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BEFORE describing another type of essay let us learn some words which work in writing.
While reading I came across repetition. Repetition in writing is when a writer deliberately uses the same word, sound, phrase, or structure two plus times. It is a tool.
There are 4 main types. The question is what do they do? Word repetition is same word repeated. Example: I was scared. Scared of the fire. Scared of losing everything. Effect: Emphasis + panic. Makes the feeling bigger.
Phrase/sentence repetition = Anaphora. Same phrase starts several sentences. Example: Martin Luther King: “I have a dream . . . I have a dream . . . I have a dream . . .”
Effect of this is power and rhythm. Makes this memorable and emotional.
Sound repetition. Alliteration: Same first sound –flames flickered fiercely. Assonance: Same vowel sound – The-ea-t h-ea t d-ea-fened me. The effect of this is music and mood.
This makes writing sound when read aloud.
Structure Repetition = Parallelism. Same grammar pattern repeated. Example: I came to work. I came to learn. I came to change my life. Effect of this in writing is for balance and clarity. This makes points feel organised and strong.
What repletion does — has 5 effects. “No, No, I won’t give up”. You feel the refusal. Emotion: it creates anger, sadness, joy, fear. Fast. Rhythm: Like a drum beat. Makes prose flow. Good for speeches. Memory: Stuff recurrent sticks. That is why slogans repeat: “Just do it. Just do it.” Unity links ideas so essay does not feel scattered.
Repeat 2 to 3 times for impact. 10 times equal to reader gets bored. So repetition is the amplifier. It turns a normal sentence into one that hits the reader.
We move forward with composition writing in the public examination Paper 1.
We have extensively discussed the story narrative well. Remember master composition writing has 3 main types in our local public examination board Paper 1.
Narrative is equal to tell a story. Remember we did the live story. Descriptive is equal to paint a picture with words — this next. Discursive is equal to discuss both sides. Let us tackle discursive now.
What is descriptive writing? On this one, your job is to make examiner See, Hear, Smell, Touch, Taste the place, person or thing. No plot. No and then. Just I moment frozen in time. Think: Camera lens, not movie.
The 3-part formula for the public examination descriptive = “S-T-E”. S: Set the scene –Introduce 2-3 sentences. Zoom out first. Name the place and overall feeling. Formula: Place and Time and 1 dominant sense and mood.
Example: City Market at 6am is chaos and colour. The air is already hot, thick with dust, sweat, and roasting maize.
T: Target the details – Body is 2 to 3 paragraphs. Zoom in with 5 senses. 1 paragraph is equal to 1 sense group. Do not list everything. Formula: Sense plus specific detail and figurative language. See: Tomatoes glow like red suns in wooden crates. Hear: Vendors shout prices that crash over each other.
Smell: Diesel mixes with ripe bananas. Touch: The ground is gritty under bare feet. Feel or emotion: It feels alive, urgent, overwhelming. E: End with a feeling — Conclusion 2 sentences. Do not summarise. Leave the reader with 1 emotion or image.
. . . in my shoes and noise in my head. The City Market does not sleep. It only pauses.
Example of a marking guide in the public examination for such an essay. Marking for descriptive. Senses (8 marks): 3 senses used – A grade. Only sight = C grade. Language (7 marks): Similes, metaphors, adjective. Red- blood red, cracked glowing. Organisation (5 marks): Zoom in –feeling. Not random jumps.
Narrative versus descriptive: Narrative: I went to the City Market. I bought tomatoes. A man shouted. Is equal to a story, time moves. Descriptive: The City Market is noise. Tomatoes are red suns. The air tastes like dust. This is equal to Picture, time stops.
Kitchen at supper time. Let us build it using the S-T – E formula. We will start with S: Set the scene. S formula again. Place + Time + 1 dominant Sense plus mood. Example to guide you: Place + Time. The kitchen at 6:30pm is full of life. The two sisters are helping each other dish the food consisting of sadza with meat and vegetables, mainly rape. The kitchen smells of smoky meat and steaming sadza and steam fogs the window.
There is clattering of plates being cleaned of possible dust. Help questions if you are stuck.
What is good for this story? We were given time during supper time — 6.30pm. Place is the kitchen. People are two sisters, food = sadza, meat, rape, action is equal to dishing and cleaning. That is solid detail. No story, just a scene which is correct for descriptive.
Today’s presentation has succeeded in showing how a descriptive is written for high grades in the public examination. For views link with [email protected] or sms to 0772113207
