Writing Composition Book 8

Composition
A writing skill development course
Edi Rite
Composition
A writing skill development course
8
Foreword
Welcome to the art of creative writing!
Writing, as we all know, is a very important skill to learn in school.
It is primarily a skill that cannot be learned through theory, but
only by practice. A good foundation in writing skill will not
only improve a student’s ability to communicate e•ectively with
others, but will also strengthen their skills in their future studies
and working life. Competence in writing is increasingly seen as
vital to equip learners for success in the twenty-•rst century.
Composition Writing is a series of ten books. They have been
solely wri!en for students in the age group of six to sixteen. The
lessons herein are age-appropriate and cross-curricular and have
been compiled and wri!en with the sole purpose of developing a
student’s creative thinking and expression. They cover the basics
of vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and sentence building
and focus on guided and free writing. They also deal with the
techniques of brainstorming and editing.
These books aim to help learners •nd their way slowly but
steadily, to help them become familiar with some of the ways
in which texts can be structured and write con•dently, "uently
and with understanding. Most importantly, they are aimed at
developing a student’s power of imagination, inventiveness and
critical awareness.
The series may be used independently or alongside other English
course books for the teaching of writing skills. Whatever the
purpose it is used for, we are con•dent that if students go through
the series conscientiously, they will learn to write well.
Suggestions for improvement and correction of any errors will be
gratefully acknowledged.
CONTENT
Unit Subject Writing skill Writing practice Page
1. Picture Composition * Comprehension * Writing a story 7
* Vocabulary * Writing the title
* Recognition
* Power of imagination, creativity and critical
thinking
* Story building skills
2. Re•ective Essay * Introduction of the essay topic * Planning and writing a good story 13
* Use of interesting details * Using adjectives and verbs to make
* Use of sensory details the story interesting
* Providing purpose for writing the essay * Writing the title
3. Descriptive Essay * Brainstorming * Making a web 28
* Interesting introduction and conclusion * Drafting a report
* Clear and concise language * Editing and writing an essay
* Use of sensory details * Writing the title
4. Persuasive Essay * Planning main ideas * Essay writing 43
* Providing convincing arguments * Writing the title
5. Narrative Essay * Ability to use prompts * Planning a good story 61
* Use of adjectives and verbs to make the essay * Using adjectives and verbs
interesting * Writing the title
* Title
6. Imaginative Essay * Use of imagination * Making a cluster 75
* Ability to write an autobiography * Writing an imaginative essay
* Clustering * Writing an autobiography
7. Cause and Effect * Developing a chain of ideas * Essay writing 89
Essay * Identifying and expanding cause-effect
relationship
8. Expository Essay * Identifying the purpose for writing * Noting down points in a given 98
* Research and planning framework
* Arguments for and against * Writing an essay
* Main idea and supporting details, facts and * Giving an appropriate title
examples
* Title
9. Letter Writing * Re!ecting on personal experiences * Writing personal and formal letters 109
* Writing in an organized manner
* Use of words and sentences (example: beginning,
middle and end-main ideas and details)
* Correct capitalization and punctuation
* Standard grammar
* Use of proper upper case and lower case letters
10. Poetry * Ability to write * Writing 125
- a rhyme - rhymes
- a limerick - limericks
- a couplet - couplets
- free verse -free verse
* Creativity
EXPLORING WRITING
S.No. Topics Page
1. Mini-sagas 11
2. Metaphors 24
3. Haiku 39
4. Similies 55
5. Synonyms 70
6. Diamante 83
7. Antonyms 95
8. Journals 107
9. Idioms 120
Unit 1
Picture Composition
Writing a composition based on pictures
WRITING SKILL
• Comprehension and recognition
• Imagination, creativity and critical awareness
• Story building skill
Follow these steps:
Step 1: Observation
Study the photograph for two minutes. Form an overall
impression of the photograph and then examine individual
items like people, objects or activities in the photograph.
Step 2: Inference
Based on what you have observed above, list three things you
might understand from the photograph.
Step 3: Questions
Does this picture raise any questions in your mind?
Can you write a story based on the picture?
Composition Writing - 8 7
Killing Loneliness
It was a pleasant morning. Old Mr. Bha!arai woke up early that morning. He
dressed carefully and ate a simple breakfast of bread and egg. Like every other
morning, he had occupied his favourite place at the park. He sat on the bench
and started reading a newspaper. There were many people around but he did
not notice anyone.
He lived alone in a house that he had built for his wife. A"er sharing #"y years
of married life, she had died due to a weak heart. A"er his wife’s death Mr
Bha!arai felt really sad and he hardly spoke with anybody. Anuradha, their
daughter, took care of him and helped him to get over the loss. Their lives
continued smoothly, till one day, she got married and went to live with her
husband in the USA.
The old man now had nobody to give him company or to take care of him.
Rather than stay at home all day alone doing nothing, he started visiting the
park and spending time there.
Even today, he leaves home early in the morning and returns late in the evening.
8 Composition Writing - 8
WRITING PRACTICE
A. Look at the picture and compose a story of your own.
Ask these questions before you write the story:
Who is the main character?
Who is the other character?
Where does the story take place?
When does the story take place?
What happens !rst?
What is the con"ict in the story?
How is the con"ict resolved?
What happens in the end?
B. Look at the pictures carefully and think. What do you see
and what message do you get? Write a short composition.
Use adjectives. Remember to write the title.
EXPLORING WRITING
Mini-saga – a story in exactly 50 words

50 words is not a lot. With some discipline and creativity, you can say a lot in
50 words. A mini-saga is a story that is told in exactly 50 words - neither 49 nor
51 but exactly 50 words.
• Writing a mini-saga expands your creativity. When you have to put
everything in 50 words, you have to ‘leave behind’ a lot. That’s where the
creativity starts.
• Writing a mini-saga stretches your thinking. What will you write about?
You have to think about topics that will !t in 50 words or squeeze them
to !t in 50 words. That’s when you really start thinking.
• Writing a mini-saga enhances your discipline. Deciding what to write
about, deciding what to leave behind and pu"ing it in 50 words requires
discipline throughout.
Examples
The Hairy Monster

The hairy monster was running a#er me. As it jumped onto me, I screamed as
if it would kill me. I thought it would start tearing my $esh. The cuts would be
very, very deep.
My mum told me to calm down as she brushed the spider o% my leg.
A Policeman On Patrol
A woman was walking down the street when she saw a policeman patrolling
it. Suddenly, he approached her. She was afraid and thought that he was going
to arrest her. However, she could not run away. He looked at her and asked,
“Could you tell me where the police station is?”
Write your own mini-saga. You can include a title with up
to •ve words. Write your story •rst – perhaps about a very
small event – and then shorten it down to exactly •fty words.
Use only those words that you need.
Here’s how you begin:
• Start by thinking of a story that you have wri!en or would like to write.
Or think of a well-known story or maybe something that you have read.
• Get a wri!en version of the story. Write it down.
• Shorten your story. Take out words that are not absolutely necessary.
How many words are there?
• Now shorten your story again. How many words are there? At this stage,
you may need to change words or sentences to make exactly 50 words.
Some topics for your mini-sagas:

Birthday present
First Experience
Memorable Day
Crimes Witnessed
Travel Incidents
Horror Stories
Fables
Legends
Unit 2
Re•ective Essay
To re!ect means to think deeply. It also means to mirror

or give back, an image. A re•ective essay does both. In a
re!ective essay about a person, a writer thinks deeply about
the person and then gives an image of him or her to readers.
Reading and writing such essays can help us in two ways
– to understand ourselves and others be"er and to see how
we learn from each other.
This kind of essay calls for writing a personal re•ection.
A personal re!ection means an autobiographical narrative
that re!ects on an experience in your life that has helped to
make you the person you are today.
Personal re•ection
When you examine and write about events in your life that have shaped your
unique personality, you are making a personal re"ection. Personal re"ection
helps you know yourself be#er by making you think about who you are and
how you got to be the way you are.
Many people write down their personal re"ections as autobiographical
narratives, memoirs, journal entries or diary entries. When you read personal
re"ections like these, you not only get to know the thoughts, feelings and
experiences of other people, but you also learn new ways of re-examining your
life through the examples set by others.
A re•ective essay should...

• focus on a clearly de!ned and well-developed incident. The incident
may consist of a series of closely related events.
• provide background information.
• include the elements of a narrative: plot, characters, se#ing, con"ict.
• organize events clearly.
• include appropriate word choice.
• explain the signi!cance of the incident.
• maintain a consistent point of view.
WRITING SKILL
• Introduce the essay topic. The !rst sentence should enable the reader
to become interested in the topic.
• Provide interesting details and state personal feelings and/or
expectations.
• Provide personal information.
• Make clear the signi!cance of the event and what actually happened.
• Use sensory details.
• Provide the purpose for writing the essay.
Example
• Essay topic:
A Lesson To Learn
• Interesting details about the person or thing:
My brother – always asking questions
• Personal information:
Younger, inquisitive and irritating
• Signi!cance of the event/what happened:
He did much be!er than me in the exams.
• Use of sensory details:
Felt bad and embarrassed.
• Purpose of writing the essay:
To get the message across that asking questions helps broaden our
knowledge.
• Why this topic?
Never be afraid to ask questions and never be afraid to wonder why.
A Lesson To Learn
My li!le brother is so irritating. All day long he says, “Bishal, I wonder why
people can talk but animals can’t.” Or, “I wonder why the ocean looks blue.”
Of course, I don’t know the answers, but I don’t let him know that. I just make
up reasonable explanations and he accepts them as if I’m the smartest person
in the world. Before I answer one of his questions, I usually tell him that he’s
pre!y stupid and asks too many questions.
Well, yesterday we both got our report cards. I got B’s and C’s and he got
straight A’s. Under the “Comments” section on my report card, it said, “Bishal
would be ge!ing be!er grades if he asked more questions.” Of course, on my
brother’s report card, it said just the opposite. That really made me feel bad
and yes, I did feel embarrassed that his grades were much be!er than mine.
To make things worse, my brother told everybody about how I was so stupid
for not asking questions! I told him he was right—I wouldn’t make fun of him
anymore for asking so many questions.
Yes, I learned a lesson from my li"le brother: Never be afraid to ask questions
and NEVER be afraid to wonder why.
WRITING PRACTICE
A. Use the framework below to draft your re•ective essay.
i) Essay topic
ii) Interesting details about the person or thing
iii) Personal information
iv) Signi#cance of the event/what happened
v) Use of sensory details
vi) Purpose of writing the essay
vii) Why this topic?
B. Edit your draft and write an interesting re•ective essay.
Let your feelings inspire your writing. It will appeal

TIP to those who read it.
Do not reject an experience as a topic just because
you do not immediately remember every single
detail about it. You will start remembering details
from your memory as you continue to think about
past experiences.
Memories Of A Best Friend
I carry many things in my treasure box at home. It contains my pocket money
savings, a golden ring, a le!er from a friend and lots of other valuables. There is
one thing however, which I value above all my possessions. It is a photograph.
It is small and the photographer was not good. That does not ma!er. What
ma!ers is the person in the photograph. His name is Ang Dorjee.
We "rst met almost two years ago when I moved to Bharatpur from my quiet
village. It was my "rst day and the school was very large. I was nervous. I
walked into my "rst class slightly late. I took a seat. Looking around, I noticed
several people staring at me. That made me very uncomfortable as I don’t like
to be stared at.
Since it was the "rst day school, our teacher made each of us introduce ourselves
to the class. We played a few games and made quite a noise. Soon, it was time
for lunch and I found myself being escorted to the lunchroom by a friendly,
tall boy from my class. He talked very politely and made me feel like we had
known each other since childhood.
During our games period, he picked me for his team and we played an
enjoyable game of football. Ang was a strong player. He played very well and
helped our team win the game. He seemed very friendly and supportive.
That day was the start of a friendship that I value till today. Before I met Ang, I
used to be very nervous whenever I did something new. With Ang’s support, I
developed a sense of con"dence. I grew in so many ways. Yes, Ang was a good
in#uence on me.
We remained friends for the next three years till I returned to my village. I lost
touch with him because of the distance that separated us. I o$en think of him
and the wonderful times we shared.
So, that li!le picture is my valuable possession. It reminds me of my best

friend. Whenever I see it, I think of Ang and wish that his life will always be a
happy one.
What My Grandad Meant To Me
My grandad meant so much to me. He taught me to never give up, no ma!er
how hard life gets. My grandad fought cancer for over thirty years and last
year he passed away. That was a really tough time for my family. I have shared
some very special moments with him.
When my brother Bikrant and I were younger, we went to my grandad’s house

quite a lot. My grandad had a pet parrot that would say the funniest things.
Soon a"er we would arrive at his house, we would always sit near its cage
and listen to it in surprise. One day we got to his house and couldn’t #nd it
anywhere. We searched and searched and #nally we came to the conclusion
that it had $own away. Grandad never told us that it died. We miss it a lot.
My grandad loved and cared for me very much. When I was li!le, he videotaped
me every chance he got. I am very grateful to still have those tapes. They hold
memories of the funny and sweet times we shared together. It always makes
me smile when I watch them.
My grandad made sure he was at all my special events. He lived quite far
away from my home but would come any way he could if we had something
going on. He has given my family and I so much support.
As I said before, my grandad ba!led cancer for a very long time. When he was
very sick and we went to visit him, he told us never to lose hope. It was very
inspiring to see him positive and happy when we came. The doctors said he
wouldn’t live a"er December but he fought and fought all the way to April.
That taught me to be positive and never to give up in the hard times of life.
My Mother
My mother has the strongest impact in my life. She has always been a role
model and supporter. She has given me a great place to live in. I will explain
the impact she has made on my life.
My mother has given me emotional support since my birth. She always trusted
me because she has taught me what is right and what is wrong. Because of
that, I have been able to make be!er choices. She has encouraged me to do
my best at everything I do and to never give up. She has always told me that
I could do anything if I put my mind to it. Her love for me always helped me
handle the di!cult situations.
My mother has also been the best role model for me. She has taught me not
to worry about what others think or say about me as long as I’m doing the
right thing. She has shown me that being humble and warm-hearted could
win more love and respect from others. She also taught me to be brave and
"rm for what I believe in. This quality prevents me from being in#uenced by
bad people. She has taught me that no mountain is high enough. These are a
few reasons why she is an excellent role model in my life.
My mother has always provided me with a happy home and given me a warm
place to sleep. She has provided me with everything I need to succeed in my
school and daily life.
These are some of the reasons of how my mother has shaped my life. Whenever
I face any problem, even at school, I just remember my mother. The suggestions
she gave me during di!cult situations are guidelines in my life. Her memory
has given me the strength to face the world. I am a be$er and stronger person
because of her.
Childhood Memories
I can’t remember the "rst time I climbed that tree. I can just remember the fun
moments I spent in that tree. It was a mango tree, growing between my house
and my neighbour’s house. Actually, it was a li$le closer to theirs.
It wasn’t always the center of our play. We played other games like hide and
seek, swing, badminton , leaf "ghts and many other games. In the summer,
we would pluck the ripe, juicy mangoes from that tree and have a great time.
Saroj, the oldest, would climb up close to the top, then Puja second, then Anish,
who is actually the youngest and "nally me. I was happy on the "rst or second
branch.
I remember jumping contests on autumn days. We used to collect the leaves

and make beds out of them with blankets we had stolen from our house. We
believed that we could spend the night out there in our leafy beds, but it never
happened.
About once a year, Mr. Gurung, our neighbour, thought about cu!ing down
the tree. But every year, we would all scream and say, “No" You can’t"” One
year, he even managed to get out his chainsaw and walk up to it . Seeing this,
we all ran out. I came from my house and Saroj , Anish and Puja from theirs,
shouting and screaming and standing in front of it. I don’t think he ever would
have actually cut it down, but he wouldn’t give up without an argument from
all of us. I think he let us win and brought it up the next year just to see what
we would do. He too liked us playing in the tree.
My childhood days were spent wonderfully. I will always think that my

childhood was the best that anyone could ever have. I am not nearly an adult
now but I have already grown up. It will never be like that again. It will never
be like anything more than once. So the only thing to do is enjoy every moment
of life. Now my days will not be enjoyable like the ones in my childhood
because very soon I will be preparing for my SLC exams.
Everything is a memory. While I sit here thinking about those good times, I
know I’ll be remembering again in just a few years over what I am doing right
now.
At The Farm
When I was a child, I visited a new place with my family. This place is very big
and beautiful. It is called Anandalok and it is located in Itahari. It is 150 ropanis
in area. It has a lot of di#erent wild trees.
This farm belonged to my grandadrents. My grandfather had loved this place,

but when he died, my grandmother distributed the property to each of her
sons and daughters. Each of them received a share in the farm. A$er that, the
farm was neglected and deserted because none of her sons wanted to work on
it. It remained like this for a long time.
Five years later, my father was able to buy the whole farm for us. He bought
it because he wanted to share the peace and calm of the land with us and his
grandsons in the future. Two years a$er that, he bought several farm animals,
such as cows and goats and horses.
When I was about 12 years old, my parents, my two bothers and I started
visiting the farm every weekend. There were a lot of things to do. First, we
spent a long time clearing the forested area. A!er that, we planted many
orange and other fruit trees. I learned to drive a tractor. My father taught me.
Then we plowed the whole area that used to be forest and my mom got busy
planting all kinds of vegetables. Over time, the farm developed and when we
had "nished, it was restored to its former beauty.
The farm has many di#erent animals - cows, horses, hens and an two ostriches
which my father purchased quite recently. Also, there are two pools. We
worked together to make all this possible.
When I was there, my older brother taught me to ride a horse. I learned to do

that very well. I always remember that with much love because he used to
ride along with me around the farm. We enjoyed those times a lot. Also, my
two brothers and I went "shing in the stream that is close to our farm. I can
remember this very well, too, because we went "shing every day for about
two weeks and we caught only one "sh. I also recall the special time with my
younger brother because I used to go hunting. He could hunt birds, snakes
and di#erent wild animals.
My mother is also an important part of my memories of our farm. When we

used to spend time there, she would make us the most delicious barbecued
chicken, potato fry and steaming hot momos. She taught me how to become a
good cook and also all things about the responsibility of a home.
Those times were unforge$able, special moments in my life. I always keep

those times in my thoughts and in my heart, too. I enjoyed every weekend
with my family. My family is the most important thing in my life. I love them
very much and I will love them forever.
How I Have Changed

