Laburnum Top - Sample questions with answers

Short answer questions - 2 marks

‘She launches away, towards the infinite’. Explain the given line.

‘She’ stands for the goldfinch whose arrival on the tree has suddenly transformed it into a noisy place. After having fed her young ones and having made the tree active and full of life, the goldfinch flies away towards the infinitely vast sky.

Why is the image of the engine evoked by the poet?

The poet creates the imagery of a machine starting up when the goldfinch arrives in the tree. The sudden noise and movements produced by the young ones are like the starting of a machine. The stoking of the engine is actually the act of feeding the young ones and imparting energy and life into them.

Describe the laburnum top.

The leaves of the laburnum top are turning yellow due to the autumn. Its seeds have fallen and there is a silence prevailing over the tree. There is no movement at all.

What happened when the goldfinch came to the laburnum tree?

The arrival of the goldfinch brought about a sudden change in the tree. The young ones started twittering and there was a lot of noise, commotion and movement on the tree.

Why has the poem been named ‘The Laburnum Top’?

The poem has been named ‘The Laburnum Top’ because the top of the tree has been described in detail by the poet and the second part is a vivid description of the transformation that the tree undergoes. The entire scenario revolves around the tree.

Explain the first three lines of the poem 'The Laburnum Top'.

The laburnum is the tree whose top part is silent due to lack of movement. There is no breeze and hence there is no rustling of leaves. The time of the day is afternoon. The month is September, and the season is autumn season. The leaves of the tree have started decaying and turning yellow as they are about to fall. The seeds of the laburnum fruit have also fallen.

How is the tree transformed during the bird’s visit? Write the line that shows this transformation.

The tree suddenly starts trembling and moving as if a machine has started up. This is due to the arrival of the goldfinch in her nest in order to feed her young ones. The young ones start their chitterings. There is a tremor of wings. The line that shows the transformation is ‘a machine starts up, of chitterings, and a tremor of wings, and trillings- the whole tree trembles and thrills.

To what is the movement of the goldfinch compared? What is the basis for the comparison?

The goldfinch’s movement is compared to that of a lizard. The basis of the comparison is the sleek, abrupt and alert movements of a lizard. The same kinds of movements are observed when the goldfinch arrives on the laburnum tree.

What does the phrase ‘her barred face identity mask’ means?

This is an example of the poetic device – transferred epithet. The laburnum tree has flowers that fall like bars and when the bird sits behind the flowers the shadow on her face looks like she is wearing a mask that has bars on it. So, barred – is actually an adjective for the flowers and has been transferred from there and applied to the bird.  

‘The whole tree trembles and thrills’. Explain the poetic device used by the poet.

The poetic device used is ‘alliteration’. Tree trembles and thrills signify that the arrival of the goldfinch on the laburnum top is responsible for the movement and the activities on the tree. The tree has suddenly sprung to life and there is shaking and thrilling movement on it. Personification is also used as a poetic device in ‘Tree trembles’.

‘It is the engine of her family, she strokes it full.’ Explain the significance of these lines.

The goldfinch has been called the engine of her family. Just as the engine starts up the machine, her arrival in the nest has suddenly started up the silent machine i.e. the young ones have started chittering and making noise. The expression 'She stokes itfull' means that she has fed the young ones who now have the energy to become active and make noise.

Explain the line ‘And the laburnum subsides to empty’.

This is the last line of the poem depicting the sudden silence which falls over the laburnum tree when the goldfinch flies away after feeding its young ones. It had been on the tree for sometime and the tree had suddenly become lively and noisy but after its departure, the tree becomes silent again.

‘Then sleek as a lizard and alert and abrupt, she enters the thickness’. Explain the given lines.

The lizard is a quick moving animal. It is also very alert and its movements are jerky and abrupt. In the same manner, the goldfinch enters in the thickness of the branches of the tree and feeds her young ones.

What do you notice about the beginning and the ending of the poem?

The beginning of the poem describes a silent laburnum tree which has no noise, movement or life. The ending is also similar where the goldfinch flies away into the vast sky. But the middle part of the poem shows us a totally transformed tree with noise of the young ones compared to a machine.

