Intro to Descriptive Writing and Sensory Details

Descriptive Writing

Introduction to Descriptive Writing

Open Ended

Describe what makes you happy and explain why.

What is Descriptive Writing?

● Descriptive writing is writing that uses precise words and phrases to

paint a vivid picture for the reader.

● Writers use descriptive writing to create setting,

situations, problems, characters, and more.

For Example

Basic Sentence: The leaf fell off

the tree.

Detailed Sentence: The yellow

leaf fell off the big tree.

Descriptive Writing:

SWOOSH! The smooth yellow

leaf floated down from the

enormous oak tree.

Open Ended

Describe a A famous person you admire.

Types of Descriptive Writing

There are three major forms of descriptive writing:

• Writing about a person

• Writing about an object

• Writing about a place

Multiple Choice

Descriptive writing tries to _______ not ________.

• give, take

• see, hear

• answer, respond

• show, tell

Multiple Choice

Whether we’re describing a person‚ a place‚ or a thing‚ our aim is to reveal a subject through vivid and carefully selected details.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Open Ended

Describe yourself at the beach in a sentence.

Sensory Language

Open Ended

What is your favorite type of sandwich?

What is sensory language?

Sensory language is words  and phrases that connect the reader to one or more the five senses.
It is the way a writer helps the reader connect to and imagine the scene or description in the text. 

Multiple Choice

Imagine you are reading a novel. What would you consider as descriptive language?

• Descriptive language is when the author uses short and simple words and phrases, creating a vague image in your mind.

• Descriptive language is when the author uses vivid and detailed words and phrases, creating a clear image or impression in your mind.

• Descriptive language is when the author uses technical jargon and complex terminology, confusing you.

• Descriptive language is when the author uses repetitive and monotonous words and phrases, making the reading boring.

What are my five senses?

Poll

What do you imagine when you read this description: Abandoned, rusted, white, never fixed, dark,7Imagine you are reading a novel. What would you consider as descriptive language?

nature, trees, cold

Sight

These are words that describe what the reader can see with his or her eyes.

It can include words that tell color, shape, size, and how the reader sees an action done.

Smell

These are words that describe what the reader can smell with his or her nose.

These words require the reader's nose to understand the description.

Taste

These are words that describe what the reader can taste with his or her mouth/tongue.
 
It can include words that tell flavor as well as describe a specific taste. 

Touch

These are words that describe what the reader can feel with his or her hands.

It can include words that tell feel and texture

Sound

These are words that describe what the reader can hear with his or her ears.

It can include words that tell volume, pitch, speed, and specific sound words

Multiple Choice

Which sentence has stronger sensory details?

• The room was decorated with paper streamers that looked like ocean waves when they rustled and cheerful balloons that smiled at the happy guests.

• The room looked really nice for the birthday party.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following describes the sense of sight?

• The fish smelled gross and fishy.

• The thunder clapped loudly, shaking the house.

• The fiery bright sun blinded me as I walked out of my house.

• The sweet perfume of the flowers filled the room.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is the best example of sensory details?

• I like chocolate.

• Chocolate is made from roasted, ground cacao seeds.

• Chocolate is delicious and I love to eat it.

• The chocolate melted on my tongue as I placed the heart shaped candy into my mouth.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence has stronger sensory details?

• Saturday was such a beautiful day.

• Saturday's weather was so delightfully warm with not a single cloud floating through the baby blue sky.

Match

Match the following pictures to the words that describe them.

relaxing, warm, muddy, salty, wet

decadent, rich, scrumptious, delicious

scenic, vibrant, colorful, serene, sunny

buzzing, deafening, piercing, clattery

pungent, reek, foul , nauseating, rancid

• relaxing, warm, muddy, salty, wet

• decadent, rich, scrumptious, delicious

• scenic, vibrant, colorful, serene, sunny

• buzzing, deafening, piercing, clattery

• pungent, reek, foul , nauseating, rancid

Open Ended

Rewrite the following sentence using at least two sensory details.

The place was crowded.

Open Ended

Rewrite the following sentence using at least two sensory details.

It was nearly dark.

Open Ended

Describe yourself having breakfast in a sentence.

Open Ended

Describe this image using descriptive language (or sensory details).

Open Ended

Describe this image using descriptive language (or sensory details).

Poll

Which sense would you rather not have?

• Sight

• Touch

• Taste

• Sound

• Smell