When I was a li$le kid, I was never a leader or monitor of my class. I was
very friendly and naughty, but I had bad grades. I didn’t like school because
it was boring. I didn’t like math, grammar and science. My grades were low.
My teachers always said to me, “You need to improve your grades because
when you grow up, you will be a porter, sweeper or a cobbler. You are a bad
student. Your marks are very low and you will never get the chance to be the
class monitor.”
However, when I was in class four, my classmates nominated me as monitor.

All my teachers were opposed to this idea. They elected another boy because
he had good grades. It did not really bother me as I was more interested in
playing games.
I joined the school’s football team. There was a tournament. During the whole
tournament I sat on the bench. My coach knew about my low marks and for
that reason he did not let me play.
My handwriting was very poor, so my dad helped me. He taught me how to

write be!er. The "rst few days were very hard because I spilled ink on my
notebook. I had to redo all my work. Sometimes, I would get frustrated and
would break the nib of the pen. But my father never lost patience with me.
He would say, “If you really want to learn how to improve your handwriting,
you need to write very slowly. A#er that I wrote very well and I would submit
neater homework. That, of course, made my teachers happy and they would
say, “Congratulations$ Your writing has improved and so have your marks.”
When I was in class seven, I was elected monitor of my class. It was the "rst
time that I was a leader among my classmates. I was very happy and I made
sure not to let them down.
I am now in class eight. I take more interest in my studies and I have become
competitive. My grades have improved considerably and it gives me so much
happiness to see my parents become happy when my teachers praise me for
my hard work in all the subjects.
I understand my teachers now and why they would always scold me. I guess
that when a student in their care fails, they feel like they have failed, too.
Finally I understood why they were so frustrated with me.
I have learned a lot from my experiences and moments of failure. I have learned
to be strong and to keep trying to reach my goals. I have learned not to defeat.
Now I am a con"dent person who has dreams to achieve.
Topics for re•ective essay
• Many families move from one place to another. Think about the
e!ects moving has upon teenagers. Now explain the e!ects that
moving from place to place has on teenagers.
• Explain how you have changed in the last two years.
• Explain why you admire a particular person.
• Explain why someone you know should be regarded a leader.
• Explain why parents are sometimes strict.
• If you had to be an animal, which would you be and why?
• Explain why you especially enjoyed a particular teacher.
• Explain why you like (or do not like) to work in a team.
• Describe some nonmaterial things that make you happy.
• Explain the how music a!ects your life.
• Explain why some teens skip school.
• Describe the likely consequences of doing poorly in school.
• Explain the likely consequences of brothers and sisters constantly.
• Discuss a signi"cant trip you took and how your feelings changed
during and a#er the trip. For example, discuss something you
discovered about yourself on the trip, how your feelings about your
travelling companions changed or how you grew closer to them
during the trip.
• Write about a seemingly insigni"cant event that led to a major

change in your life. For example, the moment you realized that
something had a!ected you personally.
EXPLORING WRITING
Metaphors
Metaphors are a way to compare by saying
that one thing is another. For example, we say
somebody is a fool. In the past in Europe, a
fool was a person who entertained the king or
queen by doing silly things. The fool was a kind
of clown. He o!en did crazy or stupid things to
make people laugh. So when we call somebody
a fool we really mean that he or she is doing
something silly or stupid. We don’t really mean
that they are somebody who entertains the king
or queen. We are using a metaphor.
A. What do we mean when we say these things?

1. When we say someone is a pig we really mean that
............................................................................................................................
2. When we call someone an angel we really mean that
............................................................................................................................
3. If we say someone is a giant we really mean that
............................................................................................................................
4. When we call a man an ogre or a woman a witch we really mean
............................................................................................................................
5. When somebody plays cards and we call them a shark, we really mean that
............................................................................................................................
6. If we say that somebody is a volcano ready to explode, we really mean that
............................................................................................................................
7. When we say somebody is bright, we mean that
............................................................................................................................
Metaphors are imaginative ways to

describe something by comparing that
thing to something else. For example, if
you wanted to say that Amit is big and
tall, I could say that Amit is a giant.
B. Use a metaphor to describe somebody who is:

tall He is a giant.
kind She is an angel.
fast ...........................................................................................
slow ...........................................................................................
smart ...........................................................................................
fat ...........................................................................................
wise ...........................................................................................
angry ...........................................................................................
beautiful ...........................................................................................
ugly ...........................................................................................
stubborn ...........................................................................................
short ...........................................................................................
thin ...........................................................................................
silly ...........................................................................................
scared easily ...........................................................................................
C. Identify the two things being compared in each sentence

and mention in what way they are alike.
1. The lake was a huge mirror in the moonlight.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
2. The playground became a lake a!er the thunderous rain.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
3. I am the glue that holds us together.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
D. Sit in pairs and read the sentences. They all contain a

metaphor. Discuss what the metaphor means in each
sentence.
1. Aayushma is a nightingale.
2. My friend is a stubborn mule.
3. Our lawn is a green carpet from the fence to the street.
4. He hit that ball a mile away.
5. The li"le boy’s room is a garbage site.
6. The mother arrived at the party with an army of children.
7. Waves of spam emails have !ooded my inbox.
8. Her hair was a !owing golden river streaming down her shoulders.
9. The computer in the classroom is an old dinosaur.
10. The teacher planted the seeds of wisdom.
11. When Meri Bassai came on TV, the women were glued in their seats.
12. Words are the weapons with which we a"ack each other.
13. The test was a walk in the park.
14. She let such beautiful pearls of wisdom slip from her mouth without even
knowing.
E. Write your own metaphor. Explain the meaning and

circle the two items being compared.
.........................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
How to use metaphors in your writing

Identify the object or idea that is the subject of what you are writing or
saying. For example, suppose you are trying to describe a sunset.
Identify what it is you want to communicate about that object or idea. You
want to bring out how beautiful the sunset is.
Identify another object or idea that strongly implies what you want to
communicate. You decide that the idea of “painted” would be a good way
to communicate the beauty of the sunset.
Construct a sentence in which you link the idea of painted with sunset.
For example, you could write or say, “The sunset painted the sky with
vibrant colors.”
3 Unit
Descriptive Essay
WRITING SKILL
A descriptive essay is the kind of essay that provides a detailed
description of a particular person, place or thing.
There are many di!erent ways of making a descriptive essay
really e!ective. Here are some of them:
• Imaginative language – This makes a descriptive essay
really e!ective. Words are very powerful if they are
used appropriately. Use adjectives and adverbs.
• Interesting comparisons – Although the subject ma"er
in a descriptive essay is pre"y simple, you can make
it powerful by using interesting comparisons. Use
metaphors and similes.
• Varied vocabulary - In order to make a descriptive
essay really e!ective it is essential to use varied
vocabulary. Use a variety of interesting words and
phrases.
• Using the senses – To make a descriptive essay really
e!ective, it is necessary appeal to all the body’s senses.
Include descriptions about sight, smell, touch, sound
and taste.
• Being organized – A descriptive essay should be well-
organized with proper introduction, body paragraphs
and a concluding paragraph.
O!en, a descriptive essay will be about the following:
• a person
• a place
• a memory
• an experience
• an object
A. Brainstorm and make a web on the topic “My Sister Is

My Teacher And Friend”.
studying teaches me
abroad right from
wrong
19 years old my guide
good company My Sister
true to everyone "nds solution to every

problem
shares jokes
understanding,
funny, intelligent
B. Build up on the points and write an essay.
My Sister Is My Teacher And Friend

Everyone has a family but only a few are lucky to have a caring and inspiring
sister like mine. My sister’s name is Aastha and she is nineteen years old. She
is living and studying in Tokyo.
I was very sad when she le!. I cried for weeks. This made my mother even
sadder. She, herself was not quite happy with the idea of Aastha being so far
away. We had always been together. We would do everything together, go for
fun-"lled holidays and share jokes with each other.
Aastha is everything that a younger sister would have wanted. She is intelligent,
funny and understanding. She always "nds a solution to every problem no
ma#er what.
My sister is my teacher. She guides me through my life. She always gives me

advice on what I should do or not do. She is very sincere and true to everyone
and to herself. It does not ma#er that distance separates us. We talk on the
phone every week. No one can ever come between us. She is my sister and
dearest friend.
TIP Remember to "nish

your essay with an
interesting thought.
B. Just like you plan your essay using a web, you can also
draft your essay using prompts. Read the prompts on the
next page and the essay that follows.
Title:
The Old Fence
Introduction: (What is it?)
A fence
Description: (What does it look like?)
Old and weathered by the sun and rain; ro!en and tired, its poles arranged
in a disorderly manner; spaced unevenly; poles of di"erent height; looks like
weary, beaten soldiers
Interesting details: (What are the important features and what is its purpose
or what can it do?)
Holds in ca!le in the #eld
Conclusion: (Ending statement)
Will not last long due to new owner’s interest in other things
The Old Fence

The old fence stands weathered by wind and rain. It has been holding ca!le
in the #eld ever since the farmer put it up. The cows have occasionally tried to
break through but they have lost their ba!les. Only the small calves have been
able to squeeze under the fence.
The poles stand ro!en and tired. They are lined up in a disorderly manner.
The spaces between are not always equal and their heights di"er greatly. Some
have pulled loose from their holes and they are held up only by the line of
barbed wire that holds them. The line of fence looks much like a parade of
tired, beaten soldiers who have been defeated in ba!le and are lining up before
they are shot and killed.
In several places on the fence the barbed wire has been cut or bent out of shape.
Sharp, erect pins still show their warning of power. Many times the ca!le have
bled while a!empting to go through the barbed wire.
Even though the fence is old and historical, it will not last very long because
there is a new owner. He is a man of power and wealth who has big plans. He
is not the man who would care for the ca!le or the soil. He is a businessman
who is going to turn the farm into a factory.
WRITING PRACTICE
A. Draft a report on the topic ‘My Pet’. Use the framework
given below.
Title:
Introduction:
Description:
Interesting details:
Conclusion:
B. Edit your draft and write the edited version. Remember

to give your essay a title.
Adjectives make an essay more

descriptive and interesting.
Busy Bee
Think of the last time you saw a bee. Perhaps it was busily gathering nectar
from a !ower in your garden. Maybe it was !ying around a sweet drink you
had at a picnic. Did you ever think about where that bee might live and what
it does once it !ies away? Chances are it lives a more interesting and complex
life than you ever suspected.
Today, the honey bee can be found on every continent except Antarctica. It
can survive only as a member of a colony, where each bee plays a very speci"c
role. In each honey bee colony, there are three types of bees: the queen bee, the
worker bees and the drones.
The queen is di#erent from the rest of the bees in a colony in several ways. She
is the only bee in the colony to reproduce, so she is the mother of all the other
bees in the colony. She can lay an enormous number of eggs —as many as
1,500 every day$ The weight of all those eggs is about the same as the queen’s
entire body.
She has a smooth, curved stinger instead of a straight, barbed or spiky, stinger
like the worker bees. Worker bees die a%er stinging, because they cannot
remove their barbed stingers. The queen bee can sting repeatedly without
injuring herself.
Another di#erence between queen and worker bees is that a queen bee can live
for one to three years, while a worker bee lives only an average of six weeks.
A colony of honey bees is mostly made upof worker bees. A single colony
may contain as many as 80,000 worker bees. They are called worker bees for
a very good reason. Their job is to build and maintain the nest, gather nectar
and pollen to make honey and care for the young bees. If the hive becomes too
warm for the eggs and young bees, the worker bees fan their wings to make
it cooler. When the hive becomes too cool, they huddle around the eggs and
young bees to warm them.
The third type of honey bee is called a drone. The drones are the male bees. They
do not have stingers or tools for working. They cannot even feed themselves.
Their only purpose is to mate with the queen bee to produce new worker bees.
One of the most fascinating things about honey bees is their way of
communicating. Bees are able to tell each other where to !nd food by doing
complicated “dances.” These dances can tell bees how far away food can be
found and in which direction it is located. The moves they make are so clear
that scientists who have studied bee communication can actually watch a
dance and follow a bee’s directions.
Collecting Coins
Collecting is a popular hobby with people all around the world. Some people
collect sunglasses, teapots or seashells. Others collect matchbook covers,
stamps, bo"les or dolls. There are almost as many types of collections as there
are collectors.
Coin collecting, also called numismatics, is one of the oldest and most popular
types of collecting. People enjoy learning about coins and their history. They
like the challenge of !nding rare or unusual coins. Some see their collections as
a valuable investment. Others just enjoy the beauty and variety of their coins.
There are many di#erent types of coin collections. Some numismatists choose
to collect foreign coins. They may focus on a particular country or a particular
time period when they begin their collections. Another popular way to collect
is to choose a theme and then look for coins that have pictures of the animals,
people or objects that !t into that theme. For example, a collector may search
for coins with images of ships, birds or even royalty.
Some collections can become very valuable. This depends on several factors:
the type of coin, the rarity of the coin and the demand for the coin. If you
owned a rare coin that a few other people were interested in collecting, then
you could get a huge sum of money if you sold it to them.
Condition also plays an important role in determining a coin’s worth. Serious

collectors store their coins very carefully in special display cases. They handle
their coins only by the edges or with special gloves. If you owned a gold
coin of King Mandev’s time, you would probably be willing to give it special
treatment too$
If you are interested in starting a coin collection, the best thing to do is to learn
a li!le about it "rst. You can "nd books about coin collecting for kids at the
library or you can visit the websites for tips on ge!ing started. You’ll learn
how to determine the worth of various coins, properly store your collection
and keep track of what you own. And the next time you look through the
spare change in your pocket or the coins in your piggybank, you might just
"nd that you have the beginnings of a very interesting hobby#
My Best Friend Tashi

