Word families, and a diamante poem

Most English words come in families: one root as a noun, adjective, verb and adverb. Know the family, and you can say the same idea in whatever shape a sentence needs.

"Her determination was clear. She was determined. She determined to try again. She climbed determinedly." Notice the endings (from Unit 2): -ion, -ance make nouns; -ed, -ful, -ing make adjectives; -ly makes adverbs.

Useful phrases from the text:

Now a fun way to use word classes: a diamante poem, shaped like a diamond, which moves from one idea to its opposite in seven lines:

• line 1: the first topic (a noun)
• line 2: two adjectives about it
• line 3: three -ing words about it
• line 4: a linking line that turns from one topic to the other
• line 5: three -ing words about the second topic
• line 6: two adjectives about it
• line 7: the second topic

The book's example: "Day / Bright, sunny / Dancing, playing, running / Out comes the sun, down goes the sun / Resting, listening, dreaming / Quiet, peaceful / Night". Read it aloud: it widens, then narrows again. Now write one from reading to adventure!