The Descriptive Essay

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The Descriptive Essay

• An Autobiography
• -- describe your life.,
• You can use this for your C.V, application to a
  University or just describing your life.

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The AutobiographyMake a Brain storm

• How to make a short autobiography
• Just some ideas

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Autobiography Make a Brain storm

• Think about the major events in your life
• Try and quickly write down anything in your life
  that might have been important for you.
• Try and put then in order by time
  (chronologically)

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Autobiography Make a Brain storm

• For example
• Family moved to Australia
• Moved to a new area of the city
• Started learning Kung Fu
• Joined a sports (Ruby) club and played many games
• Father an I used to hunt together
• Moved to another area of the city
• Entered high school

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Autobiography Make a Brain storm

• Began studying subjects that I love very much
  History, English literature, Japanese
• Passed the 5th grade test
• Got my first part-time job
• Went tramping with my class mates in the
  mountains
• Passed the 6th Grade examinations
• Final year of High school I became close to many
  teachers
• Passed the final year examinations

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Autobiography Make a Brain storm

• Write down five important events in your life
• 1.________________
• 2.________________
• 3.________________
• 4.________________
• 5.________________

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Which events will be best for the Auto biography?

• Something interesting
• Something that shows personal development
• Something that shows a good character
• Something that shows you have an interest in hard
  work and study

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What is best?

• The first day I ate Chou Dou fu
• The day first won an online game
• When I meet my new History teacher at high school
  who showed me how interesting history can be
• When I had my examinations and I learnt to work
  as hard as I could
• When I started working at a part-time job and I
  learnt to make my own money. When I learnt that
  to make money one has to work hard.

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Autobiography Make a Brain storm

1. Why was this event important?
2. How did you feel about these event?
3. How did this event change you?
4. What did you learn from this event?

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Autobiography Make a Brain storm

• List some ideas next to each event/experience you
  listed
• For example
• Family moved to Australia
• When I was 6 years old my whole family moved to
  Australia.

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Why was this an important event?

• This was such an important event in my life, at
  the time, because everything in my life changed
  so much.
• This was an important event in my life because I
  had to make a new life, new friends, new school
  and new environment.

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2. How did you feel about these events

• I felt like my world had changed
• I felt excited about moving to this new and large
  country
• At first I felt afraid and it was hard to make
  friends. But after a while I slowly made new
  friends and felt at home.

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3. How did each event/experience change you?

• I must say that the years I spent in Australia
  changed me a lot. I became a much more out going
  and social person.
• I became I person able to live an adapt to new
  situations and places.

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4.What did you learn from these
events/experiences?

• I also learned that people are the same
  everywhere and everywhere in the world there are
  kind people. For example, I easily made many new
  friends in Australia. Most people there were kind
  and friendly.

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Continue

• As I was in a new country, I learned that I had
  to change myself and that I had to learn to make
  friends with all kinds of people. This I think
  made me a much more open and kinder person.

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Describe your family

• Remember, try to be interesting?
• Talk about what kinds of things your parents
  taught you. For example, how your father taught
  you to be strong and patient.
• How your mother taught you to be kind to all
  people, especially people not so fortunate
  (lucky) as you.

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Describe the atmosphere in your family

• Describe the atmosphere in your family (what is
  your family like)
• For example My parents are very strict to us
  all. They try to teach us to be honest, to work
  hard and respect all people.
• My family is a very kind and caring family. We
  love to laugh together and enjoy life together.
  For example

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Brothers and sisters

• Talk about what your brothers and sisters are
  doing at the moment.
• Just write a few sentences about this.
• If you have a close relationship to your brother
  or sister that may show good character , then
  maybe describe it.

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In the final paragraph

• Write about your hopes and dreams for the future.
• For example
• I hope to make my family proud of me and enter
  into a good university. I also wish to work hard
  and prove to myself that I am capable of so much.
  I would love to study Zoology (Biology) as I
  believe I have a natural relationship with
  animals. And after university I can go on working
  with animals in Taiwan. Something I believe I was
  born to do.

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Structure of AutobiographyThe introduction

• Throughout my life I have learned to be
  adaptable, dependable and kind to others.
• My mother, father and life experiences have
  taught me these valuable lessons.
• I hope to show that I am a person worthy of
  consideration (for_______ University/ this job)
  as I am person with the qualities to do my best
  at _________ (University/ this job) and show
  success.

Make a first sentence that is really interesting
Then write some background information
Write a thesis statement (the main idea of the
autobiography)
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Structure of AutobiographyBody paragraphs

• Each important (interesting) event in your life
  should be described in one paragraph
• 1.________________
• 2.________________
• 3.________________
• 4.________________
• 5.________________

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Body paragraph

• For example
• When I was 6 years old my whole family moved to
  Australia. This was such an important event in my
  life, at the time, because everything in my life
  changed so much. At first I felt afraid and it
  was hard to make friends. But after a while I
  slowly made new friends and felt at home. I must
  say that the years I spent in Australia changed
  me a lot. I became a much more out going and
  social person. I also learned that people are the
  same everywhere and everywhere in the world there
  are kind people. For example, I easily made many
  new friends in Australia. Most people there were
  kind and friendly.

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How many paragraphs do I need

• You need to show many points about your past that
  show you are a person ready for university.
• One major event in your life should be an entire
  paragraph.

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How many sentences in a paragraph?

• At least 5

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The conclusionThe final paragraph

• To sum up,
• To conclude,
• By way of conclusion
• In short,
• Basically,
• By way of conclusion, I believe my life has shown
  that I have got what it takes to succeed in
  ______ University because inmy life I have learnt
  to be_____,______ and _______

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The conclusion

• By way of conclusion, I believe my life has shown
  that I have got what it takes to succeed in
  ______ University because in my life I have
  learnt to be_____,______ and _______.
• So, please give me the opportunity to prove
  myself in ___________ University. I am sure
  ______ University is the place for me to allow me
  to achieve much in my life.

Say your Thesis sentence (your main idea) in a
different way. For example
Write at least one sentence asking the reader to
kindly accept you.
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The key to speaking about ones life

• Confident
• Happy
• Express that you really want to do in your life
• Show no doubt
• Smile a lot
• Always say yes with a smile

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The key to speaking about ones life

• Express why you will do well at university
• Express a real interest.
• Show your good character
• Show want you have learnt in life
• Explain your dreams and plans for the future

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Your spirit, hopes and dreams

• Explain your dreams and plans for the future
• This is the most important
• Your past does not always matter there is no
  need to dwell on a not so fortunate past.
• It is about what you want for your future

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Importance of making a clear goal

• Everybody needs a goal.
• Thins is the key to success.
• So find one.
• It does not have to be prefect
• People like interesting people. Interesting and
  worth while people will not judge you. If some
  people do, then they are not worth worrying
  about.