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writing
1   generating ideas for writing
creative writing describing a scene
a Look at this exercise from the first lesson of a course in creative writing. Which example would you most like to read?
Write a short anecdote with the title Seen through a window, describing what is seen and the feelings of the person looking. This person may be you or someone else. The reader will also be looking through that window and sharing the feelings of the character.
Here are a few examples: a firefighter on a ladder looking into a burning room; a sick old woman looking out at the garden she used to look after; a man looking into a shop window at something he would love to buy but can't afford.
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b Imagine you are going to do the exercise in a. Think for a few minutes and imagine what you are looking at.
•   Where is the window? (in a house, shop, palace, prison, etc.)
•   Who is the person? (you, someone you know, an imaginary character)
•   Are they looking in or looking out?
•   What can they see?
•   What is the person thinking or feeling?
c Now tell a partner your ideas.
2   describing people, places and things
Read this description that someone has written following the instructions in la. Answer the questions in lb.
Seen kkrouqk a rtindou)
Look mg kWrouqW -the, lúindou) ak -rke Scene beloiň ker o££ic&, ske %e\k ske had a taindoiů on +ke modern u)orid- She locked ak +ke -MI, qrei^ blocks opposite and khouqhk oí all -rke busq people doinq kheirjobs inside, kheir o££/ces. A+ skreek level -rkere mere Sandwich skopS and ca-Zes-, kheq mere e/up-hy noic, buk ak l&nck<f»ue khere mould be long queues. Ske makched -rke krabic qoinq pask in -rke crowded skreek. Ihere mere lona buses mikh kheir kired passengers, black and mhike kaXis, and cqclisks mearina masks and kelřue-f s aaainsk -fke dangers o-f -rke krabic. On khe comer, ske cooler see a kWin upunq n\an in an old leakker coak planina magical tu.usic on a sk/n/ng saxophone. People mafced quicklq along -rke paveruen-f mikhouk skoppinq ko lisken.
b Look at the description in a again.
1  Underline any examples of descriptions using this pattern: description + noun, example the modern world
2 (Circle)any examples of descriptions using this pattern: noun + description, examples busy (people doing their jobs')
longtfnises with their tired passengers)
3 What kind of words give information before a noun? What kind of words can introduce information after a noun?

c  Which prepositions are used in the description in a to say where things or people are?
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d Choose the appropriate preposition to complete these pairs of sentences.
1   out of I outside
I looked__________the bedroom window of the cottage I had rented.
I looked at the scene__________the bedroom window of the cottage
I had rented.
2   in front of J opposite
There was a cherry tree__________my cottage.
There was a large old farmhouse__________my cottage.
3   on J over
There was a little stone bridge There was a swan swimming _
the river.
the river.
a Work in pairs to improve this description looking in through a window. Choose the correct words in italics (1-12).
Every summer I arrive at the back of my grandmother's house (1) in I on the country and look through the kitchen window. (2) There's/It's a(n)
(a)__________table with eight (b)__________chairs (3) along!around it.
Next (4) of I to the cooker is a(n) (c)__________cupboard (5) with/of glass
doors and along the opposite wall (6) there's/there are several shelves with (d)__________bottles and jars. (7) In/At one corner, I can see the (e)____
armchair where my grandmother usually sits in the evening. (8) On/In the wall
(9) above /under this there are some (f)__________pictures (10) by/of fruit and
flowers. My favourite sight is always my grandmother's (g)__________cat
(11) lies/lying asleep in her basket (12) by/nearby the armchair.
b Make the description more interesting by choosing one or two of these adjectives for the spaces (a-g). You can use words more than once.
old-fashioned     pretty attractive          colourful
large     wooden           comfortable      old        tall
long      rectangular     glass                small      round
c   Check the order of adjectives you chose in b. Remember that adjectives are usually written in this order:
opinion + size + age + shape + colour + material
'Writing task
Imagine you have seen the following advert:
Creative writers wanted
Write a description with the title Seen through my window.The scene can be real or imaginary and you can be looking in, or looking out. Start like this: If you look through my window, you ...
The three best descriptions will be published in an online magazine.
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