I would like to write about my best friend Tashi. I am so lucky to have her.
Without her I would not be as happy as I am now. I have known her for my
whole life. We are neighbours, so I see her o$en.
Tashi is small and quite slim. She has an oval face with bright blue eyes and a
big mouth. She has long brown wavy hair but she usually wears it in a ponytail.
She is quite beautiful, especially when she smiles.
She always seems to be in a good mood. We have nearly the same hobbies and
sometimes the same opinions. She always brings out the best in me by being
positive and cheerful.
She is like a part of my family. I trust her as much as I trust my close family
members. I "nd her very honest. She always says what she thinks. It can be
useful sometimes. For example, when we go shopping, she tells me frankly
what "ts me and what does not.
We are really close to each other. She can tell if I’m lying even if I am keeping a
straight face. I don’t know how she does it# I don’t know how it is possible but
I am never bored with her.
Sometimes she tends to be stubborn and she never admits her faults. She
is stubborn only with her parents, but we have never argued. I hope our
friendship will be long and won’t ever end.
Manakamana
Manakamana is the name of a Hindu goddess who is believed to ful!l the
wishes of her devotees. ‘Mana’ means ‘heart’ and ‘kamana’ means ‘wish’.
Hence, Manakamana is the goddess who ful!ls the wishes of the heart.
The most famous temple of the goddess is in Gorkha. There are many other
temples as well, including the one in Hetauda. It is said that the king of Gorkha
was blessed by the goddess to get victory over other small kingdoms and
extend the territory of Gorkha.
As the legend goes, the queen of Ram Shah, the king of Gorkha, was a goddess
only known to her devotee, Lakhan Thapa. One day, the king saw the queen
in the form of the goddess and when he informed Lakhan Thapa about it, he
died instantly. The queen also died along with the king. Lakhan Thapa was
very sad due to the loss. But the goddess consoled her devotee by telling him
that she would appear again.
Six months later, a farmer hit a stone while ploughing the !eld and blood
and milk came out of it. When Lakhan Thapa heard about it, he realized his
wish had been granted. He performed pujas and stopped the "ow of the blood
and milk. When the then king of Gorkha heard about it, he donated the land
and money to build the shrine. It is the same place where the holy shrine of
Goddess Manakamana stands proudly today in Gorkha. The current priest
performing the services there is the descendant of Lakhan Thapa.
Previously, it was di#cult to reach the temple. It took days on foot and horse
back to climb up the mountain. However, the cable car service has made it
easier and faster these days. It takes about ten minutes from the Kurintar
station. Also, you can trek to the temple from Kurintar. The place welcomes
many devotees every year.
The temple is situated on a hill that overlooks the Trisuli and Marshyangdi
River Valleys. It also o$ers breathtaking views of Manaslu, Himalchuli
and Annapurna mountains on the north side. People’s strong faith in the
goddess makes them visit the temple at least once in their lifetime. Goddess
Manakamana is regarded as one of the most powerful goddesses in Nepal.
My Favourite Place
One of my favourite places to relax is my room. When I am in my room, I feel
most relaxed. I read books and le!ers, listen to music or sleep.
My house has three rooms. My room has a big bed, a cupboard, a study table
and chair. It is simple, but very comfortable.
I love to read le!ers from my friends in my room. Sometimes, their le!ers

are very funny and I laugh to myself. I also love to read books. I have some
books both Japanese and English. When I have free time a"er completing my
homework, I read my books. When I read, I am o"en transported into another
world – a world of fantasy.
I like to do all these in my room because to me it is the most relaxing place in

the whole house. It is my “li!le kingdom.”
Muscles In The Wild

You can do a lot of works with the hundreds of di#erent muscles in your body.
But have you ever thought about how the muscles in an animal’s body are
di#erent from yours? An animal’s muscles are made to do the things that are
most important for its survival.
Lions are hunters. They depend on their ability to hunt other animals to
survive. Lions must be fast in order to catch their prey. The powerful muscles
in their rear legs allow them to run at speeds of more than 30 miles per hour.
They can also leap a distance of more than 35 feet. The strong muscles in their
chests and front legs help them capture their prey.
Snakes also use their muscles for hunting prey and for movement, but their
muscles function in very di#erent ways than lions’ do. Because snakes do not
have any limbs, they need a form of locomotion other than walking, crawling
or $ying. Pound for pound, snakes have more muscles than most animals.
They contract or tighten and then release their powerful muscles. This creates
a wavelike motion down the length of the snake’s body. These waves push
against the ground or other objects to move the snake forward. This is just one
of several ways snakes get from one place to another.
Snakes’ muscles are also equipped to allow them to swallow things that seem
much too large. For example, a snake may eat an egg that is larger than the
width of its body. How does the snake accomplish this amazing feat? Can you
imagine eating an entire watermelon in a single gulp? The snake’s strong neck
muscles tighten and release to push the egg along as the snake swallows. The
pressure of the muscles is so strong that it cracks the shell and allows the snake
to digest the egg’s contents.
The elephant’s trunk contains an enormous amount of muscle. Scientists

believe that the trunk alone has more than 100,000 muscles! This is because the
elephant uses its trunk much in the same way that people use their hands and
"ngers. Even though the trunk is large, it can perform surprisingly delicate
tasks. For example, an elephant can pick up a small twig or leaf from the
ground. The trunk can also be a powerful tool. An elephant can use its trunk
to pick up a tree by its roots or even to li# a baby elephant.
The specialized muscles of these animals seem pre$y incredible. But the
muscles in your body work exactly the way you need them to. A#er all, it
might be fun to be able to leap a distance of 30 feet, but as a human being, there
is just not much need for it.
Topics for descriptive essay

• A treasured belonging
• A laptop computer
• A favorite restaurant
• Your dream house
• An accident scene
• A street that leads to your home or school
• Your favourite food
• A photograph
• A particular friend or family member
• A character from a book, movie or television programme
• A character from a book, movie or television programme
• A favourite childhood toy
• A frightening place
• A person you respect
• A prized possession
• A scene of environmental destruction
• A shopping mall
• An inspiring view
• An irritating child
• The best season of the year
• Favorite restaurant
• First day of school
EXPLORING WRITING
Haiku
A haiku is a type of poem. It is especially

popular among the Japanese probably
because haiku originated in Japan.
A haiku poem has its own features and a
special way of writing it.
How to write a haiku

Introduction:
A syllable is a part of a word pronounced as
a unit. It is usually made up of a vowel alone or a vowel with one or more
consonants. The word "haiku" has two syllables: hai-ku; the word "introduction"
has four syllables: in-tro-duc-tion.
Haiku poems consist of three lines. The !rst and third lines of a haiku have
!ve syllables and the middle line has seven syllables. The lines rarely rhyme.
Here's a haiku to help you remember:

Five syllables here
Seven more syllables there
Are you happy now?
Because Haikus are such short poems, they are usually wri#en about things
that are recognizable to the reader, like animals and seasons.
Here are some examples of Haiku poems:
The Dying Plant

The dying plant bends
And drips its dew to the ground
It falls like a tear.
The Traveller
Nobody travels
This dark, lonely way but I,
This winter evening.
Lunch
World is vast and wide.
So much out there to explore.
Right now, let’s eat lunch.
Funny Haiku
Haikus are easy
But sometimes they don’t make sense
Refrigerator!
Now try to write your own haiku poems following the 5, 7, 5 format. Remember,
you only have seventeen syllables, so choose your words carefully! Traditional
Japanese haiku’s use nature as their subject, but you can chose another subject
if you like.
Line 1 – 5 syllables
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
“What am I?” haikus:

“What am I?” haikus are like a riddles. They are used to describe something.
Here are two examples of “What am I?” haikus. Can you guess what they are
about?
I teach you English
I tell you to run and play
And I take your test.
Answer: .....................................................
In a pouch I grow,
On a southern continent --
Strange creatures I know.
Answer: .....................................................
Write your own “What am I?” haiku below.

Title: .....................................................
(5 syllables)
....................................................................................................................................
(7 syllables)
....................................................................................................................................
(5 syllables)
....................................................................................................................................
Unit 4
Persuasive Essay
A persuasive essay, also known as the argumentative essay,
uses logic and reason to show that one idea is more reasonable
or acceptable than another idea. It a!empts to persuade a
reader to adopt a certain point of view or to take a particular
action. The argument must always use sound reasoning and
solid evidence. You can do so by stating facts, giving logical
reasons, using examples and quoting the experts.
WRITING SKILL
Persuasive writing is as easy as an OREO"
Writing an outline:
Outlines are a good way to help you create a skeleton for
your writing. Use the acronym OREO to help you write the
paragraphs for your essay. OREO stands for:
• OPINION: State your opinion about the topic.

• REASON: What is your reason for this?
• EXPLANATION: Explain your reasoning.
• OPINION: Restate your opinion again for the reader.
Example
Topic:
Why People Should Get Dogs
Opinion:
People should get dogs because they are good companions.
Reason:
Pets, especially dogs, help you improve your life and teach you to be unsel!sh.
They also help you to communicate be"er.
Explanation:
When you have a dog, you have to take care of it. So you learn to be caring.
Dogs cannot talk and tell you what they want. You have to try to !nd out what
it wants and that can eventually help you to learn how to talk to other people.
Opinion:
People should get dogs because dogs help them to be be"er human beings
besides teaching them other valuable lessons.
Why People Should Get Dogs
I think people should get dogs because they are good companions. I also think
pets, especially dogs, help you and improve your life. Some people say their
dogs changed their lives because when you take care of a dog you need to
learn to be unsel!sh.
People also say dogs help them communicate be"er. When you have a dog,
you have to try to !nd out what it wants and that can help you !nd out how
to talk to other people.
An important thing about ge"ing a dog is to !nd one that suits you. When I
had my dog Jhyaure, he was my best friend. He always made my family and
me laugh. Sometimes he got all mixed up and ran into the wall. When we
played music, he would try to sing. I loved him very much. I could tell him
anything in the world as if he was my best friend.
Your personality is one of the many important parts of your life and dogs help
improve it. My dog helped me improve my personality by making me be more
open because it wasn’t always about me. He also improved my knowledge
because I did not know dogs needed so many things to be satis!ed. I had to
learn how to react to him and !nd out when to feed him and what he liked to
eat.
Some people say that dogs need too much care. You have to feed them and
take them for walks. Jhyaure was worth any work I had to do because he was
my friend.
I think everyone should have a dog because they may improve your life.
Jhyaure has taught me a valuable lesson I will need later on in life. He taught
me to be a responsible human being. By ge"ing a dog, you can learn a valuable
lesson or two.
WRITING PRACTICE
Write an essay on the topic ‘Parents should read books along with their
children’. Use the acronym of OREO to plan out the main ideas for the
paragraphs for your essay.
Title: ..................................................................................................................
Opinion: ..................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................
Reason: ..................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................
Explanation: ............................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................
Opinion: ..................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................
Why We Should Not Spend Too Much
Time Watching Television
People, both young and old, watch television. It is a cheap pastime and almost
every family has a set at home. Thus, in this way, television has become an
important means of entertainment worldwide.
But we should not watch too much television because many of the programmes
shown are not educational. Besides, it has a negative impact on a person’s
mental development.
Today most of the programmes show a lot of violence. Many programmes that
are shown are not meant for children and these are broadcast quite early in the
evenings or during the day. People, especially youngsters, are in!uenced by
what they see and this shows in their behaviour. These youngsters may grow
up believing that whatever is shown on TV is right.
Secondly, people should not spend too much time watching television because
they miss other activities that are more bene"cial. Exercise, reading, spending
time with family and friends are activities that are much more rewarding to
our mental and physical well-being. Children who spend long hours in front
of a television have su#ered a$ention and memory problems.
Therefore, people should not spend valuable time watching too much
television. Instead, we should use it wisely – to enhance our knowledge and
learn more about the wonderful world that we live in.
Boys Should Learn To Cook!

I strongly believe that boys should learn to cook. First and foremost, being
able to cook is an important life skill. If you know how to cook, you won’t go
hungry if there is no one else to cook.
A boy who can cook has many advantages over one who cannot. He doesn’t
have to buy and eat junk food each time he wishes to "ll his stomach. Instead,
he can easily cook something simple yet nutritious at home. By learning to
cook, you are also staying healthy.
When you know how to cook, you can even impress your guests. You can cook
for special occasions and serve your guests and even your family members.
They would be impressed. Besides, cooking for someone also means that you
are showing love to them.
Most of the top chefs in the world today are men. So those men who can cook
may apply to work as chefs or cooks. The ability to cook may even help them
out during hard times because if they are unable to get employment, they can
always set up food stalls!
A man who can cook has an extra advantage in life over the one who cannot.
He does not need to worry about who is going to cook his next meal. He can
show love to others with his cooking. He can also make cooking a career or
business. So, I think that boys should certainly learn to cook.
Should Children Have To Wear School

Uniforms?
In my opinion, students should wear school uniforms for several reasons. First
of all, school uniforms can be an e"ective way to promote unity among fellow
students.
Wearing the same uniforms encourages students to behave in a friendly

manner. It also helps to develop good social skills and a sense of belonging to a
special community of the school. Also, when students wear the same uniforms,
they feel more connected with each other and learn to pay more a#ention to
the person’s identity and not to the person’s clothing.
Besides, school uniforms can help to improve discipline and prevent bad social
behaviour. If students wear uniforms with their name tag and school emblem,
they feel that they represent their school and are expected to behave more
considerately.
Finally, wearing school uniforms can prevent the tension of deciding what to
wear. It allows students to focus on their lessons, physical or other activities
instead of spending time for choosing their clothing every day.
In conclusion, I would like to say that despite some negative e!ects of wearing
school uniforms, there are a lot of positive factors. Uniform develops a sense
of unity among fellow students, prevents improper behaviour and gives extra
time to focus on other activities rather than wasting time over deciding what
to wear. Uniforms make students look equal and motivate them to look for
more creative ways to express themselves. That is why I am convinced that the
idea of school uniforms is a very good and helpful for students.
Why People Should Read Books

It is quite a disappointment that people have stopped reading books. Books
used to be the only kind of entertainment for the mind just a hundred years
ago. But now with the invention of radio, television, cinematography and most
recently, the Internet and computer games, it seems that reading books is no
longer a leisure activity, at least for the younger generation. However, I believe
that books are an important part of our lives. Books can hardly be replaced
with movies, music and TV shows. There are several reasons for that.
First of all, books expand our knowledge and understanding of the world
around us. You may argue that movies and TV documentaries do just that, too,
but I believe that books are much be"er. They allow each reader to experience
the same story using one’s own imagination. When a hundred people watch a
movie or a TV show, they see the same thing – whatever the director and the
operator wishes to show.
Books are very di!erent. The experience achieved through reading is richer
and more personal, since the same description and the same word choice
will result in various interpretations. We are all unique and books allow us to
experience whatever is narrated. We relate the stories of the books with our
own personal lives, through our ideas and our imagination.
Secondly, books enrich our vocabulary, introduce us to new ideas and o!er us a
wider choice of words. With every book you read, you become more intelligent.
Even reading one !ction book per month can enrich one’s personal vocabulary
with dozens of new words. It also helps build more concise sentences and
express oneself much be"er and make one’s speech more intelligent.
Watching certain TV programmes and documentary movies can also widen

one’s vocabulary, but hardly as e#ectively as books do. Our imagination
reproduces mental pictures of what we are reading about.So a new word
automatically links to a certain image and a certain feeling. Therefore, reading
books is a great tool when it comes to learning and developing one’s vocabulary
at any age.
“Examinations should be banned.”

Discuss.
1. Brie•y describe the existence of examinations in educational systems.
2. Describe the disadvantages of having school examinations.
Examinations may not be an accurate re•ection of a student’s ability. Some
students may perform be•er without pressure.
3. Describe the advantages of having examinations.
There is no be•er substitute to judge a student’s ability.
School examinations are something which most students are afraid of. Yet, there
is hardly any educational system that does not set examinations.
Many feel that examinations should be banned because they test the students’
memory power rather than their reasoning powers. Such examinations require
students only to memorize facts, reproduce them during examinations and
conveniently forget them soon a$er.
Passing examinations could also sometimes be a ma"er of luck. Lucky students,

who guess questions accurately, will probably do be"er than one who just
studies his books. Moreover, there are some students who perform be"er
when they are not under pressure. These students may panic and perform
poorly under examination conditions.
There may be many reasons for banning examinations but there is one
explanation as to why examinations have not been abolished. That is,
all educational systems need a standard method of testing a student’s
understanding of what he or she has learned. No one has thought of a be!er
substitute in that respect. Whether examinations test a student’s memory
power or reasoning power depends very much on the type of questions asked.
Therefore, there is no need to abolish examinations. Rather, exams could be

set in such a way that they truly test a student’s understanding. Some even
argue that the students’ ability to withstand pressure during examinations do
re"ect a certain form of capability.
Furthermore, students need examinations to act as a form of motivation to

learn. If examinations were banned, many would become satis#ed with what
they knew and would not do their best.
In conclusion, it can be said that examinations should not be banned because

of the need to assess a student’s ability.
“Keeping Pets Is Wrong.” Do You Agree?