Why did the goldfinch enter the thickness of the laburnum tree? Quote the line or words that support your answer.

The goldfinch entered the thickness of the laburnum tree because it had to reach its nest where its young ones were waiting to be fed by her. The lines that support the answer are ‘a machine starts up’, ‘of chitterings and a tremor of wings and trillings’.’

Reference to Context

1.     

A few leaves yellowing, all its seeds fallen

Till the goldfinch comes, with a twitching chirrup

A suddenness, a startlement, at a branch end.

a) What has happened to the tree?

It is the month of September. The autumn has set in. The leaves of the tree have turned yellow and its seeds have also fallen.

b) How does the mood change on the arrival of the goldfinch?

The tree which was earlier silent has become active, noisy and full of life, as the goldfinch has come to feed her young ones.

 

c) There is a comparison of the goldfinch with an animal. Which animal is that?

The goldfinch has been compared to a lizard, sleek and abrupt in its movements.

2.     

Then with eerie delicate whistle-chirrup whisperings

She launches away, towards the infinite

And the laburnum subsides to empty.

a) Who has been described in the first line?

The goldfinch has been described in the first line.

b) What impression is created by the description?

The chirruping of the birds is delicate, soft and gentle like whispering. The reference is to the sounds that the bird makes.

c) What effect does the last line create?

The last line shows the contrast between the liveliness of the tree and the silent tree.The tree becomes silent and empty when the bird flies away.

3.     

Then sleek as a lizard, and alert and abrupt,

She enters the thickness, and a machine starts up

Of chitterings and a tremor of wings, and trilling

The whole tree trembles and thrills.

a) Who is ‘she’ in the first line? Where does she enter?

‘She’ is the goldfinch and she enters the thickness of the trees.

b) What is the ‘machine’ referred to in line 2?

The ‘machine’ refers to the young ones of the goldfinch. They suddenly start twittering and chirruping as their mother comes to the nest to feed them.

c) Explain the meaning of the last line.

The tree was silent earlier but as the mother goldfinch comes to her nest, there is a lot of noise made by her young ones. The movement and the sounds produced are in contrast to the silence. The tree comes to life now.

4.     

The laburnum top is silent, quite still

In the afternoon yellow September sunlight,

A few leaves yellowing, all its seeds fallen.

a)    Name the poem and the poet.

The name of the poem is ‘The Laburnum Top’ and the poet is Ted Hughes.

b)   Describe the laburnum tree.

The tree is silent and still. It has leaves that are yellowing and seeds have fallen.

c)    What is the mood in these lines?

The mood is of peace, calm, quiet and silence. There is absolute stillness and peace.

d)   Pick out the words that create the mood.

The words that create the mood are ‘silent’, ‘still’, ‘yellowing leaves’ and ‘fallenseeds’.

5.     

It is the engine of her family

She strokes it full, then flirts out to a branch end

Showing her barred face identity mask

a)    Why has the word ‘engine’ been used to describe her family?

The word ‘engine’ has been used to describe her family. The engine of the machine starts up and there is noise, movement and energy signifying the excitement at the arrival of mother.

b)   Who is ‘she’? How does she stroke the engine?

‘She’ is the goldfinch who has her nest on the top of the laburnum tree. Just as the stoker feeds coal to the engine, the bird feeds her young ones.

c)    What does the bird look like?

The face which was earlier hidden in the thickness of the tree’s branches is now revealed as she comes out at the end of the branch. She seems to be wearing a striped mask.

Laburnum Top - Meaning and Interpretation

The Poem "The Laburnum Top" is a beautiful poem by Ted Hughes.

In this poem, the poet has used the Laburnum tree and goldfinches as a symbol of life and its fluctuations.

He describes the visiting of goldfinches on the Laburnum tree and how she has made a nest on it.

When the goldfinches have chicks, it brings alive the tree as the chicks start to rustle and chirp.

Hughes is trying to convey the message that life is a process of  exchange and transformation.

People are alive because they undergo exchange of energy.

