Write a story with the title: “Revenge!”
1. Describe how Jinsheng and you planned to take revenge on your principal because he had punished you in public.
2. Describe what plan both of you decided on and how you executed it.
3. Describe how you waited behind a tree to watch the planned accident.
4. Describe how Jinsheng and you were hurt instead.
5. Describe how you felt after the incident.
“We must take revenge on that fat old man!”, Jinsheng snarled.
“Yes, we must!” I agreed enthusiastically. “I will never forgive him for publicly humiliating us.”
Mr. Singaram, our principal, had hit us with a cane on stage, for vandalizing school property. Both of us thought that it was too harsh a punishment. We had only broken the fire alarm glass, hoping that the disturbance would disrupt lessons. Unfortunately, we were caught by our teacher before we could flee from the scene.
“I know, we’ll cut the wires of the brakes of his car,” I said.
“Oh, yes!” Jinsheng said, “If he dies, he’ll never be able to punish us. And if he runs over someone else, he’ll be thrown into prison.”
We executed our plan the next day during our free period. Jinsheng had some knowledge about cars, for his father was a mechanic. He slipped agilely under the car, snipped the brake wire, taped it up, and was on his feet again, in only three minutes. I had stood watch, to ensure nobody saw us.
That evening, after the flag lowering ceremony, we took a short cut to the main road junction. We hid behind a tree and waited for the red Honda. Soon, we saw Mr. Singaram driving towards the function. The traffic lights changed to red and from afar, we could see him struggling to brake. A women and a child were crossing the road. The car swerved abruptly and sped towards the tree behind which were hiding! I heard a loud crash.
I regained consciousness in hospital and later learnt that Mr. Singaram’s car had hit the tree. It was uprooted by the impact and fill on Jinsheng and me. Both of us were seriously injured and we had to wear a cast on our arms for almost two months.
The police never found out who had tampered with the brake wires of Mr. Singaram’s car. Mr. Singaram was using his seat belt and therefore sustained only slight injures. The woman and the child escaped unharmed.
Jinsheng and I never told anyone about or part in the accident. However, we knew that the accident was not a coincidence, but a fitting punishment for our heinous intention.
Showing posts with label english essay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label english essay. Show all posts
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Monday, August 10, 2009
Hospitality
Hospitality
Hospitality is everywhere regarded as a virtue; but it is perhaps more common in the country than in the town. It is a common saying that in a big city like London, a man does not know even his next-door neighbor, and there is no place where one can feel as utterly lonely as among the millions of that huge city. The inhabitants of a large town would be astonished if a passing traveler, a complete stranger, came to their houses and demanded food and lodging from them. They would probably shut their doors in his face. But it is the commonest thing for villagers to welcome a passing stranger and give him freely food and shelter and entertainment, expecting nothing to return. This is not only because villagers are simpler and more unsophisticated than town-dwellers but because their lives are so lonely and monotonous that a visit from a stranger is a welcome event; and also because in the sparsely populated country-side there are, as a rule, no public inns or rest-houses where travelers can stay. So in the country, hospitality is looked on more as a duty than a virtue, the performance of which is a matter of pride.
The people of the East, especially in Arabia and parts of India, are noted for their hospitality. And among the people of the North-West Indian Frontier, the laws of hospitality are strictly observed; and even the most lawless raider will never rob or hunt a man who has eaten his salt, even though he is an enemy.
A great deal of hospitality is merely a matter of fashion, and is selfish in its spirit. People ask acquaintances to dinner, not because they want to do them a service but because it is “the thing to do” and because they hope to be asked back again in return. This is not the kind of hospitality which is a virtue; for that is unselfish and inspired by kindly feelings. So the Founder of Christianity taught his disciples to show hospitality only to the poor, who needed food, and who could not reward them for their kindness. While he sat at meal in the house of a rich Pharisee who had invited him to dine with him one day, he said to his host: “When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy kinsmen, nor rich neighbors, lest haply they also bid thee again and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, bid the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; because that have not wherewith to recompense thee.”
Language123.blogspot.com
Library
Proficiency Examinations - Who Needs Them
Physical Education Is Important
Progress - Its Benefits And Harms
What Difficulties Are You Facing In Choosing A Career?
I Am Proud Of My Country
Crowds
The Advantages And Disadvantages In Teaching English To Adult Learners
The Way I Spend The First Few Days After Examination
What Have You Gained From University Education?