1. Brie•y describe the types of animals kept as pets.
2. Give the good points about keeping pets.
Pets are good companions
Keeping pets develops good qualities.
3. Give the disadvantages of keeping pets.
It is cruel to restrict the freedom of animals.
Owners may not be responsible people.
“A dog is man’s best friend.” People all over the world keep dogs and other
kinds of animals as pets. The more popular pets in Nepal are dogs, cats, birds
and !shes. In some countries, people even choose to keep snakes, elephants
and lions as pets.
From the point of view of most people, keeping pets is not an evil deed at
all. In fact, keeping pets develops desirable qualities in the owner such as
responsibility, care and love. Young children are taught how to take proper
care of their pets. They save their pocket money to buy bird seed, worms or
other necessities for their pets. Furthermore, keeping pets can be educational.
It stimulates great interest in the particular pet. Pet owners also read and
discuss much about the pets they own.
In my view, however, it is wrong to keep pets. Man assumes that animals do

not have much intelligence and hence have no rights. He just assumes that
animals like being kept as pets. This is especially true in the case of caged
birds. By nature, birds are meant to "y. It is most pitiful to see a creature that
can "y around the entire globe being imprisoned in a cage.
Keeping pets is even more wrong when people fail to take proper care of their
pets. Many pet owners do not ensure that the cages, !sh tanks or dog kennels
are clean at all times. Sometimes, they even forget to feed their pets. I strongly
feel that the very act of caging animals and depriving them of freedom is a
form of evil.
Private Tuition – Is It Necessary?

In my opinion, private tuition is not necessary for me. I shall give some reasons.
I !nd that if I pay a#ention in class when the teacher is teaching, I can
understand my lessons and can do the homework. If there is any doubt, I can
always ask the teacher.
Today, most of the things taught in school are not too di$cult to follow.
Mathematics, Science, Nepali, Social Studies and English are not that di$cult
to handle. I should take an interest in them and put in some genuine e!ort.
So in all my years in school I never had to have any private tuition. Yet I get
through my examinations without any problem.
I notice that my classmates who take private tuition are usually not interested
in their studies. In class they talk and look outside thinking that their tuition
teachers will cover the lessons for them later. They do not realize that it is so
much easier to pay a"ention in class than to spend extra time in the a#ernoons
just to cover up for the wasted time in school. The extra time can easily be spent
for other more constructive things than having to repeat a lesson.
Also private tutors are not cheap. The parents have to spend a considerable sum
of money for the services of the tutors who are ordinary teachers anyway. The
trouble with taking private tuition is that the students can become too dependent
on the tutors and cannot function on their own. Everything has to be spoon-fed.
Private tuition is only necessary if the child is really weak in certain subjects. But
nowadays it is a fashion to go to tutorial centers or engage private tutors.
It is not certain that private tuitions can improve a child’s performance. Some
of my classmates take private tuition. I do not see them doing exceptionally
well in tests and examinations. Some of them still fail. Those who do not take
private tuition perform just about the same as those who do. A student who
does not have private tuition does not feel disadvantaged or less capable than
those who do.
I have to agree that everyone does not have the same ability or intelligence.
So, some students may really need extra tuition before they can grasp what
is being taught. Perhaps then these people can bene$t from private tuition.
But for the majority of students, like my classmates, they do not need private
tuition. What they need is to do their class work properly and they will have
no troubles passing any examination.
The teachers in school are always there to help if we ask them any question.
They are already paid for their services. So there is no need to pay them extra
for the same things they teach in school.
Kids Need Their Recess!
“Divash, please tell me…” This is a child’s usual day in the classroom. The
teacher asks a question, the child answers. But children cannot sit still for long
periods of time. As a school day lasts for about six hours, they need a break.
This is only one of the many reasons that recess was created. Recess was meant
to take the energy out of kids so they’d come back to the classroom ready to
learn. If we take away even one recess, children may be too energetic to even
pay a!ention to the lesson. The students will start passing notes and they may
learn even less without recess.
It’s not just a ma!er of education. A lot of parents agree that children should
enjoy their youth and live a life free of worries before they face the real world.
It is really uncomfortable and boring to sit on the benches for hours and
concentrate on studies. So, kids not only need recess to learn, they also need it
to maintain their youth.
If there are no recesses, then students cannot learn e"ectively. They will only
think about when the last bell rings and they can get freedom from school.
And when they get to home, they will start playing and watching television.
As they have had enough with the books at school, they will not want to look
at them. Thus they will not do their homework. Even if they do, it won’t be
qualitative.
So, I have come to my conclusion – we de#nitely need our recess.
Topics for persuasive essay
• Every student must participate in sports.
• Does technology give you more free time?
• Facebook rules the world.
• Plastic bags should be banned in Nepal.
• Is competition good?
• Is homework harmful or helpful?
• Parents are responsible for the bad behaviour of kids.
• Should restrictions be placed on the use of mobile phones in public
areas like restaurants and cinemas?
• Should students be allowed to grade their teachers?
• When should parents let kids make their own decisions?
• Every student should have a blog or a website.
• Books will be replaced by laptops and tablets.
EXPLORING WRITING
Similes
Similes are a way to compare two
things using ‘like’ or ‘as’. For
example, if you want to say that
somebody swims well, you can
say they swim like a !sh because
!sh swim well. There are two basic
pa"erns that you can use.
Pattern 1:
Like verb + like + noun
Examples She swims like a !sh.

His house looks like a palace.
She plays like a monkey.
He walks like a duck.
She acts like a fool.
Pattern 2:
As as + adjective + as + noun
Examples He is as tall as a giant.

She is as fast as a rocket.
He is as graceful as a swan.
She is as sneaky as a fox.
He is as quiet as a mouse.
How could you say that somebody...

runs fast ..................................................................................
is pre"y ..................................................................................
jumps well ..................................................................................
is strong ..................................................................................
How could you say that something...

is hard ..................................................................................
feels so# ..................................................................................
is sweet ..................................................................................
feels rough ..................................................................................
is heavy ..................................................................................
sounds noisy ..................................................................................
is light ..................................................................................
Why we use similes
We use similes to describe things by comparing them to other things. For
example, if I want to say someone is fast, I can say she is as fast as a horse.
Similes create pictures in the mind of the reader. It makes your writing
interesting to read and easy to understand.
Here are some more examples of simile.
She's as fast as a horse.
He's as strong as an elephant.
She's as silly as a monkey.
It's as cold as ice.
It's as light as a feather.
Make similes using any six adjectives from the box below.
so! pre"y big hard ugly tiny

strong black cold weak white hot
quick green light slow blue heavy
i. ........................................................................................................................
ii. ........................................................................................................................
iii. ........................................................................................................................
iv. ........................................................................................................................
v. ........................................................................................................................
vi. ........................................................................................................................
vii. ........................................................................................................................
Improving similes
If you want to say a kid is very noisy you can say:
He is as noisy as an elephant.
That is an “ok” simile, but we can improve it by thinking
of something even noisier than an elephant. Well, what is
noisier than an elephant? A whole herd of elephants. And
so a be!er simile might be:
He is as noisy as a herd of elephants.
If you want to say something is old you could say:
It's as old as the pharaoh.
Some pharaohs are 5000 years old a"er all. But, how can we improve that?
By thinking of someone even older than the pharaoh like the pharaoh's
grandmother. So we can improve this simile like this:
It's as old as the pharaoh's grandmother.
Now improve on the following similes in the same way as

above.
It’s as smelly as socks.

........................................................................................................................
It’s as dangerous as a shark.
........................................................................................................................
It’s as cold as ice.
........................................................................................................................
He’s as noisy as a monkey.
........................................................................................................................
Creative similes
Sometimes an adjective has two meanings. For example,
bright can mean smart and bright can also mean shiny like
a light. We can use both meanings to make interesting and
creative similes:
He is as bright as a day.
These adjectives are interesting because we use the second de!nition
(bright=shiny) to say someone is clever (bright=clever).
Make some similes using adjectives that have two meanings like in the example
above.
(i) clear A. easy to understand B. easy to see through
.........................................................................................................................
(ii) cold A. cruel and uncaring B. opposite of hot
.........................................................................................................................
(iii) blue A. sad B. a colour
.........................................................................................................................
(iv) sharp A. smart B. pointy
.........................................................................................................................
(v) nu !y A. crazy B. tastes like nuts

.........................................................................................................................
Simile crossword
1 2 g
3 l
4 f 5 s
7 b
8
9 10 c 11 s
12 s 13 14 s
Across Down
1. As ................... as a feather. 2. As tall as a ....................
3. Fly like a .................... 3. As ................... a bee.
4. Swim like a .................... 5. As ................... as a mule.
7. Cry like a .................... 6. Waddle means to walk like a ..................
9. As ................... as a bunny. 7. As blind as a ....................
11. As ................... as an ox. 8. As ................... as a mouse.
12. As ................... as an eel. 10. As ................... as ice.
14. As slow as a .................... 11. As ................... as a fox.
13. Eat like a ....................
14. As white as ....................
Unit 5
Narrative Essay
A narrative essay tells a story and narrates a personal

experience.
Features of a good narrative:

• Creates an entertaining story with speci!c characters
and se"ing
• Has interesting beginning, middle and end
• Expresses emotions and includes believable dialogue
• Uses rich language and engaging dialogue
to create images
• Includes a variety of sentences that have rhythm and
#ow
WRITING SKILL
Ability to use writing prompts
Using adjectives and verbs to make the essay interesting
Writing an appropriate title
Example
Write an essay about any incident that you have witnessed.

Use the writing prompts to •rst note down certain details.
Remember to write the title for your essay.
1. Who is the main character?
A boy.
2. Describe your character.

Vigilant and has the ability to act promptly.
3. Where and when is the se!ing?

In a quiet neighbourhood.
4. List two things to describe in the se!ing.

Peaceful a!ernoon; neighbour’s gate lying on the ground; front door
open.
5. Mention two things that happen in the story.

Burglary in neighbour’s house; boy helped in ge"ing the thief arrested.
A Burglary
It was a peaceful a!ernoon. I was doing my homework in my room when I
heard a strange grinding noise coming from next door.
Out of curiosity, I looked out of my window. I was shocked to see my
neighbour’s metal gate lying on the ground and the door opened. As no one
else was at home, I called up my father at his o"ce. He told me to stay at home
and wait for him to come back. I went back to the window and looked out.
A!er a while, a tall dirty man came out of my neighbour’s house with a big
bag and quickly ran away.
Just then, my father came back with four policemen. I told them what I had
seen. Immediately, two of the policemen went a!er the burglar. The rest of us
went into the neighbour’s house. The whole place had been untidy. Drawers
were lying all over the place and the bedrooms were in a real mess. My
neighbour happened to come back at that time and she was most distressed to
#nd her house looted.
The next morning, I saw the following headline in the newspaper: “Boy helps
police catch burglar”. I felt really proud of myself.
WRITING PRACTICE
To develop a good story, plan your characters, se$ing and plot before you
write.
A. Answer the questions to plan a story about an interesting

incident that happened on a day spent with friends at a
picnic.
1. Who is the main character?
2. Describe your character.
3. Where and when is the se$ing?
4. List two things to describe in the se$ing.
5. Mention two things that happen in the story.
B. Write an essay based on the points that you have noted
down.
C. Give your story a title.
D. Read your essay and see if you have achieved the
following.
i) Ideas/Content: Focused on the main event and supported with
clear details.
ii) Organization: Ideas organized in time order with sequence words
then and the next day to move story along; has a clear ending.
iii) Voice: Strongly engages the reader
iv) Word Choice: Vivid word choice adds to the description
v) Sentences: Varied, clear sentences with good rhythms and "ow;
sentence variety (exclamatory, interrogative.)
vi) Conventions: Follows rules for grammar, punctuation and
sentence formation.
Bitten By A Dog
A!er doing some exercises and running a fourth of my distance, I arrived at
my favourite spot and stopped.
It was the beginning of autumn. The leaves of banyan trees fell around me. I
walked over these dry leaves and went towards a large tree trunk. As I was
taking a rest and enjoying the beautiful evening, I noticed dusk turning to dark
and decided to start home. As I moved to stand up, I saw something walking
across the road. I took a step back, it took a step forward. I hadn’t been afraid
yet, but was curious. Walking forward to get a closer look, I recognized Hira,
a neighbour’s friendly black dog. I thought the dog recognized me. So I tried
to have some fun with it. When I called it by its name, it started barking at me.
Then I went near it thinking that it would it recognize me. That was a very
unfortunate decision. Hira jumped at me. I tried to run away but it was too
late. It bit my leg. Soon I was bleeding.
I quickly pulled my leg and ran away. But this story did not end here. Hira was
running a!er me. I ran as fast as I could and luckily reached my home. I could
relax now.
It was found out that the dog had contracted rabies. I was given a series of
syringes and a few stitches only. And a!er a couple of weeks, my leg healed,
but the scars remain on both the inside and out.
An Accident
One thing that changed my life forever would have to be the day I went down
the sand hill. It was summer and like most summers it was very hot.
It all started about 8:00 a.m. It was hot enough to fry an egg on the footpath.
So I went to ask my mother if I could go down to the forest. She didn’t see
any reason not to go, so she said it was all right. I asked my friend Vinay if he
wanted to come with me and he did.
Both of us took out our bicycles and headed for the forest. We were expecting a
cool journey. We had no idea that something really bad was going to happen.
So we raced ahead to see who would get there "rst. He was in the lead. He was
about three feet ahead of me when I noticed that the big hill was approaching.
We stopped at the top of the hill and looked down at the curving surface of
the road.
Excitedly we both rode down the hill at great speed. The wind hit our faces
as we raced down the hill, but then I noticed that I was about to crash into a
corner. Nervously, I slammed on the brakes, hoping to escape the accident. But
the tyre locked up and I started to slide out of control.
I fell o# my bike and started using my bare leg to stop me from crashing into
the ditch. But as most people know, skin, blood and muscle don’t make good
brakes. As I was tearing up my leg, my life seemed to end before my eyes. I
started screaming in pain.
When I approached the bo!om I stopped sliding. I got up and took a look at
my leg. My perfectly good leg had been turned into a bloody mess.
I was screaming because I could not bear the pain. A passerby heard me and
saw my leg. All the while, Vinay just stared at me with his mouth open in
shock. The person that saw me, took us home. Now every time I approach a
hill I am extra careful.
When I Grow Up...