The goldfinches transform the tree and make it alive, without the goldfinches and the chicks the laburnum is just another tree.

The poem examines and articulates the inter relationship between soul and body through common symbols of bird and tree.

Though the body and the soul can be separate entities, they are absolutely complementary to each other-one without the other is incomplete.

It is in the interaction between the two lies the beauty, vigour and perfection of existence.

Thus the poem shows the states of existence both in the separation of the body and soul (beginning and end of the poem) and the (middle of the poem) union Which unmistakably and unambiguously provides the body-the tree- the vigour and the vitality mandatory for its life and its fulfillment.

There is an imagery of life and sustenance which is transported through the mother goldfinch to her young ones. She visits her young ones to feed them and assure them that she is there. It portends a yellow colour in the background of the laburnum leaves which speaks of warm but fading sunlight. It also indicates that the mother goldfinch has to fly far away at the close of autumn season. She also has to ensure a warm and secure winter for her young ones.

The laburnum tree symbolizes the pattern of our life in general. Life is seemingly dull and inanimate but it is the attitude of a person towards life that makes it meaningful and worth living. The goldfinch brings cheer, happiness and mirth to the simple and inanimate surroundings . Its happiness is infectious and all encompassing.

A Photograph: Theme and Summary

THEME

Our days captured in still pictures have the power to once again evoke smiles and tears of the past. A search for the lost happiness in photographs is uplifting and saddening, both at the same time. Who would not want to relive the days when the friends and family were together and days passed by without a worry. But after the momentary happiness, the present only pinches more as the void after their departure makes itself felt harder.

The poet here presents a poignant scene of the rush of memories felt when she looks at her mother’s smiling picture from before she was born. The smile was heartening but poles apart from her morose expression later in life. If not in reality, the poet got the warm comfort of her smile through the photograph.

Through the poem, we realize the essential worth of a picture, and how memories of the past prove a fuel for future life.

SUMMARY

The poet looks at the photograph of her mother, which was taken when her mother was 12 years old. She had gone for a sea holiday with her cousins Betty and Dolly and while they were paddling, her uncle took a photograph of them. Each of the cousins was holding the hands of the poet’s mother who was the eldest among them. All the three of them stood smiling through their hair while the photo was taken. Her mother had a sweet face. All these happened before she was born. Years fled past since then. Her mother grew up into an adult. They all underwent changes while the sea stood still. After about twenty or thirty years the poet’s mother would look at the photograph laughing nostalgically and remembering the past. She would appreciate the dress worn by her cousins Betty and Dolly. The sea holiday belonged to the past of her mother and the poet still remembers how her mother would laugh looking at the snap shot. For the poet both these bring great sadness and an acute sense of loss. He mother died 12 years ago and now the poet has nothing to say about this circumstance of the photograph.

KEY SENTENCES

1. The poet looks at the cardboard on which there is a childhood photograph of her mother.
2. She had gone for a sea holiday with two her cousins Betty and Dolly
3. While they were paddling, their uncle took a photograph of them.
4. Both the cousins were holding the hands of her mother who was the eldest among the girls.
5. This was before the poet was born
6. Time fled past since and all those who are in the photograph under went changes while the sea remained the same.
7. Her mother would look at the photograph after about twenty to thirty years and laugh nostalgically.
8. Now for the poet her mother’s laughter and her sea holiday is a thing of the past.
9. Her mother died about 12 years ago.
10. The silence of the photograph silences the poet.
11. She experiences great loss.

The Portrait of a Lady : Theme and Summary

THEME

The fact that generation gap is not an unsurpassable gulf is characterised by the fact that a wave of nostalgia overpowers us when we think of the simple and serene days of our childhood spent with parents and grandparents. We might grow up and grow apart but the morals and principles instilled in us by the older generation refuse to die.

As we grow up, various tasks and interests attract our attention leaving us with little time to realize that we might be the only interest of someone in our family. If the birth of a grandchild leading to boundless joy for grandparents is a reality in every nook of the world, it is also true that the grandchildren’s attention will invariably be taken over by other things pretty soon. We end up being so busy that those silent steps the old ones take to retreat from our lives are rarely noticed.

