Written Expression
Strategy: Improving Descriptive Sentence Writing--PAINTING A SENTENCE
Appropriate Grade Level: 2nd – 5th
Procedures/Steps:
becomes
This process involves 6 stages:
Stage 1: Students choose a base subject and base verb.
EXAMPLE: The bird flew.
Stage 2: Students “paint the predicate” by answering these questions about the predicate:
How? When? And Where? The students develop a new sentence with the added details.
Have students share their sentences with the class.
EXAMPLE: How: with wings outstretched. When: at sunset. Where: over the field.
The birds flew with wings outstretched at sunset over the field.
Stage 3: Students rework the sentence by moving the predicate painters to different parts
of the sentence.
EXAMPLES: With wings outstretched, the birds flew over the field at sunset.
The birds flew over the field with wings outstretched at sunset.
Over the field at sunset, the birds flew with wings outstretched.
At sunset, with wings outstretched, the birds flew over the field.
Stage 4: Students “paint the subject” by answering the questions Which? What kind? And
How many? and form another new sentence.
EXAMPLE: Which: that emerged from the clouds. What kind: giant white. How many:
hundreds.
At sunset, with wings outstretched, hundreds of giant white birds that emerged from the
clouds flew over the field.
Stage 5: Students “paint the words” by examining the words in the sentence and replacing
some with more descriptive words and forming a new sentence.
EXAMPLE: birds = Canadian geese, flew = soared, field = golden field, over = above
Stage 6: The student refines the wording and checks spelling, punctuation, and the
positions of the words, phrases, and clauses.
EXAMPLE: At sunset, with wings outstretched, hundreds of giant Canadian geese that
emerged from the clouds soared above the golden field.
Comments and/or tips:
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Make sure students understand the grammatical terms base subject and base
predicate. For 2nd-3rd grades, the terminology should change to noun and verb.
Use past tense verbs until students are proficient at the process.
Make sure students know that the goal of descriptive writing is to have the reader
picture the sentence in their heads.
During stage 5, students may want to try using a thesaurus.
Source:
Diliberto, J. A. (2004). Improving descriptive sentence writing in elementary students.
Preventing School Failure, 48(4), 34-36.