I tried to run, but I couldn’t. The monster seemed like it was growing every
minute" And then, the most horrible thing was about to happen. I screamed
and sat upright up in bed.
I swallowed huge amounts of air. I’d just had the most horrible dream ever. I’d
never been so scared in my life" Still scared, I called “Mom"”
My mom came sleepily into my bedroom and sat on the edge of my bed.
“What is it sweetie?” she asked, her voice full of concern. Tears swelled up in
my eyes as I remembered the ghostly monster from my dream. “I… I had a
nightmare.” I #nally managed to say. “Poor thing,” my Mom said as she gave
me a hug. “But don’t worry,” she said, “you will stop having them when you
grow up.” I nodded my head in agreement. But inside I secretly felt that I
wouldn’t.
A$er my Mom le$, I lay on my pillows and started to think. People - mostly
grownups - are always telling me that things would happen or I would like
something be!er when I was ‘grown up’. Apparently they thought being
grown up meant liking everything and knowing everything. Well I most
certainly did not"
Personally I thought growing up meant having responsibility and trying

to make good all the things that go wrong. I wondered if my life would be
di%erent as a grown-up. I mean I knew I would be older and more mature, but
would I be pre!ier, fa!er or skinnier? Would I choose to get married or get a
job?
Then I realized something. I was twelve years of age. Right now, none of that
really ma!ered. I didn’t need a family of my own because I already had my
mum, dad and elder brother. I didn’t need a job because my parents provided
for me. The only job I had right now was to be a kid. And that was just what I
was going to do.
An Adventure Of A Lifetime
One day my friend Pemba and I were talking about vacations. Then he asked
me if wanted to go for a couple of weeks or more from our home to the other
side of the mountains. This travel was about 2000 kilometres. My answer was
yes. I was very excited"
We began to prepare the things that we would need for our trip. We took a
tent, a camp stove, two sleeping bags, gear, a few meters of rope and food. We
had to take a bus for the #rst part of our journey. Then we went to a picnic area.
Pemba found a good place to put our tent. I made a camp#re and cooked rice
for dinner. We ate and then went to sleep.
The next morning we got up early. We went #shing. The stream was very
beautiful. It was close to our camp. We took a couple of #shing rods and #shing
nets. Pemba sat on a big rock. He cast out his line and began to read a book
about cooking #sh. A$er two hours, Pemba was asleep. When his #shing rod
began to move, I cried, “Hey Pemba, wake up""” He took his rod and pulled in
a big #sh. “Excellent""” I said. We had our lunch.
The next day, we went to the mountain. We took our gear and walked for a
long time. Suddenly, we found a cave, which was behind the trees and between
the rocks. The opening was shaped like the le!er “O”. We were surprised.
We le$ the things and took our %ashlights and started to climb into the main
passageway of the cave. In the cave we found many things. One of these things
was an old kitchen set. We also found an axe and a blade. We thought that it
could be le$ over from a previous campsite. We were enjoying our discovery.
We came back to the mouth of the cave. We were hot and dirty but excited with
the success of our day. Then we put up our tent and made a #re. The night
came and the sky was beautiful. A lot of stars were out. The full moon seemed
to smile down on us.
In the morning we le! for a small town. We went to an old hotel where we
could take a shower and sleep in a real bed. The sky was very clear. The sun
shone brightly in the sky overhead. In the a!ernoon we went to the bus station.
We took a bus.
We then began a most frightening journey. The bus was very old. The road
was narrow. It was made of dirt and stone. The mountains were high and the
way was dangerous. When night came, the sky was covered with dark clouds
and it began to rain very heavily. The bus did not have enough light and water
from a waterfall, coming down from the mountain, hit the bus. The bus was
not in balance. I moved from one side to another. We were afraid because it
didn’t have stability and the water was coming into the bus from all sides.
I thought we would be dead soon. But in three hours we stopped at a nearby

village. The rain stopped. The sky was clear again with the moon full and
stars out. My friend Mingma lived in this village, so we went to his house. We
knocked on his door and when he saw us, he exclaimed “I can’t believe it"” We
enjoyed a week with him. We told him about our adventures.
During the time we spent with Mingma, we went swimming, played basketball,
watched movies and did many more things. When it was time to return home,
we decided to take an airplane. We did not want to face any more problems on
our return journey.
Topics for narrative essay

• a memorable wedding
• one minute of a football game (or other sporting event)
• a moment of failure or success
• an encounter that changed your life
• an embarrassing experience
• a frightening experience
• a memorable journey
• an encounter with someone or something you were afraid of
• the breakup of a friendship
• an experience that showed how we should be careful of what we
wish for
• a memorable encounter with someone in authority
• an act of heroism or cowardice
• a time that you took a stand on an important issue
• an experience that altered your view of someone
• a trip that you would like to take
• a vacation trip from your childhood
• an account of a visit to a !ctional place
• your !rst time away from home
• a tra"c accident
• a day when everything went right or wrong
• an experience that made you laugh until you cried
• the day you decided to change your life
• the experience of being lost
• an experience that taught you a lesson
• an important discovery
• an eyewitness account of an important event
• an experience that helped you grow up
• a story that starts with this line: ‘I entered the room and !nally found
that bo#le of cough syrup I was looking for. I rushed to take it, but
tripped on a lone shoe lying on the $oor...’ Continue the story and
give it any kind of ending you would like.
EXPLORING WRITING
Synonyms
Synonyms are useful to know because they improve your writing skills.
And since words represent thoughts, it can be stated that they allow you to
understand the world at a deeper, richer level.
It is important to remember that synonyms are not words that have the same
meaning, but rather, words that have similar meanings. This means that by
learning synonyms, you learn to di!erentiate between shades of meaning.
This enables you to be more precise.
So, in order to enhance your vocabulary and make your writing more vivid and
interesting, use synonyms to avoid repetition of words in your wri•en work.
Here is a list of adjectives and their synonyms that are

commonly used to describe people.
• beautiful: a"ractive, pre"y, lovely, stunning
• fair: just, impartial, unbiased
• funny: humorous, comical, hilarious, hysterical
• happy: content, joyful, mirthful, upbeat
• hardworking: diligent, determined, industrious, enterprising
• honest: honourable, fair, sincere, trustworthy
• intelligent: smart, bright, brilliant, sharp
• introverted: shy, bashful, quiet, withdrawn
• kind: thoughtful, considerate, amiable, gracious
• lazy: idle, lackadaisical, lethargic, indolent
• mean: unfriendly, unpleasant, bad-tempered
• outgoing: friendly, sociable, warm, extrovert
• rich: a#uent, wealthy, well-o!, well-to-do
• strong: solid, tough
• unhappy: sad, depressed, melancholic, miserable
• lucky: fortunate
• positive: optimistic, cheerful
• bossy: controlling, tyrannical
Here are some miscellaneous words and their synonyms:
• ba•e: confuse, deceive
• hypocrisy: duplicity, falseness
• pacify: appease, placate
• turbulent: disordered, violent
• valid: authorized, legitimate
• old: antiquated, ancient, obsolete, past, prehistoric,
venerable, aged
• true: genuine, reliable, factual, accurate, precise, correct,
valid, real
• important: required, substantial, vital, essential, primary,
signi!cant, requisite, critical
• weak: frail, anemic, feeble, in!rm, languid, sluggish, puny,
fragile
Below are a list of synonyms related to the adjectives above.

Read the synonym and write the adjective.
1. stunning ................................
2. trustworthy ................................
3. signi!cant ................................
4. feeble ................................
5. smart ................................
6. well-to-do ................................
7. sociable ................................
8. depressed ................................
9. fortunate ................................
10. content ................................
11. optimistic ................................
12. lackadaisical ................................
13. bashful ................................
14. appease ................................
A. Use the words in the box to write sentences using the
synonyms for the italicized words.
destroy hardworking tired try convince
allow remember forecast worried build
a!ack complain think about help agree
(i) .........................................................................................................................
I was anxious about my test results.
(ii) .........................................................................................................................
It is di"cult to predict the weather.
(iii) .........................................................................................................................
When the students heard they would have a test, they started to grumble.
(iv) .........................................................................................................................
He began to ponder the reason that he failed.
(v) .........................................................................................................................
A#er the earthquake, the villagers desperately needed aid.
(vi) .........................................................................................................................
Don’t worry. She’ll $nish the job. She is very diligent.
(vii) .........................................................................................................................
I am weary. I need to rest.
(viii) .........................................................................................................................
I couldn’t persuade her to stay in school.
(ix) .........................................................................................................................
I can’t recall what his name is.
(x) .........................................................................................................................
The captain began the assault in the middle of the night.
(xi) .........................................................................................................................
They started to construct the house yesterday.
(xii) .........................................................................................................................
You think it’s too expensive? I concur. I won't buy it at that price.
(xiii) .........................................................................................................................
If water gets in the building, it will ruin the paintings.
(xiv) .........................................................................................................................
I will not permit you to marry my daughter.
B. Find the synonyms of the words that are given below

and •ll in the crossword puzzle.
Across Down
3. furious 36. persuade 1. tardy 28. recall
4. fragment 37. easy 2. noisy 30. irritate
6. skinny 39. damp 3. solution 31. build
7. buy 42. error 5. insane 33. arrive
9. jump 43. fortunate 8. conceal 34. suggest
12. infant 44. comprehend 9. di"cult 36. expensive
14. weary 45. toss 10. guard 38. tiny
15. gain 48. anxious 11. assault 39. rich
18. satis!ed 50. a#empt 12. start 40. end
20. ill 52. halt 13. huge 41. let
22. angry 53. near 16. examine 46. despise
23. bene!cial 54. locate 17. foe 47. be against
24. centre 55. smart 18. grumble 49. stone
27. cautious 58. help 19. chat 51. impolite
29. chair 59. hurt 21. silent 54. repair
32. forecast 60. tidy 25. ruin 56. depart
35. weird 26. sad 57. correct
1
2 3 4
p i e 5c e
6
7
p u r c 8h a s e 9 10
11 12 13
14
15 16
17 18 19
20 21
22 23
24 25 26
27 28
29 30 31 32 33
34
35 36
c o n v i n c e
37 38
39 40
41 42
43 44
45 46 47
48 49
50 51 52
53
54
55 56 57
c l e v e r
58
59
60
Unit 6
Imaginative Essay
An imaginative essay is !ction or a type of short story. You

imagine a particular historical or fantastic situation and write
the rest of the story.
Depending on the prompt, the imaginative essay can discuss
anything from space travel to civil rights. Because of this
wide variation, some imaginative essays require a very
serious response, while others invite a much more light-
hearted, fantastic one.
WRITING SKILL
• Use your imagination and pretend to be another person,
an animal or an inanimate object.
• Invent an autobiography of him or it.
• It should be wri"en in the !rst person.
• Use the method of clustering to put your ideas on
paper. It will help you to see connections between the
main idea and details.
CLUSTERING
poor a cheat
beggar
always busy silent spectator
people me
My Life As A observations
Lamppost both good
and bad
home
crowded
people shops
vehicles
cars buses
WRITING PRACTICE
i) Write your topic in the middle of a piece of paper. Circle it.
ii) Think about your topic. Write down each idea you have about the topic
in a smaller circle. Draw a line from the smaller circles to the circle in the
centre.
iii) Now think about the ideas in the smaller circles. Write down any ideas
you have about them. Circle them and connect them to the smaller circles.
iv) When you have completed clustering, read over your ideas. Decide which
ones you want to use for writing your essay.
Autobiography Of A Lamppost
What a mad house this world is! There is noise and activity everywhere.
Everyone is busy for nothing. There is no peace anywhere. It is the same story
every day. I am a lamp-post and I have been standing here for the past thirty-
"ve years or so.
I am a silent observer of all that is happening. Good people hurrying

homewards a#er the day’s work bless me while thieves hate me. They think
that I am disturbing in their business.
The road on which I stand is always crowded. There is a great rush of vehicles
moving up and down the street. Buses, motor cars, scooters, bicycles pass by
me in a never-ending line. Occasionally I see slow-moving carts and tempos
also. During the peak hours there is such a rush that it is di$cult to cross the
road. The pedestrians, too, move up and down the street. The shops are also
full and the shopkeepers are busy a%ending to their customers.
Sometimes I see quarrels between shopkeepers and customers. Sometimes,

quarrels start because someone has been knocked down in by the vehicles. On
such occasions, people gather quickly. Some simply watch while others try to
calm down the people who are "ghting.
A beggar sits just by my side with his begging bowl. Pedestrians pass by
him. Some feel pity for him and give him some money. Others pass him by
considering him a useless creature. The beggar is not very poor. I have seen
him enjoying costly food at night. He is a cheat and does not deserve any
charity at all.
Just on the opposite side of the road there is a cold drink seller. He too has a
pro!table business. He deals in all kinds of so" drinks. In the evening, I start
giving light. The whole street looks bright with additional lights in the shops.
There is a rush for some time. Soon the bell rings. The shops begin to close. In
half an hour the street looks empty. There are a few wanderers here and there,
going back home in a leisurely manner.
I still keep a watch. It is perfectly quiet now. At eleven, there is a bit of noise
again. The last show in the cinema hall is over and people make their way
home. Once again there is peace around me.
How colourful this life is# I can enjoy all that goes on around me, but alas# I
cannot move from my place.
A Mind’s Journey
I was a carefree and irresponsible when I was small. I used to chase the stray
dogs and get myself all dirty with the neighborhood kids. While I did all these,
my elder sister and my li$le brother did their homework at home. My father
always said that I was wasting my life, but my mother always took my side
saying I would make the whole family proud one day.
When you are 10 years old, you don’t really think about making the family
proud. All I could think of was when I would get a chance to go out and play
again. But one day, I came home and was shocked. My father had decided to
leave us# My parents got a divorce and we started living with mother.
My mother was sad and terri!ed at the thought of having to bring up the
three of us alone. I could not do anything except looking at my mum’s helpless
condition. I did all the housework with the help of my brother and sister before
mum got home from work. Then we all sat and had dinner together and talked
about our day’s activities. I realized that talking has a healing e!ect on people.
Whether it’s about the tiniest incident or a life-changing one, you actually feel
be"er when you talk to someone about it. But the art of listening is even greater
than talking. When you listen to someone, you give them your full a"ention.
When someone gives you their full a"ention, you feel very honoured. I tried
it out with many people, friends, relatives and even strangers sometimes. I
realized that I had the ability to make people feel be"er by just listening and
talking to them. It got me interested in the working of the human mind.
I was 12 years old by this time and in class seven. I still have a few more years
to #nish school. Then I will go to college and #nd myself a good job to help
mum. It’s the least I could do for her.
An Imaginary Encounter
One night, while I was about to sleep, I noticed an extremely bright star in
the sky. Its bright glow lit the dark night and its beam fell on my bed. To my
surprise, a tiny human-like creature walked down the beam. It had wide blue
eyes and sharp-pointed ears. A small star shone on its forehead.
“Hello, I am Starlet from outer space,” said the li"le creature. From the high
voice, I guessed that Starlet was a female.
Starlet continued, “Today is my birthday and my dad gave me a new spaceship.