The story by Khushwant Singh is an attempt to celebrate those childhood years spent with his grandmother when the simple pleasures of chanting of Gurubani and feeding the dogs kept the duo busy. There might not be anything dramatic in their routine but the way she took care of the smallest of his needs and worked for his education shows the depth of their relationship.

But, as is true of every good thing, this bonding had to face the test of time when the writer’s parents took both of them to the city, throwing them out of their humble abode into a city which took the attention of the child and drove them a little apart every passing day.     

Read about the various phases of their relationship carefully and see how the grandmother slowly withdraws herself when she finds her grandson participating in activities and hobbies that she did not approve of. With time, the philanthropic nature takes over and she devotes all her time in taking care of animals and spending her time in praying.

To understand the story properly, analyse how circumstances may change your lifestyle and look into your own lives to see if you may be paying less attention to some people and think of ways to rectify it.

SUMMARY

The story is written in first person and is in biographical mode. It is a perception of Khushwant Singh of his grandmother through his own eyes.
Khushwant Singh recalls his grandmother as an eternally old person. She was an extremely religious person.It was difficult for him to believe that once she too was young and pretty like other women. The stories about her childhood games were like fairytales to him. She was short, fat and slightly stooped in stature. Her silvery white hair used to scatter on her wrinkled face. Khushwant Singh remembers her hobbling around the house in spotless white clothes with one hand resting on her waist to balance her stoop and the other busy in telling the beads of her rosary. Her lips constantly moved in inaudible prayers. Possibly she was not beautiful in worldly sense but she looked extremely beautiful with the peacefulness, serenity and the contentment her countenance displayed.
Khushwant’s relationship with his grandmother went through several changes when he was a small boy. In the first stage Khushwant lived in a village with her as his parents were looking for the opportunity to settle down in the city. In village grandmother took care of all the needs of the child. She was quite active and agile. She woke him up in the morning, got him ready for the school, plastered his wooden slate, prepared his breakfast and escorted him to the school. They fed street dogs with stale chapaties on their way to school which was a great fun for them. She helped him in his lessons also .It was her domain and she was the queen of her kingdom. In this period she was the sole unchallenged guardian, mentor and creator of the child Khushwant.
The turning point came in their relationship when they came to city to stay with Khushwant’s parents. In city Khushwant joined an English School and started to go to school in a motor bus. Here the role of his grandmother in his bringing up was curtailed a little bit. Now she could not accompany him to the school. Despite taking lot of interest in his studies she could not help him in his lessons because he was learning English, law of gravity, Archimedes’ principle and many more such things which she could not understand and this made her unhappy. She found herself at loss. One more thing which disturbed her a lot was that the kids were not learning about God and scriptures in the school instead they were given music lessons which was not an honorable thing in her opinion. To her music was not meant for gentlefolk. It was meant for beggars and prostitutes only. She highly disapproved this and as she could not change it she was dismayed and withdrew herself to some extent. Perhaps she had realized that in the makeover of the child her role was finished and this very thought saddened her most.

After finishing school Khushwant went to university. He was given a separate room. The common link of their friendship was snapped. His grandmother confined herself to a self imposed seclusion. She spent most of her time in reciting prayers and by sitting beside her spinning wheel. She rarely talked to anyone. The only recreation for her was in the afternoon when she relaxed for a while to feed the sparrows. A kind hearted person, in village she used to feed street dogs, here in city she focused on birds and they too became very friendly with her. This was the phase when she found herself totally isolated and aloof but she braved this isolation with grace and dignity.
Khushwant’s grandmother was a strong person. Whatever she went through in her heart she always restrained herself from demonstrating her emotions. He recalls that when he went abroad for further studies his grandmother was there to see him off on railway station quite calm busy telling the beads of her rosary and reciting prayers as always. When he came back after five years he found her more and more religious and more and more self contained. She spent still more time in prayers and spinning the wheel. Feeding the birds was her only happy pastime. But just the day before her death for the first time she broke this routine and gave up her prayers. That day she sang the songs of the home coming of the warriors on a withered drum along with the ladies of neighborhood in order to celebrate her grandson’s return from abroad. Next morning she got ill. Although the doctor said it was a mild fever and would go away she could foresee that her end was near. She was upset that she omitted her prayers just before the final departure from the world. She did not want to waste any more time talking to anybody. She lay peacefully in bed praying and telling the beads till her lips stopped moving and rosary fell from her lifeless fingers. To mourn her death thousands of sparrows flew in and sat scattered around her body in utter silence.They even ignored the breadcrumbs thrown for them by Khushwant’s mother. They only flew away after the corpse was carried away for last rites.
So this was the charismatic grandmother of Khushwant Singh.

