Events (Accidents)

Road Accidents

Events that led to the accidents(Build Up)

prancing about by the side of the road
glanced up and down the road
no sounds of approaching vehicles
trying to control a frisky dog
large blue sign at the corner asking for eye witnesses for an accident
infamous for being an accident prone area
cars whizzing by
released grip on daughter's hand
kicking a ball around
speaking incessantly into mobile phone and gesturing wildly
dug into bag while stepping off the pavement

Compositions: A Lift Breakdown (Cloze)

Lift Breakdown: Cloze (1)

Fill in each blank with one word only

            Siti was on her way home from her piano lessons. She pressed the lift button on the ground floor. After a short wait, the lift door (1)______________. She got in and punched the button for the 10^th floor.

            As the lift was moving up, Siti heard an unusual scraping sound. “Strange, the lift seems to be moving very slowly today,” she thought to (2) __________________. Just as the lift was approaching the 8^th floor, it jerked and stopped abruptly. Without warning, the lights in the lift went off. The fan also faded to a halt.

            Siti was stunned at first. Then she became frightened. She pressed the emergency button but did not hear it ring. Pounding on the (3) _____________, she yelled, “Somebody help!” She tried to call her family members for help on her mobile phone but there was no signal.

            “Help, somebody!” Siti cried again. Beads of perspiration were forming on her forehead. She felt breathless and her (4) _____________ was thumping very fast. The lift was becoming extremely stuffy.

            Suddenly, the lift door opened. A serious-looking lift technician led her out by the hand. Fortunately, he had arrived quickly to let her out. Feeling faint, she leaned (5) _____________ a corridor wall and breathed deeply several times before taking the stairs up to her flat.

Lift Breakdown: Cloze (2)

Fill in each blank with one word only.

                  It was pouring as I reached the lift, drenched through. The lift had been out of order this morning but I assumed that it had (1)___________________ fixed. After all there was no “Out of Order” sign on the door.

            Anyway, I live on the fifteenth floor and did not relish the thought of walking all the way up. I pressed the “up” button and to my (2)___________________, the lift doors slid open. I stepped inside, the water in my shoes making a squelching sound.

                  When the lift reached the fifth floor, the lights began to flicker. On reaching the ninth floor, the fan broke down. There was a loud moaning sound and the lights went out as the lift came to a halt at the tenth floor.

                  Initial (3)__________________ made me pound my fists on the lift doors. Then I calmed myself down and pressed the alarm button. But it did not work. A wave of anxiety hit me. I decided to shout for help. When that did not work, I fought down fresh feelings of panic and steeled myself to wait for (4)_____________________ as calmly as I could.

                  I was not going to try any of the foolish things that I had watched on television like climbing to the top of the lift to get it moving. After all, surely someone would notice that the lift was jammed. I repeated this thought in my head several times over to comfort myself.

                  The silence was eerie as I pressed my ear close to the door, hoping to hear sounds of activity outside. Nothing. My heart sank as the minutes ticked by. Beads of (5)________________________ formed on my forehead and my hands became clammy. Suddenly I heard footsteps, then a thud, followed by the sound of metal clashing. The lift sprang to life and I lurched forward as it began to descend.

            The doors opened on the ground floor and I ran out, much to the surprise of the lift technicians. I headed for the staircase, quite happy to climb all the flights of stairs to my flat. I looked at my watch. I had spent forty minutes trapped in the lift but it had seemed like an eternity.

Lift Breakdown: Cloze (3)

Fill in each blank with one word only.

                  It was pouring as I reached the lift, drenched through. The lift had been out of order this morning but I assumed that it had been (1)___________________. After all there was no “Out of Order” sign on the door.

            Anyway, I live on the fifteenth floor and did not relish the thought of walking all the way up. I pressed the “up” button and to my relief, the lift doors slid open. I stepped inside, the (2)__________________ in my shoes making a squelching sound.

                  When the lift reached the fifth floor, the lights began to (3)______________________. On reaching the ninth floor, the fan broke down. There was a loud moaning sound and the lights went out as the lift came to a halt at the tenth floor.

