This chapter discusses how to describe places through writing. It covers using space order and descriptive details to organize a description. Space order involves describing a place from top to bottom, outside to inside, etc. Descriptive details should be specific and paint a picture with words. The chapter also reviews grammar aspects like adjectives, prepositions, and sentence structure that are important for descriptive writing.

1. chapter 4
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2.  You will write a paragraph in which you describe
places.
 You will study also:
 Space order
 Descriptive details
 The order of adjectives
 Prepositional phrases
 Varying sentence openings.
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3. Chapter 4 Describing a Place
Organization
 Writing a description means: telling what something – a
person, an object, or a place looks like.
 There are 2 keys to writing good descriptions:
 Use space order to organize your description
 Use lots of descriptive details.
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4. Chapter 4 Describing a Place
Organization
 Space order is a way to organize your description of
something. In space order you describe thing from
top to bottom, bottom to top, left to right, right to left,
near to far, far to near, outside to inside and inside
to out side… etc.
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5. Chapter 4 Describing a Place
Organization
 Topic sentence: the topic part usually names the
person, place or thing to be described. The
controlling idea part usually gives a general
impression.
 Example: The old house looked ready to fall down.
 The concluding sentence:
a. it may repeat the idea stated in the topic sentence.
b. it may gives the writer’s opinion or feeling about
the topic.
 Example: In short, I think the old house will not
survive one more month. ( feeling)
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6. Chapter 4 Describing a Place
Organization
 Describing something looks like painting a picture
with word.
 The goal is to make the reader see what is
described.
 You have to use a lot of details.
 The more specific you can be, the better your
reader can see what you are describing.
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7. Chapter 4 Describing a Place
Organization
 Decide which space order to use
 List your details in that order
 Make an outline by adding a topic sentence, capital
letters to each detail, and a concluding sentence.
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8. Chapter 4 Describing a Place
Grammar
 Adjectives mean: words that describe nouns and pronouns.
 Adjectives tell what things or people look like/ what kind they are/ how many of
them there are.
 Adjectives answer the questions: what kind? Which one? How many?
 Adjectives always come before nouns such as I meet a pretty lady, or after
linking verbs such as, Serena looks beautiful today.
 A Compound adjective is a kind of adjectives that has more than one word
and function together as one word. Example: ten-week semester.
 Adjectives are always singular. Never add S to an adjective
 Nouns can be adjectives, such as, the English book, a shoe store.
 Proper adjectives( that refers to nationalities, languages, geographic places,
…. ) are capitalized. Egyptian guy. Asian languages
 Words with –ing and –ed can be adjectives: swimming pool, used car.
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9. Chapter 4 Describing a Place
Grammar
 When you write several adjectives, some time you have to put them
in a particular order, and sometimes you can choose your own
order depending on the kind of adjectives. There are 2 kinds:
cumulative adjective and coordinate adjectives
Cumulative Adjectives CoordinateAdjectives
They go before a noun They can go:
before a noun
or after a linking verb
They must be in a particular The can be in any order
order
Don’t put commas between Use commas to separate
cumulative adjectives them from each other
Example: a poor hungry The boy was young, poor,
young boy was crying. and hungry.
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10. Chapter 4 Describing a Place
Grammar
Example: The two expensive big new white Italian stone wedding hall.
Don’t use too
Kind of adjective example many adjectives
because it
Articles, demonstrative The
confuses the
pronouns, possessives
reader and
Quantity two
weaken the
Opinion Expensive
description. In
Appearance Big
general don’t
age, color New, white
use more than
Nationality, religion Italian
three cumulative
Material, purpose Stone
adjectives.
Noun used as an adjective. Wedding
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11. Chapter 4 Describing a Place
Grammar
 Coordinate adjectives come before a noun:
You can put and before the last one. (optional)
A young, poor, andhungry boy was outside.
A young, poor, hungry boy was outside.
Don’t forget putting
 After a linking verb: commas
you must put and before the last one. (required)
The boy was young, poor, and hungry.
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12. Chapter 4 Describing a Place
Sentence structure
 Prepositions are little words such as of, to, from, in, on, at
……
 A few prepositions are two words ( because of) or three
words ( in front of)
 A preposition is usually followed by a noun or noun phrase.
To is sometime proposition and
sometime another part of speech.
We went to the market.
( to + noun phrase)= preposition
We want to buy some fruit.
( to + verb)= infinitive verb phrase
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13. Chapter 4 Describing a Place
Sentence structure
A preposition is usually followed by a noun or noun phrase. These make a
prepositional phrase
( preposition + noun/ noun phrase)= Prepositional phrase.
My pen is onthe table.
Prepositional phrases Kind of paragraph Example
Answer the question of Space order paragraph On the table
where (place) Next to the window
Answer the question of How to paragraph At last
when (time) Before the test
Possession - The color of the rainbow
The name of my boss
Describe or identify - The woman with black hair
someone or something The girl in the blue shirt
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14. Chapter 4 Describing a Place
Grammar
You can start your sentence with prepositional phrase. This can help
to improve your writing and vary your sentences.
Sentences with objects:
 Put the prepositional phrase, a comma, then your sentence.
You have to study hard before the final exam.
Before the final exam, you have to study hard. ( PP +,+ S)
 Sentences begin with there is/are there was/were. Put the
prepositional phrase, a comma, then your sentence.
There is a book on the table.
On the table, there is a book. ( PP +,+ S)
Sentences with a subject and an intransitive verb: prepositional phrase
can exchange places with subject. ( NO COMMA)
A chair is in the corner.
In the corner is a chair. (PP + verb+ subject) PP=Prepositional
Phrase
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15. Chapter 4 Describing a Place
Writing
• Decide the space order.
• Think about lots of specific details.
Prewriting • Make your outline
• Rough form
• Topic sentence (place/ main idea)
• Space order
1st Draft • Descriptive sentences/ a lot of specific details/ prepositional phrases
• Concluding sentence ( feeling)
• Checking your writing – make changes – correct the errors …
• You have to check: 1- the paragraph as a whole( the meaning)
Editing • 2- the paragraph form, organization, grammar …etc
• Write a well paragraph that can be submitted to your teacher.
The final
copy
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