Descriptive Writing : A Guide

“You can’t miss it. It’s the big yellow house on the corner.”

“Officer, he was bald with a tattoo of a turtle on the top of his head.”

“I just asked to borrow a pen, and she gave me a look that would freeze hot coffee on a July day.”

"The classroom was uncomfortably warm"

"The car was a joy to drive"

"The instructor looked more like a homeless person than a college professor."

"The office was obviously a place where serious work was done."

 

Where would we be without description? It is used every day to communicate the essentials of life and to add the embellishments that keep listeners hanging on every word. In writing, too, description helps readers understand your point and keeps them waiting for the next detail.

1. ELEMENTS OF DESCRIPTIVE WRITING

Sense Impressions

Every scrap of information we collect about the world around us comes through our five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. It is logical, then, that descriptions painted using sense impressions present a more vivid picture to your reader.

Sight

In writing, descriptive imagery is most often visual. Visual impressions are strong and lasting. Psychological studies confirm that people are more likely to rely on what they see than on what they hear. For example, you would not be fooled by a clerk’s “Thank you” if his facial expression said, “I hate my job.” If it is true that seeing is believing, then creating a visual picture for the reader is particularly important in descriptive writing.

Hearing

Our sense of hearing also gives us information about the world around us. We are warned by the blast of a horn, energized by the driving beat of rock music, or soothed by the thunder of the ocean. Imagery that appeals to a reader’s sense of hearing is an essential dimension of descriptive writing.

Smell
The sense of smell has a powerful connection to memory. The smell of freshly popped popcorn may summon the claustrophobic feel of a dark, crowded movie theater. Awhiff of furniture polish can bring back an aunt’s
stately dining room. Using imagery related to smell can help to complete the picture you create for your reader.

 Touch

The sense of touch is a backdrop for all experience. As you sit reading this, you may feel beneath you the hard surface of a wooden chair or the softness of sofa cushions. You may be aware of the chill of air conditioning or the warmth of sunlight, the scratch of a wool sweater or the cottony feel of
an old pair of jeans. Imagery that brings out textures and temperatures adds a special touch to the picture you draw for your reader.

Taste

Taste imagery may play a smaller role in your writing unless you are writing about food. However, used sparingly, references to taste add spice to your descriptive writing.


2. SPATIAL ORDER

Spatial order helps you to write about anything that takes up space. Use spatial order to present physical objects in a way that makes sense: bottom to top, left to right, background to foreground, or outside to inside. A partial list of words commonly used when referring to space follows.

above         beyond           near            right            ahead           by            next to               south
around        down             north          toward         behind          east           on                     under
beside           in                 over          underfoot      between        left           overhead            west



Look at the following short paragraphs. In which paragraph is spatial order used in a more organized way?
Paragraph 1

The singer looked as if he had just stepped out of the 1960s. His hair, twisted into thick dreadlocks, fell almost to his shoulders. On his feet were chunky leather sandals. A small golden ring pierced his left nostril. His hands, clasped around the microphone in front of his chest, were ringed in silver and turquoise. He wore a faded pair of jeans that flared into a wide bell over his ankles. Over his shirt, he wore a soft leather vest that ended at his waist in a beaded fringe. His shirt, open at the neck, revealed a silver and turquoise necklace. He wore a small golden earring on one ear. He looked as though he belonged on a Woodstock poster.

