2.16 Self-Test A Description

Social purpose:

The Whaler

Text structure   Language features
Paragraph 1. 2Max 3was a whaler who 6had sailed the 2high seas all his life hunting for whales.  
Paragraph 2. As I remember him, he 3was quite 1tall with broad shoulders, a ruddy, weather-beaten complexion and fast disappearing grey hair. His 7black eyes looked out 4hotly at you if you dared to question his right to slaughter whales. He 6threw up his 1hands, which were scarred and with fingers missing, to dismiss any kind of conversation on the topic. 1.

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Paragraph 3. 5On board, his crew dared not disobey orders and knew that their 2captain would not only 6steer the 5ship to 2waters where the whales were but would ensure that they 6harpooned at least two or three on any one day. As soon as the 2whales were sighted, the chase was on. Max stood at the helm shouting orders at his men and 4relentlessly pursuing 4without remorse, the 7unsuspecting victim. rolling 4playfully on the sea's surface. 4Soon the 7lethal harpoon would 6pierce its side and despite its mammoth struggle, its life would slowly 6drain away. 3.

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Paragraph 4. There was no pity in Max's heart for these 2creatures. They 3were the source of his livelihood, the purpose for his existence. So he was never happier than at that moment in which the giant of the deep was slowly hauled on deck, a 7bloody mess. 6.

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Self test A Description

1. What is the social purpose of a description?
a) to construct a pattern of events with a problematic and/or unexpected outcome which instructs and entertains
b) to tell a sequence of events so that it entertains and gives expressions of attitude and feeling.
c)to focus on the characteristics of a person/thing

2) What is the function of paragraph one in the above description?
a) to introduce the subject of the description
b) to orientate the reader, details of characters, setting and time frame
c) to state the phenomenon

3. What is the function of paragraph two in the above description?
a) To give a case for argument
b) To describe the subject
c) To give the initial complication

4. What is the function of paragraph three in the above description?
a) To give a record of events
b) To give an evaluation of the complication
c) To describe the behaviour of the subject

5. What is the function of paragraph four in the above description?
a) To resolve the situation
b) To evaluate
c) To reinforce the statement of position

6. What would you call the following in the context of the above description?
- tall with broad shoulders, a ruddy weather-beaten complexion and fast disappearing grey hair
- scarred and with fingers missing
a) adverbials
b) adjectivals
c) connectives

7. 'Unsuspecting' which describes the whale is an opinion adjective, indicating the writer's attitude to the creature about to fall victim to the harpoon. What do you think the following adjectives are?
- black, lethal, bloody
a) factual
b) classifying
c) possessive

8. The following pairs of words would be called?
- Max and captain
- high seas and waters
- whales and creatures
- on board and ship
a) collocation
b) synonyms
c) word sets

9. The verbs was; were are:
a) thinking
b) sensing
c) relating

10. How would you describe the use of the following in the above text? harpooned; whales
a) synonyms
b) word set
c) collocation

11. What kind of verb groups are the following:
- had sailed, harpooned, would pierce, would drain away
a) saying verb groups
b) relating verb groups
c) sensing verb groups
d) action verb groups


Score = /11
Correct answers:

Explanations to Self-Test

Self-Test B