2019-07-30 Writing: prepositions, specific details

Greg Malivuk
gmalivuk@staffordhouse.com
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk - Notes from all classes
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Homework: read the paragraph on p. 111, then answer the questions on 111 and practice 2A on 112
p. 111
1 positive (“spacious”, “modern”, “comfortable”, “beautiful”)
	(Remember, “comfortable” is pronounced like “comfterble”. The stress is like “countable”.)
2 front to back
3 1 the front wall: screen, whiteboard, clock, light switches, two armchairs
  2 the front (part or area): desk (projector, computer), lectern
  3 the main part: 30 rows of seats (details about the seats)
p. 112 exercise 2A
1 on
2 behind
3 to the left of
4 underneath
5 against
6 at the front of
7 to the right of
8 in front of
9 on the left of
10 between
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“on the left” can be near or attached
“to the left” can be near but (probably) not attached

“in front of the store” = outside the store, to the front of it
“in the front of the store” = inside the store, in the front part
(“ahead of” and “behind” mean outside)

above/below = at a higher (or lower) level than something
over/under = directly up (or down) from something
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Topic sentences include a topic (what the paragraph is about) and a controlling idea (what the paragraph will say about the topic). (Supporting sentences will support the controlling idea.)

Concluding sentences can summarize the supporting ideas and restate the main idea again and/or give the writer’s opinion or feeling about the topic.
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p. 114 - Answer these questions about the paragraph.
1 Topic: my nephew
  Controlling idea: he is extremely tall
2 tall
3 opinion/feeling
4 top to bottom
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Other space orders: front to back / back to front, clockwise / counter-clockwise
(You can “nest” these orderings. For example, in a front-to-back paragraph you might describe the front of the room from left to right.)
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p. 115 - Specific Details

Writing is usually more interesting when you give specific details instead of vague descriptions (especially if you want readers to “see” what you’re describing). Often, specific details can be used to support vague main ideas.
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Practice 4 - Add specific details to help us “see” these vague descriptions.
1 My uncle is large.
- He is 6 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs 250 pounds.
- His shirts are XXX Large.
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2 My boss has a beautiful house.
- It is 250 square meters.
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Homework: finish adding specific details to practice 4 (including p. 116).