Paragraph 2

The model walking down the runway looked like a movie actress from the 1940s. Her hair curved under just above her shoulders and dipped across one eye as she turned her head. Her eyebrows were arched and penciled, and her lipstick was a deep red. The jacket of her gray pinstriped suit was padded at the shoulders and nipped in at the waist. Her skirt hugged her hips and legs tightly and flared below the knee. She wore dark stockings with seams up the back, and stiletto heels that looked impossible to walk in. She looked as though she had stepped out of an old black-and-white movie.

Tips for effective paragraph division

A paragraph is a series of sentences that are organized and coherent, and are all related to a single topic. Almost every piece of writing you do that is longer than a few sentences should be organized into paragraphs. This is because paragraphs show a reader where the subdivisions of an essay begin and end, and thus help the reader see the organization of the essay and grasp its main points.

All of us are well aware that any coherent writing piece consists of an introduction, body and conclusion. Despite this clarity, sometimes our writing pieces aren’t easy to understand as the paragraphs either don’t present a clear, well connected thought or the paragraphs are not connected properly with each other.

For effective paragraphing, there are basically three things to be kept in mind:

1. TOPIC SENTENCE- this is written in the beginning of a paragraph and communicates the basic idea of the paragraph. Because of the topic sentence, even without reading the entire paragraph, the reader gets an idea of what is going to follow.

Look at the example given below. The first and last sentences (in bold) introduce and summarize the content.

SCIENTISTS HAVE LEARNED TO SUPPLEMENT THE SENSE OF SIGHT IN NUMEROUS WAYS. In front of the tiny pupil of the eye they put, on Mount Palomar, a great monocle 200 inches in diameter, and with it see 2000 times farther into the depths of space. Or they look through a small pair of lenses arranged as a microscope into a drop of water or blood, and magnify by as much as 2000 diameters the living creatures there, many of which are among man’s most dangerous enemies. Or, if we want to see distant happenings on earth, they use some of the previously wasted electromagnetic waves to carry television images which they re-create as light by whipping tiny crystals on a screen with electrons in a vacuum. Or they can bring happenings of long ago and far away as colored motion pictures, by arranging silver atoms and color-absorbing molecules to force light waves into the patterns of original reality. Or if we want to see into the center of a steel casting or the chest of an injured child, they send the information on a beam of penetrating short-wave X rays, and then convert it back into images we can see on a screen or photograph. THUS ALMOST EVERY TYPE OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION YET DISCOVERED HAS BEEN USED TO EXTEND OUR SENSE OF SIGHT IN SOME WAY.

George Harrison, “Faith and the Scientist”

2. COHERENCE-

In a coherent paragraph,

·         Each sentence relates clearly to the topic sentence or the controlling idea

·         Each sentence flows smoothly into the next without obvious shifts or jumps

·         The arguments or counter arguments are also clearly presented to the reader

·         It also highlights the ties between old information and new information to make the structure clear

To make it coherent:

·         Mention key words or phrases

·         Be consistent in the point of view, verb, tense, number

·         Use transition phrases/ discourse markers

3. Discourse Markers/ Transitional Phrases

In Practical English Usage, a 'discourse marker' is defined as 'a word or expression which shows the connection between what is being said and the wider context'.It is something that

a) connects a sentence to what comes before or after, or

b) indicates a speaker's attitude to what he is saying.

 The following paragraph shows how carefully chosen transitions (CAPITALIZED) lead the reader smoothly from the introduction to the conclusion of the paragraph.

I don’t wish to deny that the flattened, minuscule head of the large-bodied "stegosaurus" houses little brain from our subjective, top-heavy perspective, BUT I do wish to assert that we should not expect more of the beast. FIRST OF ALL, large animals have relatively smaller brains than related, small animals. The correlation of brain size with body size among kindred animals (all reptiles, all mammals, FOR EXAMPLE) is remarkably regular. AS we move from small to large animals, from mice to elephants or small lizards to Komodo dragons, brain size increases, BUT not so fast as body size. IN OTHER WORDS, bodies grow faster than brains, AND large animals have low ratios of brain weight to body weight. IN FACT, brains grow only about two-thirds as fast as bodies. SINCE we have no reason to believe that large animals are consistently stupider than their smaller relatives, we must conclude that large animals require relatively less brain to do as well as smaller animals. IF we do not recognize this relationship, we are likely to underestimate the mental power of very large animals, dinosaurs in particular.

