Writing to Describe

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Writing to Describe
Descriptive writing aims to Provide a vivid,
graphic and detailed account of a person, place
or situation. Create a picture with words so
the reader can imagine the scene, person
etc. Manipulate the readers responses so they
think and feel as though they are present in the
situation/environment being described.
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Descriptive Writing Techniques

• Use the five senses sounds, smell, touch,
• taste and sight. Everyone always focuses on sight
  so
• try and be different and use the other four more.

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Descriptive Writing Techniques

• Create images
• Similes used to compare two things, as or
  like e.g. Sarah was crying like a baby.
• Metaphors compares objects that seem unrelated
  but have one thing in common e.g. Ben is a mule
  (i.e. stubborn).
• Personification gives an object or idea human
  traits or qualities e.g. The flowers looked
  sorry for themselves.

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Descriptive Writing Techniques

• Create sounds
• Alliteration repetition of the first consonant
  sound in a sentence e.g. Busy as a bee.
• Onomatopoeia word that imitates the sound it is
  describing e.g. Bang!

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Descriptive Writing Techniques using language
creatively
Looking at the words you have found, what are the
subtle differences in meaning between them?
How many words can you think of that mean the
same or something similar to beautiful?
Always think about the connotations of words and
how they can help paint a picture.
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Descriptive Writing Techniques Lists of Three
One word paints a bit of a picture, three words
or phrases paints much more. The man was ugly.
Doesnt really paint enough of a picture does it?
You have a go
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Which of these would an examiner like most and
why?

• The shadows cast by a
  birch flicker and dance
  across the carpet.
• The shadow of the birch
  makes patterns on the
  carpet.

8
Which of these would an examiner like most and
why?

• A discarded tabloid
  screams its headline
• Hospitals failing!
• The headline of a
  discarded tabloid
  reads Hospitals failing!

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Which of these would an examiner like most and
why?

• The bright, white light interrogates the
  patients, draining colour from their faces
• 2. The bright, white light makes everybody
  appear very pale.

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Which technique is the writer using?

• Yes, its personification! Examiners love it.
• Write a sentence describing one thing in the
  waiting room.
• Pick one of the objects and then describe what it
  is doing using
• personification.

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Descriptive Writing Techniques varying the start
to your sentences

• Try beginning some sentences in your description
• with ing clauses as this makes the sentence seem
• more active and interesting.
• Struggling to clear his nose, the pensioner
• snorted loudly into his chequered handkerchief.
• Dont forget the comma.

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Write a sentence about this picture. Try to start
it with an ing word and remember to appeal to
the senses.
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In the exam, a typical question might be
Describe yourself or Describe the room you are
in. Be imaginative the examiner is testing
your writing skills not looking for a truthful
description of the Sports Hall! Go for
describing more specific and interesting details
not the obvious and everyday thingsBreak the
view into snapshot scenes by planning - in detail
and you wont go wrong