Hospitality is everywhere regarded as a virtue; but it is perhaps more common in the country than in the town. It is a common saying that in a big city like London, a man does not know even his next-door neighbor, and there is no place where one can feel as utterly lonely as among the millions of that huge city. The inhabitants of a large town would be astonished if a passing traveler, a complete stranger, came to their houses and demanded food and lodging from them. They would probably shut their doors in his face. But it is the commonest thing for villagers to welcome a passing stranger and give him freely food and shelter and entertainment, expecting nothing to return. This is not only because villagers are simpler and more unsophisticated than town-dwellers but because their lives are so lonely and monotonous that a visit from a stranger is a welcome event; and also because in the sparsely populated country-side there are, as a rule, no public inns or rest-houses where travelers can stay. So in the country, hospitality is looked on more as a duty than a virtue, the performance of which is a matter of pride.
The people of the East, especially in Arabia and parts of India, are noted for their hospitality. And among the people of the North-West Indian Frontier, the laws of hospitality are strictly observed; and even the most lawless raider will never rob or hunt a man who has eaten his salt, even though he is an enemy.
A great deal of hospitality is merely a matter of fashion, and is selfish in its spirit. People ask acquaintances to dinner, not because they want to do them a service but because it is “the thing to do” and because they hope to be asked back again in return. This is not the kind of hospitality which is a virtue; for that is unselfish and inspired by kindly feelings. So the Founder of Christianity taught his disciples to show hospitality only to the poor, who needed food, and who could not reward them for their kindness. While he sat at meal in the house of a rich Pharisee who had invited him to dine with him one day, he said to his host: “When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy kinsmen, nor rich neighbors, lest haply they also bid thee again and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, bid the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; because that have not wherewith to recompense thee.”
Language123.blogspot.com
Library
Proficiency Examinations - Who Needs Them
Physical Education Is Important
Progress - Its Benefits And Harms
What Difficulties Are You Facing In Choosing A Career?
I Am Proud Of My Country
Crowds
The Advantages And Disadvantages In Teaching English To Adult Learners
The Way I Spend The First Few Days After Examination
What Have You Gained From University Education?
The unselfish devotion of a housewife
The unselfish devotion of a housewife
The housewife has always been among the unappreciated lot. Her unflagging devotion to her husband, children and grandchildren has always been taken for granted. She slaves all day as wife, mother, nanny, cook and housekeeper without any thoughts of rewards. Her only satisfaction lies in the harmony that her hardwork creates in the family.
Her main duty lies in creating a comfortable environment so that the breadwinner can come home from work to relax. She becomes the sympathetic listener of all his problems at the office. She dusts, vacuums and sweeps all day. Her hobbies normally include knitting, sewing and flower making for the purpose of creating a more delightful home. She mends his favorite shirt time and time again without grudging. Her only gratification comes from those casual compliments she receives for the delicious dishes she serves which involve so much preparation and work.
Little children are quite lost without their dear mummies. The mother nurses the tiny, helpless infant. She cares for, feeds, washes and cloths the baby. She gets up several times in the middle of the night just so that her baby is soothed and comfortable, rocking and singing to her baby the old, lovely lullabies.
The mother never forgets birthdays and always manages to whip up a cake for that special day. She remembers our first words, looks out for our first front tooth. She is always there to wipe our tears after we toddle, tumble and fall.
She is always there to teach us our numbers and alphabet. She works and wears herself out to prepare us for our first day at school. She runs out of the house at the last minute to hand to us our forgotten homework book we have left behind. She always manages to stand just outside the school gate with an umbrella so that we do not get soaked in the rain.
Her sharp eyes always watch for the first signs of cold. She waits over her children night and day worried and anxious as they go through their share of flu, measles, mumps and chicken pox. She coddles her poor sick children. Then when we are well again, she scolds us sharply for not finishing our vegetables.
She administers the timely slaps on the hand every time we get into those mischievous pranks. She angrily sends the whole lot to bed without any supper. Then she gets up in the middle of the night to pull over us our blankets and stroke our hair reassuringly.
She continues to remain her daughter’s best friend, her son’s best confidant. She nags at us with her old fashioned values and chides us for being stubborn. But she is always there when things go wrong to lend a shoulder for us to cry on.
Her grandchildren look to her as a marvelous “sugar-mummy” who spoils them with home-made toys, sweets, ice-cream and jellies. She has an infinite store of old, fascinating stories to keep us bewitched for hours. She has a marvelous knack for providing delightful old fashioned remedies to cold, cuts or broken toys.