                  Initial panic made me pound my fists on the lift doors. Then I calmed myself down and pressed the alarm button. But it did not work. A wave of anxiety hit me. I decided to shout for help. When that did not work, I fought down fresh feelings of panic and steeled myself to wait for help as calmly as I could. I was not going to try any of the foolish things that I had watched on (4)______________________ like climbing to the top of the lift to get it moving. After all, surely someone would notice that the lift was jammed. I repeated this thought in my head several times over to comfort myself.

                  The silence was eerie as I pressed my ear close to the door, hoping to hear sounds of activity outside. Nothing. My heart sank as the minutes ticked by. Beads of perspiration formed on my forehead and my hands became clammy. Suddenly I heard footsteps, then a thud, followed by the sound of metal clashing. The lift sprang to life and I lurched forward as it began to (5)______________________.

            The doors opened on the ground floor and I ran out, much to the surprise of the lift technicians. I headed for the staircase, quite happy to climb all the flights of stairs to my flat. I looked at my watch. I had spent forty minutes trapped in the lift but it had seemed like an eternity.

Many Words for One (Synonyms)

57	fond	Affectionate, devoted, loving
58	frank	Artless, candid, ingenuous, open, outspoken, plain
59	friend	Associate, colleague, companion, comrade
60	frugal	Economical, sparing, thrifty
61	funny	Amusing, comical, humorous, ludicrous, strange, witty
62	fussy	Fastidious, finicky, meticulous, particular
63	gain	Obtain, profit, secure, win
64	gay	Blithe, cheerful, jolly, merry
65	good	Just, righteous, true, virtuous, upright
66	gloom	Darkness, depression, melancholy
67	govern	Control, rule, influence
68	hate	Abhor, abominate, detest, dislike, loathe
69	help	Aid, assist, succour, support
70	hold	Clutch, grasp, grip
71	increase	Amplify, augment, enlarge, expand, extend, magnify, multiply
72	infinite	Boundless, endless, eternal, everlasting, limitless
73	injure	Harm, hurt, ill-treat, violate, wrong
74	intention	Aim, motive, object, purpose
75	interfere	Intervene, meddle
76	joke	Banter, jest
77	just	Fair, right, upright, righteous
78	kind	Considerate, good, tender, thoughtful
79	lazy	Idle, inactive, indolent, inert, slothful, sluggish
80	mistake	Blunder, error, fault, inaccuracy
81	obedient	Cringing, meek, respectful, servile, submissive
82	old	Ancient, antiquated, antique, obsolete
83	polite	Affable, civil, courteous, polished, well-bred, well-mannered
84	poor	Destitute, needy
85	power	Ability, capacity, might, authority
86	pretty	Attractive, beautiful, elegant, gorgeous, lovely, trim
87	quiet	Calm, peaceful, placid, serene, still, tranquil
88	rash	Careless, hasty, impetuous, reckless
89	revolt	Insurrection, mutiny, riot, uprising
90	rude	Abusive, impolite, insolent, offensive
91	safe	Guarded, protected, secure, sure
92	see	Behold, discern, perceive, scan, view
93	severe	Arduous, austere, harsh, stern, strict, stringent
94	sly	Artful, crafty, cunning, shrewd, wily
95	souvenir	Memento, memorial, relic, remembrance, token
96	spread	Diffuse, dispense, disseminate, distribute, scatter
97	strange	Alien, foreign, queer, unexpected, unfamiliar
98	strong	Able, muscular, powerful, robust, sturdy
99	suitable	Appropriate, becoming, befitting
100	trick	Deception, hoax, pretence, hypocrisy
101	trust	Believe, rely
102	try	Attempt, endeavour, strive
103	ugly	Grotesque, hideous, horrid, repulsive, squalid, unsightly
104	useless	Frivolous, futile, worthless
105	value	Appreciation, esteem, worth
106	victory	Success, triumph
107	weak	Feeble, flimsy, frail, impotent, infirm

