Talking about Art
2023-01-20
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1Imagine a person asks you about your favorite piece of art. How do you answer?
2In today's Everyday Grammar, we will explore how you can talk about art and the reasons that you like it.
3Let us begin with a question.
4A person asks you the following:
5What is your favorite piece of art?
6Pay special attention to the word "favorite."
7It means a thing that is liked more than others.
8You can answer the question in a couple of ways.
9One way is to use the following structure:
10My favorite piece of art is...
11In general, we identify the artist and the name of the artwork after the verb BE.
12You can use the possessive form to identify the name of the artist and the artwork, as in:
13My favorite piece of art is Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night.
14In this case, the possessive marker - 's - is of special importance.
15It shows that the artwork, The Starry Night, was made by the artist Vincent Van Gogh.
16If you do not want to use the possessive marker - 's - you can use the name of the artwork followed by the word "by," as in:
17My favorite piece of art is The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh.
18And what if you do not have a favorite piece of art? Such an exchange might go like this:
19What is your favorite piece of art?
20I don't have a favorite piece of art.
21Or
22I don't really enjoy art.
23Now imagine that a person asks you the following during an English test.
24What is your favorite piece of art? Why?
25You should probably give your best, most detailed answer.
26Such an answer would clearly state the piece of art and explain the reasons you like it.
27For example, you might say:
28My favorite piece of art is Hokusai's The Great Wave.
29I love woodblock prints, and the Berlin blue color he uses is so lovely.
30In addition, I find the subject matter so powerful - the giant wave is such a danger to those fishermen!
31Or you could say:
32My favorite piece of art is The Great Wave by Hokusai.
33I love the print because I enjoy learning about Japanese history.
34For me, the wave represents a giant force of change crashing down on society.
35In the first example, the reasons given for liking the artwork relate to the kind of art (the woodblock print), the color (Berlin blue), and the subject matter (Japanese history).
36In the second example, the reasons given for liking the artwork connect to the possible meaning of the artwork and its connection to history.
37So, when you give reasons for liking an artwork, there are many ways to do so.
38You can talk about colors or the lack of colors, point of view, the kind of art (painting, calligraphy, sculpture), the artwork's connection with history and society, and so on.
39Today, we have explored some ways to talk about your favorite piece of art. There are certainly more ways to do so!
40Still, let us try to use some of what we have explored today. Write us a short message - three to five sentences - about your favorite piece of art.
41You can send your message to learningenglish@voanews.com
42Your message does not have to be about a painting.
43It can be about a sculpture, writing such as calligraphy, or even photography.
44I'm John Russell.
1Imagine a person asks you about your favorite piece of art. How do you answer? 2In today's Everyday Grammar, we will explore how you can talk about art and the reasons that you like it. 3Favorites 4Let us begin with a question. A person asks you the following: 5What is your favorite piece of art? 6Pay special attention to the word "favorite." It means a thing that is liked more than others. 7You can answer the question in a couple of ways. One way is to use the following structure: 8My favorite piece of art is... 9In general, we identify the artist and the name of the artwork after the verb BE. You can use the possessive form to identify the name of the artist and the artwork, as in: 10My favorite piece of art is Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night. 11In this case, the possessive marker - 's - is of special importance. It shows that the artwork, The Starry Night, was made by the artist Vincent Van Gogh. 12If you do not want to use the possessive marker - 's - you can use the name of the artwork followed by the word "by," as in: 13My favorite piece of art is The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. 14And what if you do not have a favorite piece of art? Such an exchange might go like this: 15What is your favorite piece of art? 16I don't have a favorite piece of art. 17Or 18I don't really enjoy art. 19Reasons 20Now imagine that a person asks you the following during an English test. 21What is your favorite piece of art? Why? 22You should probably give your best, most detailed answer. Such an answer would clearly state the piece of art and explain the reasons you like it. 23For example, you might say: 24My favorite piece of art is Hokusai's The Great Wave. I love woodblock prints, and the Berlin blue color he uses is so lovely. In addition, I find the subject matter so powerful - the giant wave is such a danger to those fishermen! 25Or you could say: 26My favorite piece of art is The Great Wave by Hokusai. I love the print because I enjoy learning about Japanese history. For me, the wave represents a giant force of change crashing down on society. 27In the first example, the reasons given for liking the artwork relate to the kind of art (the woodblock print), the color (Berlin blue), and the subject matter (Japanese history). 28In the second example, the reasons given for liking the artwork connect to the possible meaning of the artwork and its connection to history. 29So, when you give reasons for liking an artwork, there are many ways to do so. You can talk about colors or the lack of colors, point of view, the kind of art (painting, calligraphy, sculpture), the artwork's connection with history and society, and so on. 30Closing thoughts 31Today, we have explored some ways to talk about your favorite piece of art. There are certainly more ways to do so! 32Still, let us try to use some of what we have explored today. Write us a short message - three to five sentences - about your favorite piece of art. You can send your message to learningenglish@voanews.com 33Your message does not have to be about a painting. It can be about a sculpture, writing such as calligraphy, or even photography. 34I'm John Russell. 35John Russell wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 36____________________________________________________________________ 37Words in This Story 38couple -- n. two or a few of something 39woodblock - n. a piece of wood that has a design cut into it and that is used for printing 40print - n. a picture made from pressing an inked surface on paper 41society -- n. people in general thought of as living together in organized communities with shared laws, traditions, and values 42calligraphy - n. the art of making beautiful handwriting