First 5
1st Semester 2011-2012
From Daily Warm-Ups: Writing
Level 1 / Walch Publishing
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Writing Prompt
Make a list of all the words you think of
when you hear the word school. Then
write a sentence, using some of those
words, that sums up your overall feelings
about school.
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© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Figurative Language- - Onomatopoeia
“This is the way the world ends Not with a bang but with
a whimper.”
-T.S. Eliot, “The Hollow Men”
These poetic lines use onomatopoeia. Onomatopoeia
refers to words that come from sounds.
What do you think of the image in the poem? What do you
think Eliot means?
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Figurative Language- Onomatopoeia
Which of the following sentences gives you a stronger image?
The rain plashed into the birdbath.
The rain fell into the birdbath.
The first sentence uses onomatopoeia (words that sound like sounds)
to give the reader a clear auditory (sound) image. Crash, slam, trill,
and clatter are all examples of onomatopoeia.
Write three sentences of your own using onomatopoeia. The three
sentences have to be the same, except for the onomatopoeia. For
example, besides the two sentences at the top of the page, you
might write The rain splooshed into the birdbath or The rain tinkled
into the birdbath. Each sentence gives a different image.
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Figurative Language- Onomatopoeia
Rewrite the following paragraph using
onomatopoeia.
The boat moved through the water. The air was
heavy. Birds called, and unseen creatures moved
into the water. Stinging bugs flew around the
boat. Suddenly, Jack heard something traveling in
the dense bushes. He stifled a call when the thing
came through the leaves onto the river bank. It
was just his dog, Buddy!
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Figurative Language- Simile
Onomatopoeia is one device writers use to create sound
images. Writers also use other devices to create sensory
images. These devices are called figurative language.
One common type of figurative language is the simile. A
simile makes a comparison between two unlike things,
using like or as. As hot as an oven, as cold as ice, and ate
like a pig are all examples of similes, although they are
not very original ones.
Write three interesting similes related to something you
have done or will do today.
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Figurative Language- Simile
Complete the similes below. Make them as
interesting, unusual, or as surprising as you
can. Just make sure they still make sense and
give a clear image.
1. as bright as a(n) ______________
2. as __________ as a rabbit’s foot
3. as worthless as a(n) __________
4. like a(n) __________ after dark
5. like a(n) __________ in a downpour
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Figurative Language- Simile
Similes are one type of figurative language.
Metaphors are another. Metaphors, like similes,
make a comparison between two unlike things.
Unlike similes, however, metaphors do not use the
words like or as.
She fought like a lion is a simile.
She was a lion in battle is a metaphor.
Write three metaphors about something you do
outside of school.
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
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Figurative Language- Personification
Personification is a literary device that gives human
attributes to a nonhuman object. For example, the wind
whined in the leafless trees is personification. Wind does
not whine; people (unfortunately) do.
Using personification makes nonhuman things seem as
though they have the abilities and the will that people
have, giving a strong image of what the writer is
describing.
Describe something using personification. Then share your
sentence with a classmate to get feedback on your image.
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
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Figurative Language- Hyperbole
Hyperbole, or overstatement, is a literary device that uses
exaggeration. Someone who describes the cafeteria line
as “twenty miles long” is using hyperbole.
Think about examples of hyperbole you have heard,
whether in personal conversation, on television, in the
newspaper, or in some other kind of communication. In
what kind of situation does someone use hyperbole?
Hyperbole can sometimes be used to humorous-effect.
Write 3 examples of hyperbole that create humorous
effect.
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Figurative Language- Hyperbole
The opposite of hyperbole is understatement. With
hyperbole, someone exaggerates to the extreme. With
understatement, someone plays down what he or she is
describing.
For example, imagine that Tyler turns red, throws his
books into his locker, and slams the door so hard that
the whole line of lockers rattles. An observer comments,
“Tyler is upset.” That person is using understatement.
Think about situations in which you have heard
understatement used. When do people use this device?
Why?