Bad and ugly characters

1. The sinister looking man stared hard at the two boys.

2. Two logs of hair stuck out of his head like horns. He looked like a devil.

3. She had a mean(nasty) smile on her face.

4. The boy had a greasy face and buck teeth.

5. He looked at them nastily and sneered, "Watch it!"

6. He was so dirty and smelly that Alice had to hold her nose.

7. There was a scar on his brow and skull-shaped tattoo on his right hand.

8. The red faced man had bushy eyebrows that wiggled when he talked.

9. He looked fearfully at the big, hefty man in the dark suit.

10. He was a nasty looking man, dirty and rude. He slouched down the street, looking neither left or right.

English Learning Websites

https://www.englishclub.com/

http://www.freecollocation.com/

https://www.grammarly.com/

INTERESTING WORDS AND ALTERNATIVE PHRASES

In our writing, there are many words and phrases we use over and over again. These ‘tired’ words and phrases are guilty of making our compositions boring. If many different pupils in a class use the same words in their compositions, then you would have to use interesting alternative words and phrases to help lift your composition above the mundane.

Why you should use alternative words and phrases:

1. Showcase your vocabulary Over the years, you have picked up and learnt thousands of words and phrases. Put them to use in your writing!

2. Lend maturity to your writing Good writers do not use the same words or phrases over and over again in their writing. As the saying goes ‘variety is the spice of life’, so add ‘spice’ to your writing with a variety of words!

3. Describe different degrees of the same action. Some words such as ‘walk’ and ‘trudge’ may refer to the same action. However, they have a slight difference in meaning. ‘walk’ – generic word for moving from place to place ‘trudge’ – walk in a slow, tired or reluctant manner Since the characters in your story are all different, it is important to use different words and phrases to describe them.

Make your writing VIVID!

By using specific words, you can create clear and colourful word pictures for your reader.
Choose specific nouns: Some nouns are general (car, jacket, animal) and give the reader a vague, uninteresting picture. Other nouns are specific (Mercedes, aviator’s jacket, raccoon) and give the reader a much clearer, more detailed picture.

In the chart that follows, the first word in each row is a general noun. The second word is more specific. Finally, each word at the bottom row of the chart is clearly a specific noun. These last nouns are the types that make your writing clear and colourful.

General to specific nouns

PERSON : Woman,     Writer,                   J.K. Rowling
PLACE :    park,          theme park,            Escape Theme Park,
THING :    drink,          nutritious drink,      vegetable juice
IDEA   :     Pain,           Headache,             Migraine

1) Use vivid verbs: Like nouns, verbs can be too general to create a vivid word picture. For eg. The verb ‘looked’ does not say the same thing as ‘stared, glared, glanced, peeked or inspected’.

2) Whenever possible, use a verb that is strong enough to stand alone without the help of an adverb. Verb and adverb - Jerry sat down on the couch. Vivid verb - Jerry plopped on the couch.

3) Avoid overusing the ‘to be’ verbs (is, are, was, were…). Also avoid overusing ‘would, could or should’. Often a better verb can be made from another word in the same sentence. A ‘to be’ verb – Ashley is someone who plans for the future. A stronger verb – Ashley plans for the future.

4) Use active rather than passive verbs. Passive verb – Another strong pass was launched by Mary Kate. Active verb - Mary Kate launched another strong pass.

5) Use verbs that show rather than tell. A verb that tells – Iverson is very tall. A verb that shows – Iverson towers over his teammates.

Select specific adjectives:

Use precise, colourful adjectives to describe the nouns in your writing. Strong adjectives can help make the nouns you choose even more interesting and clear to the reader. For example, when describing your uncle’s new car as a “sleek, red convertible”, you are using adjectives to give the reader a clearer picture of the car.

1) Avoid using adjectives that carry little meaning:

neat, big, pretty, small, cute, fun, bad, nice, good, dumb, great, funny…

Overused adjective – The old house on the square belongs to an architect.
Specific adjective -    The dilapidated house on the square belongs to an architect.

2) Use adjectives selectively.

If your writing contains too many adjectives, they will simply get in the way and lose their effectiveness. Too many adjectives – A tall, shocking column of thick, yellow smoke marked the exact spot where the unexpected explosion had occurred. Revised - A column of thick, yellow smoke marked the spot where the unexpected explosion had occurred.

