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

• Why was this event important?
• How did you feel about these event?
• How did this event change you?
• 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.