There is indeed no tribute which is fitting to the housewife’s simple, selfless devotion to her family.
language123.blogspot.com
The Problems Faced By Old People In Our Society
Physical Education Is Important
The Beneficial Effects Of Games On Language Learning
One Who Is Good At English Grammar Can Write Well In English?
The Laser: Solution To Many Problems
The Advantages And Disadvantages Of The Cinema
Causes Of Teenage Smoking
My Hobbies
Qualities Of A Good Teacher
Is Your City A Much Better Place To Live In Today Than 10 Years Ago?
The housewife has always been among the unappreciated lot. Her unflagging devotion to her husband, children and grandchildren has always been taken for granted. She slaves all day as wife, mother, nanny, cook and housekeeper without any thoughts of rewards. Her only satisfaction lies in the harmony that her hardwork creates in the family.
Her main duty lies in creating a comfortable environment so that the breadwinner can come home from work to relax. She becomes the sympathetic listener of all his problems at the office. She dusts, vacuums and sweeps all day. Her hobbies normally include knitting, sewing and flower making for the purpose of creating a more delightful home. She mends his favorite shirt time and time again without grudging. Her only gratification comes from those casual compliments she receives for the delicious dishes she serves which involve so much preparation and work.
Little children are quite lost without their dear mummies. The mother nurses the tiny, helpless infant. She cares for, feeds, washes and cloths the baby. She gets up several times in the middle of the night just so that her baby is soothed and comfortable, rocking and singing to her baby the old, lovely lullabies.
The mother never forgets birthdays and always manages to whip up a cake for that special day. She remembers our first words, looks out for our first front tooth. She is always there to wipe our tears after we toddle, tumble and fall.
She is always there to teach us our numbers and alphabet. She works and wears herself out to prepare us for our first day at school. She runs out of the house at the last minute to hand to us our forgotten homework book we have left behind. She always manages to stand just outside the school gate with an umbrella so that we do not get soaked in the rain.
Her sharp eyes always watch for the first signs of cold. She waits over her children night and day worried and anxious as they go through their share of flu, measles, mumps and chicken pox. She coddles her poor sick children. Then when we are well again, she scolds us sharply for not finishing our vegetables.
She administers the timely slaps on the hand every time we get into those mischievous pranks. She angrily sends the whole lot to bed without any supper. Then she gets up in the middle of the night to pull over us our blankets and stroke our hair reassuringly.
She continues to remain her daughter’s best friend, her son’s best confidant. She nags at us with her old fashioned values and chides us for being stubborn. But she is always there when things go wrong to lend a shoulder for us to cry on.
Her grandchildren look to her as a marvelous “sugar-mummy” who spoils them with home-made toys, sweets, ice-cream and jellies. She has an infinite store of old, fascinating stories to keep us bewitched for hours. She has a marvelous knack for providing delightful old fashioned remedies to cold, cuts or broken toys.
There is indeed no tribute which is fitting to the housewife’s simple, selfless devotion to her family.
language123.blogspot.com
The Problems Faced By Old People In Our Society
Physical Education Is Important
The Beneficial Effects Of Games On Language Learning
One Who Is Good At English Grammar Can Write Well In English?
The Laser: Solution To Many Problems
The Advantages And Disadvantages Of The Cinema
Causes Of Teenage Smoking
My Hobbies
Qualities Of A Good Teacher
Is Your City A Much Better Place To Live In Today Than 10 Years Ago?
Monday, March 30, 2009
One who is good at English grammar can write well in English?
Is it true that one who is good at English grammar can write well in English?
(Acquisition of good writing skills requires more than Mastery of English Grammar)
In the English language teaching writing is called a productive skill because it is concerned with the production of the language. The teaching and learning of this specific skill has provoked much discussion about the question of how to write well in English. Some people may think that a good knowledge of English grammar is sufficient to enable them to achieve a high level of competence in written English. However, this is a somewhat simplistic view. As will be analyzed below, the acquisition of good writing skills requires not just a good command of the grammatical system of English but a wide lexical knowledge, a thorough understanding of the topic given and a repertoire of organizational skills.
Apart from a good knowledge of English grammar, one needs to demonstrate a broad lexical knowledge in a good piece of writing. There is an element of truth in the fact that grammar rules help to generate sentences. However, if the writer has no real understanding of the lexis of the English language and just applies the grammatical rules mechanically, he will run the risk of producing grammatically correct but semantically inappropriate or anomalous sentences. To use the English language with clarity and precision, he needs to know what words mean literally and figuratively, what words can collocate and how words, though synonymous, are different form each other in subtle ways. Therefore, the writer’s ability to manipulate structures and his word choice are both needed for the appropriate use of language. For example, while one can write ‘Sorry, I can’t make it’ in response to a friend’s invitation he must formulate his refusal to a business partner more formally ‘I apologize I will not be able to be there.’ In other words, structural accuracy is just as important as vocabulary selection in effective writing.
