Describing a place

Writing

How London got its name

The name London was first recorded in A.D. 61, when Tacitus refers to it as a place “not dignified with the name of a colony, but celebrated for the gathering of dealers and commodities. “Beyond this nothing at all is known of the beginning of London and all the statements as to the origin of the name are very much based on pure conjecture. The old idea that the name is devised from Llyn-din (the dare Fort), although very plausible, is no more certain than Geoffrey of Monmouth’s theory that London was called Cear Lud after a certain highly mythical King Lud.

It seems particularly certain that there was a prehistoric settlement on the patch of raised ground by the marsh-bordered Thames before the Roman invasion; otherwise it is hard to account for two facts - first, that the place was not given a Roman name and the second, that Tacitus at such an early date should speak of Londinium as a great trading centre.

Under the Romans London increased in importance as a centre of commerce and was gradually christianized. The record considered reliable, mentions that Restitutus of London was one of the Bishops present at the Council of Arles in 314. A massive wall, 12 feet thick and about 20 feet height, was built to protect the city probably towards the end of the fourth century; for at that time both Picts and Saxons were growing more and more aggressive and considerable fragments of this monument of Roman London survive to this day. They are to be seen at the Tower of London; on the east side of Trinity Square; in London Wall House a little to the north; in the street called the London Wall; on the north side of the General Post Office; and in the churchyard of St Gile’s Cripple gate. The Romans abandoned England early in the fifth century and what took place in London for two centuries is only discovered by inference.

When we write an article describing a place, we usually write four paragraphs.

In the first paragraph we give the name and location of the place and the reason for choosing it.

In the second and third paragraph we describe the main aspects of the place giving both general and specific details about the place / building usually moving from general features to the specific ones.

We should describe what we could see and do there.

In the fourth paragraph we write our comments and feelings about the place, as well as our recommendation.

You may also be asked to explain why a particular place is important to you, popular, etc. Note that the number and length of paragraphs varies depending on the topic.

Description of the place / buildings may be included in several other types of writing tasks, such as stories, assessment reports, articles, brochures, letters and magazine articles.

We normally use present tenses to describe a place. We also use a variety of adjectives to make our article more living to the reader.

Ex. 38. Read the text and find the characteristic features special for description of the place.

There are few cities that offer such variety of sights, few places that present a mood (= the way you feel) to suit just about any whim (= каприз). London is for the taking, so take and enjoy.

The pigeon-filled precinct (= territory) of Trafalgar Square is a good starting point. Situated at the core of London it is one of the most impressive public squares in the world. Trafalgar was laid out in 1829 by Sir Charles Barry and dedicated to the memory of Admiral Lord Nelson and his brilliant victory over Napoleon’s fleet off Cape (= мыс) Trafalgar in 1805. The square is of the Classical style, enclosed by graceful facades and dominated by 164 feet (50 meters) Nelson’s Column and four bronze lions. This is strategic heart of London. The financial wizards (= волшебники, колдуны) of the City work in the east, the entertainment empire of The West End gurate in 1838 as a storehouse for British art The Tate gallery has since grown into one of the most outstanding collections in the world, with a list of masters ranging from da Vinci and Rembrandt to El Greco and Van Gogh.

Around the corner is the superb National Portrait Gallery, established in 1856. Presenting an illustrated British History, it now contains the faces of over 9000 famous Britons.

St. Martin in the Field Church is the oldest surviving structure on Trafalgar Square, built along simple but elegant lines by James Gibbs in the early 18^th century. The church became well known during World War II as a refuge for the Blitz. St. Martin is still the parish church for Buckingham and reminds Americans of New England country church because its distinctive style was copied widely in the 13 colonies before their independence.

Ex. 39. Translate the text with the help of the dictionary. Compose a short profile about Scotland for a Tourist Guide.

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