3) Include specific adverbs:

Use adverbs when you think they can help the action in a sentence. For eg. the sentence ‘SpongeBob reluctantly agreed to meet Patrick’ is more specific than ‘SpongeBob agreed to meet Patrick’. However, don’t use a verb and an adverb when a single vivid verb would be better.

Use the ‘right’ words:

The words in your writing should not only be specific and colourful, but they should also have the right feeling, or connotation. The connotation of a word is what it suggests or implies beyond its literal meaning.

Notice how the underlined words in the following passage connote positive, almost magical feelings about the subject, the writer’s hometown: TAHOE WAS A LAZY TOWN, STRETCHED OUT ON ITS HILLS AND ITS FLAT STREETS IN A SUMMER SUN. IT WAS A DREAMY PLACE, ALWAYS GREEN AND LUSH EXCEPT FOR FOUR COLD MONTHS AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF EACH YEAR. IT WAS HEAVY WITH LEAFY SMELLS, AND IN SPRINGTIME THERE WAS A PERFUME IN THE AIR THAT MADE YOU DIZZY IF YOU INHALED TOO MUCH.

Describing Feelings and Thoughts

 Describing Feelings

Feelings tell readers a lot about the characters in your composition. These feelings can be expressed through their actions and reactions to events. Being able to write about feelings would also give your writing a sense of maturity.

Eg. Old Mrs Khan beamed with pride as she clapped. That was her son on stage shaking the minister’s hand and collecting the certificate. All her hard work through the years suddenly seemed insignificant. All her sweat and toil was worth this one shining moment of happiness.

 Describing Thoughts

People think and have thoughts at every situation. Hence, when you show that your characters are thinking, it makes them seem real to the readers. A short spoken sentence to show the thoughts of a character goes a long way in telling the reader how the character feels.

Eg. Fiona alighted from the bus and walked slowly from the bus stop. She thought the little boy was right. The passengers in the bus were a selfish lot. Fiona tried to imagine herself frail and feeble like that old man. She suddenly felt ashamed at her refusal to give up her seat earlier.

A Good Conclusion

It is important to end your composition well, as the conclusion is the last part your teacher reads before grading your work. The ending of a composition is no less important than the introduction. It provides a proper ‘full-stop’ for your story. This is the part where you re-iterate your main point. It is also where you help the reader feel that your story is complete. Like the introduction, the conclusion is normally rather short, so don’t spend too much time trying to end your story. However, be careful! Ending your story suddenly could leave your reader feeling dissatisfied, so avoid it at all costs.

An interesting conclusion would leave your readers with a lasting impression of your writing and show them what a good writer you are. A good conclusion should end your composition, tying up all loose ends.

Good endings have:
 A solution to the problem, preferably the hero taking some action
 A satisfactory resolution that is gradually developed. Avoid sudden, easily solved endings.
 A great last line that leaves a lasting impression.

AVOID…the 3 Ds
 Dying
 Dream sequel
 Something/ someone that was previously not introduced in the story.

Here are some ways to end your composition creatively:

- ENDING WITH A TWIST

After much investigation, the police discovered that it was Mr Pitt himself who had set fire to his own warehouse.

- PROVERBS/ SAYINGS

As we gazed at the remains of our home, we realized the truth in the saying, “Fire is a good servant but a bad master”. We had learnt our lesson the hard way.

- LIGHT-HEARTED

We gasped as Mandy flung the lid open. We stared at the contents of the box, and then collapsed in helpless laughter. The treasure we had worked so hard for was a pile of old clothes!

- UNEXPECTED FEELING

Help was finally here. The paramedics worked cooperatively and the boy was in the ambulance in less than five minutes. Unfortunately, nothing was done to the woman, whose pot of plant had fallen from the window ledge and hit the boy. I was angry and upset that justice had not taken place.

- HAPPY ENDING

Practically the whole block was invited to the wedding dinner. There was so much happiness and laughter that it was difficult to believe that until recently the two families had been quarrelling so much between them.