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Figurative Language- Hyperbole
Rewrite the paragraph below, using hyperbole. Then
rewrite the paragraph again, using understatement. Make
any other necessary changes. When you finished, share
and discuss your paragraphs with a classmate. Which one
did he or she prefer? Why?
Hannah rode her bike to school. She stowed it in the
rack. She was late, so she ran to homeroom, a clear
violation of hallway policy. When she got there she
found that she was later than she had thought; the
lunch bell rang.
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Figurative Language - Allusion
An allusion is a reference to something from a well-known
source, such as the Bible, mythology, literature, or
historical events. For example, if someone is described as
having a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality, he or she has two
opposite personalities, one good and one evil. This is an
allusion to Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel The Strange
Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. And if you call someone a
Benedict Arnold, you are probably call him or her a
traitor.
Think of any allusions you have come across, perhaps in
books you have read. Write them down. Then explain
what you think allusion adds to a piece of writing.
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Figurative Language - Allusion
Write a sentence using an allusion. Your reference may be
to persons, things, or events from the Bible, mythology,
literature, or history, or it may be an allusion to
something familiar to you and your classmates, such as a
school event.
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Figurative Language - Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of an initial sound, such as in
slithering snake, and lonely, lingering light. Alliteration is a
sound device used to create a feeling or association. The
s’s in slithering snake are a drawn-out sound—they mimic
the sound that a snake makes. The l sound in lonely,
lingering light is a gentle sound, as calm as a fading
sunset. Alliteration is often used in poetry, but it may be
used in prose as well.
Think of some examples of alliteration you remember
from your reading. Or make up some phrases using
alliteration. What feelings or associations do the sounds
63
create?
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Point-of-View
(65)
 Is the perspective from which a story is told.
The sentence I went to the beach today is
written in the first person. The person telling
the story is “I.”
 Imagine that you are your language arts or
English teacher. Write a diary entry about
what happened in school today. Remember
to use “I.”
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Point-of-View
(66)
 Imagine that you are a piece of equipment
being used in gym class. Write a few
paragraphs about your day. Remember to use
the first person “I.”
 Share your writing with a classmate and see if
he/she can guess what piece of equipment
you are.
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Setting
(113)
 The setting is the time and place of a story. It
often sets a mood for the whole story. It was a
dark and stormy night has become a clichéd
opening for mystery and thriller stories.
 Think about setting and genre, or writing type. If
you were going to write historical fiction, what
setting might you chose? Write the time period,
the climate, the style of dress of your characters,
and other clues that reveal your setting.
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Plot
(114)
 Plot means the events of a fictional story.
Most plots include some kind of conflict, or
problem, that the characters have to deal
with. For each type of conflict below, invent
a specific conflict that you think could be the
center of an interesting story.
TYPES OF CONFLICT
SPECIFIC CONFLICT IDEAS
Person against person
Person against
himself/herself
Person against nature
Person against technology
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
114
Setting
(138)
 The setting is the time and place of a story. One
mistake that sometimes spoils a setting is the
appearance of an anachronism. An anachronism is
something that is out of its time. For example, a
car driving through the countryside to announce
the coming of the British troops during the
American Revolution would be an anachronism.
 Write a scene containing an anachronism that
makes the setting seem false.
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Characters
(116)
 Characters are people who appear in a story. Read
the paragraph below. Pay attention to how the main
character is characterized.
After a few minutes of fuming, May Ling lifted her square chin to
look in the mirror. She blinked with surprise at her flushed face.
She re-combed her part so that it neatly bisected her dark
head. She took a deep breath, counted to five, and exhaled.
She pulled her precious books out from under her bed where
she had kicked them and set them squarely on the corner of
her desk. After choosing a color-coded mechanical pencil from
the desk drawer, she began brainstorming about the language
arts paper that was due next week.
Now describe May Ling. What does she look like? What are some
personality traits? What is important to her?