Stephen Jay Gould, “Were Dinosaurs Dumb?”

SOME USEFUL TRANSITIONS

To show addition:

again, and, also, besides, equally important, first (second, etc.), further, furthermore, in addition, in the first place, moreover, next, too

To give examples:

for example, for instance, in fact, specifically, that is, to illustrate

To compare:

also, in the same manner, likewise, similarly

To contrast:

although, and yet, at the same time, but, despite, even though, however, in contrast, in spite of, nevertheless, on the contrary, on the other hand, still, though, yet

To summarize or conclude:

all in all, in conclusion, in other words, in short, in summary, on the whole, that is, therefore, to sum up

To show time:

after, afterward, as, as long as, as soon as, at last, before, during, earlier, finally, formerly, immediately, later, meanwhile, next, since, shortly, subsequently, then, thereafter, until, when, while

To show place or direction:

above, below, beyond, close, elsewhere, farther on, here, nearby, opposite, to the left (north, etc.)

To indicate logical relationship:

accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, for this reason, hence, if, otherwise, since, so, then, therefore, thus

Nevertheless, a text which is poorly organized is not going to be made more coherent

simply by ‘peppering it’ with discourse markers. The following text is an example of a text that

is overloaded with discourse markers.

Louie rushed and got ready for work, but, when he went out the door, he saw the

snowstorm was very heavy. Therefore, he decided not to go to work. Then, he sat down to

enjoy his newspaper. However, he realized his boss might get angry because he did not go

to the office. Finally, he made another decision, that he must go to work. So, he went out

the door and walked to the bus stop.

Hence, make sure to choose the words judiciously to produce a well balanced text.

Describing a person

To describe a person, appearance and personality traits are to be kept in mind. All of you are adept at writing both the character sketch and the factual description of a person. However, an additional help in choosing the right word, I am sure, would be welcome.
Given below is a list of words to talk about the physical appearance:

Face Shape	Skin/ face/ complexion	Eyes	Mouth/ Lips	Hair	Clothing
Square  Oval  Round  Triangular  Heart-shaped	Freckled: sprinkled or covered with light brown spots  Rosy: pink-cheeked; fair complexion that glows with a hint of pink  Ruddy: skin that has a healthy reddish tint; may have the appearance of sunburn  Tanned: skin with a healthy golden-brown tint  Wrinkled: full of or covered with lines or loose folds of skin; often associated with age  Other skin-related adjectives: pale, spotless, silky, smooth, creamy, baby-soft, glowing, paper-thin or translucent (as with a very old person); rough, callused, dry	General Brown-eyed mother, bright-eyed sister, wide-eyed child Eye expressions Adj. eyes: piercing, mesmerizing, sad, sorrowful, tear-filled, gentle, sympathetic, warm, compassionate, expressive, twinkling, lively, dancing, laughing Eye Shape and Size Large, small, almond-shaped, round, slanted, squinty, crinkly	Thin lips, full lips, pouting lips, pursed lips (puckered up, like when someone is concentrating) Laugh, smile, beam, grin, frown, grimace, scowl	Texture/ Appearance wavy, curly, straight, spiky, stiff, buzzed, shaved, parted, neatly-combed, tamed, long, short, cropped Hair Styles braids, ponytail, pigtails, bun, twist, bob, ringlets, flip, bangs, buzz layered, feathered, chopped, gelled, spiked, slicked down Lots of hair thick, full, lustrous, bushy, coarse, wiry (stiff) Little hair thin, scraggly, fine, baby-fine, wispy, limp, flat, balding, bald, bald spot, receding hairline (gradual loss of hair at the front of the head) Treated hair permed, dyed, bleached, highlighted, weaved Hair colors black, brunette, brown, chestnut-brown, honey-blond, blond, golden-blond, ash-blond, auburn, red, strawberry-blond, gray, silver, white, salt-and-pepper Facial Hair Beard, goatee, mustache, sideburns Five o’clock shadow: new beard growth, shadowy in appearance, that can be seen late in the day on the jaw, chin, or cheek area (also known as stubble) Adjectives  bearded, unshaven, clean-shaven, trimmed, neatly-trimmed	Fabric: denim, twill, wool, cotton, tweed, polyester, corduroy, fleece, spandex, leather  Bottoms: jeans, cargo pants, flat-front pants, pleated pants, slacks, trousers, overalls, sweatpants, crop pants, capris, skirt, culottes, shorts, board shorts  Tops: sport shirt, dress shirt, polo shirt, button-down shirt, tank top, blouse, long-sleeve, short-sleeve, sleeveless, collared, T-shirt, sweatshirt, hoodie, pullover, sweater, cardigan  Other clothing: dress, uniform, costume, pajamas, bathrobe, robe, vest, jacket, blazer, coat, socks, stockings, gloves, hat, cap, shoes, boots, slippers, sandals, flip-flops, heels, pumps