- SAD ENDING

The family herded silently into the kitchen, each with his or her own thoughts, trying to cope with the loss. -

- ADVICE

Well, I learnt my lesson. The next time you go swimming, do think twice before showing off. I don’t think you want to end up at the bottom of the pool like I almost did!

- QUESTION

As the finale drew to an end, I could not help but imagine what would have happened if the two arguing lion dancers had continued their argument on stage. Would the lion have fallen? I wondered. That would have been quite a sight!

- FEELINGS/ OPINIONS/ REALISATIONS

Suddenly I realized that Diaz was a true friend. She did not care what race I was; all she cared for was our friendship. She was even willing to quarrel with her cousin for my sake. I hugged her and promised myself that I would be her friend forever.

- RE-EMPHASISING THE MAIN IDEA

We have to understand that this is a serious offence. It can take away innocent lives and leave families devastated. That was what happened to the poor boy and his family.

Beginning a Composition

Here are some alternative ways to begin a composition:

- SOUND EFFECTS

“Arrrrgh!” Jacy shrieked as the spider crawled up her leg. She regretted agreeing to go on the hike. In fact, she had regretted her decision the moment she stepped onto the trail.

- DIALOGUES

“Why did I ever agree to this hike?” Mona sighed. She looked around her. Everyone seemed bright and cheerful. No one seemed to mind their heavy knapsacks or the mosquitoes buzzing around.

- ACTIONS

Shifting her knapsack, Jamie kept her eyes on the trail. It was muddy and full of twists and turns. It looked treacherous, and dangerous. She did not think she could make it all the way to the end.

- DESCRIPTIONS (weather, characters, settings etc.)

Dark clouds drifted across the sky, carried by a gusty wind. Soon, they blocked out the Sun. Britney looked up, worried that an impending storm might turn the hard-packed trail into a river of mud.

- FLASHBACK

Christina’s lips were sore and dry. Licking them, she recalled how the first flames had started. That had been a narrow escape.

- BEGIN WITH THE PRESENT AND GO BACK TO THE PAST

Everytime I hear the song “Reach”, I am reminded of the time I made a fool of myself on stage…

- A STARTLING FACT

I nearly died one Sunday morning. I remember that it was a sweltering day. I had asked Zack and Cody to go swimming with me at the Singapore Swimming Club.

- CLIMAX

“I hate you Mr Crab!” Patrick screamed and dashed out of the classroom in tears. The whole class was silent as they watched Patrick stomp out.

- QUESTION

Have you ever done anything stupid in your life? I mean, something so stupid that it almost cost you your life?

- PERSONAL FEELINGS/ THOUGHTS

I know that no one will ever believe me, but it is true. I really saw an angel! She had wings like the angels I had seen in pictures and she carried a bunch of flowers. There was a light coming from her. She appeared out of nowhere and assisted me when I needed help.

- PROVERBS/ QUOTES/ HEADLINES

Matt cried as he felt the first hard blows from the principal’s cane. He regretted his earlier actions and finally understood that honesty is the best policy…

- DRAMATICALLY

“Bang!” the door slammed shut and Sheila was left all alone, with the bucket stuck to her foot, clutching the frightened white kitten.

- TRADITIONALLY

There was once a wrinkled old man who walked with a limp. Whenever he hobbled along, all the children would run to hide. All of them, except…

Book Vandals At The Library

Book Vandals At The Library

Characters

Two mischievous boys – selfish, like to vandalise public property/ like to deface books in the library, despite being caught a few times and were punished.

Teacher – was in the library borrowing some books, caught them red-handed – one tearing pages from a book and the other scribbling graffiti in the book.

Librarian – was informed by the teacher who showed her the defaced books. She reprimanded the two boys severely and told them that their form teacher would be informed to call their parents up to pay for the two books that are damaged.

Place

An air-conditioned library – so cosy and quiet, not crowded at that time as it was after supplementary lessons when most pupils were rushing home after a long day of lessons.

The two boys were alone at a deserted corner of the library sitting down to browse through the books. After reading for a while --- thought that the pictures of the book could be used for his project work on animals, so he tore the pages out of that book.