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Characters
(117)
 One way to characterize a character is
to show how she or he behaves. In
movies, writers cannot say what anyone is
like; they show it with images of the
character doing something. Think about a
character from a favorite movie. Imagine
that you have been hired to write a book
based on the movie. Write a character
sketch, capturing the qualities of that
character in words.
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Point-of-View
(67)
 When writing in the first person, you can explain and
describe everything the narrator (“I”) is thinking, feeling, and
doing. This gives you the chance to really show the character.
This point-of-view has limitations, however.
 With the 1st person, you cannot explain what other characters
are thinking or feeling.You can only report what “I” can see. That
means that if “I” is asleep while there is some action going on,
the reader has to learn about it when the narrator does.
 Another common point-of-view is third person. This means that
someone outside the story narrates it.
 Think about the last three novels you read. From what point of
view was each written? How did the point-of-view affect or
limit the story?
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Setting
(141)
 Write an interesting setting for a short
story. Switch papers with a classmate. Write
a very short story( three to five paragraphs)
using the setting your partner listed.
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Point-of-View
(68)
 Read the following news report about an accident:
 This morning at 9:00, two cars collided on Main Street. A blue
sedan driven by Tim Walker was stopped at the light at Main and
Hudson streets. Marlene Hansen was traveling sown Main Street
when she slowed down to avoid a cat in the road. As Ms. Hansen
accelerated, Mr. Walker hit her passenger side. No injuries were
reported.
 Imagine that you are Mr. Walker. Tell your side of the story, in
the first person. Then imagine that you are Ms. Hansen, and tell
your version of the story. When you have finished, reread the
two eyewitness versions of the accident. Can they both be true?
How does point-of-view affect even a “factual” account?
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Grammar
 A noun is a word that names a person, a place, an object or an
idea. Nouns can be common or proper; that is, they can name
any object, or a very specific object. For example, teacher is a
common noun. Mr. Stepp is a proper noun. Proper nouns are
always capitalized.
 List five common nouns that name someone or something you
see every day.
 Now list five proper nouns that name someone or something
you see every day.
 What does including the proper nouns (besides names of characters)
do for a piece of writing? How does it help the reader?
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Writing
 Descriptions often rely on
the sense of sight. But you
have four other senses you can draw on to create images
for your readers.
 The sense of smell is considered our most nostalgic
sense; particular smells can conjure up scenes from the
past. Think about a scent that has some meaning or
association for you. The describe the scent and the
feelings it brings up.
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Grammar
 Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns. Personal
pronouns include I, we, you, he, she, they, and it.
 Fill in the blanks with the appropriate personal pronoun from
the list above.
1.
2.
3.
4.
_____ ate breakfast before _____ brushed my teeth.
Jack borrowed my CD, but _____ never returned it.
Tyrone gave Jeanie a pencil, but _____ would have preferred a
pen.
Alex gave Lizzie his pencil because _____ prefers pens.
Look back at your answers. How did you know which pronouns to
write? How can you ensure that you use the correct pronouns
in your writing?
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Grammar - Modifiers
On her way to the gym, the dog chased Maria.
 The sentence suggests that the dog was sidetracked on her way to the
canine fitness center by a tempting target. The meaning of the
sentence could be made clearer by moving the modifier closer to
what it is modifying: On her way to the gym, Maria was chased by
the dog. Another way to fix the sentence is to reword it: Maria was
on her way to the gym when the dog chased her.
Rewrite the following sentences to clarify or change the meaning.
1. While driving to the store, the dog slobbered on his owner’s jacket.
2. The skiers swooshed past the lodge blinded by the storm.
3. He said he would go first, then he changed his mind and stayed
home.
4. Before finishing her rounds, Suzanne asked the doctor for some
advice.
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Troublesome Words
 The following words are often misused. On the line next to each
vocabulary word, write the letter of the correct definition from
the box. If you are not sure of a meaning, check the dictionary.
a. to receive
b. Other than
c. To offer counsel
d. Suggestion for
action
__1.
__2.
__3.
__4.
e. to influence; to act on
f. Result
g. A thing used for a
specific function
accept
advise
affect
sight
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___5. device
___6. devise
___7. advice
h. to invent
i. spectacle; view
j. Location
___8. except
___9. site
__10. effect
Grammar
 Possessive pronouns show possession, or ownership.