Would you like to ride in it with me?”
I was #lled with curiosity and followed Starlet up the beam into her spaceship.
Together, we $ew o! to outer space. Looking out of the spaceship, I could see
#sh-like creatures rushing about in space and looking very busy.
“That is the #sh market,” Starlet informed me.
Soon, we arrived at a restaurant which was $oating in space. It served food

which looked like star fruits but which tasted like a mixture of mu"on and
strawberry ice-cream.
Starlet introduced me to all her friends and family. Her baby brother stole my
heart. I had a wonderful time. It was such fun visiting her kingdom in space.
Starlet sent me back to earth before dawn. Before she le!, she promised to visit
me again on her next birthday.
If I Were The Prime minister…

If I were a prime minister and had the power to change things, there would be
so many things that I would do.
I would create a government that was more honest. I would create a system
in which anyone people would be selected for any job on the basis of their
competency and intelligence. Besides competency and intelligence, there are
other qualities which make a person e"ective. Those qualities honesty and
morality. A person who has the above mentioned qualities can realize what
they are doing and have a vision for a be#er planet.
If I were the prime minister, I would maintain a cordial relationship with all
the countries. If there is a war going on somewhere, we can o"er counselling,
mediation and suggestions for coming to a peaceful conclusion. But we would
never take sides and never o"er weapons to either side. We would never sell
arms to any country and we would never take an active role in $ghting for
another country. Of course, if it were possible to take sides and protect them,
we would.
Although our main principle would be to maintain friendly relations with all
the countries in the world, yet we would always be prepared in case some
nation a#acks us. I would keep investing in technologies that would protect
our country in such cases. We would be prepared to go to war, if necessary, to
defend our freedom and way of life.
I would invest my nation’s wealth in the most important requirements of the

citizens like education and health. Unless people are educated and are healthy,
we can’t imagine a developed nation. Educated people know what is right and
what is wrong. Healthy people are active and can do their work e%ciently.
I would create a system of safe, inexpensive public transportation. Every
village in the nation should be linked with a road. I want to see a system of
public transportation so e!ective that most people would choose to not even
own a bike or a car. Every town would be required to have bicycle lanes and
scenic bicycle routes to encourage people to ride them. Using bicycles would
make the people healthy as well as the environment healthy. It would also
lower the consumption of petrol in the country.
If I were the prime minister, my country would be an ideal one to live in – one
in which everyone would be safe and happy and prosperous.
Topics for imaginative essay

• What would you do if you woke up one morning to "nd yourself
invisible?
• What would you do if 300 mice had just got out of their cages in a
pet shop where you worked?
• What would you do if you were locked inside an empty cinema hall
overnight?
• What would you do if you were able to communicate with animals?
• If I had superpowers...
• My three wishes if I ever meet Aladdin’s genie…
• Imagine that you are an animal in the zoo. What type of animal are
you? How do you feel about being caged? How do you feel about
people that visit and watch you?
• If I could be somebody else for a day
• If I could change one thing about me
• If I could go back in time
• If I could have any pet
• If I could invent a holiday
• If I could live in another century
• If I could make school rules
• If I could only see one color
• If I had a million dollars
• If I had my own planet
• If I were invisible
• If I were the president
• Autobiography of a grape
• Autobiography of a school desk
• Autobiography of an egg
• Autobiography of a pair of shoes
• Autobiography of a mobile phone
• Autobiography of a geometry box
• Autobiography of a mango seed
• What do you think someone your age can do to help reduce the
amount of pollution in our environment?
• What do you think the world needs now?
• What do you think your friends say to each other when you’re not
around?
• What do you think about the amount of violence on T.V.?
• What do you think about people polluting the environment?
• What do you think about having set rules for people to follow?
• What do you think about people who are dishonest of others?
• What do you think should be done to keep people who drink and
drive?
• What do you think the world will be like when you are a grown-up?
• What do you think about ghosts?
• What do you think of someone who has bad manners?
• What do you think about people who take advantage of others?
• What do you think about when you can’t fall asleep?
EXPLORING WRITING
Diamante
A diamante – pronounced dee-uh-MAHN-tay – is an unrhymed seven-line
poem. The beginning and ending lines are the shortest, while the lines in the
middle are longer, giving diamante poems a diamond shape. “Diamante” is
the Italian word for diamond, so this poetic form is named for this diamond
shape.
Believe it or not, the diamante was invented just over 40 years ago. It was
created by an American poet named Iris McClellan Tiedt in 1969 and has
become very popular in schools.
Also known as a “diamond poem” because of it’s shape, there are two di!erent
types of diamantes – synonym diamantes and antonym diamantes.
The rules for a diamante:

There are just a few rules to writing a diamante:
1. Diamantes are seven lines long.
2. The "rst and last lines have just one word.
The second and sixth lines have two words.
The third and "#h lines have three words.
And the fourth line has four words.
3. Lines 1, 4 and 7 have nouns.

Lines 2 and 6 have adjectives.
Lines 3 and 5 have verbs.
Here’s an easy way to visualize all three rules:
Noun
Adjective, Adjective
Verb, Verb, Verb
Noun, Noun, Noun, Noun
Verb, Verb, Verb
Adjective, Adjective
Noun
In a synonym diamante, the nouns at the beginning and end are two words
that mean basically the same thing. In an antonym diamante, the two nouns
are opposites. Here are a couple of examples:
Synonym diamante
In this diamante, the words “Monsters” and “Creatures” mean the same thing,
so they are synonyms.
Monsters
Evil, Frightening
Howling, Screaming, Shouting
Ghosts, Vampires, Goblins, Witches
Flying, Scaring, Terrifying
Strange, Fearful
Creatures
Antonym diamante
In this diamante, you might say that the words “Cat” and “Dog” are opposites
or “antonyms,” so this is an antonym diamante.
Cat
Gentle, Sleepy
Purring, Meowing, Scratching
Whiskers, Fur, Collar, Leash
Barking, Licking, Digging
Wet, Playful
Dog
Getting started:
To start writing a diamante, you !rst need to decide what thing you want to
write about. The reason you want to pick a thing is that your !rst and last lines
need to be nouns. In other words, your diamante will be about a noun, such as
a “pencil” or a “TV,” rather than about a verb, such as “jump” or an adjective
like “smelly”. An easy thing to write about is something you like or something
you see around you.
Next, you’ll want to decide whether you want to write a synonym diamante or
an antonym diamante. If you want to write a synonym diamante, you’ll want
to select another word that means the same thing as your subject. If you are
going to write an antonym diamante, choose a word that is its opposite.
For this example, we will see how to write an antonym diamante about the
“sun,” and our second noun is “moon,” since the sun and the moon can be
considered opposites.
Once you’ve chosen your two nouns, take a piece of paper and brainstorm
as many words as you can that have to do with each of them. For example,
make one column for each word and write down everything you can think
of. You’ll want adjectives (descriptive words), verbs (action words) and even
more nouns.
Your list should look something like this:
Sun Moon
Hot Cold
Yellow Silver
Fiery Night
Flame Crescent
Light Orbiting
Blinding Shining
Exploding Beautiful
Burning Re"ecting
Don’t worry if you have more words than you need. It’s be!er to have too
many words to choose from than not enough.
Finally, you’ll want to arrange your diamante, pu!ing the synonyms or
antonyms at the top and bo!om, the adjectives next, on lines 2 and 6, the verbs
a"er that on lines 3 and 5 and lastly your additional nouns on the middle line.
In the top half of the poem – lines 2 and 3 – your adjectives and verbs should
be ones from your #rst brainstorming column – words that have to do with
line 1, like this:
Sun
Fiery, Yellow
Burning, Blinding, Exploding
In the bo!om half of the poem – lines 5 and 6 – your adjectives and verbs
should be related to the noun on line 7, like this:
Shining, Orbiting, Re!ecting
Cold, Silver
Moon
On line 4, the line in the middle of the poem, the #rst two nouns should be
related to the noun on line 1 and the last two nouns should be related to the
noun on line 7, like this:
Flame, Light, Night, Crescent

When you put everything together, you’ll end up with something like this:
Sun
Fiery, Yellow
Burning, Blinding, Exploding
Flame, Light, Night, Crescent
Shining, Orbiting, Re!ecting
Cold, Silver
Moon
Things to remember
As you begin writing your own diamantes, here are the important things to
remember -
• Diamantes can be about anything.
• They are 7 lines long.
• The word count is simple: 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 1.
• Your lines should have: noun, adjectives, verbs, nouns, verbs,
adjectives, noun.
• Try to “centre” your poem on the page to give it a diamond shape.
• Most importantly, have fun!
A. Write your own diamante poem.

My idea for a diamante poem is:
..........................................................................................................................
Descriptive words I might use:

..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
Line 1:
Noun or subject – one word
..........................................................................................................................
Line 2:
Two adjectives that describe line 1
..........................................................................................................................
Line 3:
Three ‘ing’ words that describe line 1
..........................................................................................................................
Line 4:
Four nouns – the !rst two are connected with line 1; the last two are connected
with line 7
..........................................................................................................................
Line 5:
Three ‘ing’ words that describe line 7
..........................................................................................................................
Line 6:
Two adjectives that describe line 7
..........................................................................................................................
Line 7:
Noun synonym or antonym for the subject on line 1
..........................................................................................................................
Remember:
Your poem should be in the shape of a diamond.
Here is a list of topics that you can use for your diamante poems:
• Summertime • Spring
• Teacher • Mom
• Best Friend • Autumn
• Forest • River
• Time • Homework
Unit 7
Cause and Effect
Essay
Cause and e•ect essays are concerned with why things
happen (causes) and what happens as a result (e!ects).
Cause and e!ect is a common method of organizing and
discussing ideas.
WRITING SKILL
Here is a framework for writing cause and e!ect essays.
Introduction
• Get your readers interested right away.
• Give background information.
• Include a clear thesis.
Body
• Discuss "rst cause or e!ect and give support.
• Discuss second cause or e!ect and give support.
• Discuss further causes or e!ects and give support.
Conclusion
• Remind your readers about your thesis.
WRITING PRACTICE
Why Are Cities Becoming Overcrowded?

It is a well-known fact that the world’s cities are ge!ing more and more
crowded. Cities such as Tokyo, Mumbai and Shanghai, are now considered
‘mega-cities’ because of their enormous size and huge population. There are
two main reasons why these and other cities are becoming so crowded. The
reasons are economic and socio-cultural.
Firstly, the primary cause of cities becoming so crowded is economic. As a

country develops, its cities become the engines of development. Thus jobs
are available in these areas. People move to these cities because they can "nd
employment and establish economic security for themselves and their families
there. As a result, the population of a city increases.
Secondly, another factor in the huge increase in urban population is the socio-
cultural factor. Thousands of people migrate to the cities not only for jobs
but also for educational and personal reasons. Be!er schools and universities
are always located in big cities and this a!racts thousands of students
every year. These students stay on and work in the city a#er they graduate.
Moreover, young people move to cities. It is because people in villages are
more conservative and follow the old ‘custom and tradition’. Therefore, young
people believe this is an obstacle to their personal freedom.
In conclusion, economic and cultural factors are the major causes of huge urban
population. People will always move to areas which provide opportunity and
to places which can give them the freedom they desire.
The Effects Of Living In A Foreign Country
Living away from your country can be a really interesting and unforge!able
experience. At the same time it has very important e"ects on one’s life. I would
like to discuss the three main e"ects that living in another country can produce
in your personal life.
The main e"ect is that, once you are away from home, you miss everything.
Missing your family and all the a!ention they gave you is a very common thing
to do. Li!le details of time spent with them make you realize how valuable
your family really is. It is also acceptable to miss all the facilities you used to
have back at home like your bed, your music system, your TV and other li!le
things.
The second main e"ect would be learning how to accept another type of society
and culture in your daily life. When you live in a di"erent place with di"erent
customs and traditions from yours, you have to be able to adjust and develop
yourself in new surroundings. This means making new friends, learning to
accept other points of view, accepting opinions and values that are so di"erent
from yours and grabbing every opportunity you have now.
The most important e"ect of living away from home in another country is
the chance to become more independent. Living on your own, away from
family, gives you new experiences in organizing your life. Now it is up to you
to clean your room, wash your clothes and organize your expenditure. Being
independent and responsible will help you get through life.
Living far away from home can be di#cult in the beginning. We have to
remember that all changes are hard but they are necessary. Changes help
us appreciate and value everything that we have, no ma!er how small. Not
realizing how lucky we are can be a bad mistake because things do not last
forever. We just have to make the best out of them.
The Causes And Effects Of Burns
Burns are dreadful accidents that could happen to any person. Burns are tissue
injuries that result from contact with numerous agents. Certain chemicals,
electricity and !re cause burns; moreover, each one of these a"ects the body in
a di"erent way and may result in death.
When the skin comes in contact with a strong chemical substances like
hydrochloric acid or sulphuric acid, a chemical burn occurs. Local pain,
breathing di#culties and unconsciousness result from chemical burns. In
severe cases, they may lead to death.
An electrical burn occurs when the skin is exposed directly to electricity. This
type of burn leads to extreme weakness. In addition, it can develop heart or
respiratory failure, which could take your life.
Thermal burns result from residential or house !res. They cause pain and
swelling. If complications arise, shock and death may result.
In conclusion, the most common types of burns are chemical, electrical and
thermal. In mild cases, all types cause pain, tiredness and swelling. In severe
cases, heart and respiratory disorders may lead to death.
The Impact Of Tourism On The

Environment
One of the most essential things for tourism to be successful in a particular
place is the quality of the environment, both natural and man-made. However
tourism involves many activities that have a negative e"ect on the environment.
These occur when people use the environment and neglect it. Uncontrolled
tourism is threatening many natural areas around the world. It can put great
pressure on an area and lead to negative environmental impacts on air and
water quality, vegetation, soil, wildlife and many other things.
One of the most important areas of tourism is transportation. Transport by air

and road is rising steadily because of the increasing number of tourists. One
consequence of this is that tourism is responsible for a large amount of air
pollution. These emissions, as well as those from the production of electricity,
another important tourist need, cause acid rain, chemical pollution and global
warming. They contribute to severe air pollution, not only in cities but in
natural environments as well. Some of these impacts are directly related to
tourism. For example, in very cold conditions, tourist buses o!en leave their
motors running while the tourists go out on excursions so that the bus is at a
comfortable temperature when they return.
Another negative e"ect of tourism is water quality. Bushwalkers can damage

small streams by walking through them too many times, causing them to be
muddy which then in turn makes it di#cult for small $sh to feed. Also, less
experienced bushwalkers sometimes like to do activities such as washing
their hair in small streams sending chemicals in shampoo and conditioner
downstream and further damaging the environment.
However, all the e"ects of tourism are not long term. The most common impact
of tourism is li%er and its e"ect is almost immediate. Li%er is a serious problem
in areas with high concentrations of tourist activities and natural a%ractions.
It can have a major negative impact on all areas of the natural environment -
rivers, mountains, beaches and many more. Li%ering can degrade the physical
appearance of the environment. This results in the loss of beauty of the place
and the death of many native animals.
Tourist destinations in the mountains o!en result in a great deal of unwanted

waste. Tourists leave behind garbage, oxygen cylinders and camping equipment
while they return from the mountains. In the less developed or remote areas
this is even worse as there are few disposal facilities. It is said that the Mount
Everest region has become very polluted due to the wastes carelessly thrown
by the tourists..
This has a bad e"ect on not only the appeal of a tourist site but the plant and
animal life in the area as well. Natural tourist sites need clear pathways and
signposts in order to minimize the impact on vegetation. Destroying plants
is also destroying many homes and habitats of the animals in that particular
area.
Constant use of natural habitats has a negative impact on vegetation, animals

and soil as well. Large amounts of trampling on soil causes loss of organic
ma%er and erosion in that area. In beaches all over the world, the erosion is
so bad that sand has to be brought in to keep the beach a%ractive. Once again,
clear signs and distinct paths are needed to lessen this impact.
Tourism has many destructive environmental e!ects. However, it also has
some positive impacts. Tourism contributes to environmental protection and
conservation by raising people’s awareness of environmental values. Tourists
o"en travel to a destination because of its quality and purity. Many of these
tourists both directly and indirectly cause pollution to these places, making
them unappealing to other tourist. Employing local people to help clean it
up is a be#er option. This helps in making the environment cleaner as well
as a#racting more tourists. It becomes a real problem when environmental
pollution is greater and cleaning up is less. But with good planning, this may
not happen anymore.
Topics for cause and effect essays

• Causes and e!ects of forest $res
• Causes and e!ects of global warming
• Causes and e!ects of land pollution
• E!ects of using mobile phones too much
• Explain the causes for the popularity of fast food restaurants.
• Explain the e!ects of learning to write well.
• Explain the e!ects of noise pollution.
• Explain the e!ects of some minor invention.
• Explain your like or dislike of a particular book or writer, movie,
musician or television programme.
• Generation gap - causes and e!ects
• Misbehavior at school, causes and e!ects
• Problems that city causes for people and environment
• Volcano eruptions: causes and e!ects
• What causes rain and what are its usual e!ects?
• Why do people sometimes move to di!erent countries and how it
changes their lives?
EXPLORING WRITING
Antonyms
An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another word. By learning
antonyms, you learn the opposites of important words, thus enhancing your
overall command of the language. The knowledge and use of antonyms and
synonyms together can make your writing powerful.
Some examples of antonyms:
happy - sad general - speci!c huge - tiny
A. Match the words with their antonyms.

preceding • • careless
cautious • • leave
stay • • negative
large • • de!nite
sunrise • • sane
positive • • sunset
crazy • • small
vague • • following
achieve • • thin
obese • • light
heavy • • fail
B. Solve the crossword puzzle below with antonyms of the
words below.
Across Down
1. low 37. wild 1. love 46. bright
2. laugh 39. far 2. country 47. le!
3. thick 40. yell 3. turn up 48. raw
5. student 42. old 4. remember 49. day
6. above 44. noisy 7. best 50. giant
8. wet 46. create 8. light 51. north
10. start 47. polite 9. false 53. late
11. so! 48. throw 11. cold 57. answer
12. short 50. safe 13. predator 58. sweet
14. "oat 52. tell the truth 16. pick up 60. work
15. narrow 54. come 17. cheap 61. on
16. doctor 55. $x 20. stand 63. defend
18. woman 56. put away 21. slow down 65. follow
19. di#cult 59. turn on 22. easy 67. borrow
22. arrive 62. sad 27. deep 68. receive
23. push 64. down 28. heavy
24. give 65. more 29. melt
25. lose 66. ceiling 33. last
26. west 68. rough 34. thin
30. poor 69. strong 36. friend
31. soldier 70. front 38. few
32. war 71. bad 41. crooked
34. empty 72. adult 43. new
35. big 45. inhale
1 2 3
4 5
6 7 8 9
10 11
12 13
14 15
16 17 18
19 20 21
22 23
24
25
26 27 28 29
30
31 32
33
34 35 36
37 38 39
40 41
42 43 44 45
46
47 48
49 50 51 52 53
54 55 56 57
58
59 60 61 62 63
64
65 66 67 68
69 70
71 72
8 Unit
Expository Essay
An expository essay consists of an exposition or explanation

of some subject. It explains things with facts rather than
opinions. Sometimes in an exposition, arguments both for
and against a topic are given to convince the reader.
Steps for an expository essay:

