Descriptive Writing

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Descriptive Writing

• Painting A Picture
• With Words

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An effective written description is one that
presents a clear picture to your reader.

• A successful description uses vivid vocabulary,
  including colorful adjectives and figurative
  language.

• An interesting description attracts the readers
  attention.

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Imagery
Imagery is the use of words to create images, or
mental pictures. Imagery helps you picture how
something looks sounds smells
tastes feels
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Read this descriptive introduction from an
informational text
Dark shapes glide through the night sky on
silent wings, their sinister shadows outlined
against the light of a full moon. Swooping down
to the earth, they hover near houses and deserted
buildings, breaking the peace of the night with
their disturbing presence. Carriers of disease,
drinkers of blood, companions of witches and
demons, bats the very word brings a shiver of
fear to most people. Sylvia A. Johnson, Bats
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Description of the Wind
Anybody could see how cold it got. The wind
already had glass edges to it, stiffening muscles
and practically cutting through the stitches of
our clothes. When it blew, the chill stabbed our
teeth like icicles, and our voices jiggled every
time we talked. From Parrot in the Oven Mi
Vida by Victor Martinez
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Things to Remember About Descriptive Writing

• Be specific, not vague.

• Elaborate (add more details and expand your
  ideas).

• Use vivid vocabulary (strong nouns, verbs, and
  adjectives).

• Include details that relate to your five senses.