Below you will find eight
customer reviews of tourist attractions in the UK taken from tripadvisor.com
Can you identify one
feature of content and at least four of language which are typical of the genre. You can consider them “typical” if
you can exemplify them with extracts from at least three of the extracts
Scroll down past the reviews to find the Suggested Answer
1) Greenwich, London
An interesting part of London I'd missed on previous trips.
Was tired after an overnight flight and wanted
somewhere new to navigate while I tried to stay away to acclimate to the time change. Greenwich hit the spot.
Lovely college town feel, lots of places
to stop for meals or tea or an ale, depending on your wants and the time of
day. Didn't go in to any, but there
are lots of interesting spots to explore, including the Cutty Sark, the Royal
Naval Observatory and the Maritime
College. We also saw cute little street markets, the Prime Meridian and various monuments and architecturally
interesting homes and businesses. Definitely plan to return on a future trip to spend more time. The views from the
park are fantastic, as are the people we got to speak with
along the way.
2) Lancaster Castle
Worth a detour. Not to be missed if staying in the city
This is a foreboding place at the best of
times. On a dismal January day, it looks particularly grim. All the
better for it too.
You need to join a guided tour. The downside
of which is that the hour-long tour does not give enough time to properly read all the information boards along the way.
The upside is that the guide was
both amusing and incredibly knowledgeable about the history of the castle. And what a history that is.
The more squeamish might want to miss the descriptions of some of the punishments handed out here
and some of the exhibits leave little to the imagination about the horrors of being incarcerated in here. Particularly
those unfortunate ones who were not going to get out alive.
It is still a working court - both civil and
criminal and we get to see the courtrooms and hear some of the more amusing/interesting tales of times gone by. At the
end, there is the option of being locked in one of the dungeons. Another interesting experience.
Well worth an hour of anyone's time.
3) Hampton Court
A must-see
location
Hampton Court is one of the
real must-see locations. It is easily possible
to fill a day here.
On the outside, the views of the place,
gardens and river are amazing. Inside, the royal apartments, the art gallery, the great hall, the Tudor kitchens
etc. are stunning. In the high season (tourist
months), they have guides dressed in detailed historical costumes and they fire
up the kitchens to give people
a taste of the unusual
flavours of the time. On a previous visit,
I got a drink of spiced chocolate, the way it was
served when it first arrived
in the country.
Transport to the palace is pretty good - there
is a car park (though this is probably the worst way of getting there, given the local roads); there is a railway
station right next to the bridge and only a short
walk from the palace entrance (Hampton Court service from London Waterloo - 40
minutes); if you've got plenty of
time, you can also take a boat from Richmond, Kingston, Kew or, if you have all day, Westminster.
Access and facilities are reasonable, though some bits are
tricky because the building is so
old.
4) Loch Ness
Amazing Place! Must see place.
Loch Ness was a wonderful place to visit. We
had to travel over 3 hours to get there but it was well worth the drive! We ate in the little café next to the Nessie
tour bus station. Delicious food made on site.
The tour guide was really knowledgeable, about Nessie of course but also about
local wildlife and local features, he
kept us really entertained. He let the children in the party steer the boat for
a short time each and kept them
entertained with Nessie sightings throughout the tour. The whole place is beautifully atmospheric. The
views of the castle were also stunning from the boat, really gave you a sense of how it would
have been for invaders to look
up to this formidable structure.
Such a romantic place, will definitely go
back. We did not get to see Nessie herself :( but I am sure she was
just being camera shy.
5) York Minster
It’s York Minster...What Else Could You Want?
This building is a true testament to
greatness. Absolutely stunning piece of living history right in the centre of an already beautiful city
packed with an unbelievable amount of surviving history. Free guided
tours nearly every hour (until
3 PM) and incomparable stained glass and architecture.
The Tower offers STUNNING views,
but DO NOT attempt unless you are 1000% sure you can make it. It’s even narrower and intense than you might imagine
and getting down is as hard as getting up.
As of this writing, the Undercroft exhibition
was closed, which is unfortunate as it is one of the best places to see Roman remains in the city.
The only complaint I have is of the tour. The
tours, while included, focus almost entirely on the stained glass. As someone who was there specifically for the
Wars of the Roses / Tudor related history, it was terribly
disappointing, as the guide was unable
to answer any of my questions, including a question regarding a shield that
contained the Three Suns of York and another
question about obvious (though
small) destruction that occurred during the Reformation.
Overall, however, the building does most of
the work. You’ll be absolutely gobsmacked by the CENTURIES of history and the unparalleled
architecture. 10/10.
Note: York Minster also contains the only
memorial for the WOMEN of the Commonwealth that died in WWI. All their names can be found inscribed
in the North Transept.
6) Kew Gardens
Gorgeous &
Interesting - worth
the short trip out of London
The Royal Botanic Gardens, affectionately
known as Kew, is worth a visit, but even after many, there'll always be more to see. You can take the lift (or
stairs!) to the tree top walkway where you can look down on the extraordinary variety of trees, take in the astonishing range of colour and also get an overview of the wealth of
natural beauty on display. The Pagoda is currently being renovated so this is your only aerial view. You can visit The Hive to see and learn about the work of bees, the Palm House and
Queen Charlotte's Cottage.
