10.2 Picking the Right Details中级英语写作.pdf

Unit 10 10.2 Picking the Right Details Writing... • is a co nst a nt st rugg le t o inc lude o n ly t he most important details, and exclude everything else. • requires a constant awareness of t he purpose of description, w hich gives a stronger sense of w hat should be included, and what shouldn’t. The writer’s job... • is to pick the two of three most important details of a ny sce ne o r ev e nt , a nd f oc us o n desc ribing t h o s e i n a p o w e rf u l w a y t h a t w i l l m a k e a n impression on the reader. Example Vague: Jack was a mean boy , and everyone knew it . Everyone in the c lass had a lw ay s dis liked him. But he w as st rong, and t hat let him do w hatev e r he w a nted . W he n he e nte red t he roo m, ev e ry o ne w as scared of him. He felt powerf ul as he made his way to his seat . Specif ic: W hen Jack entered the room, he shoved another boy as he pas s e d , j ust be c a us e he c o u ld . He s it a nt ey e s w at c he d f ro m a l l across the room, but no one moved. He was bigger than any of them, w it h his w ide shoulders and t hick arms; and he smiled, sat isf ied, as he made his way to his seat . Example • T he f irst te lls y ou t hat eve ry one in t he room is scared of J ac k , a nd t hat he f e e ls pow e rf u l— b ut it nev e r a ct ua l ly shows him doing anything. • In the second version, Jack simply shoves another boy— something only a “mean” person would do. The description of the other boys watching shows us they’re afraid