I. Points to remember:
冘 To describe an annual event (e.g. a carnival) you should give accurate information in well-structured paragraphs. Briefly introduce the event, stating the place, the time and the reason it takes place. Give more detailed information concerning the preparations and the description of the event in the main body. Finish by describing peopleˇs feelings or commenting on the event.
冘 Present tenses are commonly used to describe annual events (e.g. annual festivals). However, if the event happened in the past, past tenses should be used. (e.g. a wedding which you attended last Saturday). The Passive is frequently used to described the preparations or activities which take place, e.g. Turkey is served for Christmas dinner.
冘 Narrative techniques and a variety of descriptive adjectives can be used to set the scene and describe the atmosphere. This will make your description more vivid. e.g. As I entered the room I saw brightly coloured balloons hanging on the walls and a huge, beautifully-decorated birthday cake on the table in front of me.
冘 These pieces of writing can be found in magazines, newspapers, as parts of letters, etc.
II. Organization of the composition
Introduction
Paragraph 1
Set the scene ( name, place, time, reason)
Main Body
Paragraph 2
Preparations
Paragraph 3
Description of the actual event / activities
Conclusion
Paragraph 4
Feelings, comment, final thoughts
III. Exercises
1. Read the following text and underline the passive forms. Then, list the preparations made before the event and the activities which take place on the actual day. Finally give the paragraph outline.
Valentineˇs Day
Many countries celebrate Valentineˇs Day on February 14th. This modern-day holiday is a celebration of love which gets its name from a Roman priest, Valentine, who secretly performed wedding ceremonies for Christian couple in the 3rd century.
Weeks before the fourteenth of February, shop windows are decorated with red paper hearts, red streamers and boxes of chocolates. Heart-shaped cakes and sweets are baked and gifts such as perfume and jewellery are promoted by department stores. Red roses are ordered from florists, dinner reservations are made and presents are bought in preparation for Valentineˇs Day. Even cards and small gifts are made by young children at school.
On valentineˇs Day, many people wear something red, since it is considered to be the colour of love. Gifts, wrapped in shiny paper and red ribbons, are exchanged, women receive bouquets of flowers and people express their feelings to their loved ones. In the evening, many couples choose to dine at romantic restaurants while others enjoy spending time together at home.
Valentineˇs Day is a time to let people know how much you love and appreciate them. It is a day that makes everyone feel romantic and happy.
2. Read the following text and fill in the blanks with words from the list below, then say which traditions are mentioned in the text:
luck exchanged looks forward to
play atmosphere winds through
filled firecrackers keep out
held celebrated stripes
The Chinese New Year festivities are 1) __________ at end of January of beginning of February for a period of one month. During this time, Chinese people 2)___________ the end of the winter season.
Preparations begin in December when shops are 3)___________ with people buying gifts. Buying new shoes is extremely important because it is believed that if you walk in old shoes on new Yearˇs Day, youˇll have bad 4)___________.
On New Yearˇs Eve, families gather at home and cover their doors with 5)__________ of red paper. This is meant to 6) ___________ evil spirits. Gifts are 7) ____________ at midnight. Homes are filled with the sounds of happy children, who traditionally receive coins in red envelopes on New Yearˇs Eve.
For the next two weeks, all shops are closed as people enjoy visiting friends and relatives. The 8) ___________ is friendly as children sing songs for sweet rice cakes and musicians 9)__________ in the streets. The final and most impressive event is the Lantern Festival. Colourful lanterns are hung outside homes and a dragon parade takes place. The dragon is very long, made of paper and painted in bright colours. Men stand under the dragonˇs head and body. The parade 10) ___________ the streets and crowds cheer and set off 11)_____________.
The Chinese new Year is an exciting holiday which everyone 12)____________. It is a celebration rich in tradition and full of happiness.
3. Read the following text and answer the questions:
a) Which model is a description of an annual event and which of a past event attended by the writer? b) Which tenses are used in model A and which in model B? c) Which model has a personal style and which has an impersonal style? d) How does each model finish?
Model A
Graduation Ceremony
Graduation day at Swansea University takes place in July. The Town Hall is used for the ceremony. The occasion is kept formal and traditional in order to properly honour the achievements of the students.
Days before the ceremony, students are given their caps and gowns. A stage is set up and chairs are arranged for those attending. The hall is decorated with beautiful bouquets of flowers, and speeches are prepared by the invited guests of honour.
On the day itself, students and their families attend a cheese and wine party held by the faculty before the actual ceremony. A few hours later, usually around 2:30 in the afternoon, the ceremony begins. Speeches are made, then the students queue up in the order in which they are going to be called. Their names are read out one by one, and students go up onto the stage to receive their degrees from the Dean, who shakes each graduateˇs hand. All the graduates look sophisticated in their black caps and gowns as proud parents take photos of them.
Afterwards, everyone attends a less formal dinner party where professors have the chance to congratulate the graduates.
Graduation day is a special occasion in a studentˇs life. It is a time to feel pleased about reaching a very important goal.
Model B
¨My Graduation Day〃
On a sunny July afternoon in 1995 I graduated from Swansea University. It was a day I had been looking forward to for a long time, and the graduation ceremony gave me an absolute sense of fulfillment, as I had dreamt it would.
About a week before the ceremony, caps and gowns were handed out to all the students. The hall was prepared as worker set up a stage an chairs. Flowers were put all around the hall as well.
On graduation day, I arrived at the Town Hall to find the Dean and the lecturers already there along with hundreds of students. Soon the ceremony began and speeches were made. Then we stood up and were called one by one to receive our degrees. The Dean shook our hands and congratulated us as everyone applauded. An informal dinner party followed the ceremony.
A feeling of pride and satisfaction stayed with me throughout the day. I will always remember my graduation because it signified the end of a long period of hard work and the beginning of a new era in my life.
4. Match the beginnings with the endings. Which describe annual events and which past events?
Beginnings K.
A. My 15th birthday party last your was a really memorable occasion. My family and just bought a house by the sea and as it was summer, my parents let me have a barbecue on the beach.
B. Americaˇs most important national holiday, Independence Day, takes place on the 4th of July. Americans celebrate the day in 1776 when the American colonies declared themselves free from British rule.
C. The sight of my friends and family standing in the living room on my arrival made tears come to my eyes. I had felt so lonely all those months away from home and their surprise welcome reminded me of how much Iˇd missed everyone.
D. Thanksgiving is celebrated every year in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November. On this day, many people sit down to a traditional turkey dinner and give thanks to God for the harvest.
K. Endings
1. People across the U.S. enjoy this patriotic day and take great pride remembering the history of their young country.
2. It certainly was the best party I have ever had, Not only because it was the first time I had ever cu my birthday cake on a beach, but also because of the great pleasure it gave me to see so many of my friends and relative together in the same place.
3. Families all over the country look forward to this autumn holiday. It is a time for everyone to think and appreciate everything they have.
4. At the end of the evening when the last guests had left, I sat by the fireplace to have a cup of tea with my parents before I went to bed, What a relief it was to be home again surrounded by familiar objects and people who really cared.
5. Write one of the following compositions suing 100 V120 words:
冘 A travel magazine is running a competition for the best description of a festival in your country. Write a description for the competition.
冘 Describe a party / ceremony you have been to.