Writing to provide information – WJECDiscussing celebrating special occasions

Can you think of special occasions when people celebrate?

What about…?

• pen-blwydd – birthday
• priodas – wedding
• Dydd Santes Dwynwen – Saint Dwynwen's Day
• gorffen arholiadau – finishing exams
• cael swydd newydd – getting a new job

Other special occasions include religious festivals such as y Nadolig, Diwali, Rosh Hashanah, Eid al-Fitr etc.

How do you celebrate a special occasion?

Look at the following piece, where Matt describes how he and his family generally celebrate Christmas. Notice these words in particular:

• dathlu – to celebrate
• rhoi – to give
• cael – to have (to receive)
• anrheg, anrhegion – gift, gifts

Nadolig – gwych! Rydyn ni'n cael cinio mawr ar Ddydd Nadolig ac mae'r teulu'n dod i'n tŷ ni i ddathlu gyda ni. Ar ôl bwyta cinio mawr (twrci fel arfer), rydyn ni'n rhoi ac yn cael anrhegion ac rydyn ni'n chwarae gemau. Mae pawb yn cael hwyl – pawb ond Dad – mae e'n cysgu yn y gadair drwy'r prynhawn. Mae e'n chwyrnu ac yn chwyrnu tan amser swper! O, wel, dyna ni – dyna Ddydd Nadolig yn ein tŷ ni!

Exercise

Write a piece to describe what you do to celebrate a special occasion.

As you plan your answer, you could think about the following questions:

• Beth?
• Pryd?
• Ble?
• Sut?
• Gyda pwy?
• Pam?
• Unrhyw wybodaeth arall? (Any other information?)

Look at Personal writing for more information.

You may want to write about a special occasion in the past, in which case, you would need to use past tense forms of the verb, eg:

• Es i i… – I went to…
• Bwytais i… – I ate…
• Dawnsiais i… – I danced…
• Roedd o'n/e'n… – It was…

Read the following paragraph written by Ffion, who attended a wedding at Portmeirion last weekend:

Dydd Sadwrn diwetha, es i i briodas fy ffrindiau, Daniel a Lowri, ym Mhortmeirion ger Porthmadog. Roedd y tywydd yn braf ac roedd pawb yn edrych ymlaen at y diwrnod. Gwisgais i ddillad newydd ac roedd pawb yn edrych yn smart iawn. Roedd y briodas yn hyfryd. Ar ôl y briodas, cawson ni fwyd bendigedig. Bwytais i gawl, yna cyw iâr ac yna cacen siocled. Blasus iawn! Yn y nos, roedd band yn chwarae ac roedden nhw'n wych! Dawnsiodd pawb drwy'r nos.

Notice the past tense forms she uses – es i…, gwisgais i…, bwytais i…, cawson ni…, dawnsiodd pawb…, roedd.

Look at Writing about the past for more information about how to describe a special occasion in the past.

Why not prepare a piece about a celebration or special occasion in the past?

You may also want to write about a future celebration. Look at Writing about the future for more information.

Read the following paragraph, where Owen writes about how he would like to celebrate his birthday. Notice how he uses Hoffwn i + soft mutation, eg:

• Hoffwn i fynd i Gaerdydd… – I would like to go to Cardiff…
• Hoffen ni fynd ar daith… – We would like to go on a tour…

I ddathlu fy mhen-blwydd, hoffwn i fynd i Gaerdydd am benwythnos. Hoffwn i fynd gyda fy ffrindiau achos rydyn ni'n mwynhau'r un pethau. Hoffen ni fynd ar daith i weld Stadiwm y Mileniwm ac yna hoffen ni fynd i weld sioe yng Nghanolfan Mileniwm Cymru. Hoffwn i fynd i'r siopau i brynu'r ffasiwn diweddaraf hefyd. Basai'n benwythnos gwych.

Exercise

Write about special occasions. You could use the examples you've just read and here are some further points to help you:

• Start by describing how you usually celebrate a special occasion.
• Describe a special occasion you've celebrated in the past.
• Say how you would like to celebrate a special occasion in the future.