• Identify your purpose for writing and also know who
is going to read the essay.
• Draw upon what you already know about the topic.
Conduct research to !nd out more.
• Plan what the text will include. Make notes or an
outline to organize your information.
• Express your main idea(s) clearly.
WRITING SKILL
• Identify your purpose for writing and also know who is going to
read the essay.
• Draw upon what you already know about the topic. Conduct research
to !nd out more.
• Plan what the text will include. Make notes or an outline to organize
your information.
• Express your main idea(s) clearly.
• Support your main idea(s) with speci!c details, facts or examples.
• Organize your writing so that readers can easily follow your ideas.
• Evaluate and revise the your writing to improve its content
organization and style.
Example
Use the given format to build up points for an essay titled

‘Play the Game’.
Title
Play The Game
Introduction (De!ne the topic)

It’s not whether you win or lose. It’s how you play the game.
Arguments for (Ideas that support the topic)

If a person tried their hardest and gave it their 100 percent, it does not really
ma"er if they win or lose. Losing is not the end of the world, it is something to
help learn about mistakes made and things that have to be improved on.
Arguments against (Ideas that oppose the topic)

No one likes to be a loser no ma"er what. Everyone wants to win. Losing
makes one feel insecure, unhappy and worthless. I have never seen anyone
who has lost a game or something else, go out and party to celebrate.
Conclusion (Summarizing comment)
Always be determined to do well in whatever you do. It is not so important if a
person wins or loses. What ma!ers is how much e#ort that particular person put
into it. The best thing to do when playing is to have fun and be safe.
Play The Game

“It’s not whether you win or lose. It’s how you play the game.”
Many people think in the opposite way. If you win, who cares how you played?
They don’t really understand the message. I think it really means if a person
tried their hardest and gave it 100% it does not ma!er if they win or lose.
Moreover, if they really want to be successful in the things they play, practice
is the key.
No one likes to be a loser. Everyone wants to win. Losing makes one feel
insecure, unhappy and worthless. I have never seen anyone who has lost a game
or something else go out and party to celebrate.
But, from my point of view, the saying “It’s not whether you win or lose
that ma!ers” is what’s important. This part really means the most in this
quote. Many people around the world go to extreme amount of performance
enhancers. The chemicals hurt their body more than they help. Losing is not
the end of the world, it is something to help me learn about mistakes I made
and things I have to improve on.
“It’s how you play the game.” People need to have determination to win a game.
If a person goes into a game with no determination of doing well or winning
the game, it is probably going to re"ect on his or her performance. Always be
determined to do well in whatever you do.
Therefore, it is not so important if a person wins or loses. What ma!ers is
how much e#ort that particular person put into it. The best thing to do when
playing is to have fun and be safe.
TIP Use pronouns and

synonyms to avoid the
repetition of words.

WRITING PRACTICE
Write a well-organized composition on the topic ‘Physical
Exercise’. First use the framework below to draft your
exposition. Remember that your task is to convince the reader
to support your point of view.
Title
Introduction (De•ne the topic)
Arguments for (Ideas that support the topic)
Arguments against (Ideas that oppose the topic)
Castles In The Air

Castles in the air is a metaphor that could be misunderstood. Some people
think that castles in the air means you are day-dreaming, looking into space
or being too imaginative. When your dream is too high, people start making
fun of you and say that you are building castles in the air. They try to convince
you that you should give up a very ambitious idea and rather think about your
ability. But, is it bad to have very high ambitions?
A strong foundation is made up of concrete. Every house or castle has to have

a strong foundation of concrete if it wants to stay up and be strong. I believe
that concrete is education. If a person has no education, that person is less
likely to have that castle in the air. For instance my brother is going to be an
electrical engineer in college. He wouldn’t be able to go to college and do what
he wants for a living if he didn’t get education.
Bricks are the next thing you need for your castle. For me bricks are experiences
in life. A mason is a person who lays down bricks. I believe that my sister is a
mason in her ways. She has experienced some of the hardest things she to face
has in life. She has gone through failures in her school and work career and
even had a car crash. But she has learned from those terrible experiences. Now
my sister is studying once again to be a doctor.

Once you have had your foundation laid down, all you have to do is to pick
out the design of your castle. Because I have so many dreams, I know my
castle is going to be big. A judge, lawyer or doctor is what I want to be. I want
to go to places and I want to be something in life. That is why I really care
about my education and good grades. My mom cared about her grades, too.
Then she met my dad and had children. She had to give up her dreams of
studying further to raise my sister and I. The decision she made changed the
design of her castle.
Henry David Thoreau, an American writer, said, “Keep your castle in the sky
and all you got to do is build your foundation under it.” I believe he means
all you got to do is work hard for your castle and it will be built. In my heart
I know that if I am willing to work for my dreams and goals, they will come
true. The question is, are you willing to work for your dreams?
Eating Healthy Foods

Eating healthy foods are one of the many good choices in life that you can
bene!t from. There are several ways in which eating healthy food can help
you. If you are a sportsperson, it can give you more strength and stamina. Or
if you are lacking energy in the a"ernoon, a good and healthy lunch would act
as a refresher. It will also make you feel be#er in many ways.
Stamina, endurance and power are needed in sports. Eating healthy foods are
a key source to get those. Exercise and balanced diets are good choices. You
have to avoid fa#y food to lower the cholesterol level in the body. Healthy
food at the right time of day will help you get through the day without feeling
tired and will give you that right amount of energy.
A good healthy balanced breakfast is where you start your day eating right
and ge#ing most of your energy. You should eat eggs, chapati, cereal and some
milk to start an active day. Lunch should consist of high amounts of minerals,
carbohydrate, protein and vitamins that your body needs. Lunch is where you
get the energy to go through the rest of the day.

Dinner should be the lightest meal of the day. You should still eat the right
food but in a smaller portion. Also, you sleep be!er if you do not overdo
things. If you do, you will be uncomfortable the whole night. I know this from
experience.
Drinking the right liquids is also important. Juice, water and milk are great to
drink. Even though energy drinks are good, they are also bad for you. Energy
drinks give you about an hour of energy only.
If you start eating healthy and exercising, you will de"nitely live a high-
energy, enjoyable and fun life. Others, who see you doing so, might change
their lifestyle, too. So, eat right and stay "t.
Cheaper Products But At What Cost?

Right now I want you to pretend you are in a store. As you walk around, you
see that some products are much less expensive than others. Now, look at the
labels on these cheaper items. You will probably notice that many of these
labels say, ‘Made in China,’ or ‘Made in Honduras’.
Have you ever stopped to wonder why products made in these countries are
so much more a#ordable than things manufactured here on Nepali soil? Well,
before you buy another inexpensive article of clothing, pair of shoes, sporting
good, carpet or any other product, you might want to think why this could be
so.
Child labour has long been banned but still over 200 million children world-
wide work full time in conditions not "t for an animal. That means that
they do not play sports, they do not a!end school and they do not have fun.
These children are prisoners. Take, for example, Pakistan and India. In these
countries, child labourers work for a single employer for many years. Some
are as young as four years old. In return for their service, they receive a place
to sleep and just enough food to eat.
In some countries, the workforce is between 12 and 15 years old. There are no
laws restricting the ages of the workers. There are not any limits on the hours

they can work. It is common for a 13-year-old child to work for 14 hours a day
with no break. Children put to work weaving carpets, making soap or any
other jobs are never paid in full for their hard work.
In countries that hire children to do the dirty work, there is almost never a
minimum pay requirement. This is truly sad. So, the next time you are out
shopping, please stop and think about the situation you are contributing to.
Walking Home
Walking home from my bus stop is o!en an adventure. I never know when I
am going to face a big dog, an angry neighbour or perhaps even a killer tree.
It was a beautiful day. The sky was blue with only a few white clouds. The air
was cool and fresh. Dry leaves were crackling under my feet. It was a wonderful
day to walk slowly, enjoying the weather. Unfortunately, I had forgo"en my
coat. Cold wind was blowing and the clothes I was wearing were not su#cient
to keep me warm. My back was hurting from a muscle I pulled during football
practice earlier in the week. So, despite the pleasant surroundings, I was feeling
rather uncomfortable.
Then my mind began to imagine di$erent things. I began to think of my

science class where we were studying the brain and had just discussed the
idea of hypnosis helping with minor pain. I also remembered that hypnosis
and meditation were similar. This reminded me of my uncle with whom I had
discussion about meditation. I put these thoughts together and came up with
my great idea for the day. In order to relieve my su$ering from the cold and
my back pain, I would meditate while walking home.
To begin with, I concentrated on warmth. I thought of %res, of warm houses

and of summertime. I slowed down my breathing in order to feel more relaxed.
It was all going rather well. I was actually feeling warmer and my back wasn’t
bothering me as much. I smiled.
Then I realized my nose hurt. A few seconds later I %gured out the cause: I had
run into a tree. Not just any tree, but a big rough-barked tree. I immediately

jumped away, hopping in a circle, crying out in pain. Next, I sat down and felt
my nose to make sure it wasn’t !a"ened. To show the tree my rage, I kicked it,
resulting in a hurt foot. I stared at it #guring that it couldn’t hurt me any more
if I just looked at it. But this only made the ma"ers worse.
I’m sure the big dogs and angry neighbours were all ge"ing a good laugh by
now. I continued home in the cold with an aching back, hurt nose and bruised
foot. I then made up my mind about something - no more meditating while
walking.
Topics for expository essay

• Many young people would like to visit someplace new. If you could
visit any place in the world, where would you like to go? Why would
you choose that place? Why would you want to go there? Now
explain in an essay where you would go and why. Support your ideas
with examples and details.
• All young people have friends that they enjoy. Who is your best
friend? Before you write, think about your best friend. What qualities
does this friend have and why are these important? Now write an
essay telling who your best friend is and explaining why. Support
your reasons with examples and details.
• School is a big part of a young person's life. Di$erent students enjoy

di$erent aspects of school: sports, classes, friends, activities, etc.
What do you like most about school and why? Now explain in an
essay what you like about school and why you like it. Support your
ideas with examples and details.
• Can television or video-games in!uence behaviour? How?
• Should junk food be banned from schools?
• Explain why you admire a particular person.
• Explain why someone you know should be regarded a leader.

• Explain why parents are sometimes strict.
• Explain why you especially enjoyed a particular teacher.
• Explain why you like (or do not like) to work in a team.
• Describe some nonmaterial things that make you happy.
• Explain the how music a!ects your life.
• Describe the likely consequences of doing poorly in school.
• Explain the likely consequences of brothers and sisters constantly

"ghting.
• Explain the likely consequences of increasing the passing time

between classes from "ve to "#een minutes.
• Many people believe that honesty is the best policy. In your opinion,
is it ever okay to lie? Explain your answer using speci"c reasons and
examples.
EXPLORING WRITING
Journals
Did you keep a journal at any point? If so and if you
still have it, go back and re-read some entries.
Keeping a journal today means you can look back
a#er "ve years, ten years or in old age at what you
were thinking about, dreaming of or hoping for. It’s
the closest you can get to time-travelling back to meet
a past life of yours.
If you have not kept a journal, then what be$er time
is there? Start now%

Example 1: Write an entry in your journal about a memorable
incident in your life.
21/10/2012
10:15 p.m.
Dear Diary,
Today something wonderful happened. I was called to the stage during
our morning assembly and presented with an award for being the most
polite student in the school. It was a surprise. No one knew what
our principal had planned. I was both nervous and excited at
the same time. What a wonderful and memorable moment it
was for me! Mum and dad are so proud of me. I am so proud
of ME, too.
Example 2: Write an entry in your journal about a time when

you were angry or embarrassed.
9th November 2012
Dear Diary,
I hate everything! Today at school, a boy in my class threw chewing gum
at me and it got stuck to my hair. Shanti and Bharati had to cut my hair
to get it out. I look such a mess.
How am I going to school tomorrow? I’m sure they are all laughing at
what happened to me. They laughed when it happened. And now with
my hair all funny, it’s going to be worse. It’s so embarrassing because I
know my new haircut doesn’t suit me.
Hope I can get sleep tonight. It’s already so late and I’m so tired.
Ankita

Now write the following entries in your journal:
• A moment to value
• A movie that made you cry
• A !eeting glimpse of something wonderful
• A time when you were unable to control your temper
• A time when your parents embarrassed you in front of your friends
• A time when your feelings were hurt
• A happy incident
• A sad moment
• The beautiful night sky
• A walk to remember
• A new friend
• Your most prized possessions
National Essay Contest

All students from Grade One to Grade Ten are invited to take part in
the National Essay Contest organised by Oasis Publication every year.
• There are di"erent essay topics for di"erent grades.
• You can submit the essays online.
• All good essays will be published on the website.
• The winners will be awarded a#ractive prizes.
You may win the prize or you may not. But you will gain experience
and exposure. The important thing is to learn, write and contribute.
For details, visit:
oasiswritingclub.bossnepal.com

Unit 9
LETTER WRITING

WRITING SKILL
Personal letter
Personal le!ers are informal le!ers wri!en to friends, relatives and
acquaintances. They are also known as friendly le!ers.
The following are the parts of a personal le!er. But remember that the rules
regarding the personal le!er are not rigid. Sometimes some parts can be
omi!ed, exchanged or modi"ed.
The heading:
This includes the address, line by line, with the last line being the date. Leave
a line a#er the heading and write the date.
The greeting:
The greeting ends with a comma. The greeting may be formal, beginning with
the word “dear” and using the person’s name or relationship or it may be
informal if appropriate.
Formal: Dear Uncle Gurudev, Dear Mr. Sailesh,
Informal: Hi Bikrant, Greetings,
The body:
It is also known as the main text. This includes the message you want to write.
It includes introduction, body and conclusion. Leave a line a#er the greeting
and before the ending the body.
The complimentary close:

This short expression is usually a few words on a single line and ends in a
comma. Leave one or two line spaces below it for the signature line.
The signature line:

Type or print your name. The handwri!en signature goes above this line and
below the complementary close.

Example
Write a letter to your aunt thanking her for the birthday gift
she sent you.
House No. 12
Bishalnagar Chowk
Kathmandu
12 June 2012
Dearest aunt,
How are you and uncle? I was so disappointed that you could not come
for my birthday party. Mum and dad gave me a wonderful time. I had
invited over sixteen of my closest friends and we danced and had a party
till 9 p.m.
I am writing this le!er to thank you for the birthday gi" that you sent me.
I had always dreamed of owning a pair of Levi jeans. I will be wearing it
next weekend when I go out with my friends.
I hope that you and uncle will pay us a visit someday soon.
Thank you once again.
Your nephew,
Yathartha
WRITING PRACTICE
A. Draft a letter to your friend telling him or her about your

science teacher. Use the framework below to plan your
letter.
Address
.........................................................
.........................................................
Date
.........................................................
Dear .........................................................,
Introduction: (What starts the le!er? Opening statement)

...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
Purpose: (Why are you writing the le!er?)

...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
Conclusion: (Ending statement)

...........................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................
(From)
............................................
B. Edit your draft and write the •nal version of the letter.

