2 Read the opening paragraphs of different descriptions that students sent to the magazine, Which of the objects in exercise 1 are included?
А
My mum says my room is a pigsty. She doesn't
understand how I can live in such a mess. I tell her
to close the door and to stop worrying. Yes, there
are clothes on the floor, but it's not very messy,
and I know where everything is. In fact, I think my
room is quite comfortable.
B When I was ten, I pretended to be Spiderman,
jumped off my bed and banged my head on the
bookcase. The bookcase is still in my room, but
today it's full of books like The Hunger Games -
there aren't any Spiderman comics now!
D
In my room, there is
a bed, a desk and a
chair. There are some
posters on the wall
and a really nice photo
of my family.
When I look out of my window, I can see
shops, restaurants and a bus stop. It's
always busy outside and a bit noisy,
but it's interesting. My desk is next to the
window, so I get a good view of the street
when I'm doing my homework.
E There's a strange-looking
wardrobe in the corner of my
room. It's huge and rather
old-fashioned and it belonged
to my grandmother. Inside the
wardrobe, ...
STRATEGY
Writing opening sentences
When you write a description, try to get the reader interested. Start your writing in a way that
makes the reader want to find out more.
Start with:
1 a quote or an opinion, then agree or disagree with it.
2 an interesting or mysterious object, then describe other things in your room.
3 a view from outside (for example, a view from the window), then go inside.
4 a dramatic event. Use the past tense for this, but remember to use the present tense when you
start describing your room.
Don't start with:
5 a straight description, like There is a.., in my room.
3 Read the strategy. Then read the opening paragraphs A-E again and match them to points
1-5. Which description do you think will be the most interesting? Why?