writing phase:
1. Choosing a Good Topic
Generally, narrative essays involve two main components: a (personal) story and some
analysis of that story.
2. Make sure your story fits the prompt.
Even if you've got a crazy story about the time you escaped from a deserted island on a hot air
balloon, read the prompt closely to make sure your story fits the assignment.
3. Choose a story with a manageable plot.
Bad narrative essays are generally too broad. Pick a single event from the summer, or a single
week of your senior year, not something that takes months to unfold.
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PIS I Writing 1
Lesson 12
4. Choose a story with vibrant details. Good narrative essays are full of specific details,
particular images and language that helps make the story come alive for the reader.
Force yourself to stay as true as possible to the straight story.

Writing a draft

1. Outline the plot before you begin. Where does your story start? Where does it end?
Writing up a quick list of the major plot points in the story is a good way of making
sure you hit all the high points. Every story needs a beginning, a middle, and an end.
2. Use a consistent point of view: first person. Don't switch perspectives throughout the
story. In general, narrative essays (and short stories for that matter) should also be told
in past tense
3. Describe the important characters: What specific, particular details can you remember
about the people in the story?
4. Find the antagonist: thing or person who keeps the protagonist (the main character-the
writer) from getting what they want.
5. Describe the setting: Where does the story take place? At home? Outside? In the city or
the country? Describe the location that the story takes place and let the setting become
part of your story.
6. Use vivid details. Good writing is in the details. A popular creative writing phrase tells
writers to "show" not to "tell." E.g.: instead of "My dad was always sad that year," you
write "Dad never spoke when he got home from work.

Revising Your Essay

1. Make sure your theme is clearly illustrated in the story.

2. Use scenes and summaries. Scenes happen when you need to slow down and tell
specific details about an important moment of the story. Scenes are small moments that
take a while to read. Summary is used to narrate the time between scenes
3. Make sure you have at least 4 paragraphs.
Paragraph 1 background information.
Paragraphs 2 and 3 the main part of the story.
Paragraph 4 EITHER the climax or key moment of the story OR what happened after
the climax.
4. Use and format dialogue correctly. Anything spoken by a character out loud needs to
be included in quotation marks and attributed to the character speaking it: "I've never
been to Paris," said James. Each time a new character speaks, you need to make a new
paragraph. If the same character speaks, multiple instances of dialog can exist in the
same paragraph.
5. Revision. Are the main points clear? Is the starting place correct? Checking punctuation
and spelling.

Sources:
FCE Paper 2 Writing How to pass the Cambridge First Certificate Writing Section.
Online English Help.

http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Narrative-Essay
 Renta Marosi
PIS I Writing 1
Lesson 12
(Discursive) essay

Structure and language

4 or 5 PARAGRAPHS, with Introduction and Conclusion.
The first paragraph should be a general introduction to the subject.
Develop your arguments in the middle paragraphs. Give reasons to support your argument.
Use a variety of discussive words and phrases. Give examples where possible.
Use formal language.
Don't use contractions (we're, I've etc.).
Sum up your argument in the final paragraph.
The final paragraph is the best place to express your opinion clearly.

Useful linking words and phrases

AND is used when you want to conjoin two similar ideas: therefore, as a result, accordingly,
consequently, thus, hence
OR is used when you want to put two different ideas together or reformulate what you have
stated earlier: In other words To put it more simply It would be better to say To put it
straightforwardly
BUT appears when you need to contrast one statement with another: However, Nevertheless,
Nonetheless, Yet, In spite of that, All the same.

Presenting two advantages or disadvantages together:

not only but also not only but also

Presenting and contrasting arguments:

on the one hand on the other hand The main argument in favour/ against is...
First of all I should like to consider... The first thing (I would like to consider) to be
considered is... In order to make the problem clear, I would like to present some
examples of ... Apart from that... Despite the fact that .../ In spite of... What is more...
What matters most in this case is... It is a fact that... There is no doubt that...

Expressing Contrast:
nevertheless even so even though however in spite of despite but
although

Expressing results:
because of this therefore thus as a result for this reason consequently

Giving examples:
such as like for example for instance

Reasoning: sth happened

because of, as a result of, on account of, owing to, through, due to, as a consequence of

Expressing your own opinion:

In my opinion, I think, I suggest, I agree, I do not agree, I believe that..., I am in favour of...,
I am against the idea of..., It seems to me that..., I sympathize with...

Expressing the opinion of someone else:

 Renta Marosi
PIS I Writing 1
Lesson 12
some people say some people say that many people say many people say that
people often say it is said it is said that according to

Concluding:
To sum up/ altogether, On this basis, I can conclude that...; Given this, it can be concluded
that.... Having proved this, I would like to...; In conclusion, I would like to stress that... ; All in
all, I believe that...

Sources:
FCE Paper 2 Writing How to pass the Cambridge First Certificate Writing Section. Online
English Help.

Writing Tips for FCE

Read more on linking words and helpful phrases on the previous paper: Linking words.