These include my, mine, our, ours, your, yours, his, hers,
its, and theirs. Rewrite the following paragraph using
personal pronouns in place of some of the nouns.
Esther loved playing Esther’s clarinet. Although Esther
was talented, Esther lacked the discipline to practice
every day. Esther’s dream was to play professionally.
Esther’s parents worried that Esther’s parent’s daughter
would not reach Esther’s goal if Esther did not work
harder.
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Writing
 The sense of touch is one that is
often overlooked.
You can appeal to the sense of touch by describing
an object’s temperature, heaviness or lightness, and
texture, for example. Telling what kind of material
something is made of also helps with the touch
image.
 Write a description of one of the following items,
appealing to the sense of touch:
 a paperback book
 your favorite food

a
fun
sport
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Grammar
 Verbs are words that show action or state of
being. Run, walk, chew, study, and sleep are all
verbs. Am, is, was, have, do and own are verbs
too.
 Make a list of ten verbs that describe some action
you have engaged in today. Choose verbs more
interesting than forms of to be!
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Grammar
 Adjectives are words that describe nouns or pronouns.
Adjectives add detail and interest to writing.
 Insert at least five adjectives in the paragraph below. Make other
changes if necessary.
Justin wrote an essay about his vacation. It was three
pages long. His topic was broad enough to fill the space,
but it was not very interesting. It would have been more
fun to read if he had described the people he met, the
places he saw, and the things he did. Instead, he just
talked about the things he ate.
Which version of the paragraph do you prefer—with or without
adjectives?
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Troublesome Words
 Part of writing well is using vocabulary correctly. Which sentence is
correct?
A. I will have to altar my plans if I want to go to the concert.
B. He altered his suit after he took up body building.
 The answer is B. Altar and alter are a pair of often confused words. There are
many such words in English. For each pair of sentences below, circle the
letter of the correct sentence. If you are not sure which is correct, check a
dictionary.
1a. Susan sat down on the steps and began to cry.
b. Ella set down next to her to find out what was wrong.
2a. He set his book too close to the fire.
b. Then he set and stared at the charred remains.
3a. Beth raised her hand in class.
b. The elephant rose its trunk in greeting.
4a. The flames rose from the dry wood.
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J. Weston
Publisher
TheWalch,
smoke
raised in billowing clouds.
Writing
 A sense of taste is one of that is only used
occasionally in descriptions, because you only
taste a limited number of things. Think of
something that you would not normally eat but
would not be harmful to taste.
 Describe that item (without actually tasting it). For
example, a rock might taste metallic and earthy,
or a tire might taste of oil and tar.
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Grammar
 Adjectives help make
a description more specific
and real to the reader. Adjectives can appeal to any
of the senses to help the reader experience what
the writer is talking about.
 Choose an object in your classroom. Write one
adjective for each of the five senses (sight,
hearing, taste, smell, touch) to describe that
object. Then exchange lists with a classmate and
see if you can guess each other’s objects.
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Grammar
 Adverbs, like adjectives, modify other words. Some
adverbs modify verbs; for example, he snored loudly.
Other adverbs modify adjectives, as in his snore was very
loud. Some adverbs modify other adverbs. He snored
quite loudly is an example.
 Write a paragraph about a hobby, sport, or interest of
yours. Explain how you do this activity, using at least
three adverbs.
 When you have finished, cross out the adverbs in your
paragraph, and read the paragraph to yourself. What do you
think of the paragraph with no adverbs? Do you prefer the
paragraph with adverbs, or without? Why?
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher
Writing
Think about an object or quality
unique to the area where you live.
Imagine that you work for a travel
agency, and you are writing a brochure
to attract visitors to your area.
Write a description of the unique object
or quality to include in your brochure.
© 2003 J. Weston Walch, Publisher