The other boy liked to draw and thought suddenly to draw a terrifying creature on that book to scare other readers.

Feelings

Did not realise that their acts were seen by a teacher who happened to walk past them.

Caught red-handed. Face turned lobster-red. Very embarrassed of their actions. Heads hung low as the teacher reprimanded them and took them to see the librarian. Again, the librarian explained to  them what they did were offences and said that their form teacher and parents would be informed. They had to pay for the two books that were defaced.

They were repentant after their parents scolded them in front of their form teacher. Promised not to vandalise library books again.

A Drowning Incident (Class Writing)

I’m Drowning!

Questions:

1.       Where were you?

2.       Who were with you?

3.       What were you doing at that time?

4.       Describe the weather on that day.

5.       How did you start to drown?

6.       What did you do?

7.       What did you think about at that time of drowning?

8.       Were you saved at the end?

9.       How did you feel after that?

10.   What lesson did you learn?

Where? / Who? / When? At East Coast Beach/ Delta Swimming Complex/ Safra (Mount Faber) swimming pool Went for a swim with my family/ friends Deep water Parents sat far away from me when I was swimming

What happened? Strong wind was blowing Dark clouds formed in the sky A small/ light drizzle Did not bother, still wanted to swim Swimming trunks/swimming costume/float/goggles/ enjoying the cool/warm/refreshing/salty water, Splashing, treading water/ creating ripples in the water Having a whale of a time Sudden low tide I was washed further away from shore Turbulent currents became stronger I had leg cramp, became numbed Panicked and screamed loudly for help Nobody was nearby Felt frantic and desperate Sinking and could not take in air Waving/flailing my arms wildly/ Tried/struggled to keep my head above water Head bobbing up and down in the water Out of breath In trouble

How did you feel after that? Parents gave a sigh of relief Thanked the lifeguard profusely Phobia of swimming in the sea Felt scared to go into the water again Parents stopped me from swimming in the big sea

How the problem was resolved? A male passer-by heard my screams for help Alerted a burly/ muscular life guard Galvanised into action Swam towards me and pulled me to shore I swallowed a lot of water My parents saw me about to drown  their heart somersaulted cold sensation hit them their heart would probably seize up a sense of foreboding settled over them Lifeguard applied artificial resuscitation on me I coughed out water

            On a scorching hot day, my parents took my brother and I to Sentosa Siloso Beach for a picnic.

When we reached our destination, we quickly found a shady tree to put down our picnic stuff. My brother and I were very excited to start swimming. We quickly changed into our swimming costumes and ran towards the sea. The water was very calm at that time. We enjoyed splashing and treading water and watching the ripples forming in the water.

After having a whale of a time playing and swimming in the water, my leg suddenly became numbed. I had a leg cramp. I panicked and screamed for help. Alas! My brother was quite far from me. He did not seem to hear my cry for help.

My head bobbed up and down in the water. I swallowed a lot of the salty sea water.

After what seemed like hours of struggling in the water, a hand suddenly grabbed me. My brother had come to my rescue!

          He lifted my head out of the water and pulled me to shore. After laying me on the sandy shore, he applied artificial resuscitation on me and I coughed out water. By then, my parents saw what had transpired and rushed towards us.

 “Peter, are you all right?” my mother asked anxiously as she crouched next to me. I grimaced and howled in pain, gesturing to my legs. My mother shot a reproachful look at my brother, while my father stood over us, his brow creased and his face ashen. My brother thought, “Why did I not keep a close eye on my brother?” Guilt gnawed at him from the inside and he hung his head low.    He rubbed my numbed leg to ease the pain there.        

Gradually, I stopped groaning and my face visibly relaxed. My parents heaved a huge sigh of relief.

           I had suffered a leg cramp because I swam too vigorously and was not properly hydrated before the swim.

            I subsequently apologised to my parents for causing them such great anxiety.

            After that frightening incident when I almost drowned, I refused to venture anywhere near a waterbody for the next month in fear that the same thing would happen to me. However, I gradually recovered my nerve and slowly picked up swimming again.