Exercise in Revising Descriptive Sentences

Exercise in Revising Descriptive Sentences This revision exercise will give you practice in writing with specific descriptive details. Instructions Heres the opening sentence from a students report on what she saw one afternoon on a city street: One brisk afternoon in late September, I took a walk down Prospect Street. What follows are six sentences from the students first draft. Revise each of these sentences according to the suggestions. If you think one of your new sentences is too long, break it up into two or three shorter sentences. Of course, theres no single set of correct answers to this exercise. Rely on your imagination to create details that are precise and vivid. Prospect Street Music thudded out of the shop and mingled with some of the other noises of the city. Identify the kind of music that thudded out of the shop, name the shop, and give specific examples of the other noises of the city. Garbage danced along the sidewalk and lay crushed against the curb. For the word garbage, substitute specific examples of litter. A woman reading a book was sitting there. Briefly describe the woman, identify the book she was reading, and specify where she was sitting. Steam blew out of the air vents of a restaurant, carrying with it various smells. Name the restaurant, and identify some of the smells coming out of it. An old man was talking to Annie, even though he was walking by himself. Describe the old man in more detail. A red-faced man was pleading with a traffic cop as the cop was doing something. What was the cop doing? The answers to this exercise are limited only by your imagination. Example Rewritten Descriptive Sentences Electro-pop  thudded out of Shikis Fashions and mingled with the noise of growling engines, pneumatic drills, and people gossiping, arguing, and bargaining on the busy street.Garbage danced along the sidewalk and lay crushed against the curb: cellophane chip bags, crumpled cigarette packs, wine bottles, empty soda cans, and yellow foam boxes from a burger joint.A shrunken woman, with ragged hair bobby-pinned to her skull, was sitting on the curb, moving her lips as she read a romance novel.Steam blew out of the air vents at Dwights Diner, carrying with it smells of coffee, chili, and chicken noodle soup.An old man with a scraggly beard was arguing loudly with a woman he called Annie, even though he was walking by himself.A red-faced man was pleading with a traffic cop, who was calmly filling out a jaywalking ticket.

Frequently Asked Questions About Slime

Frequently Asked Questions About Slime Making homemade slime is a fun and easy science project and activity for kids. However, there are lots of different types of slime, so you may be unsure which ingredients to use, how to color your slime, whether you can make substitutions for chemicals, and so on. Look at some of the most common questions and answers about slime. How Do I Make Translucent or Opaque Slime? Basically, your slime will be about as transparent as the glue you use to make it. If you use white school glue, then your slime will be opaque. If you use translucent clear or blue glue gel (or another see-through color), then your slime will be translucent.  Slime made using soluble fiber will be in-between, meaning you can still see through it but it might not be completely translucent. Can I Mix Slime Solutions in Advance? Yes, you can prepare the borax solution and glue solution days or weeks before actually making the slime.  Borax is a natural disinfectant, so you dont need to worry about it going bad or getting moldy. My Slime Has Leftover Liquid. Did I Mix It Wrong? No, your slime is fine. When you mix ingredients, only a certain amount of water is needed to produce the polymer, and excess stays behind in the bowl. Its fine to simply throw it out. Are Borax and Boric Acid Interchangeable? Borax and boric acid are not the same chemical. Borax [Na2B4O7 ·10H2O or Na2[B4O5(OH)4] ·8H2] is a salt of boric acid [B(OH)3]. When you dissolve borax in water, it forms boric acid and also the borate ion. If you have boric acid instead of borax, it can be used for slime, but the recipe is somewhat different. Either dissolve the boric acid in water (if its a powder) or else use buffered saline solution. Mix the liquid with white school glue and a bit of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). You can color the slime if you like. This slime will be less gooey and more stretchy, or putty-like, than borax slime. Can I Make Slime Without Borax or Boric Acid? There are many recipes for slime that dont require borax or boric acid. However, be aware some products do contain this chemical (such as saline solution and some detergents). Not all of the borax-free slime recipes listed online are really borax-free, but  there are some good  recipes that dont contain chemicals. How Do I Color Slime? If your glue is tinted, then your slime will be colored. You can mix food coloring in with either slime-making solution. You can also add glitter or other decorations.  You can also mix in glow powder for glowing slime, thermochromic pigment for color-change slime, or iron oxide for magnetic slime. How Long Does Slime Last? Slime doesnt go bad, but you may want to toss it if it develops mold or if it dries out. Refrigerated slime, kept in a baggie, should last for a couple of weeks  and can last months in a sealed bag unrefrigerated. If slime contains borax, it shouldnt spoil at all.  Edible slime recipes should be chilled for storage and thrown out.