Next, one needs to rely on one’s general and/or specialist knowledge to develop the topic given in depth to produce an original piece of writing. If one’s mastery of English grammar can partly help shape the form of a piece of writing, it is the ideas presented that decide the content. A good writer does not write merely to reach the word limit (within the time limit); he must write to achieve his purpose, whether to narrate a story, to describe someone or something, to discuss a topic, to inform or to persuade the reader. The best way for him to do this is to ensure that the content of his paper is excellent. He is therefore expected to exploit whatever kind of knowledge he has acquired, be it his general knowledge, his knowledge of current affairs or his specialist knowledge to come up with brilliant ideas that can attract and maintain readers’ attention. As the writer is not in direct contact with readers and cannot therefore get direct feedback from them, he cannot afford to be vague. He has to elaborate his ideas or explanations to get his message across, leaving no scope for misunderstanding or interpretation of any type. This makes an enormous demand on the writer indeed. So in his treatment of the subject assigned, the writer has to draw on the above mentioned areas of his knowledge, which are by nature different from his knowledge of English grammar, to search for worthwhile ideas and arguments.
In addition, one needs to know a number of generally called organizational skills which are essential for the production of a fine piece of writing. Viewed as a process, writing involves the following major skills. The skill of much use during the first stage is that of planning. Before starting off, the writer has to envisage how he would like to go about his writing assignment. He has to take into consideration all the resources he has at his disposal (such as time, vocabulary, language, structures, his understanding of the topic) to make a detailed plan as to how to turn out the end product: a letter, a story, s description, a report, an essay, a term paper, etc. Next comes the skill of much importance here, the skill of paragraphing. After a brainstorming session in the planning stage, the writer may have hit on many ideas and now it is time for him to select and organize those that are really relevant to the topic under discussion. The organization of ideas requires a clear understanding of the discourse structure of the target language, which is English in this case. Here the non-native writer is expected to go beyond the realm of grammar to explore the realm of discourse. For example, he needs to acquaint himself with a variety of genres or styles produced by native writers so that he knows what is expected of him when he writes in English. Besides, the skill of structuring discourse is often coupled with the skill of using liking devices. It is because ideas must not only be grouped together but also developed in logical and coherent paragraphs. Then the skills of drafting, editing and proofreading come into play. The writer has to work on his draft to revise his ideas and check for spelling and punctuation. Only when all the necessary changes have been made can the writer be sure that his end product is ready for ‘publication’.
In general, writing is not an easy skill to get native speakers of English. As can be seen above, the mastery of the skill demands different areas of knowledge such as vocabulary, world knowledge and specialist knowledge and organizational skills in addition to that of grammar. Thus a wide knowledge of English grammar is a necessary condition, not the only necessary and sufficient condition for the acquisition of the writing skill. A high level of written English can only be achieved when one puts huge efforts in building up his knowledge of the areas mentioned above.
Read related essays:
Why I want to learn English
The reasons for your study of English and the ways you have been learning it
Writing is the most difficult skills
The advantages and disadvantages in teaching English to Adult Learners
The beneficial effects of games on language learning
Sucessful in learning a foreign language
How can you help your students enlarge their vocabulary?
The difficulties in learning English and how to overcome them
language123.blogspot.com
The Cause Of Obesity
A Good Book For Learning Writing
Interesting Story I Have Heard
A Frightening Experience
Your Father Advises You To Study Hard. Tell About What He Talks
Commerce As A Means Of Spreading Civilization
An Unusual Opportunity
Describe A Sports-Meeting
My Birthday I Celebrated
What Is A Human Resources Manage?
(Acquisition of good writing skills requires more than Mastery of English Grammar)
In the English language teaching writing is called a productive skill because it is concerned with the production of the language. The teaching and learning of this specific skill has provoked much discussion about the question of how to write well in English. Some people may think that a good knowledge of English grammar is sufficient to enable them to achieve a high level of competence in written English. However, this is a somewhat simplistic view. As will be analyzed below, the acquisition of good writing skills requires not just a good command of the grammatical system of English but a wide lexical knowledge, a thorough understanding of the topic given and a repertoire of organizational skills.