Write a letter to your father telling him what you feel about
your boarding school.
New Baneshwor
Kathmandu
26 May 2012
Dear dad,
I was so glad to receive your le!er last week. I was also very happy to
know that mom and Aakash are in good health. I do miss everyone but
ge!ing mail from home makes me feel so much be!er.
Life here in the hostel is fun even though we spend a lot of time studying.
I suppose it is for our good. Some I become too tired and fall asleep
during night study class.
I have made many friends but Tshering is very close to me. We sleep on
the same bunk bed. He sleeps on the top bunk and me on the bo!om. We
help each other in our studies.
I am doing quite well in class though I "nd Optional Maths a bit di#cult.
Our "rst monthly exam will be starting soon, so I am busy studying for
it. I am hoping that I score good marks in all my subjects and make you
and mom proud.
All my love to you and mom and give my li!le brother a big hug from
me.
Take care and write again soon.

Your loving son,
Ujjwal

WRITING SKILL
Formal letter
Le!ers wri!en to "rms, newspapers, principals of educational institutions,
professionals, o#cials and to people not personally known are formal le!ers.
As these le!ers are not personal, the language used is courteous, simple and
clear.
Formal le!ers should be digni"ed, short and to the point. Also known as
business le!ers, these le!ers have the following parts.
The heading:
This includes the address of the sender. It also includes the name, position and
address of the receiver and the date.
The greeting:
The greeting ends with a comma. The greeting should be formal, beginning
with the word “dear” and using the person’s name or position, for example,
Dear Mr. Upadhyay or Dear Sir.
The body:
It is also known as the main text. This includes the message you want to write.
It has to be short, free of errors and up to the point. It comes a$er the greeting
and before the complimentary close.
The complimentary close:
This short expression is always a few words on a single line. It ends in a
comma. Eg. Yours sincerely,
The signature line:
Type or print your name. The handwri!en signature goes above this line and
below the complementary close.
Example
Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper expressing your

concerns at the increasing number of road accidents in
Kathmandu.
Ganabahal
Nag Pokhari
Kathmandu
12 January 2012
The Editor
The Himalayan Times
Anamnagar
Kathmandu
Dear Sir,
It is a ma!er of great concern that in recent times the number of road

accidents has increased sharply in Kathmandu. This re"ects poorly on
the state of our capital city which is the seat of our government.
The number of accidents increase during the nights due to the poor street
lighting. It seems that everyone is in a rush. The motorcycle riders are the
worst as they speed down the roads with no concern for the safety of people.
I hope the tra#c police will take up the ma!er seriously and enforce
strict tra#c rules. They should impose steep $nes on the o%enders.
I shall appreciate if you would publish this le!er in interest of the public.
Yours sincerely,
Ritu Shrestha

WRITING PRACTICE
A. Draft a letter to the coordinator of your school telling him
that you have shifted to a new location and ask him to
arrange for the school bus to pick and drop you from the
new location. Use the framework below to plan your letter.
Your address (house number, street name, city and country)

...............................................
...............................................
Date
...............................................
Name or position of addressee

...............................................
Address
...............................................
...............................................
Dear Sir/Madam,
Introduction (What starts the le!er? Opening statement)
.................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................
Purpose (Why are you writing the le!er?)
.................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................
Conclusion (Ending statement)
..................................................................................................
(From)
.......................
B. Edit your letter. Write the edited version.

Write a letter to the chairperson of your ward complaining to
him about the menace of stray dogs in your locality.
Damak - 12
Jhapa
2nd August 2013
The Chairperson
Ward No. 12
Damak, Jhapa
Dear Sir,
Subject: Stray dogs in my area
This is to inform you that there is an increase in the number of stray dogs
in my locality. These dogs can bite and spread rabies among the general
public. Children are in more danger as they are afraid to chase the dogs
away.
But there is certainly a way to control the menace of these dogs. You cna
instruct the dog squad to have these stray dogs picked up and vaccinated.
Your timely action in this ma!er would be highly appreciated by me and
the other residents of my area.
Yours sincerely,
Deepak Shah

Write a letter to the principal of your school asking permission
for a 10 days’ leave to attend a marriage in Biratnagar.
Choudhary Apartment
Butwal
5th July 2013
The Principal
Boarding School
Butwal
Dear Ma’am,
This is to inform you that my family will be going to Biratnagar to a!end

a wedding at the end of July. I have no option but to go with them as there
will be no one at home to take care of me. I, therefore, request you to kindly
grant me leave for ten days from 27th July to 5th August.
I will make up for the lost time by staying back at school a"er classes to
complete all the assignments that I will miss during my absence.
I look forward to a favourable response from you.
Yours sincerely,
Aastha Poudel
Class 8

Topics for letter writing
• Write a le!er to your friend inviting him to your sister’s wedding.
• Write a le!er to your uncle thanking him for the money he sent you
for your birthday.
• Write a le!er to your parents telling them about your school and
your studies.
• Write a le!er to a distant cousin asking him/her if you could visit
during your Dashain vacation.
• Write a le!er to the editor of the Himalayan Times about the sudden
rise in robberies in your neighbourhood.
• Write a le!er to your elder relative who is working abroad telling her
of your future plans.
• Write a le!er to your class teacher apologizing for being late to school
yesterday.
• Write a le!er to your gym instructor explaining why you will not be
a!ending gym classes next week.
• Write a le!er to the education minister about the new syllabus for
grade eight.
• Write a le!er of apology to a classmate for being intentionally rude
to him/her during the lunch break.
• Write a le!er to a close friend who recently met with an accident.
• Write a le!er to your uncle in France, asking for information about
the habits and customs of the French people.

EXPLORING WRITING
Idioms
An idiom is a construction of words or a phrase that means something di!erent
than what the words are literally saying. Idioms are passed down through
tradition, culture and history.
People use idioms to make their language richer and more colourful and
to convey the di!erences in meaning or intention. Idioms are used o"en to
replace a literal word or expression and many times the idiom describes the
situation be#er.
The following sentences contain idioms. The $xed words constituting the
idiom in each case are highlighted.
(i) She is pulling my leg. - To pull someone's leg means to tease them by
telling them something $ctitious.
(ii) He took me to the cleaners. - To take someone to the cleaners means to
cause them to lose a lot of money.
(iii) When will you drop them a line? - To drop someone a line means to write
a note or le#er to them.
(iv) You should keep an eye out for that. - To keep an eye out for something
means to watch for it.
(v) I can't keep my head above water. - To keep one's head above water
means to manage a situation.
Each of the word combinations in italics above has at least two meanings - a
literal meaning and a $gurative meaning. Pulling someone's leg means either
that you literally grab their leg and pull it or $guratively, it means that you
tease them by telling them a $ctitious story.

A. Read the following idioms and select their correct
meanings.
(i) Bite o• more than you can chew.

bite and chew your food
take on a challenge that is too big for you
eat a big apple
share your food with other people
(ii) Beat around the bush.

go around the bushes in your garden
beat your plants with a stick
talk about something indirectly
water your plants regularly
(iii) A piece of cake

something sweet
an easy job
one slice of cake
share your cake with your family
(iv) Under the weather

not feeling well
go out a!er it stops raining
take an umbrella with you
get under a roof when it is raining
(v) On top of the world

feeling great
stand on a globe
be at the north pole
go to the moon
(vi) Let the cat out of the bag.

tell a secret
treat your pets kindly
free a cat
let the cat be chased by a dog
B. Now use each of the idioms above in a sentence of your

own.
C. Find and write at least •ve more examples of idioms.
D. What do the following idioms mean? Write.
(i) We tried to give Anushka a surprise party for his birthday, but you let
the cat out of the bag.
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
(ii) Aadar accepted the job even though he was still in school, but his mom
thought he might be biting o! more than he could chew.
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
(iii) I didn’t want to jump the gun, so I decided to wait until the second date
to try and hold her hand.
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................

(iv) Shreejal hated how much his mom nagged him about homework. He
didn’t really see why it ma•ered and he thought that his mom was
making a mountain out of a molehill.
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
(v) Shreyasi was feeling a li•le under the weather, so she asked her mom
if she could stay home today.
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
(vi) Navaraj wanted to shout at Bipul for leaving the toilet seat up again,
but a!er their last "ght she decided to let sleeping dogs lie.
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
(vii) Anwar was on pins and needles waiting for the results of the test.
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
(viii) I like Amit. He’s a cool guy.

..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
(ix) Shubha and I fought over a girl in the fourth grade, but that’s water
under the bridge now.
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
(x) Maalati was a fast learner, so she knew that the Social Studies test
would be a piece of cake.
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
(xi) I told Murad to stop telling Sabnam all of his feelings, but he always
did wear his heart on his sleeve.
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
(xii) Every player is important in a football team, but a good quarter back is
worth his weight in gold.
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
(xiii) Kylie’s mother wanted her to play the piano but, as much as Kylie
wanted to make her mother happy, playing the piano was just not her
cup of tea.
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
(xiv) I don’t mean to blow my own trumpet, but I’m the fastest kid on my
block and the smartest too.
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
(xv) Look, you know that she’s never liked you, so take her criticism with a
grain of salt.
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................

Unit 10
POETRY
• Rhyme – repetition of the same or similar sounds at

the end of two or more words, most o!en at the end
of lines
• Limerick – a wi"y or humorous poem that follows a
speci#c pa"ern
- Lines 1, 2 and 5 are longer and rhyme with each
other.
- Lines 3 and 4 are shorter and rhyme with each
other.
• Couplet – consists of two lines with an end rhyme
• Free verse – poetry that isn’t tied to a certain poetic
form
A free verse doesn’t have to rhyme or be a certain
amount of lines or a certain number of syllables. To
still make it poetry, the words have to be well chosen
and artistic and it is usually arranged in stanzas and
lines, not in paragraphs.

Rhymes
All My Great Excuses
by Kenn Nesbi!
I started on my homework
but my pen ran out of ink.
My pet rabbit ate my homework.
My computer’s on the blink.
I accidentally dropped it
in the soup my mom was cooking.
My brother "ushed it down the toilet
when I wasn’t looking.
My mother ran my homework

through the washer and the dryer.
An airplane crashed into our house.
My homework caught on #re.
Tornadoes blew my notes away.

Volcanoes struck our town.
My notes were taken hostage
by an evil killer clown.
Some aliens abducted me.

I had a shark a!ack.
A pirate swiped my homework
and refused to give it back.

The Violet
by Jane Taylor
Down in a green and shady bed
A modest violet grew;
Its stalk was bent, it hung its head,
As if to hide from view.
And yet it was a lovely !ower,

No colours bright and fair;
It might have graced a rosy bower,
Instead of hiding there.
Yet there it was content to bloom,

In modest tints arrayed;
And there di"used its sweet perfume,
Within the silent shade.
Then let me to the valley go,

This pre#y !ower to see;
That I may also learn to grow
In sweet humility.
My Teacher Ate My Homework

by Kenn Nesbi#
My teacher ate my homework,
which I thought was rather odd.
He sni"ed at it and smiled
with an approving sort of nod.

He took a li!le nibble --
it’s unusual, but true --
then had a somewhat larger bite
and gave a thoughtful chew.
I think he must have liked it,

for he really went to town.
He gobbled it with gusto
and he wolfed the whole thing down.
He licked o" all his #ngers,

gave a burp and said, “You pass.”
I guess that’s how they grade you
when you’re in a cooking class.
Li!le Things
by Ebenezer Cobham Brewer
Li!le drops of water,
Li!le grains of sand,
Make the mighty ocean
And the pleasant land.
Thus the li!le minutes,

Humble though they be,
Make the mighty ages
Of eternity.

Limericks
Smell All The Flowers
A man with far-reaching powers
Loved jogging in sunshine and showers
While still in his prime
He made sure that he’d time
To stop and to smell all the !owers.
Bump
Things that go ‘bump’ in the night
Should not really give one a fright.
It’s the hole in each ear
That lets in the fear,
That and the absence of light"
Oh" That Girl

There was a young girl from Norway,
Who much to her mother’s dismay,
Went out on a boat,
That just couldn’t !oat,
She’s still swimming to this very day.

Couplets
Funny English
(This is an example of a multiple-line couplet.)
No wonder the English language is so very di!cult to learn.
I sometimes wonder how we manage to communicate at all"
We’ll begin with a box and the plural is boxes.
But the plural of ox should be oxen, not oxes.
The one fowl is a goose but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may found a lone mouse or a whole set of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn’t the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of a foot and you show me your feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why should not the plural of booth be called beeth?
Then one may be that and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural wouldn’t be hose.
And the plural of cat is cats and not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say Mother, we never say Methren,
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine she, shis and shim,
So English, I fancy you will all agree,
Is the funniest language you ever did see.

Free verse
Dreams
It’s not necessary
to close my eyes,
to search for my dreams
It’s much more.
It’s thinking
with the soul,
about everything that
I want to reach.
It’s like I could stay

in di!erent places
at the same time.
It’s like I could be
a li"le girl again,
and feel as these times
That I could be the future,
with all my hopes together
woven tightly in a basket.
I Am Hungry
What’s happening to me?
Looks like I am hungry.
Just give me a potato or an elephant.
I can eat anything.

Now that you have read the poems that have been given as
examples, try and write a few of your own.
Rhymes
• The Rainbow
• Memories
• A Child’s Prayer
• Flu!y Clouds
• Caring for Others
• Life
• Teardrops
• The World Today
Limericks
• Scared to Fly
• It’s Time Somebody Told Me
• The Man From Berlin
• That Bug From Mars
• The Funny Alien
• Knock, Knock, Whose There?
• A Scru!y Old Man Named Gabbar Singh
Couplets
• I Could…
• Not Enough Time In A Day
• Momos
• The Hardest Thing I’ve Done
Free Verse
• All I Need Is a Friend
• One Autumn Day
• Somewhere Over The Rainbow
• Green Hills and Blue Waters
• Can You See?

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Composition

A writing skill development course

A writing skill development course

Follow these steps:

Mini-saga – a story in exactly 50 words

The Hairy Monster

Some topics for your mini-sagas:

To re!ect means to think deeply. It also means to mirror

A re•ective essay should...

B. Edit your draft and write an interesting re•ective essay.

Let your feelings inspire your writing. It will appeal

So, that li!le picture is my valuable possession. It reminds me of my best

When my brother Bikrant and I were younger, we went to my grandad’s house

I remember jumping contests on autumn days. We used to collect the leaves

My childhood days were spent wonderfully. I will always think that my

This farm belonged to my grandadrents. My grandfather had loved this place,

When I was there, my older brother taught me to ride a horse. I learned to do

My mother is also an important part of my memories of our farm. When we

Those times were unforge$able, special moments in my life. I always keep

How I Have Changed

However, when I was in class four, my classmates nominated me as monitor.

My handwriting was very poor, so my dad helped me. He taught me how to

Now I am a con"dent person who has dreams to achieve.

• Explain how you have changed in the last two years.

• Explain why you admire a particular person.

• Explain why someone you know should be regarded a leader.

• Explain why parents are sometimes strict.

• If you had to be an animal, which would you be and why?

• Explain why you especially enjoyed a particular teacher.

• Explain why you like (or do not like) to work in a team.

• Describe some nonmaterial things that make you happy.

• Explain the how music a!ects your life.

• Explain why some teens skip school.

• Describe the likely consequences of doing poorly in school.

• Explain the likely consequences of brothers and sisters constantly.

• Write about a seemingly insigni"cant event that led to a major

A. What do we mean when we say these things?

Metaphors are imaginative ways to

B. Use a metaphor to describe somebody who is:

C. Identify the two things being compared in each sentence

D. Sit in pairs and read the sentences. They all contain a

E. Write your own metaphor. Explain the meaning and

How to use metaphors in your writing

A. Brainstorm and make a web on the topic “My Sister Is

19 years old my guide

good company My Sister

true to everyone "nds solution to every

My Sister Is My Teacher And Friend

My sister is my teacher. She guides me through my life. She always gives me

TIP Remember to "nish

The Old Fence

B. Edit your draft and write the edited version. Remember

Adjectives make an essay more

Condition also plays an important role in determining a coin’s worth. Serious

My Best Friend Tashi

I love to read le!ers from my friends in my room. Sometimes, their le!ers

I like to do all these in my room because to me it is the most relaxing place in

Muscles In The Wild

The elephant’s trunk contains an enormous amount of muscle. Scientists

Topics for descriptive essay

A haiku is a type of poem. It is especially

How to write a haiku

Here's a haiku to help you remember:

The Dying Plant