We will now talk about the character traits of a person, which include the emotional bent, habits, inclinations, etc.
There are innumerable adjectives to help you here. Some of them are:

Ambitious

Annoying

Argumentative, quarrelsome

Bad-tempered

Big-headed

Boisterous

Brave

Cantankerous

Carefree

Careless

Cautious

Conceited, full of oneself

Conservative

Conventional

Cowardly

Crazy, nuts

Cruel

Charming

Cheerful

Dull, boring

Free spirited

Friendly

Generous

Hard-working

Honest

Kind.

Laid-back

Lazy

Loyal

Mean

Modest

Moody

Naive

Naughty (children)

Open-minded: Narrow-minded:

Polite

Proud

Reliable: he’s a very reliable person

Self-confident: to be self-confident

Selfish

Sensible

Sensitive

Shy - introverted

Strict

Stubborn

Sympathetic (understanding)

Talkative

Trustworthy

Two-faced Weird

This is by no means a complete list and you can add many more to it. One easy way to organize your search for the ideal word would be to  look up a trait in the thesaurus to get a list of the synonyms. For e.g. Hard working sedulous showing continued hard work, effort, and determination efficient someone who is efficient works well and quickly and is good at organizing their work in the way that gets the best results productive working hard and producing or achieving a lot committed loyal to a belief, organization, or group, and willing to work hard for it conscientious working hard and careful to do things well diligent someone who is diligent works very hard and very carefully industrious always working very hard assiduous hard-working and thorough tireless working very hard without stopping So, instead of writing hard- working, you can write any of these words. Sample character sketch My great-grandmother’s warm, loving smile always seemed to brighten my day. Everything about her was delicate and tidy and comforting. When I was younger I learned a lot from this inspiring woman. I saw my great-grandmother for the first time when I was about seven years old. She was sitting in her blue quilted armchair with a copy of Reader’s Digest in her small, soft, wrinkly hands. Blue veins protruded from her transparent skin. When she heard the banging of the screen door, she got up and scooped me up into her arms and planted a big kiss on my cheek. The one thing that sticks out in my mind is her pink bathroom where everything was always spotless. The entire bathroom was pink: the towels, the carpet, the walls, the bathtub, and even the bottle of pink bubble bath on the rim.  also remember the mysterious winding stairs that went up to the unknown rooms. When I finally got the chance to explore the upstairs, I remember how the stairs creaked like a haunted house. I can still hear the chirp of the birds in the backyard by the huge vegetable garden she always kept weedless. The sound of an oven buzzer reminds me of the times when I was at her house and her oven’s buzzer would go off. When she opened the oven door, the delicious aroma of chocolate chip cookies would fill the air. I will forever remember the long summers I spent with that wise old lady. I will always remember how we took walks around the town and to the grocery store just about every day I was there. During those summers I was comforted and happy, knowing that everything was just the way it should be thanks to my great-grandmother. My great-grandmother taught me about real life and how life is what you make it. She has been a real inspiration to me, and I hope that when I have grandchildren of my own I can inspire them just as much.