Apart from a good knowledge of English grammar, one needs to demonstrate a broad lexical knowledge in a good piece of writing. There is an element of truth in the fact that grammar rules help to generate sentences. However, if the writer has no real understanding of the lexis of the English language and just applies the grammatical rules mechanically, he will run the risk of producing grammatically correct but semantically inappropriate or anomalous sentences. To use the English language with clarity and precision, he needs to know what words mean literally and figuratively, what words can collocate and how words, though synonymous, are different form each other in subtle ways. Therefore, the writer’s ability to manipulate structures and his word choice are both needed for the appropriate use of language. For example, while one can write ‘Sorry, I can’t make it’ in response to a friend’s invitation he must formulate his refusal to a business partner more formally ‘I apologize I will not be able to be there.’ In other words, structural accuracy is just as important as vocabulary selection in effective writing.
Next, one needs to rely on one’s general and/or specialist knowledge to develop the topic given in depth to produce an original piece of writing. If one’s mastery of English grammar can partly help shape the form of a piece of writing, it is the ideas presented that decide the content. A good writer does not write merely to reach the word limit (within the time limit); he must write to achieve his purpose, whether to narrate a story, to describe someone or something, to discuss a topic, to inform or to persuade the reader. The best way for him to do this is to ensure that the content of his paper is excellent. He is therefore expected to exploit whatever kind of knowledge he has acquired, be it his general knowledge, his knowledge of current affairs or his specialist knowledge to come up with brilliant ideas that can attract and maintain readers’ attention. As the writer is not in direct contact with readers and cannot therefore get direct feedback from them, he cannot afford to be vague. He has to elaborate his ideas or explanations to get his message across, leaving no scope for misunderstanding or interpretation of any type. This makes an enormous demand on the writer indeed. So in his treatment of the subject assigned, the writer has to draw on the above mentioned areas of his knowledge, which are by nature different from his knowledge of English grammar, to search for worthwhile ideas and arguments.
In addition, one needs to know a number of generally called organizational skills which are essential for the production of a fine piece of writing. Viewed as a process, writing involves the following major skills. The skill of much use during the first stage is that of planning. Before starting off, the writer has to envisage how he would like to go about his writing assignment. He has to take into consideration all the resources he has at his disposal (such as time, vocabulary, language, structures, his understanding of the topic) to make a detailed plan as to how to turn out the end product: a letter, a story, s description, a report, an essay, a term paper, etc. Next comes the skill of much importance here, the skill of paragraphing. After a brainstorming session in the planning stage, the writer may have hit on many ideas and now it is time for him to select and organize those that are really relevant to the topic under discussion. The organization of ideas requires a clear understanding of the discourse structure of the target language, which is English in this case. Here the non-native writer is expected to go beyond the realm of grammar to explore the realm of discourse. For example, he needs to acquaint himself with a variety of genres or styles produced by native writers so that he knows what is expected of him when he writes in English. Besides, the skill of structuring discourse is often coupled with the skill of using liking devices. It is because ideas must not only be grouped together but also developed in logical and coherent paragraphs. Then the skills of drafting, editing and proofreading come into play. The writer has to work on his draft to revise his ideas and check for spelling and punctuation. Only when all the necessary changes have been made can the writer be sure that his end product is ready for ‘publication’.
In general, writing is not an easy skill to get native speakers of English. As can be seen above, the mastery of the skill demands different areas of knowledge such as vocabulary, world knowledge and specialist knowledge and organizational skills in addition to that of grammar. Thus a wide knowledge of English grammar is a necessary condition, not the only necessary and sufficient condition for the acquisition of the writing skill. A high level of written English can only be achieved when one puts huge efforts in building up his knowledge of the areas mentioned above.
Read related essays:
Why I want to learn English
The reasons for your study of English and the ways you have been learning it
Writing is the most difficult skills
The advantages and disadvantages in teaching English to Adult Learners
The beneficial effects of games on language learning
Sucessful in learning a foreign language
How can you help your students enlarge their vocabulary?
The difficulties in learning English and how to overcome them
language123.blogspot.com
The Cause Of Obesity
A Good Book For Learning Writing
Interesting Story I Have Heard
A Frightening Experience
Your Father Advises You To Study Hard. Tell About What He Talks
Commerce As A Means Of Spreading Civilization
An Unusual Opportunity
Describe A Sports-Meeting
My Birthday I Celebrated
What Is A Human Resources Manage?
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