Describing a person. 

A descriptive essay about a person should consist of: 

1. an introduction in which you give general information about the person, saying when, where and how you first met them;
2. a main body in which you describe their physical appearance, personal qualities and hobbies / interests. you start a new paragraph for each topic; 
3. a conclusion in which you write your comments and / or feelings about the person. 

• When describing someone you know well or see often (i.e. a friend, a neighbour, etc.) you should use present tenses. when describing someone who is no longer alive, or someone you knew a long time ago and you do not see any more, you should use past tenses.
• Descriptions of people can be found in articles, letters, narratives, etc. The writing style you use depends on the situation and the intended  reader. For example, if you are writing an article for a magazine, you should use semi-formal style and a polite, respectful tone.  

Now, it is your turn. Describe a person. Write it in the comments. 

Describing a place. 

A descriptive composition about a place or building consist of:

1. an introduction in which you give the name and the location of the place and /or the reason for choosing it;
2. a  main body in which you describe the main aspects of the place or building in detail - for example, when you describe a place you should describe what you can see and do there; when you describe a building you should describe its exterior and interior, as well as give hisrorical facts about it;
3. a conclusion which includes your comments / feelings / final thoughts and / or recommendation. 

Descriptions of places or buildings can be found in tourist magazines, travel brochures, stories, letters, etc. The style you use depends on the situation and the intended reader. For example, in an article for a magazine you should use semi-formal style and a polite, respectful tone. You normally use present tenses to describe a place / building. You use past tenses to write ablout the historical facts.  

Now, it is your turn to describe your place. Write your descriptions in the comments.

Read the extracts (A-G) and decide which type of writing they are from (1- 7).

1. third person narrative
2. formal letter
3. first person narrative
4. description of a place
5. informal letter
6. description of a person
7. description of a festival

TYPES OF COMPOSITION

When you write a composition you need to understand the type of writing required. Your piece of writing can be in the form of a letter, an article for a magazine/ newspaper or a report. 

LETTERS. They are written to a person for a specific reason (advice, complain). They include:

1. informal letters. 
2. formal letters.
3. semi-formal letters.

ARTICLES. They are  found in magazines and newspapers. The following can be found in the form of am article:

1. descriptions.
2. narratives. 
3. news reports.
4. reviews.
5. discursive essays.
6. "for and against" essays.
7. opinion essays.
8. providing solutions to problems.
9. letters to the editor.

REPORTS. They are formal pieces of writing and have a specific for mat and features. They include:

1. assessment reports.
2. proposal reports. 

Hello! welcome to this blog. This is the resource to practice English and learn how to write formal and informally. Here you will learn about some specific idioms used in writing.