We all love to hear about the trials and tribulations that others have experienced. We want to learn how someone overcame an obstacle, and found a way to move on. Personal essays allow those of us who have experienced life’s woes (and sometimes abundant joys), to share what we’ve learned, and to help lead others more effectively through their own life journey.
The personal essay is just that – a personal account of something you have experienced. It can be serious, dramatic, or even hilarious. But it must have a reason – or purpose – for sharing it with the reader. It is structured around a theme, and is rooted in experience and emotion. Finding topics for your essays is as easy as taking a good hard look at your own daily life. Ideas are in everything – from your rocky relationship with your mother, and your husband’s failure to put the cap on the toothpaste tube, to your teenager’s new driving skills (or lack of), and your preschoolers’ penchant for sharing your personal secrets with the strangers in the checkout line at the grocery store. We’ve all had moments that moved us to tears – not to mention tantrums – and we’re more than interested to hear how others have both survived (and blown), similar experiences.
What Makes A Good Personal Essay:
A good personal essay comes alive for the reader in the way the experience is shared. It’s not just a stream of consciousness account of your daily trials and joys, but a well-calculated and well-written story Use strong language and vivid images to transport your reader to the time, place and emotional state that you are describing. Make them feel and be part of the story. Make them laugh. Make them cry. Make them feel. Give them lots of action. Whether you’re writing a more dramatic piece, or a humorous take on an old problem, that’s what the personal essay is all about.
Written in the first person, it is true that the personal essay may start with an event that you experienced, but it isn’t necessary to share every single moment-by-moment play of it. Pick and choose what gives the story the impact that you are striving for. Leave out ultra-personal things (especially if they have no real impact on the story), and by all means, change the names of those in the story to protect your friends and family’s privacy. Remember to use all the qualities of good fiction in your essay: drama, good characterization, conflict, and more.
What To Watch Out For When Writing The Personal Essay:
Writing the personal essay can be therapeutic, for both the reader and the writer. Just be sure that you aren’t turning your story more into a “session with your therapist,” than a good, well-written, informative, and yes, interesting story. Readers want to come away with a sense that you’ve overcome some obstacle — and that they’ve learned something – by reading your piece. Manage to give them all that, and more, and you will have accomplished your goal.
posted in English, Writing by DoS | Comments Off
I’m taught p-l-o-u-g-h
Shall be pronouncé “plow.”
“Zat’s easy w’en you know,” I say,
“Mon Anglais, I’ll get through!”
My teacher say zat in zat case,
O-u-g-h is “oo.”
And zen I laugh and say to him,
“Zees Anglais make me cough.”
He say, “Not ‘coo,’ but in zat word,
O-u-g-h is ‘off.’”
Oh, Sacre bleu! Such varied sounds
Of words makes me hiccough!
He say, “Again mon frien’ ees wrong;
O-u-g-h is ‘up’
In hiccough.” Zen I cry, “No more,
You make my t’roat feel rough.”
“Non, non!” he cry, “you are not right;
O-u-g-h is ‘uff.’”
I say, “I try to spik your words,
I cannot spik zem though.”
“In time you’ll learn, but now you’re wrong!
O-u-g-h is ‘owe.’”
“I’ll try no more, I s’all go mad,
I’ll drown me in ze lough!”
“But ere you drown yourself,” said he,
“O-u-g-h is ‘ock.’”
He taught no more, I held him fast,
And killed him wiz a rough!
– Charles Battell Loomis
posted in English, Pronunciation by DoS | Comments Off
Though you may already know that lay is correct in both of the following sentences:
- Everyday I lay my towel in the shade on the beach.
- Yesterday I lay down in the shade on the beach.
You might not be aware that the following sentences are the equivalents after the tenses have been adjusted:
- Yesterday I laid my towel in the shade on the beach.
- Everyday I lie down in the shade on the beach.
Confused? well check out this cool site I just discovered!
Here are a few screen caps to give you an idea of what to expect!
and for the pesky group of conjunctive adverbs:
So, make good use of this site; after all, everyone gets confused about some expressions every now and and again.
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I just happened upon one of the most well-designed, creative, useful, and inspiring websites full of pdf worksheets covering all language skills. The activities are unique, unexpected and are sure to engage you and your students. Don’t miss the very inventive pronunciation worksheets! Here is a sample from the section on vocabulary, specifically antonyms:
I also got a kick out of the illustrations for types of facial hair. Here’s a sample:
Be amazed, explore, have fun and treat your students to what can only be described as TEFL Art!
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Jerome Flynn – Actor Turned Singer
After a variety of jobs, Jerome Flynn became (1) …….. successful with fellow Robson Green in the TV series Soldier, Soldier, and then when they (2) …….. up as singers in 1995, they had three number one hits. ‘It was a whirlwind, fantasy time,’ says Jerome. ‘We made the records because we quite (3) …….. the money, and it paid off. It was a lot of fun, but you can become (4) …….. in the pop world. It’s addictive, and once you’re a pop star, people tend to (5) …….. you on a pedestal. It was so mad we had to get out while the going was good. Now money doesn’t seem so much, although it (6) …….. me to leave my career behind for a while. But Robson wanted to go back to acting and has made quite a success of it. I’d like to work with him again one day.’
1. A greatly B largely C hugely D grossly
2. A joined B teamed C fixed D grouped
3. A craved B longed C yearned D fancied
4. A laid up B seized up C taken up D caught up
5. A lift B have C put D hold
6. A enabled B empowered C entitled D effected
Post your answers in the comment section. Official answers will be posted on Monday.
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