There's a picture gallery and ponds with a variety
of wild life from swans to Egyptian
geese. You might also meet a stunning peacock or two. There are several different places to
eat and if you're with young children, a visit to Climbers & Creepers - an indoor play area - is a
must. Just outside it there's a playground, too. My most recent visit was a tour and talk on Kew's
activities during WWII. Check the web site for current talks and tours. It's been said that Kew is
expensive to enter compared to wonderful 'free' London parks. It's fair comment, but unfair criticism.
Qualified and knowledgeable staff work on ecology, research plant and tree diseases, and develop
methods for cure and preservation. Their work is world class and widely shared. Even the profit from
what you spend when you eat goes towards such
development. And it's by the fabulous River Thames! Easy to reach by
rail, tube or bus, but not boat.
7) The British Museum
Don’t bite off more than your brain can manage!
This museum is awesome in the truest sense of
the word. There is so much here that we have
found it more satisfying to restrict
our visits to a couple
of exhibitions. The new Asian exhibition is a wonderful experience. We don’t know much
at all about the artefacts but learned a little as we walked around. Mostly we came away with an enormous respect for
the cultures and their artists. Just
to see the real thing, right there in front of you, is enough to give shivers
down the back. The Business of
Printing was our second choice. Fascinated by the process and again, seeing the actual
article. Wow, and we didn’t
pay a thing to see either. Thanks British Museum.
8) The Gower Coast (Wales)
A gentle start to visiting the Gower beaches!
I'm not the type to slip into walking boots, wear
a Cagoule and carry 2 daft walking sticks! I like to visit places where there are opportunities for a nice coffee
on route. If you feel the same try this gentle but scenic introduction to the coast......
Firstly park on Rotherslade road, just outside
Mumbles. Here the parking
is free !
Walk down to the first cove where you can
enjoy your first break with views of the sea. Walk along the footpath to Langland bay. There are other places
here too to have refreshments if you wish.
Langland is pretty with its beach huts but the
parking a tad expensive. Follow the coastal path to Caswell, another beautiful bay. (& yet another coffee
should you wish!) The coastal path offers a
beautiful first glimpse to what the Gower can offer. Once enthused,
research other parts but beware you
may find it difficult to find things open if visiting out of season.
Suggested answer
1. Content
a) Indications of how to reach
the place. Examples :
3: Transport to the palace is pretty
good - there is a car park (though this is probably the worst way of getting there, given the local
roads); there is a railway station right next to the bridge and only a short walk from the palace entrance
(Hampton Court service from London Waterloo - 40 minutes); if you've got plenty of time, you can also
take a boat from Richmond, Kingston, Kew or, if you have all day, Westminster.
6. Easy to reach by rail, tube or bus, but not boat.
8. Firstly park on Rotherslade Road, just
outside Mumbles
b) Indications of what there is to see there. Examples :
1. We also saw cute little street markets, the
Prime Meridian and various monuments and architecturally interesting homes and businesses.
3. Inside, the royal apartments, the art gallery,
the great hall, the Tudor
kitchens etc. are stunning.
6. There's a picture gallery
and ponds with a variety of wild life from swans to
Egyptian geese.
c)
Reference to the characteristics and capability of the staff
3.
…they have guides dressed
in detailed historical costumes
4.
The tour guide was really knowledgeable, … he kept us really entertained.
5.
…the guide
was unable to answer
any of my questions
6.
Qualified and knowledgeable staff work on ecology, research…
2. Language
a)
Frequent use of ellipsis - Examples:
1. (I) Was tired after an overnight flight…
2. (Lancaster Castle
is) Worth a detour.
(It
is) Not to be missed
if (you
are) staying in the city.
7. (We were) Fascinated by the
process…
b) Use of informal
lexis and lexical
chunks. Examples
1. …hit the spot 2. The downside
/ upside… 5. gobsmacked 7. Wow / awesome
8. daft / a tad
c)
Frequent use of evaluative adjectives. Examples :
3. amazing
/ stunning / reasonable / tricky
5. stunning / beautiful / incomparable / unfortunate / disappointing / unparalleled
6.
gorgeous / interesting / extraordinary / astonishing / stunning /
d) … which are often intensified by adverbs. Examples
:
2. …the guide was … incredibly knowledgeable
4. The tour guide was
really knowledgeable
5.
Absolutely stunning
piece of living history / it was terribly disappointing
3. Transport
to the palace is pretty good.
e)
Frequent occurrence of proper
nouns.... Examples:
1. …including the Cutty Sark, the Royal Naval
Observatory and the
Maritime College.
5.
As someone who was there
specifically for the Wars of the Roses / Tudor related history,
it was terribly disappointing
6.
You can visit The Hive
to see and learn about the work of bees, the Palm House and Queen Charlotte's Cottage
f) Written in the first person
(singular or plural)… Examples:
4.
We had to travel
over 3 hours to get there
5. The only complaint I have is of the tour
8. I'm not the type to slip into walking boots,
g)
… and often addresses
the reader directly
using you and your
2. You need to join a
guided tour
5. You’ll be absolutely gobsmacked
8. …where you can enjoy your first break
